Munster membership still falling

FALLING golf club membership is set to continue in Munster, the GUI Branch’s annual delegates meeting has been told.

While the Munster Branch’s accounts for the year showed a small surplus of €8,054, a drop from €40,025 the previous year due in the main to the refurbishment of the Branch head office in Mallow, and ongoing work on the phone and IT systems, delegates at Tuesday night’s gathering in Springfort Hall were also informed of a 4.75% reduction in golf club membership from 2010 with 1,700 affiliated golfers lost in the province.

“A lot of the clubs are struggling financially,” GUI Munster Branch executive officer Karen Walsh said. “They have lost club membership and in Munster that’s slightly above the national average of 4.65%. Because the figures are taken up to October 31, 2010, I’d say the loss would be a lot more given the continuing decline in the economy.”