Do we still need golf club committees?

Is there still a place for the traditional golf club committee? Is it the best way to run a golf club? Do we need loads of sub-committees or just a streamlined club board?

Committees are the backbone of many clubs – particularly those that are member run – and they are often filled with people just trying to give something back to a place they love.

But as golf becomes more business-oriented and committee members are being asked to focus more on pounds and pence, as much as the member experience, are they still the most effective way to run a club?

Is too much time spent procrastinating and not enough time spent making things better?

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Is there any need for golf club committees?

On an episode of The NCG Golf Podcast, co-hosts Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll got stuck into the committee debate. The pair have both served on committees, with Steve having been a golf club captain and a rules of golf expert.

But, after we asked you on Facebook whether committees should be abolished, Irwin said it was time for clubs to have a rethink.

“Somebody on Facebook said, ‘committees, boards, call them what you want’,” he said. “Well, actually, there’s a difference between the definition of those words and what that means in practice. So no, I don’t think there’s a need for them and I don’t think committees should exist.”

So what would be put in their place?

“I think there should be a board,” he added. “There should be an elected board of members who operate like a board would in any other company, and the general manager of the golf club is treated like a CEO.

“You can specifically have a golf committee, and the golf committee can come along and say, ‘we want to have a turkey trot on December 24’.

“[But] It’s difficult, and it’s not one size fits all. Different clubs have different budgets and different numbers of members.

“Legacy is important, and respecting tradition is important. But for future sustainability and the most efficient way of running these places, a pared down board structure with very clear remit and delegated responsibility to professionals is definitely the way to do it.”

Now have your say on golf club committees

Are you on a golf committee? Do they still have a place in the modern game? If so, why? Let us know by leaving a comment below or get in touch with us on X.

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