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Accountants Hiller Hopkins polled 100 clubs and found the following.

5% of the clubs were operating at a loss. 56% said they were growing. 84% of clubs said they were renovating their clubhouses.There has been a big decline in membership numbers, particularly the younger age group, with 61% are over the age of 50.

Many clubs are abolishing joining fees and looking to credit based flexible memberships. There is more availability for non members.

97% of clubs still retain a dress code. This is claimed to be a disincentive for women to join the sport.70% of playing members are adult males. Less than 50% said that female membership was rising. 6% have no women members.

Less than 38% bring in revenues of more than £150,000 in hospitality, showing a big decline in bar and restaurant spend.

The younger generation are turning to Top Golf and avoiding golf clubs as a social destination, indicating that the growth of the game is in serious decline.

Surrey’s David Boote, 21, played an important role in the European Team which won the Bonallack Trophy this week,. The team of top European amateurs played the best amateurs from the Asia-Pacific region and won 21.5 to 21.5 at the Vidago Palace Golf Club, Portugal. Every member of the European team contributed at least 2 points.

David’s results were impressive. He won his singles match 4 and 3 and also scored two wins in each of the foursomes matches, by one hole and an outstanding 5 and 4 win with his partner Jack Hume from Ireland.

Welsh international David is in his final year at Stanford University, California where he is a human sciences major. He is a member of both Walton Heath and Kingswood golf clubs in Surrey.

This year he has finished 4th in the South American Amateur Championship and won last year’s Welsh Amateur Championship. He intends to turn professional after he graduates.

The Bonallack Trophy is named after the former secretary of the Royal and Ancient, Sir Michael Bonallack who was British Amateur Champion five times and played in the Walker Cup Matches against the United States nine times. Competitors from Europe are chosen for the team on the basis of their position in the World Amateur Rankings with special attention given to their results in match play events.

The Chinese owners of one of Britain’s most prestigious golf clubs have shelved plans to reduce the number of members by hugely increasing fees.
The Beijing-based Reignwood group wanted to cut membership at Wentworth in Surrey from 4,000 to 900 to make it the most exclusive club in the world.
It was to charge existing members a £100,000 debenture and increase annual subscriptions from £8,000 to £16,000.
Now the club has said existing members will not have to pay the new debenture.
Residents of the neighbouring Wentworth Estate, where houses can cost many millions, will also get reduced rates.
The club announced in October it would be charging existing members £100,000 and new joiners £125,000.
The planned charges led to a bitter dispute between golfers and Reignwood, who bought the club for £135m in 2014.

Club members and Wentworth Estate residents threatened legal action against the proposals which they said would fundamentally change its nature and character.
Residents also threatened to block roads during the European Tour’s PGA championship, held at the course every year.
Eric Leon, from Wentworth Residents’ Association, said local people, who own the estate’s private roads and verges, were not all multi-millionaires and could not afford the inflated fees.
Wentworth Club said the “membership update” followed a number of meetings between members, residents and Songhua Ni, president of Reignwood.
He said: “We have listened to a variety of differing interests from members and estate residents.
“We are continuing to make every effort to accommodate those, whilst focusing on our vision of making Wentworth Club the world’s premier golf and country club.”
Reignwood said it would be investing £20m into the club and golf courses by December 2018, with the first stage of the upgrade beginning in June after this year’s PGA Championship.

On Tuesday he was playing with a White Mountain jigsaw set.

New Direct Golf owner Mike Ashley has been ordered to face MPs on 7 June and has been warned that if he does not he could face parliamentary censure.

The Commons Business, Innovation and Skills committee wants to speak to Mr. Ashley regarding his treatment of workers. Ashley has been criticised for his use of zero hour contracts – which are not illegal – and the poor working conditions of staff.

A spokesman said: “At its meeting this morning, the Business Committee decided to issue a summon to Mike Ashley to give evidence to it on Tuesday 7 June 2016 at the Palace of Westminster.

As indicated in the Chair’s previous letter, should Mr Ashley not agree to appear on 7 June, the Committee reserves the right to take the matter further, including seeking the support of the House of Commons in respect of any complaint of contempt.”

Ashley previously accused MPs of creating a ‘media circus’ and invited them to visit his factories, an offer which they declined.

Speaking in the Commons last week, the shadow leader of the house Chris Bryant said the House could, “force him to attend. He may be the 22nd richest man in Britain but he is running a modern-day sweatshop and this House will get to the truth.”

Direct Golf came under the ownership of Mike Ashley when the business and assets of Direct Golf UK were subsequently sold to an entity controlled by Sports Direct for £299,994 on 19 October after Direct Golf UK and its parent company, Powerhouse Golf, had been put into administration following the discovery of alleged accounting irregularities which meant that the business was insolvent.

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem has again opened up the discussion about a world tour that has been going on for at least the past twenty five years. He has recently said that he considers it in the best interests of the game to bring together the leading tours into one consolidated body to govern the whole sport.

“What is in the paramount best interests of mens and womens professional golf is coming under one unified organisation with a genuine global brand and being able to compete in global markets like football” (Commissioner Finchem actually said soccer, but as we all know soccer’s proper name is football).

“There aren’t many sports that are active on virtually every continent as golf is. We should be taking advantage of this”.

