This was my club. Had a secretary that took out loans and run it into the ground. We loved this club, the banter was amazing and there was no snobbish behaviour. best lads ever here

I’m 29 years old and have only taken up the game this year. What held me back?? -The cost of starting up. Know what kit to buy and membership cost/joining fee. -Worried about the rules/etiquette (including dress codes) if I was to break them without realising I had, how would I be viewed? -The big reason though was the how unwelcome you can be made to feel by some members. Mainly the older generation who feel like they own the club. My age group 29-40yrs old are the future for many of these clubs. It’s not hard when you see a new member in the clubhouse to have a chat and invite them to your table for a pint and chat about their round. A little gesture like that would certainly help the sport.

Reasons there closing is easy.. I started playing golf only 4 years ago. I'm now on my 3rd club, reason is my previous 2 clubs did not look after new members.. Old timers are ignorant and treat you like shite.

Our course almost closed down a couple of years ago. Luckily we voted in a new Executive with great business experience and we were able to workout a service agreement with our local municipality. We also hired a great general manager/pro, who has great ideas. Coupled with a local economic boom and we're in better shape now than we ever have been. Btw our club also has a curling rink attached to the clubhouse for year round use. Love the games. We definitely need to adjust to the modern golf market.

My reasons are... 1... Badly run 2... Afraid to move with times 3... To cliquey and looking down noses at new members

Must be a strange experience walking the dog and stumbling on to a bloke that plays golf in the middle of nowhere and singing into his grip :-D.

Beat me to it Liam - I was just going to do a video about three courses that I’ve played locally that have closed in 2019. Sod it, I’ll still do it just to amplify your message. And you’re right, never seen a golf course open (apart from one that got moved from its old site due to development). Great video by the way, something a bit different 🙂

This golf video is very much needed. Here in the hills of Huntington, West Virginia in the USA we had a course that was as old as the one in your video. It was called Spring Valley Golf & Country Club. It was the host of the very first West Virginia State Open. It hosted the our state amateur tournament for many a year. My uncle was a long time member and the board of directors just closed it. Sad that history is being lost. Thanks for the video.

Totally agree re management, a good business manager knows you can't live on the memories of yesteryear and the full book of tee-off times that you had in the 70s and 80s, you need "X" pounds in the till every month to survive. So may clubs are run by people that have no business skills, they're just a band of the longest serving members and out of their depth. However, fundamantally there just doesn't seem to be the required numbers of new players taking up the game and it's my opinion that this is in no small part due to the almost total lack of golf on Freeview TV. Is it a coincidence that when golf courses were busy we had "A Round With Allis", "Pro-Celeb Golf", and don't get me started on The R&A selling The Open coverage rights to SKY. There was a golf prog on every week.

Golf clubs need to be more welcoming and be a part of the local community. Too many of them behave like a masonic lodge. Golf is expensive and time consuming and there is a lot of competition for people's money and time in other areas and sports. We have to persuade new players that it's a fantastic sport that is worth the effort and cost and I think that you, Liam, are helping massively in this regard. Keep up the good work, fella!

Wow, I was shocked to hear that long list of shut down courses. I live north of Seattle, US, and the only course i'm aware of near me that was shut down is Kayak Point. I never went there because it was too expensive. The courses near me that have more reasonable prices were much busier this past summer. I live on hole 14 at Gleneagle Golf Course and I used to be able to sneak out at dusk to get some practice. This past summer was so busy that there were always golfers playing even past dusk so I couldn't sneak out any more.

you played 5 golf clubs that shut down, think you're a bit of a jinx Liam :)

Love the video Liam I find the price of equipment and the cost for membership can deter people from playing. I live within 1km of probably the best course in the area but can not afford the membership so i travel 1/2 an hour to a club I can

For me that’s one of your best videos pal. Urban Exploration is a KZfaq trend where abandoned places are shown and maybe a bit of history as to why they’re left to rot. Albeit it sad that the course couldn’t survive it’s amazing to see how quick nature claims stuff back. I heard a whisper that Newcastle United Golf Course is struggling. Hopefully not. Again great video Liam lad.

For me, the reasons I dont go are, 1- Time, 4 hours plus for a round. 2 - Money, too expensive to do regularly. Great video, gets you thinking.

