The Busiest Season Nobody Sees
Why the Winter is more important than ever for Golf Clubs, in driving enquiries and bookings.
The Busiest Season Nobody Sees
Why the winter months, so often seen as quiet, are when most golfers choose their next club.
On the course, winter can feel like the quiet season. In our data, it looks very different.
Across the clubs we work with, membership enquiries are consistently at their highest in the winter months. It's when golfers review their memberships, compare their options and decide where they'll play next year.
The decision to join a new club is made long before the first round is played there. Renewal dates, a new year and more time at home all prompt golfers to look around.
The club that is visible and active during those months is the one a golfer has in mind when they make an enquiry.
From a promotional point of view, these are the most important months of the year.
Younger golfers are the most likely to be looking around. Golfshake's latest member survey found under-45s were more than twice as likely as over-65s to say they wouldn't renew, with one in five undecided.
They're also the golfers spending the most time on social media. Around 43% of under-45s engage with golf content there every day, and they now favour Instagram over Facebook.
That makes social media far more than a nice extra in winter. It's where the most mobile part of the market spends its time while deciding where to play next.
In our own work, this is the time of year we concentrate on four things.
01 The Shop Window Regular social content, course work updates and event coverage, so the club stays in people's feeds while they're deciding.
02 The Open Door Membership pages, photography and enquiry routes ready for the people arriving to look.
03 Timely Campaigns Paid ad campaigns and email activity planned around when enquiries peak, rather than when the course is busiest.
04 Fast Follow-Up Every winter enquiry captured and answered while interest is high.
When enquiries peak, golfers are deciding where they want to be a member next year. That's the moment to show them what membership at the club really looks like.
Social media is where that picture is painted. It tells the story of the community: the people, the clubhouse, the winter roll-ups and what it's like to be part of the club. Generic graphics and AI-generated posts that simply say "become a member today" can't do that. They show a golfer an offer, but nothing of the place they'd be joining.
The clubs that start spring with momentum are usually the ones that stayed visible over winter. The work done now is what shapes the year ahead.