The question has divided Golf Sweden, but when the decision was to be made at the association's annual meeting, it was with an overwhelming majority. With the vote count of 62 against 8, the proposal for a maximum limit was approved.
In practical terms, this means that each individual golf club can now have restrictions on 2,800 so-called golf IDs, i.e. members, per 18-hole course and 1,680 per 9-hole course.
This is to limit the number of members in what is commonly referred to as mailbox or volume clubs, i.e. golf clubs that with low membership fees attract players from all over the country and can then play on other clubs around the country through their golf ID.
Drains the operation
From the association's side, one believes that mailbox clubs drain the rest of Golf Sweden. From the affected clubs' side, one is now severely critical of the decision.
- We have pointed out the effects this will have and the risks it poses for the development of golf in Sweden. This means that 60,000 golf members will have to change clubs, says lawyer Per Karlsson to TT.
He is the representative for the five clubs that have filed a complaint with the Competition Authority. They believe instead that they contribute to boosting the economy for other golf clubs, as well as offering an important membership alternative.
It's something that suits, for example, those who come back after having small children or young people who play golf. For various reasons, you don't play that much and then you want to have this kind of membership instead of a traditional one where you can pay 10,000 kronor, says Per Karlsson.
Thoughtless decision
The golf club that is now most affected is Happy Golfer in the Stockholm area with 46,000 members across the country. The consequence is now that they can only keep around 10 percent of their members.
It's quite thoughtless, the whole proposal, has Mattias Bohlin, CEO of Happy Golfer, previously commented to TT.
Those who are already members can stay until January 1, 2026. Per Karlsson hopes for a quick response from the Competition Authority without wanting to assess the chances of getting a hearing:
I don't want to go into that, but we have a dialogue with the authority. Our hope is that the Competition Authority will stop this during the spring. You want them to act before it can affect the market, he says.
Tobias Österberg/TT
Facts: Golf ID and maximum limit
TT
All golfers who want to play on courses affiliated with the Swedish Golf Association need a golf ID.
The Golf Association now wants to limit the number of golf IDs that a club can issue, linked to the number of holes on the course. A golf club can issue 2,800 golf IDs per 18-hole course and 1,680 per 9-hole course.
The question was decided at the Golf Association's annual meeting, where the districts' total of 75 representatives were to vote. Each district has a basic vote. The remaining votes are distributed based on the number of golf clubs in each district. Skåne therefore has the most votes, a total of eight.
If the proposal is approved, the new rules will come into force in the summer (July 1), but those who are already members of the clubs can stay until January 1, 2026.
A complaint against the proposal has been filed with the Competition Authority. The complainants are Happy Golfer, Ekholmsnäs Golf Lidingö AB, Golfstar Sverige AB, Bryttsätter Golf AB and the Association of Swedish Golf Course Owners, FSG.