Chief Executive of the European Tour Keith Pelley is strengthening his tour by bringing about a merger with the Asian tour. This will change the global golf dynamics and will tap into latent revenue streams. The US PGA Tour are strengthening their ties with the ladies LPGA Tour. Pelley said he had no wish to endorse the Commissioner’s remarks. His players first policy means it will be at every stage his members who decide. To state that the European Tour should stand aside for a global tour is not something he would agree to.

“I believe we will have tremendous opportunities to show growth to players. Every decision we take will always be players first. What I have learnt since taking office is our diversity is our strength.

We are golf’s global tour.

We play in 26 countries on 5 continents, including the United States. We are in the process of making our tour a viable alternative to the tour in the United States. To do that we shall have to be aggressive. We are in the midst of rebuilding our commercial value for our potential and current partners”.

So that told them. Commissioner Finchem has been in post 20 years and has just said today that he may sign an extension to his current contract when it expires in June to help out Jay Monahan, who is expected to be his successor.

Merging the tours would bring an end to the Ryder Cup, and if the United States lose at Hazeltine later this year, it might be an option they would push for. As for the Europeans, their merging with the Asian tour might lead to calls for a Eurasian team.

We live in fascinating times for golf. Everything is a changing tide against some in golf who would keep everything the same even though it isn’t in the best interests of the game.

Although the PGA Tour laid on a charter plane to transport any of their players who wanted to go to Rio, none of their members agreed, so the test event was played last week by leading Brazillian players. Ladies European Tour professional Miriam Nagl, who lives in Germany, ccame top with a round of 67, while the mens event was shared by Alexandre Roche and Rodrigo Lee who had 68s.

Anthony Scanlon, Chief Executive of the International Golf Federation gave a conference. The Australian who has headed the IGF since 2010 said of golf’s return to the Olympic Games:

“The top players will be here in Rio. Any athlete who qualifies will be here. They see the significance of the event to golf and the opportunity it presents them. The television audience will be 3.6 billion. It will being exposure to markets and people who have never seen gold. That is the uniqueness of broadcasting an olympic sport. 60-70% of people watching would not nor,ally watch sport week in, week out. All of us in golf will benefit”

World Health Organisation officials were also present at the event and will report their findings on the threat of the zika virus and how to combat it, to competitors within two weeks.

Eligible players are currently:

Men’s event

Argentina: Grillo, Gomez, Australia: Day, Scott, Austria: Wiesburger, Bangladesh: Rahman, Belgium: Pieters, Colsaerts, Brazil: Da Silva, Canada: De Laet, Hearn, China: Liang, Ashun, Colombia: Villegas, Denmark: Kjeldsen, Olesen, Fiji: Singh, Finland: Illonen, Kakko, France: Dubisson, Levy, Germany: Kaymer, Cejka, Great Britain: Rose, Willett, India: Lahiri, Chawrasia, Ireland: McIlroy, Lowry,  Italy: F Molinari, Japan Matsuyama, Katayuna, Malaysia: Chia, Mexico: Ortiz, Netherlands: Luiten, New Zealand: Lee, Fox, Paraguay: Zanotti, Philippines: Tabuena, Que, Portugal: Gouveia, Singapore: Marmat, Spain: Garcia, Cabrero Bello, South Africa: Oosthuizen, Grace, South Korea: Ben An, KT Kim, Sweden: Stenson, Lingmerth, Thailand: Jaidee, Aphibarnrat, Taiwan: Pan, Liv United States: Spieth, Watson, Fowler, Bubba Watson, Johnson, Venezuela: Vegas, Zimbabwe: De Jonge

Women’s event

Australia: Webb, Lee, Austria: Wolf, Belgium: Leir, Quin Brazil: Nagl, Canada: Henderson, Sharp Chile: Feng, Lin, Colombia: Uribe, Czech Rebublic: Silkova, Denmark: Broch Larssen, Madsen, Finland: Wikstei , Tamminen, France: Icher, Great Britain: Hull, Matthew, Germany: Gal, Masson, India: Ashok, Ireland: Maguire, Meadow, Israel: Beck, Italy: Sergas, Molinaro, Japan: Miyazato, Normuro, Malaysia: Tan, Koh, Mexico: Lopez, Llaneza, Netherlands: Boeljon, Schreefek, Norway: Pettersen, Skarpnord, New Zealand: Ko, Chong, Paraguay: Granada, Russia: Verchenova, South Africa: Pace, Keto, South Korea: Park, Jang, Yang, Kim Spain: Munoz, Ciganda, Switzerland: Albon, Sweden: Nordqvist, Lindberg, Thailand: Phatlum, Jutanugam, Thailand: Lu, Kang, United States: Thompson, Kerr

Two Surrey clubs are soon to expire. Soon, in real estate terms means in less than 30 years.

Sunningdale, although geographically in Berkshire is affiliated to Surrey. The land is owned by St John’s College and the lease will expire in a few years, and as yet the new terms are not clear.

Wimbledon Park Golf Clubs lease is owned by the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, Wimbledon. They have offered the golf club £250,000 to move on to new premises. Their lease has less than 30 years left to run, but the golf club are holding out for much more money. The tennis club might wait for the expiry of the lease to run out to claim the land back with no compensation for the members.

Worrying situations for both clubs.