One of the most enjoyable videos to date & very thought provoking. I'm in the USA near Washington DC but I vacation often in Mrytle Beach, South Carolina. They bill themselves as the golf capital of the world. I've going there since 1974 when they had about 40 golf courses and now have over 100 but over half of the originals were close for housing because of proximity to the coast/beach. It's sad to see some of the originals go (so many memories with my deceased dad & 2 deceased friends) but at least they were replaced much further inland. Housing seems to be a big issue in closings overall in the USA & most are daily fee courses not country clubs. There are many courses run by cities, counties & regional parks that aren't going anywhere. Thanks again for bringing this issue to light, thank you GolfMate

spot on Liam, most clubs with stuck up members committees will eventually die out , golf courses need evolve with the times !

I'm gonna be unpopular for saying this but you asked the question. Nearly 10 years of austerity. I'm a working class man, all my mates are. When times get tough, sadly luxuries like a golf membership are are just that, a luxury. Maybe there is are too many clubs in too many areas. It comes down to survival of the fittest. I also agree with your point about relaxing the rules to get more kids involved. There the future of the game. I'm in the southside of Glasgow, I can count about 10-12 golf clubs in a 5mile radius from my house. It's many complex issues without easy answer's. Great video for raising awareness Liam, #Golfmates

Where I live in Australia, most country courses are operated by unpaid volunteers. Some have a greenkeeper for one or two days per week (shared with other courses). Generally these are courses in smaller communities. I am a member of two of these courses. They are wonderful courses with welcoming friendly members. Only courses in larger communities with 10000 plus population have paid employees. Maybe courses in Great Britain could run on the same basis - much like cooperatives. Facilities in small communities do not need to close down when there are committed, and cooperative members. Band together, buy the place, run it cooperatively. I watched one of your videos where the members bought the club. Maybe this is the model for the future. I love what you're doing Liam. Power to you, golfmate! Lindsay McIntyre Cootamundra, New Soth Wales, Australia

Hi Liam, I am a big fan have been watching your videos for some time now. I can't necessarily speak about up north but down south in Berkshire the gold clubs seem to be slowly closing and it's more of a housing issue from what I can gather. Being so close to London the house prises are outrageous and so a common theme by me is golf courses being purchased and used to build houses. From my experience this is a massive shame as at 22 years old I find that most of my friends are interested in golf which suggests the sport is growing as you have said, however other demands in society seem to take a priority which is a massive shame. Many thanks to you and OMP for peaking my interest in the sport. I will be a fan for many years to come.

There seems to a wave of closings here in the states too. The first course I ever played was an executive called the Golden Wedge. It closed down years ago, which I knew about but that knowledge still couldn't prepare me for the time I drove down there to see it's all part of an industrial complex now. As well as I could work out, the area that used to be #8, which I aced in my second week playing (luckiest/greatest 8i shot of all time :P), is now part of paved parking lot or just inside a warehouse. That was kind of hard to take in.

I just taken up golf this year 😂 and clubs do make it hard for new members. Gotta dress right. Have to have the correct shoes. Older members don’t like change!!!! And like you sad Liam they run the clubs. You are right golf in the uk needs to change so it survives. Great video Aabsolutely golf club shut its doors this year

Really enjoyed this Liam, you are spot on first and foremost it is a business. People who haven't run a business struggle to understand at times. Easy for them to say we should do this and that without understand what goes into doing this and that both financially and physically. They are usually the first ones to back out when asked to contribute and criticise when things don't go their way.

Very sad to see it close. One on my favorite courses here in the USA Georgia The Pines closed a few years ago

Liam grew up round there. Fishwick is neighboured by one of the roughest council estate in Preston,(callon). Very wet as well due to the river. When it came to joining a club the choice was Fishwick now closed, charnock Richard closed and re opened I believe, penwortham, leyland.ashton and lea, ingol and Preston. A lot of courses in a small area. As one falls the other become stronger.

I see a perfect location for the first Golfmates golfclub!!

