The annual cost of being a golf club member? €1,000

BIRDIES: The average annual sub for golf club membership in Ireland is just over €1,000, a survey of over 260 clubs across the country has found. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy.

THE average annual sub for golf club membership in Ireland is just over €1,000, a survey of over 260 clubs across the country has found. 

Golf Ireland, in collaboration with Sporting Insights, has unveiled its second National Club Survey which also shows 72% of clubs increased their membership over the previous 12 months.

On average clubs have gained 32 members year on year, the average full adult membership is now €1,005, while 81% of clubs are financially stable or profitable, with 53% of club income coming from memberships.

For clubs topping €1m in annual revenue, the average annual membership fee was  €1,359, for clubs with revenue between half and one million euros, average membership costs were €899. For smaller clubs, with revenue under 500,000, yearly subs average out at €768.

The findings report 63% of clubs on the island have grown their women’s memberships, as Golf Ireland’s LevelPar programme continues to support participation and inclusion and the advancement of women in the game.

Men outnumber women roughly 2:1 on management committees across all club types with 11% of chairs female and 12% of treasurers female. Over one on four clubs now have female club secretaries (28%), up from 19% in 2022 — the fastest growing officer role for women.

The governing body's diligence in the schools area has resulted in over 56,000 students experiencing the game since 2024, aligning with the significant growth seen in junior membership. Girls' involvement in those school programmes also remains steady between 49% and 51% each year, while 49% of clubs reported an increase in junior girls, with 8% fewer clubs reporting girls leaving the game compared to the previous report.

This report also investigated areas such as club governance and policies, the provision of facilities, club finances and engagement with Golf Ireland.

This comes from a backdrop where Golf Ireland’s Economic Impact Report last year showed 15,600 jobs are supported by golf, with 21% directly within clubs and a 129% growth in golf-related employment since 2014.

“It’s really encouraging to see so many clubs reporting growth at a time when they are working hard to balance increased demand with the realities of running a modern golf club,” said Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly.

“It’s clear clubs continue to invest time and effort into creating welcoming environments for new and existing members. And we’re pleased with the progress being made in growing participation among women and girls. There is still more to do but these results are positive.”

Vincent Foley, Director of Development and Club Support added: “This report is being made available to clubs to help them to benchmark their operations. This will assist the leaders in each golf club to make informed decisions to improve their governance and management practices."