Future Golf is revolutionising the reach of golf in Australia, enabling clubs to engage with players in new ways and creating opportunities for those who might otherwise have never considered the game.
Future Golf is an Australian golf membership platform that makes the sport more accessible by offering flexible memberships with course access, official handicaps, community events, and partner benefits across a nationwide network.
Founder Ali Terai came to Australia when he was three, raised by a single mother in a migrant household. Growing up, his curiosity about the game grew after various unusual brushes with golf, despite the barriers to access.
Once Terai realised that many others faced similar barriers to his own, the idea for Future Golf was sparked.
His vision was to ensure golf was accessible, inclusive and social while also assisting clubs to grow.
Future Golf general manager David Galbally said that early on in Future Golf’s development, getting friends together to play golf was the core idea.
Back then, in 2014, the company was driven by ambition and a strong belief in the power of social connection. With no more than a $50 Facebook ad and a $50 voucher, Terai began his dream.
In its initial stages, Future Golf was named Gen Y Golf and focused solely on younger golfers.
Terai then realised a rebrand could extend his reach, and the ambition became to appeal to anyone looking to learn, play or connect with other golfers.
Now, Future Golf is a 43,000-member strong multi-club digital membership platform, offering a selection of membership categories and experiences across Australia.
Put simply, its mission is to connect people to the game. The ambition was to bring in those who wouldn’t normally consider golf, and now 65 to 70 per cent of Future Golf members are newcomers to the sport.
More than 13,000 of these members have gone on to join traditional golf clubs, what Galbally calls “good churn” as these members leave Future Golf for their bricks-and-mortar clubs.
This stands as proof that Future Golf is extending the reach of the game.
Golf clubs who partner with Future Golf reap substantial benefits. At no cost, they can take advantage of growth, revenue and engagement drivers offered by Future Golf.
These strategic advantages include brand visibility; marketing collaborations, where they have access to national marketing resources; and membership generation, as Future Golf captures emerging golfers.
“We unlock access to the game and create opportunities for people to fall in love with golf. That inevitably benefits the clubs, as many of our members eventually transition into traditional memberships,” Galbally told Golf Australia.
For clubs, revenue growth does not stop at new memberships. It also increases via on-course spending and event attendances.
More than ten years on, and the community-first approach is still at the forefront of every company decision made at Future Golf.
“Ali’s vision was always about connecting people to the game. It’s not just about membership numbers; it’s about creating pathways for new players, helping them learn, meet others, and eventually find their place in the broader golf community,” concludes Galbally.
