By Design - Spring 2015

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Private clubs in the United States
are increasingly reporting
membership gains, according
to research from Sports Illustrated
Golf Group and Sports & Leisure
Research Group. Data revealed at the
PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando,
Florida, indicates that in 2015, 48
percent of clubs are reporting a gain
in membership compared to 29
percent reporting a loss.
This represents an improvement
on the 39 percent of clubs that were
reporting membership gains in 2014
and a reversal on the 2013 position,
when more clubs were reporting
losses than gains.
A high percentage of respondents
– 60 percent in 2015, similar to the
previous three years – believe that
private clubs need to make aggressive
changes to remain relevant in the
coming years. This suggests that
capital expenditure may be a priority
in the near future. Concerns among
private club members about the
financial stability of their clubs are
significantly reduced, from 41 percent
in 2012 to 26 percent in 2015.
The research also revealed that
clubs are continuing to focus
efforts on initiatives to attract
younger members, while there has
also been a notable increase in
the introduction of new non-golf
programs to attract families.
For more details of the research,
download the 2015 Golf Market
Outlook presentation via
DIGEST
Clubs report membership gains
Construction complete at Olympic course
Participation
Olympics
In an interview on Golf Channel’s
‘Morning Drive,’ architect Gil
Hanse, ASGCA, has confirmed that
major construction at the Olympic
Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, is now complete. “We’re in
full grow-in mode, grass is coming
on,” said Hanse.
On the challenges associated with
the project, Hanse added: “They
have allowed us to build what we
wanted to build. We just gave a tour
of the golf course to a pretty high
profile bunch, and thankfully they
all came away impressed.”
Hanse has also recently been
confirmed as the designer of the third
course at the Streamsong Resort in
Florida. “Gil is a tremendously talented
architect who approaches each project
with a fresh, thoughtful perspective
and a keen eye for the natural
landscape,” said Rich Mack, executive
vice president of The Mosaic Company,
which owns Streamsong.
The full interview can be seen at
05
Increasing membership gains at private clubs
Source: Sports & Leisure Research Group
29% 2015
Lost membership
2014
2013
2012
26%
36%
52% 26% 22%
31% 33%
35% 39%
23% 48%
Flat or consistent Gained membership