The Golf Australia affiliation fees for clubs in 2023 are $84.90 per member for metropolitan clubs and $67.65 for clubs outside the metropolitan area. This is a flat rate regardless of location, club size, ability to pay or local socio-economic factors.
An elite city club charging, say, $5000 for annual membership, would pay affiliation equivalent to 1.6% of an annual membership. In many rural areas, smaller clubs currently charge no more than $600 annually, so the affiliation fee of $67.65 represents 11.3% of each membership.
Clubs have been encouraged to develop other forms of membership, such as pay-for-play membership for time-poor golfers. A typical offering of around $140 per annum encourages new players to the game, competes against social golf clubs and develops a pathway to full golf membership. With a fixed affiliation fee, Golf Australia takes 48%.
The situation for juniors is even worse. Smaller rural clubs try to keep prices low. Some clubs charge as low as $90-100 (inc. GST) to encourage juniors to the game and compete with other sports. The junior affiliation fee is $48.55, so of the measly amount clubs can get for a junior membership, up to 54% is immediately stripped off by Golf Australia.
There is also the issue of “double-dipping” where members of city clubs are also members of a rural club. Rural clubs pay another $67.65 for these “non-home” members when they have already paid $84.90 through their city home club for the same service.