There are a number of reasons 1. There was a boom in the 80s to 90s and many new clubs. Farm land was not giving good returns and many farmers either sold the land or swapped to golf. There were new golfers that joined these so some older clubs missed out on new members. 2. The financial crash in 2008 meant wages did not rise and many lost jobs. 3. Leisure is the first cost to be cut when you have less cash 4. This is a rebalancing of the boom 5. Young people, new to work cannot afford membership for a year and there are many other things that take their interest whereas many had spare cash in the 80s. Many play in societies and get out, say, once a month. 6. Golf is not that is always on television or news as football is. I can see more clubs closing. In my area there is an old club, founded in the 1890s and one founded in the 90s and both are getting fewer members and visitors. Habberley GC ( 9 hole and founded in 1924) closed in 2017. That lost members to the 4 new courses that were started in the 90s. One of which , has also closed. This type of winter won't help either.

Hi Liam I was a member here and started to learn to play at fishwick Hall- a combination of constant flooding from the river on holes 2-10, members became disillusioned with rising costs of membership without noticeable improvements. In 2000 the Millennium Wheel path opened which followed the river around the bottom half of the course and there were constant trespassers on the course using it as a cut through from the local estates to the river. Finally financial mismanagement and s drastic loss of members led to its closure and sale, which was bought by a local developer who planned to build housing on the higher back 9 holes. Such as shame because the members were brilliant and we've all ended up scattering to other local clubs - eg Preston, Penwortham, Ashton & Lea, Pleasington and Leyland Ingol Golf Club also in Preston closed about 2 or 3 years before fishwick too, so Preston has lost 2 clubs in a very close period of time

1) in Arizona they overbuilt. 2) many courses are too hard for the average golfer. Only 10% of golfer shoot under 100. 3) make more par 3 courses. 4) baby boomers are dying out and millennials are too busy on their phones and social media to put in the effort. 5) it takes practice to even be decent and more recent generations are instant gratification junkies. 6) golf can be very slow. A) I play at off peak times B) sometimes I want to play 9 holes and many courses do not have a 9 hole price. 7) start up costs are high. I started playing later in life. If I were young there is no way I could have afford clubs or green fees. Club makers this is on you. 8) the sport was oversold when Tiger was dominating. It will survive but it will be smaller. 9) water is getting expensive. 10) the world is overpopulated and developers make more money on housing.

Was down driving range and over heard 2 young lads saying they would like to start playing but don't no how to even go about getting on a golf course think unless you no someone else who plays can be a very hard sport to get involved in especially some of the members at courses who don't exactly make it a welcoming environment for the younger generation trying to get into the sport ! So maybe more relaxed 9 hole courses aimed more at beginners to fill the gap between driving range and a full round

We have several 9 hole courses within 30 minutes of me. They've mostly been bought out and are under new management in the past 10 years. One of those courses is owned by an early 30-something who owns one in a metro area as well. The course is in INCREDIBLE shape for being right outside a town of less than a thousand people. It appears he uses the equipment on both courses to spread the cost, because $23 riding for 9 is great and the course (other than size) is as well kept as our state golf association course. The summer weekends are always packed, including some of the weekdays, and all of the old "golf etiquette" codes are a bit more loose (not really a fan, but it keeps the game alive). I've taken my kids out a few times and the interest is there, its just getting them to do it on their own that's tricky. Outside of well-to-do communities it's probably not the go-to sport. In the 90's we had Adam Sandler and Tiger Woods spark interest in otherwise-uninterested youth. Maybe that's what golf needs now?

😢 this nearly happened to my local and I had no idea a quit golf for 18 years and just returned I’m lucky a local councillor kept it open so many memories ..... I’m glad I can create more 😁👍

I reckon in england theres a few things that drive courses to close, just got my membership renewal at £690 The old Guard in the club house looking down their noses at newcomers. Out of date dress codes Most folk can only really get out and weekends and most weekends theres comps on so you cant just have a relaxing round . Just my opinions

Heartbreaking. But it's a simple question of supply and demand probably. When I started in the mid 70s the game was niche and exclusive. In the 90s there was a big expansion. Thank you Seve, TV coverage, The Ryder Cup and then Tiger. I guess it expanded too quickly. In a world where lots of things have become more accessible golf has to compete for people's loyalty. With costs of equipment and course maintenance maybe the game is just finding its place in a very competitive market.

