Member Owned Clubs
Well before the current economic cycle, private clubs were struggling due to increased competition and diminishing membership.
Too many golf courses were built as amenities to residential developments without thought to their need as a stand-alone business. The newer courses offered prospective members a ‘country club for a day’ experience, forcing older private clubs to upgrade in order to compete or discount their pricing. Private clubs that once had a waiting list to join now have onerous debt as a result of clubhouse renovations, course improvements and a declining membership base.