Private clubs sit at the center of one of the highest-spend categories in lifestyle and sport — yet many still lack the infrastructure to retain their most valuable members and capture their full lifetime value.
More than 41 million Americans play golf — and together, they spend over $102 billion annually across greens fees, travel, apparel, equipment, instruction, and more (National Golf Foundation, 2023).
That averages to over $2,400 per golfer per year — making golf the highest-spend sport and leisure category in the U.S., outpacing fitness, skiing, and tennis by a wide margin.
Private club members often spend even more: an estimated $3,800 to $5,600 annually outside of dues, when factoring in dining, merchandise, events, guest fees, and golf travel.¹
But it’s not just about spending — it’s about who these members are:
- Passionate and habit-driven
- Members exhibit high lifetime value (LTV), often staying for 12+ years and spending significantly across multiple categories
- Strong appetite for personalized, premium experiences
The challenge? That spend is scattered.
Most clubs are only capturing a fraction of it.
A typical member might:
- Book rounds at resorts through third-party platforms
- Purchase gear online instead of through the pro shop (avg. $1,250/year)
- Travel for golf without any club coordination (60% of HNW golfers take at least one golf trip annually)
- Take lessons from instructors not affiliated with the club — often with no digital follow-up
Few of these touchpoints are connected.
There’s no unified loyalty system.
And clubs are missing valuable cross-category data.
This fragmentation creates friction for members — and lost revenue for clubs.
Meanwhile, other industries have solved this:
- Hotels use loyalty programs to drive direct bookings and repeat stays
- Fitness brands reward participation to increase retention — members using 2+ services retain 80% longer (IHRSA)
- Credit card companies aggregate spend across merchants to build stickier, higher-value ecosystems
- Luxury brands using personalization strategies see a 33% lift in LTV (Salesforce, 2023)
Private clubs have all the right ingredients — but most lack the ecosystem.
At Private Club Marketing, we help clubs unlock more value from the members they already have.
Whether through branded experiences, strategic partnerships, curated travel, or a digital platform that ties it all together — we build the connective tissue that turns touchpoints into lasting loyalty.
We don’t just grow membership.
We increase value.