Hi Liam. JB from the north of Scotland. I have been a member of my club which is Garmouth and Kingston since I was 12 so 13 years and its potentially looking at closing. Due to it being next to the river spey, we have lost part of the course unfortunately. This resulted in losing members. Also the lack of members means no money and now the staff are having to work voluntary. It's just a shame as the course has been part of my life and was hoping to see my little boy play there sometime. Fingers crossed we at Garmouth and Kingston golf club can stay open. Keep up the good work Liam 👍

Started to play golf again after watching your videos, so I went to my favourite course in a national park. Bel air golf clubs in Adelaide Australia didn’t realise it had been closed for a year and a half.

Our club has been established since 1910 and is one of best courses in the area, however the council gave planning permission for two more course within 3 or 4 miles and those two are right opposite each other. One is doing OK as it has a health club attached to it but the course is short and mediocre, the other is long and a venue for Euro Pro tour but is struggling because maybe too long for some golfers. My club sold some land for development, and we are investing the money into the second local club that is also struggling and it is going to be made into a state of the art golfing facilities to try and move with the times and have good practice facilities. We have a course architect from Canada making changes to the course so exciting times ahead. But sad our old course has to go as it loses thousands a month no matter what the manager and board try and do. We have expanded our Junior Section massively but its the working adult members that we need. There are approximately 47 golf courses in Berkshire alone. There are just too many courses and not enough people interested or that can afford golf.

Sad to see, I was a member of Fishwick in the 90's. Lovely club very friendly and welcoming. Golf did take a major dive after the 2008 financial crash. The clubs in my area had 2 year waiting lists, now you can join them immediately, no joining fees.

I was a member over 7 years played all my junior golf here! What a sad watch. Hopefully will come back 🤞🏻

Really interesting topic. I know of two courses that are on the verge of closing, one in Surrey and one in the Cotswolds (went into receivership in 2012, running again) what is common about them is they are poorly maintained and/or managed. The Surrey course was built on the late 80’s and my view is while it is a Allis design and great layout it just can’t compete with the plethora of other higher quality Better maintained courses all within 2-3miles. Golf clubs these days need to offer more than just golf to attract the whole family. Cost of membership is also a consideration. London club memberships start at £1500 up to well over £2500 a year plus joining fees. Flexible membership helps but time becomes a challenge. Expectations about course conditioning also has an influence, we see perfect courses on the PGA tour. People are time poor and what time they have they expect a course in great nick.

Liam the other day I watched a video where you said something like OMP is probably your favorite.....well it maybe true that hes a favorite but truth be told I bacame a golf mate because of you.....OMP, The Duck, your dad and Josh are really just awesome bonuses!

I can imagine that quite a few courses will be struggling with all this wet weather we’ve been getting over the last couple of months...

I know the feeling. A couple of years ago, in Corona de Tucson, AZ, Santa Rita Golf Club suddenly closed (a site where "Tin Cup" was partially filmed). It was a golf course community (houses along the fairways), and the residents felt betrayed, the golf course being one of the reasons they bought homes there. Golf-quality-wise, it was no great loss: It was a short, quirky course, and not a lot of fun. But it was sudden and sad nonetheless. They ran on a shoestring because memberships were originally cheap and grandfathered in. Maintenance suffered. I also played another course, now closed, north of Tucson, AZ, with the same problems. Added to that, the members there had a reputation for a terrible attitude towards and relationship with non-members who came to play there, eventually drying up a necessary source of revenue. A shame; it was a wonderful Tom Weiskopf design.

This is my 2nd comment on this vid !! And another thing, I played Fleetwood this summer. It cost £40 during the week so not expensive but not cheap either. A member and his guess pushed in front of me on the first tee and kept me behind the whole 18 holes. It was awful, slow and annoying. Now I know he part owns the club but his membership is only a few hundred on a great links course and their model is to let visitors on to subsidise their reduced membership so why piss off the visitors. Its a lovely course, very enjoyable to play and I've played it twice and loved it. Will I go back ? No, they don't want me there so I'll go elsewhere where they do want me and value me. That person is an idiot who doesn't want to pay the true cost of playing at his club yet fails to appreciate the help others offer him to afford his top class golf course. The North Wales courses are so much better at that, Prestatyn and North Wales golf club have always been very welcoming so anyone from the NW who wants good winter golf then head off to these 2 links course.

Liam! if you owned this place i think every golfmate in the country would visit!!!!!

