Like a latter-day Friedrich Nietsche, the head of the Scottish Golf Union believes that what doesn’t kill a golf club makes it stronger.
Hamish Grey, the union’s long-time CEO, has seen many members go out of business since the onset of the Great Recession, and he concedes that others will follow. But he aims to slow the losses by persuading the union’s 576 remaining clubs to adopt business practices that can maintain their financial health.
“Clubs are now having to ask themselves, How can we run ourselves better?” he said in a conversation with the Scotsman. “If clubs can get their houses in order in these tough times, then they can come out in a much stronger position on the other side.”
In particular, Grey is urging the union’s members to market themselves aggressively, create more welcoming environments for prospective new members and replace one-size-fits-all membership plans with a range of flexible options tailored to their prospects’ needs.
Still, however, the losses mount. Grey has a big job ahead of him.
