GBR Friday | Golf Participation, Revenue, and Retention: The Commercial Realities Clubs Face in 2026
Connecting the dots across golf’s business, media, and professional landscape
Hello, GBR,
In my corporate days, dealing with marketing could be a tedious affair. The people I worked with were talented enough, but they were constrained by regulatory requirements, which meant that the end product always proved to be a little bland.
For many golf clubs, the idea of marketing themselves has been alien.
Healthy memberships and even healthier waiting lists for the top private clubs meant that the name and reputation alone would be sufficient marketing tools.
Those days are coming to an end.
Sending out a few more emails or posting some nice pictures of the course on Instagram isn’t going to cut it.
Golf clubs don’t just need to think about different media to keep people’s attention; they also need to think about how different age groups consume information to be highly effective. Our big read article takes a closer look at what golf clubs need to do and the impact a change in strategy can have on the club’s revenue.
Elsewhere in today’s GBR, we look at Stoke Park in England, which had a highly successful 2025 through adopting a tailored marketing strategy.
We start by taking a look at the main points of Buffalo Groupe’s excellent new report, indicating that 2026 will be a strong year for golf travel.
Enjoy today’s GBR and your weekend.
BUFFALO GROUPE STUDY FINDS STRONG GOLF TRAVEL CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO 2026
A new national study from Buffalo Groupe reports that U.S. golfers are entering 2026 with sustained confidence in golf travel, steady spending plans, and a sharper focus on value-driven, experience-led trips. Conducted in December 2025, the annual Golf Travel Study found that nearly nine in ten golfers plan to spend the same or more on golf travel in 2026, with 50% maintaining annual travel budgets of $5,000 or more, while 71% expressed optimism about the U.S. economy. However, golfers are increasingly attentive to pricing transparency, citing hidden fees and misaligned value as deterrents.
“Golf travel demand remains strong, but today’s golfer is making more thoughtful decisions.” Kyle Ragsdale, CEO, Buffalo Groupe.
The study also highlights evolving destination trends and planning habits. The Southeast remains the leading domestic region, accounting for two-thirds of the top five preferred destinations, while interest in the Gulf Coast and Upper Midwest is growing.
Internationally, Scotland and Ireland continue to top “bucket list” aspirations, with Southern Europe, Spain, Portugal, and Italy gaining traction for their blend of golf, culture, and climate. Digital content plays a central role in trip planning, particularly YouTube among golfers under 45. Managing Director Sara Killeen observed that while high-end travellers remain active, many with budgets above $15,000 have shifted toward the $7,500–$10,000 range, suggesting a preference for multiple shorter trips over a single marquee experience. The survey drew from U.S. golfers who played more than five rounds in the past year and had taken a golf-focused trip within the previous five years.
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 2026 EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON CLUB MANAGEMENT IN ST ANDREWS
Registration is now open for the 2026 European Conference on Club Management, organised by Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE), which will take place from 25–28 October 2026 in St Andrews, with a limited Early Bird allocation available to the first 100 delegates.
Held biennially, the conference attracts general managers, club executives, and industry leaders from across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, offering education and networking in one of golf’s most historic settings. The 2026 programme will feature leadership specialist Sarah Noll Wilson, who will deliver a keynote on leading through change, and Chris Tessone, Chief Business Officer at Congressional Country Club, presenting an interactive session titled “AI in Action: Building Your Club’s Advantage.” Organisers said further speakers and programme details will be announced in the coming months, with strong international demand anticipated.
SAM PUTTING INSTRUCTOR LEVEL 2 AND 3 CERTIFICATIONS SET FOR MARCH 2026
Looking to improve your coaching skills for putting? Science and Motion (SAM) has just announced that registration is open for the SAM Putting Instructor Level 2 and Level 3 certifications, delivered live online in March 2026 and led by SAM’s founder, Dr. Christian Marquardt.
The interactive webinars will take place on March 2 (Level 2) and March 3 (Level 3) from 8:00–12:00 CST / 3:00–7:00 CET, with Level 1 certification, available on-demand via the Science&Motion learning portal, required before progression.
Level 2 focuses on structured technique, lesson design, and fault diagnosis using the SAM training concept, while Level 3 explores motor learning, advanced diagnostics, and feedback strategies for high-performance coaching. The programme has certified more than 2,300 coaches since 2012, providing participants with an official certificate, professional listing on the Science&Motion website, and practical frameworks grounded in tour data and motor learning research.
SCOTTISH GOLF MEMBERSHIP RISES 5.4% TO 220,210 IN 2025
Scottish Golf has reported a 5.4% increase in club membership for 2025, with total playing numbers rising by 11,176 to 220,210 across 560 reporting clubs, the strongest year-on-year growth in four years.
Adult male membership grew by 2.9% and adult female membership by 1.6%, while junior participation recorded the most significant gains, with junior boys’ membership up 28.2% (an increase of 6,075) and junior girls’ membership up 2.9%, supported by initiatives such as Girls GolfSixes and a National Junior Framework delivered by 175 clubs.
Participation in junior programmes rose 55% to 6,800 youngsters, with 1,500 players from 132 clubs competing in 31 GolfSixes leagues, and female rounds played increased by 14% during the year.