Great vid Liam like you said heaton park gc, william wroe gc,boysnope gc, all closed in Manchester 2019 all sold to property developers its not looking good for the future tbh

Great video, as a point I think very few clubs are immune from closure in the current economic State (those with long golfing history). I would say as you said bad management and the abundance of choice makes the reduction of courses inevitable.

Hi Liam, I have shared this video to our course manager. Absolutely spot on. I am Captain of Largs Golf Club in Ayrshire so I am fully aware of the problems facing members golf clubs. Committees come and go. Opinions change. You are dead right with the club manager we have one who is fully qualified. Ps Love your content.

I do think your onto something Liam, i know alot of people who love going to the local pitch and putt because they love having a knock around but when i ask them to play on full course they say no because they dont have golf shoes or right clothes and the age old stereotype of clubs being full of snobs who look down on people really outs people off. It needs a pro who plays in hoodies and trainers who is covered in tattoos to bring golfs image into this century. People love golf but dont like the reputation it has.

There’s a lot of courses you’ve either played or been a member of that have shut. Please don’t come to the Wrekin 😂😂

I was part of the junior team at Fishwick and my dad was a member for 26 years! As far as I'm aware, the club was half owned by the council and they didn't have enough funds to keep it going. Also, you had muppets (like you said) coming on the course with quad bikes and motocross bikes ripping the greens apart. I remember playing as a junior and having my ball knicked by young lads running onto the course. It's a shame that its closed, was never the nicest course to play but the club house and the crack was second to none!

I live in Preston. Hubby and I weren't members but played here quite often. We played the course 2 days before they closed and no one said a word. We were gutted, it was a beautiful course and we were always made to feel welcome.and......erm tes I pinch hubby's razor lol

I have heard that too many were built in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s in the UK and not enough golfers to go around

Such a shame that a lot of clubs are shutting down, I live in Scotland and it seems the game is as strong as ever, I’m a member at Loch Lomond and the waiting list is massive I just hope another Tiger Woods comes along soon and encourages the youngsters to take up this brilliant game.

Liam, for what it’s worth. I’ve recently started playing golf after stopping for 20 years. I work away from home during the week but my local club are not interested in a weekend membership. Clubs have got to find a way to get more members in. I also think more 9 hole courses would be beneficial. When I play with my father-in-law he really only wants 9 or 12 holes. He can’t be the only one like that. Keep up the good work.

Delapre course Northampton used to have a pitch & putt for the kiddies and three good 9-hole par-3s as well as the 18-hole. One of the 9-holes was closed/abandoned several years back, as was the pitch & putt. Then one of the 9-holes was converter to foot-golf (sigh) and the last 9-hole is now also the pitch & putt so is often overcrowded, mistreated and worn-down. Not played the 18 holes as its too expensive for this pensioner. Parking used to be great; now they've sub-let 80% of the parking to nearby companies so, pre-covid, golfers would find it hard to park monday to friday. Shame. I Used to go weekly, don't know when or if I will again. I enjoy your videos though, they're a great substitute - thanks.

No sadder sight than that of a closed down, abandoned golf course.

I had this last year with my job and golf course, which was Henley in Arden golf club. It was a lovely course to play having some interesting holes and it had some fantastic members!!! Was absolutely gutting what happened and this shouldn’t be happening to them as they are needed

We had 2 clubs close in Attleboro, Mass. USA in the last 3 years. One private, one public. Both were 9 hole courses that had been around for years. My father caddied at the private course when he was a kid. It was hoity toity, and very high brow. I don't really know the details, but, I think they couldn't keep up with the high cost of membership'. I worked in the grill room and was fired for being too friendly, figure that one out! The public course went bust because they couldn't make improvments without the guy across the street taking them to court. It cost them too much. When they closed, he bought the land to put housing on it! Love your videos keep up the good work .

We lost Riverlands Golf Course Milperra inn Sydney Australia about 3 years ago no it was a wonderful course that run by the George’s River.

If there’s a sign in the car park saying no changing of shoes allowed then there’s your problem.

Golfs not dying it's the prices I think for membership....rounds....they've got to move on with the times...my opinion like

Great Vlog Liam. My course came with 5 days of closing in December. 2 holes being sold for housing development to keep the course open and clear the decks. Very sad but also exciting seeing the works start on the course to create new holes. Lets hope it works.

