Crown Golf gives golfers their Freedom

According to Crown Golf, of the estimated 4 million golfers in the UK, less than 1.5 million are members of a club. Crown Golf has announced a new type of membership aimed at encouraging more non members to take the step in joining a club – it is called Freedom Play.

In Freedom Play, golfers pay a low annual subscription and get credits which they exchange for rounds of golf. Play at busy times and you use more credits: play when it’s quiet, and your credits go further.

The new option is now available at eight of the group’s golf clubs. Eccleston Park, The Bristol and Blue Mountain have trialled Freedom Play during the summer, and The Hertfordshire, South Essex, Stapleford Abbotts, Oak Park and Merrist Wood are introducing it for the first time this week.

“You can play in club competitions, get a golf handicap, and you belong to the club just like a full member” says Crown Golf CEO, Stephen Lewis. “It’s ideal if you’re one of the thousands of golfers in the UK who feels that they don’t play quite enough golf to justify a full annual membership.”

Surrey golfer Geoff Husband says this makes joining a golf club a less forbidding prospect. “I think it’s a good way to get more involved at the club where you regularly play. £295 is a more reasonable price for someone like me who only plays around three or four times a month.

“If I could play more often than that, then it would make sense to take up a full membership, but for now Freedom Play gives me the flexibility to play when I want, without the feeling that I am spending more than I need to on my golf. It’s a good balance, and fits the way my life is at the moment.”

Hiseman