GBR Friday | WHAT WILL THE GOLF CLUB OF 2030 NEED TO BECOME?
From 59club data to nine-hole growth and Scotland’s divided club economy, GBR looks at why future clubs need to rethink service, data, hospitality and access.
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Hello GBR,
In my younger days, the golf club was essentially a “members-only” type of affair.
These weren’t some ultra-exclusive clubs; these were blue-collar-type clubs, where the members worked hard during the week and filled the tee sheets on a Saturday and Sunday.
Once the rounds were over, the course was empty, and the clubhouse bar was packed.
Times change, and golf is evolving rapidly. The operating model for golf clubs needs to reflect the different demands and expectations of members and visitors.
Today’s GBR has a focus on how golf clubs need to change. Technology plays its part; the only technology in the golf club I was a junior member of was the till and fruit machine (slot machine for American readers).
Certainly, the golf club of the future will be highly digitally integrated from booking and managing tee-times to course management and the clubhouse operation. We know this, it is happening, but not all clubs are alive to the opportunities it creates.
However, we’ll show with the help of our good friends at 59club that success for golf clubs going forward isn’t just solely the digital journey; it’s still very much the human story and the human interaction that will make a difference to how clubs will thrive going forward.
Enjoy today’s GBR, and have a good weekend.
59club Data Shows The Commercial Cost Of Missed Sales Conversations
This article is the latest in Golf Bizz Review’s partnership with 59club, bringing regular customer-experience insight, mystery shopper analysis and best-practice learning to golf industry readers.
Customer service is often discussed as a soft measure of club performance, but 59club’s mystery shopper data shows it has a direct commercial impact.
59club is a leading specialist in golf customer service, sales analysis, and performance benchmarking, helping clubs and resorts understand how their operations are experienced by members, guests, and prospective customers. Through mystery shopper feedback, global benchmarking data and best-practice learning, 59club gives venues a clearer picture of how service standards perform in real-world situations — from the first point of contact to the quality of sales conversations, product recommendations and follow-up.
In this latest analysis, 59club highlights how small moments in the retail journey — from the first approach to active listening, product matching, upselling and closing the sale — can shape buying decisions and overall profitability. The findings show clear gaps between the industry averages and the best-performing properties within the 59club network, particularly in the ability to start meaningful sales conversations, understand customer needs, and convert interest into revenue.
The True Cost of Customer Service
Mystery shopping data collected from venues worldwide provides an accurate account of current trends and the ability of venues to influence buying decisions, increase retail sales, and improve overall profitability.
59club measures the retail Industry’s ability to approach a customer within a minute of browsing a specific product. It’s a well-measured practice that allows time to browse without feeling neglected.
The Industry average (of Unaffiliated properties) sits 42% behind the 59club Podium (the three Best Performers overall). The way the approach is made has a devastating effect, and it comes down to the age-old question, “Can I help?” This phrase has no place in 59club’s sales process. Instead, employees should instigate open and engaging conversations with questions about the customer’s golf to build trust and create rapport.
As the customer begins browsing in a certain area of the shop, that conversation can develop around the sale. For example, when someone is showing signs of interest in your golf shoes, you could ask what brand they currently wear, how they like them, and if there is anything they found disappointing – all naturally engaging conversation starters.
In terms of the ability to begin sales-related conversations, we see the Podium outperform the Industry by as much as 60%.
As the conversation develops, there is an opportunity to promote features and benefits. However, as we look to the Podium to set the tone, there is a difference of just 16% between the Best Performers and the Industry.
In contrast, when it comes to listening to the customers’ words, prising out and interpreting their needs, the difference between the Industry and Podium is vast. The ROI on getting this right not only makes a significant P&L impact but will also lead to happy customers.
The Podium Performers enjoy a 54% lead over the Industry when it comes to actively listening and matching the benefits of the product to the customer in response to their needs. Upselling related sale items is an easy add-on to increase revenue. The Industry currently sits 88% behind the Podium Performers in this area.
Finally comes the moment the sales process has been building up to – closing the sale. Trends show the Industry remains 40% behind the Best Performers in this area, a significant gap that highlights the Industry’s hesitancy and ability to seize sales opportunities.
59club helps clubs see their operation through the eyes of members, guests, and prospective customers, and turn that insight into measurable improvement.
For golf venues looking to understand how service standards affect sales performance, customer loyalty and the overall guest experience, 59club’s data-led approach offers a practical starting point.
Through mystery shopping, benchmarking and best-practice learning, 59club helps clubs identify where the customer journey is working well, where opportunities are being missed, and how small improvements in service and sales conversations can make a measurable commercial difference.
To learn how 59club can support your venue, contact the 59club team here: www.59club.com
SCOTTISH GOLF SURVEY REVEALS GROWING THREE-TIER ECONOMY ACROSS THE GAME
New findings from Glasgow’s The Herald Scottish Golf Survey 2026 suggest Scottish golf is becoming a more uneven, three-tier market shaped by geography, scale and access to visitor demand, with clubs increasingly shielding members from rising costs by charging more to visitors.