CEO Robbie Clyde said the figures reflect “so many good things happening around the country,” highlighting regional growth in the Highlands and Islands and the North East, and reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to supporting clubs, sustainability initiatives, and community venues. The growth follows a year that also saw golfers from 30 countries compete in Scottish championships and a record 58 participants in the 2025 PING Scottish Open for Golfers with a Disability, as Scottish Golf continues to focus on grassroots development, women and girls’ participation, and long-term club resilience.
STOKE PARK EXTENDS ALBATROSS DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP WITH LINKEDIN-LED STRATEGY FOR 2026
Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire, England, has expanded its partnership with golf marketing agency Albatross Digital for 2026 after a performance-based visitor campaign in 2025 delivered full ROI tracking and direct booking attribution from paid social activity.
The initial collaboration enabled Stoke Park to measure exactly where bookings originated and optimise spend throughout the year, providing what Director of Golf Stuart Collier described as “complete transparency” on marketing effectiveness. The renewed agreement introduces a two-pillar strategy focused on both visitor green fees and corporate golf events, incorporating LinkedIn and account-based marketing to reach targeted business audiences.
Albatross founder James Wilkinson said the 2026 plan will build on the club’s reopening momentum and highlight its availability advantage in the competitive London-area market. Under the expanded model, Albatross will lead performance marketing and strategic targeting, working alongside a new creative agency partner responsible for premium video and photography production.
PGA TOUR INTRODUCES NEW BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY AT AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM
If you watched any of yesterday’s coverage of the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, you may have spotted some new graphics on the PGA Tour coverage.
The first signature event of the 2026 season was the perfect opportunity to roll out a series of broadcast enhancements aimed at providing viewers with greater data, context, and real-time visualisation of player performance.
For the first time, two drones equipped with the Tour’s Drone AR technology were deployed to capture aerial perspectives and track tee shots in conjunction with Smart Trace, including early drives from Ben Griffin and Shane Lowry, with shot paths colour-coded by fairway probability. The drone-to-drone shot tracing system followed the ball from launch to apex and landing, offering detailed visual analysis such as on world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler’s opening-round tee shot on the ninth hole.
In addition, Weather Applied Metrics, supported by 3D graphics provider Virtual Eye, was introduced to quantify and display the impact of wind, temperature, and humidity on ball flight, adding further analytical depth to coverage at a venue known for rapidly changing coastal conditions.
PGA TOUR SIGNALS SCHEDULE SHAKE-UP AS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP APPROACHES
The PGA Tour is edging closer to unveiling changes to its annual schedule, with further details expected around the The Players Championship (March 12–15) at TPC Sawgrass.
Speaking at a media preview, executive director Lee Smith said priorities for CEO Brian Rolapp and the Future Competition Committee, chaired by Tiger Woods, include staging more events in major U.S. markets, “starting the season big,” and “owning the summer.” The Tour currently lacks annual stops in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Boston, and discussions have also explored moving the season start from January in Hawai‘i to a post-Super Bowl window in February to avoid NFL overlap.
Smith indicated additional announcements could follow in the coming months and also addressed renewed debate over whether The Players should be considered a major, noting the Tour’s recent “March Is Going to Be Major” tagline was intended to spark conversation and reflect growing confidence in the event’s standing. David Rumsey’s article for Front Office Sports can be found here.
PING INTRODUCES S259 WEDGES WITH REFINED SHAPING AND ENHANCED SPIN TECHNOLOGY
Although much attention has been given to the launch of Ping’s G440 K driver, Ping has also launched its new S259 wedges, building on the success of the Glide and S159 lines, with refinements designed to promote lower-launching, higher-spinning shots while maintaining the brand’s established shaping and trust among players.
Director of Product Design Ryan Stokke said the goal was to remain “an extremely trustworthy OEM in the wedge space,” noting that subtle shaping adjustments, including a shallower heel, slightly tapered hosel, and lower-leading-edge appearance, were made following PGA Tour feedback to help players feel they can “capture” the ball for controlled, knockdown trajectories.
The S259 features full-length wheel-cut grooves, updated face blast technology to increase friction and spin, and a 13% larger elastomer insert that enhances feel while also allowing precise swing weight tuning across the two available finishes, Hydropearl 2.0 Chrome and Midnight QPQ. The lineup includes six grinds, 25 loft-grind combinations, new 50° and 52° W-grind gap wedge options, and a modified T-grind with steeper trail edge relief, with each wedge priced at $199 and available now through ping.com, authorized custom fitters, and retailers.
Retention, Yield, and Revenue: The New Rules of Golf Club Marketing
We featured the work done by Stoke Park earlier on, which leads us into today’s big read, which dives deeper into how golf clubs need to look at smarter marketing plans. The good news is the wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented; most golf clubs already possess the data to understand their members. The bad news is that few are using it fully.
Booking cadence, dining spend, event attendance, and communication engagement sit inside existing systems. The technology is not new. What is changing in 2026 is intent. Marketing is shifting from broadcast habit to behavioural discipline, and the financial implications are becoming harder to ignore.