Liam, I think you have highlighted one reason. I could write a book about this subject, but I wont. I started golf at the Grange Golf club in Auckland NZ. Considered one of the better clubs in the area, Started by members in about 1920. During the golden years, 60's and 70's, guys would play on a Saturday. It was their sports day!. Rounds were played in about 3.30. to 3.45hrs. If you took longer you were given the hurry up. Junior golf was promoted. I did a stint as a Junior director. Took kids away on trips etc.. As we moved into the 2000's kids no longer looked on golf as being cool. Computers, mobile phones etc., started to monopolize kids lives. Wives worked a 5 day week, which then put pressure on the guys to take kids to other activities on the weekends. The ones that did play golf started to be influenced by watching golf on TV, and seeing pros taking 5 hours or more to play a round of golf. This has had a negative effect on golf, which used to be a half day pursuit now stretching into a bigger part of the day. This made the sport the bad boy by interferring in family activities. Another nail in the coffin!. I think you are right in how committees run golf clubs. Not all of them, but some do not do the right thing and create friction and problems which alienate members. My club at which I started golf, and then rejoined later in life, ran into financial difficulties about 4 years ago. Had an overdraft of something just over a million dollars, (450,000 pounds). Certainly not a lot of money these days. The solution by the finance committee was to sell the course to the neighbouring one across the river. They got it for a song, cut up 9 holes for housing making a mozza, and keeping 9 holes for themselves to make a 27 hole course using a bridge to join them. Say the 9 holes took up 65 acres and they averaged 3 house blocks to an acre at a nett profit of $250,000 each. Thats a return of something like $48,750,000 for the other club. Not bad for a days work!. Another good course a few kilometers down the road was bought by a housing developer who built a replacement for them out in the country. They would have made a fortune out of the land!. I do think that having a piece of land of maybe 130 acres in the city set aside for a golf course is what has caused immense pressures and has led to the housing developers circling like vultures around them. Also I think another factor is just evolution. What was popular 50 years ago is not so now. As an aside, my mate, who's son manages a golf equipment company has said it has never been busier. With the virus thing people are taking up golf again and spending what money they have on clubs etc. Crazy!.

Jesus that was like a dark 1980's BBC2 documentary ! I thought Arthur Scargill was going to turn up in Ford Cortina at the end 😜 On a serious note just shows how much it must cost to keep a golf club maintained! If there's not enough revenue coming in they just cant survive! #toughtimes

There are loads of reasons why golf clubs close 1. Elderly members fill clubs. They pay their subs but rarely spend anything in pro-shop, restaurants or bar. (This isn't criticism just how it is as many pensioners don't have a lot of spare £) 2. Discounts online and at golf superstores means the pro shop only sells mars bars and a few bits and pieces 3. Younger players (who work) who might spend in the clubhouse have to play at weekends and can't do 5-6 hour rounds. This comes from the PGA- players should be on a timer and be penalised for slow play 4. Land much more valuable for housing 5. Older members don't want change but the next generation of players want different things from their leisure activities Clubs need to change to entice families and younger members otherwise they will go bust. The most successful KZfaq golf channels (aside from the stat driven product reviewers) are focused on making golf fun with challenges and humour - that has to be the future Great channel - golf should be fun!

Liam, this was sad to watch. I drive by many courses that have closed. Beautiful green fairways gone to waste. Awesome video as usual. Thank you.

Rumour has it that the owners of Bolton Open also own Regent Park where, by all accounts, all the finances were being directed hence it lost its driving range, lost its club house and then dropped to 9 holes which eventually led to the closure of the course where I learned to play and also played regular with my fire and rescue service colleagues. Instead of playing there we often attended the derelict buildings left there to put out numerous fires.... sad state of affairs. We also played Heaton Park and Boysnope on a regular basis so it is a real shame to hear that two very nice courses are now no more. Saddens me even more as I have got some great memories of playing with my Watch at theses venues after some tough night shifts... good for the old mindfulness as is the game as a whole... as long as you’re not slinging your clubs about in frustration as one of my golfing partners often did. With regards to the running of a golf club, I was once asked to become a committee member at a club but was somewhat perplexed by the lack of due process in order to take up such a post. I have been a charity trustee and a school governor where structured and stringent processes were in place, in both cases, to ensure that you are the right person for the role. Should this not be the case for all golf club committees? The point raised in respect of club management is a very good one also and I am a little surprised to discover that this is not the case. As a leadership and management, project management and business management coach, the value of having a properly trained and experienced manager (I would suggest a minimum of Level 5 Operational Management, as it includes the fundamentals of Project Management which might be useful) should not be overlooked so I would agree that the introduction of an Operations Manager may well be a step in the right direction along with modernising the approach to club membership i.e. attract rather than deter... golf equipment has moved with the times, so should the clubs.