Across Scotland, the average green fee has risen 12.4% to £82.58, but the median remains just £45, showing how a small number of elite courses charging £250 to £350 or more are pulling the mean well above what most golfers actually pay. Membership pricing is more tightly constrained, with the average subscription around £775 and the median at £650, reflecting what the survey describes as a more socially limited pricing structure.
In Edinburgh and the Lothians, clubs operate in a relatively stable premium market, with average green fees up 11.6% to £75.80, subscriptions up 5.3% to £1,052, and confidence above 8 out of 10, helped by consistent global demand and strong transport links. At Bruntsfield Links, chief executive Mike Braidwood said the club raised both subscriptions and green fees by 10% to help fund future capital projects, including a new irrigation system. In the Highlands & Islands, by contrast, average subscriptions sit at just £404, while visitor pricing rose by about 19% across a wide range of fees from £9 to £360, a jump that often reflects low starting prices more than strong pricing power.
The region’s confidence score of around 6.7 out of 10 masks a more fragile picture, with tourism-linked clubs better placed than smaller community venues. “Some of the clubs are now beginning to recognise that they have a very strong product that should be priced accordingly for visitors,” said Robbie Francis of Thorntons, though he added that it is harder to tell whether those opportunities are spreading across the wider sector. The broader result, the survey suggests, is a market increasingly divided between top-end clubs with real pricing power, a pressured but stable middle tier, and smaller community courses facing deeper structural challenges, as visitors become the main mechanism through which many clubs can grow income.
TOPGOLF ROLLS OUT SOCCER-THEMED SUMMER PROGRAMME ACROSS U.S. VENUES
With the World Cup starting next week, Topgolf is launching a soccer-themed summer program across its 100-plus U.S. venues, adding new gameplay, food, drink and viewing packages tied to the global soccer calendar.
From June 11 to July 19, venues will show every tournament match on high-definition screens in bays and bars, while 26 venues will offer special game-day packages for the June 12 match and 20 venues will provide premium game-day suites with extra space, upgraded food and drink, and extended bay time. On the play side, 63 venues will install full-size soccer goals in the outfield, allowing guests to shoot at the net during gameplay, while Topgolf is also bringing back Shot Shuffle with a soccer-themed format, which started last week and runs through to July 19, featuring a stadium-style setting, country flags and a soccer-ball tracer. The company said the activation will be supported by tournament-inspired menu offers, as well as its returning Summer Fun Pass, now starting at $179, and a simplified daily pricing model with reservations from $20. “From soccer-inspired game play and game day experiences to new menu items and everyday value offers, we’re giving our guests and soccer fans more ways to play this summer,” said Chief Executive David McKillips.
NINE-HOLE GOLF GAINS GROUND IN AUSTRALIA AS SHORTER FORMATS GROW
New data from the Capital.com GA Handicap shows nine-hole golf is becoming a more significant part of how Australians play, with more than 734,000 nine-hole rounds submitted in the 12 months to May 2026, an increase of 11.4% year on year.
The inaugural Golf Australia Insights Hub report, based on more than 20 million rounds over the past four years, found that nine-hole rounds now account for 5.86% of all handicap submissions, up from 5.42% a year earlier, with women more than three times as likely as men to submit a nine-hole score (13.5% of women’s rounds versus just over 4% for men). Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the figures reflected a shift towards formats that better fit modern lifestyles, while Dr Jarred Pilgrim, head of data and intelligence for Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia, said the growth was visible across every state and pointed to a lasting trend rather than a short-term spike.
The report also found that nearly 20% of golfers now play both nine and 18 holes, 3% play only nine holes, and 6% are nine-hole dominant, with younger golfers and those aged 55+ more likely to favour shorter formats; those primarily playing nine holes had an average handicap of 30.4, compared with 17.9 for 18-hole dominant players, supporting the view that shorter formats are often an entry point into the game.
8AM GOLF TAKES STAKE IN PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP BRAND REDAN
Redan, the private membership club and heritage golf brand co-founded by Jon Buscemi, Andrew Pavoni and Daniel Libman, has received a strategic investment from 8AM Golf, the golf-focused holding company led by Hoyt McGarity and founded by Howard Milstein.
Redan has built a private member network offering curated experiences at high-profile courses, an Italian-made apparel line, concierge services, and co-branded projects with names including Bettinardi, Cadillac, Moët Hennessy, Mr. Leight, FootJoy, Private Suite, and Atlas Card. 8AM Golf said the partnership will support Redan’s international expansion, with McGarity describing it as “one of the most compelling membership brands to emerge in golf in a generation,” while Redan chief executive Andrew Pavoni said 8AM was the only partner with the network and operational depth to help scale the brand without diluting it.
The deal adds Redan to an 8AM portfolio that already includes GOLF, Golf.com, True Spec Golf, Miura Golf, Club Conex, Fairway Jockey, T-Squared Social, PAYNTR Golf and McLaren Golf, as the group continues to expand across golf media, equipment, fitting, lifestyle and hospitality.
