I went for a walk around my local high street last Friday lunchtime. South East London. I wanted to do some research.

I came back with more material for golf club F&B thinking than I get from some full site visits.

I want to tell you what I saw, because I think most golf clubs are missing this entirely.

Two things. Two only.

The independent operators doing brilliantly on my high street had distilled their offer down to two things that people actually want right now.

Quality coffee. Considered macros.

That's it. Lean, focused, executed to a high standard. Every single one of them was busy.

Gail's was quiet. The independent down the road serving exceptional espresso and a handful of really exciting bowls and wraps? Packed.

I think that telling.

The same person. Different day. Different need.

Golf clubs definitely fall into this trap… the menu gets built around a version of the member that doesn't really exist; or at least, doesn't exist exclusively.

The member who has a bacon sandwich on Saturday morning? On Tuesday lunchtime, working from your clubhouse, that same person wants lean protein, rice and grains, fresh veg, and a sauce that makes them feel like they've fuelled properly.

Same person. Same club. Different day, different need.

Assuming your members only want one thing is shortsighted. We know members want premium and personalised experiences. The 4Ps framework I use with clubs starts with People; and understanding people means understanding the range of what they actually need, not what we assume they want.

The bacon sandwich isn't going anywhere. I'm not suggesting it should. I'm saying it can't be the whole story anymore.

This isn't either/or. It's both.

The data backs this up

I want to be clear, this isn't just a hunch from a Friday walk. The numbers don't lie.

£24 billion  — UK food-to-go market forecast value, 2025

Growing at +3.3%, outpacing the wider eating-out sector. (Lumina Intelligence, 2025)

£26 billion  — projected market value by 2028

Near 40% growth on 2019 levels. (IGD, 2024)

23.6%  — food-to-go share of total eating-out spend

Up from previous years; nearly a quarter of all eating-out occasions. (Lumina, 2025)

+1.0pp  — lunchtime occasion growth, year-on-year

Now 32.2% of all food-to-go occasions, driven by flexible working patterns. (Lumina, 2025)

41%+  — wellness spend driven by Gen Z and Millennials

Despite making up 36% of the adult population. (McKinsey, 2025)

+7%  — fitness and wellness spend growth, 35–44 year olds

The golf club's core demographic is investing more in their health than ever. (Experian/Reward, 2025)

81%  — of consumers interested in protein

Gen Z and Millennials rank it as the most important ingredient in food choices. (BENEO/Mintel, 2025)

The most relevant number for golf clubs? The food-to-go growth is being led by affluent millennials in management roles. That is the member profile most clubs tell me they want to attract and retain.

They're not choosing grab-and-go because it's cheap. They're choosing it because it's fresh, fast, and it fits how they actually live.

The clubhouse as a third space

Post-Covid, how people use their golf club has changed. A growing number of members aren't just coming to play. They're coming to work, to decompress, to feel part of something.

The clubhouse; done well; is a genuine third space. Not home, not the office, somewhere in between. That shift has real implications for F&B.

I believe hospitality is not about feeding people. It is about restoring them. The member working remotely on a Wednesday needs something different from the member celebrating after a Saturday competition. The menu has to serve both moments.

Traditional menus built entirely around post-round comfort food only serve one of them. The Experience Paradox I talk about with clubs applies perfectly here: the only way to solve the financial problem is to stop starting with the finances. Start with the experience. Start with what that member actually needs at that moment; and build backwards from there.

What the small operators are showing us

The most striking thing about my walk wasn't the food. It was the model.

The best independents had tight menus. Five or six items. Everything fresh, everything good. Minimal staff. No theatre, no fuss; just quality, consistently delivered.

They're running across multiple channels simultaneously. In-site trade and delivery apps, lean operations, very little wastage. Meanwhile the large traditional restaurants nearby were struggling to fill their dining rooms outside peak weekend evenings.

A small, focused, quality offering executed brilliantly beats a sprawling menu delivered averagely. I've seen this proven in golf clubs too. Clarity of offer is a commercial advantage; not a compromise.

Golf clubs have a significant advantage the high street doesn't: a captive, loyal audience with genuine emotional connection to the venue. The independent has to earn every customer from scratch. You don't. What you do with that advantage is the question worth asking.

The coffee conversation we keep not having

I nearly left this out, because it feels obvious. Then I remember how many clubs I visit still relying entirely on automated bean-to-cup machines; so here we are.

Automated machines do a job. I understand the operational logic. The reality, though, is that members feel like they're getting second best. Whether the product is technically equivalent is almost irrelevant; perception is the product. I certainly feel that way, and I think I'm not alone.

The independent that was busy on Friday? Skilled barista. Quality beans. Proper milk steaming. The complete picture.

Quality coffee is not a nice to have anymore. It is an expectation. For the health-conscious, active, high-spending 30–50-year-old member, the coffee experience at your club is forming part of their overall judgement of the place.

Get it properly right. It signals everything else.

Quality coffee and considered macros are no longer a nice to have. They are expected.

So what should clubs actually do?

None of this requires a full kitchen rebuild. It requires clarity.

What is your F&B offer actually for? Who does it need to serve? On what occasions?

Start with your midweek lunchtime offer. That's where the gap is widest for most clubs I work with. A handful of fresh, considered, macro-aware items alongside your traditional menu costs less to produce than most clubs think; and it speaks directly to the member who's in on a Tuesday but isn't sure there's anything worth eating.

Walk your high street. Eat somewhere good. Ask yourself honestly: why isn't something like this available at my club?

The answer, usually, is that nobody has asked the question yet.

I think it's time to start asking it.

Have a great week.

Tony

If you'd like dedicated time to work through your club's F&B challenges, book a Power Hour Strategy Call. One hour, focused on your situation, with benchmarking, guidance, and a clear action plan to take away. £245 + VAT.