I think committee's and committee members are a lot of the problem. I was on our local clubs committee a short time ago, until I resigned for multiple reasons. At 42, I was the youngest committee member, and their actual words were that 'They see me as a junior club member'. I also submitted a 4 page, 15 item suggestion package to future proof the club and course, ideas to get more people playing as well as ways to get more money through the club, and 10 months later, and not ONE item has been approved. It's like it their own money that needs to be spent. We have minimal youngsters coming through, and not a hell of a lot of mid age (30-40) players either. They refuse to listen to the younger generation as 'we don't know anything'. I can see exactly how the sport is in decline.

As a PGA pro in NZ for over 30 years I have seen a decline in the number of memberships. A few courses have sadly closed and many are just hanging in there. I don't however think that there are less golfers overall. I just think that there's been a big shift away from committing to memberships both financially and time wise. Clubs however don't do themselves (or their members) any favours by offering cheap green fee deals. It undermines the value of the membership. People are opting for flexibility. Here's a question for you. As I previously lived in the UK, I realise that there is quite a distinction and difference between the private and public golf. If courses on the verge of closure rebranded themselves as public, do you think they'd have a greater chance of surviving? Food for thought?

Allerthorpe golf club near pocklington just outside York closed a few years ago and it was a fantastic course real shame

That’s one of the best videos you’ve ever done. Really makes you think about the state of the game. I’m thinking about joining a local club and what is putting me off is whether Or not I’ll use it enough to make the membership viable. Maybe I should just do it regardless of that.

Definitely not enough young ones taking up the sport. I'd say the majority of our club are aged 40 plus. What's it like at your club Liam?

In my opinion the cost of golf is getting to far out of reach for the average human with memberships on the rise in order to keep clubs afloat and the cost of equipment is slowly becoming unaffordable

Hey Liam, similar process is happening in Australia. The causes I think come back to the value of the land for housing compared to golf and also the cost of playing golf seems to be getting dearer and dearer which is causing people to drop out of it.

such a sad thing to see! I grew up playing on Heaton Park in Manchester with my Granddad my first taste of the sport and i fell in love with it! Some of my Granddads ashes where scattered there too :'(

My long time course paw paw closed in Bamberg SC. I went home for Thanksgiving and I was going to take my son golfing there and found out. Sad truly 💔

There are SO MANY golf courses in UK/Scotland. We have roughly the same amount of registered players in England as Germany (650,000), but England has 1,900 courses against Germany's 731. Twice as many courses to choose from. We've got so much more choice, indicating a saturated market. It's supply and demand ...low average clubs (bottom 20%) that aren't turning any profits are sitting on huge amounts of land that's worth a some £££ (depending on location) and so cut the losses and sell up. Say what you want about developers turning old courses with "history" into housing developments, but it's what the young generation so, so desperately needs. We're a tiny Atlantic island, barely built any housing to keep up with population increase/demand, so rent/house prices are absurd compared to what your grandparents generation could buy with a regular salary. I'll take the houses over a badly managed course that no-one wants to play.

I think a lot of it stems from poor or lack of management as you mentioned. The before photos of that course looked amazing.

Hi Liam , watching your blog and it's great well done , I played a course called mouse valley in lanark alot and it just closed out the blue , it was a fantastic course , very long but wide open to attack

The ones near me are pricing themselves out of the market. If I owned a course, I'd rather charge £15 a round and have a full course than £35 and have the odd player turning up. Courses near me that have closed in the last 12 month's, Broke Hill, Austin Lodge, Woodlands Manor and I believe Pedham Place is in danger of closing for house building.

We've had 5 courses in the past 5 years close in our county. Another just filed bankruptcy. I live in Alabama in the U.S.