GOLFN ADDS “DAILY GRIND” FEATURE TO REWARD GOLFERS BEYOND THE COURSE
GolfN has added a new Daily Grind feature to its rewards platform and digital caddie app, allowing users to earn points not only for playing rounds but also for checking in at a wide range of golf-related venues, including driving ranges, simulator sites, par-three courses, fitting studios, and retail locations.
Founder and chief executive Jared Phillips said the addition reflects a broader view of how golfers engage with the sport, with users now able to collect points across more everyday golf activity and redeem them through GolfN’s Pro Shop, which offers more than 380 items from 28 vendors. The feature was quietly launched in May and is already being used by golfers around the world, with the app also letting users suggest new non-course locations to be added to the system. Phillips said Daily Grind rewards are intentionally strong during the early phase to encourage usage and feedback as the platform expands its attempt to reward golfers “for almost every way you engage with golf.”
PGA TOUR TARGETS 2028 FOR NEW TWO-TRACK COMPETITIVE MODEL
The PGA Tour and its Future Competition Committee are continuing work on a new competitive structure aimed at the 2028 season, with chief executive Brian Rolapp saying at Muirfield Village that the process has made “substantial progress” despite key details still being unresolved.
Rolapp said the emerging model remains centered on a two-track system, with Track 1 bringing the top players together more often and Track 2 offering meaningful competitive opportunities and a direct route upward, with movement between the two expected to be “substantial enough to matter.” He said the overhaul is intended to restore a stronger sense of meritocracy to the Tour after a period shaped by smaller fields and no-cut events, while also confirming that ideas for a redesigned postseason, including formats such as match play, remain under discussion. The committee has held 14 full meetings, alongside six player meetings and three PAC meetings, and Rolapp said the next key milestone will come at the board meeting on June 22, during Travelers Championship week.
U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN RAISES PURSE TO RECORD $12.5M
The USGA has increased the purse for the 81st U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club by $500,000 to a record $12.5 million, extending a rapid rise that has seen the championship’s prize fund grow from $5.5 million just five years ago.
The winner on Sunday will receive $2.5 million, as the USGA continues a strategy launched with presenting sponsors first ProMedica and now Ally to invest more heavily in the event. “We’re proud to lead on that front as we lift up the women’s game,” said USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer, who said the governing body was focused not only on prize money but on treating the men’s and women’s championships equitably across the full player experience. The increase comes amid broader growth in women’s golf purses, with the LPGA offering a record $132 million this season, up from $88.9 million in 2022. Ryan Herrington, Golf Digest.
The Golf Club Of 2030 Will Be A Data Business, A Hospitality Business, And A Golf Course
The golf club of 2030 may still look reassuringly familiar: first tee, clubhouse, pro shop, teaching area, competition board, nervous beginners, visitors, roll-ups and members debating the greens.
But behind that familiar surface, the best-run clubs are likely to operate very differently.
By the end of the decade, the modern golf club may no longer be able to think of itself simply as a course with a clubhouse attached. It will need to operate as a data business, a hospitality business, and a golf course at the same time.
That does not mean the club of 2030 becomes cold, automated, or stripped of personality. Golf remains stubbornly human, built around service, trust, coaching, course care, social connection and the small rituals that make clubs feel like clubs.
The real change is more practical. Technology will sit underneath the experience, helping people make better decisions, remove friction, and understand members and visitors more clearly.
The best clubs will not automate the welcome. They will automate the friction around it.
That distinction matters because customer experience is already becoming a measurable commercial issue for golf venues. In another article in this week’s Golf Bizz Review newsletter, we looked at 59club’s analysis of the true cost of customer service, which uses mystery shopping data to show how service standards influence buying decisions, retail sales and profitability.
The lesson for the club of 2030 is not that people become less important. It is better information that should help staff make those moments count.
A Broader Customer, a Tougher Market
The pressure to change is not theoretical. More people are engaging with golf, and the audience is no longer as narrow or predictable as it once was.
In the United States, National Golf Foundation data shows that 48.1 million Americans aged six and over played golf either on-course or off-course in 2025, including 29.1 million on-course golfers and 19 million who only participated off-course. NGF also reports that more than 500 million rounds have been played at U.S. courses in each of the past six years.
Those figures point to sustained demand, not simply a short-lived post-pandemic bounce. But the more important detail for clubs is that growth is coming from a broader base.
Women and girls accounted for 52% of net participation gains in green-grass golf from 2020 to 2025, pushing female representation in the traditional golfer population to 28%, according to NGF data reported by The First Call. Junior participation is part of the same story, with recent Wall Street Journal reporting citing NGF data that youth participation on courses was 58% higher in 2025 than in 2019.
Those figures should not pull the argument into a separate article about women’s golf or junior golf. They simply show that the golf customer is changing.
The club of 2030 will need to serve full members, flexible members, juniors, women beginners, society golfers, corporate guests, tourists, casual visitors, lapsed golfers, and non-members who first encountered the game through a simulator, entertainment venue, or driving range.
Can clubs still manage those relationships with generic emails, outdated websites, disconnected systems, and a customer journey built mainly around the already-converted golfer? The answer is probably no.
