Free golf, full value: a fresh take on reciprocal play

25/04/2025

PGA Professional Karl Worby on collaborating with local clubs has helped his club to flourish.

The reciprocal model has been part of the golf club membership package for years. It allows members of one private golf club to play at other participating clubs to enhance the membership experience by getting the opportunity to play at different courses for a reduced green fee.

Karl Worby has been a PGA Professional for more than 40 years, but it is a recent innovation that he describes as the ‘best and the easiest thing I’ve ever done’.

Worby, who has recently become the head Professional at Grimsby Golf Club, introduced the idea of a free reciprocal at Doncaster Town Moor and the move would reap huge dividends at the South Yorkshire club.

“Lots of courses are offering reciprocal golf but it will cost the golfer. We changed that by offering free reciprocals so the golfer paid nothing. In one way, you’re giving free golf away but you’re giving the golfer a much more valuable membership,” explains Worby.

“It’s only two fourballs a day but I think we're one of the few courses that do it in the country. It costs nothing but they always come and spend and it's just so positive and it helped to really turn things around at Doncaster Town Moor.”

A lot of reciprocals will feature courses hundreds of miles away but Doncaster have teamed up with seven clubs in somewhat local area to give their members a wide range of options.

“I rang my fellow Pros to float the idea and we tried to ensure the other clubs weren’t too close. If you go for a club 20 minutes away, you're going to pinch each other's members, so we went for clubs about an hour away so they’re accessible and there isn’t too much cost in terms of petrol. Since we introduced it, I’ve had a lot of enquiries from fellow Members asking how we’ve done it. So, I know that what we have is a little bit unique.”

Worby joined Doncaster in 2020 and the club has gone from strength to strength in that time. The club leapt from 280 to 500 members and green fees also rocketed in that period. It has also seen Worby get the position at Grimsby, who have begun to introduce a similar model of free reciprocals.

“I think this is a real way forward for golf clubs. I’m 60 years of age and I got offered three jobs in a week. So I know that I must be doing something right because, why at the end of my career, am I getting offered more jobs than I did when I was younger?

“The PGA training showed me how to speak to people and how to look after people. Nobody wants to be told that they’re not dressed correctly or to be embarrassed. Reviews and Google are so important and ours have always been great.

“If you see a free meal advertised your immediate thought is what’s the catch? The same with free golf but this really works as it’s as good as it sounds and adds a lot of value to your membership.”