I think you hit the nail on the head, a good manager that everyone reports to, cut out all the B S with committees. Maybe reduce yearly membership and consider 14 hole golf. Keep up the good work Liam.🏌️‍♂️

What your doing on a free buggie with a camera is bringing the golf community together,what you have done and doing along with OMP , the Dick , eBay Pete and many more golfmates is fantastic ,what the golfmates have done for young Josh is unbelievable, the committee member who sounds like he addicted to his own self importance needs to subscribe and see what a fantastic community you have brought together worldwide , keep up the good work Liam

I’d like also say I’m a shift worker. Very common these days. I work hard I get to play less than twice a month. Full membership is not viable. Clubs need to come up with more flexible memberships.

The number of golfers has been declining for years is this due to high fees time taken clubs stuck in the past?

I was a member of Woodlands Manor GC in Kent. We had a fantastic pro who served the club over 20 years. In 2017 the club was sold to new owners. They were not golfers. The pro Realised where we were going and left! These new owners ruined the club! Over 80 years of history. You played for trophy’s donated by families etc. I loved the course. We had a signature hole called The Eiger a par 3 with huge elevation up hill. A great interesting course. I miss playing this course. We also had a real group of members. I played mid week what a great gang! These new owners brought the club and with bad intentions! I’m now at a new club members owned. So it’s safe. Be aware if there is a sole owner. I’ve been up to the club since. It broke my heart to see the course overgrown. The most happy I’ve ever been at any club in 36 years of playing golf gone by investment aresholes!

Used to live across from Manor golf club and played it quite a few times now its 70% solar panels and not recognisable as a course anymore , driving range was still there last year lol , great videos keep up the good work .

I love golf. I have been playing all my life, but I can see how the game could be slowing down. It is just so difficult to get someone into the sport. Equipment and green fees are pricey and it's just so difficult to learn. Natural athletes can pickup most sports quickly, except golf. Golf requires a massive time investment to get to a point where it is enjoyable to play.

There are golf courses closing, being turned housing.

I think an often overlooked element of courses closing is the time the game takes to play, particularly if you're interested in improving.

We used to be members of a local course, that was costing us £750 a year back in (2008 when we last were members). I don't know what the current status/cost is but I do know there are half as many members now as there were then. They have been bought by a Hotel with a view to developing a large hotel complex on what is the driving range. They don't discount for temporary greens and seem to actively discourage visitors. At £25 a round it's not cheap and there are lots of other courses nearby that offer 2 4 1 deals. The last time we went for a nostalgic return there was one young lass in the empty of equipment 'pro shop' who was also running the bar. We have an old friend who is in his eighties who was a founder member with us. He was injured and just wanted to walk a few holes with us. They don't allow it. Last time I went to hit a few balls on the range the car park was virtually empty. (Bawtry, Doncaster).

Trouble with golf is that it's expensive and time consuming. Too much time spent on screens, i.e. mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Modern life is too busy to go and play 18 holes. 3 1/2 to 4 hours to play a round. Roll up an hour before and the obligatory pint afterwards and you're staring at 6 odd hours out of the house. Now, my actress is quite laid back but it does boil her piss when a Saturday/Sunday is written off for knocking a ball around a field. Golf is dying due to the amount of time it takes. That's why most courses are full of coffin dodgers and not middle aged blokes/women with kids

I'm from michigan and I'm just getting into golf properly and one of my favorite 9 hole courses just started having memberships and I'm stoked. It's an easier course for beginners and the price is right

This is one of the most interesting videos I have seen for a while. Thought provoking.and quite sad to watch. I believe that there are a number of factors involved, were there too many golf clubs originally?, Cost of a decent set of golf clubs, length of time to play eighteen holes, stuck up members that seem to forget that they were not always clean hitters of the golf ball and many more reasons.

Played Fishwick Hall with my brother around 2016. Remember that first long narrow first green, sharp drop on right side of the green. The second hole that took your breath away standing on the tee ! all gone away now. Played Heaton Park in Manchester many times ! a great muni.

Someone said to me a few weeks ago, 70 year olds telling 40 year olds how to attract 20 year olds!!

Just seen the bit where you said of the courses you've played at that are closed ... are you sure you're not just a massive jinx Liam?

Very few young people taking up golf and a lot of clubs where I am from on west of Ireland are struggling for membership eerie feel to this vid liam! 👻