My husband, a keen golfer, is a member of a small golf society locally (UK). He has been asked numerous times in the past few years to organise a golfing holiday in Spain for the 15 to 20 members who play regularly.
He tells them the impression he gets is that Spanish greenkeepers are running the clubs and do not want golfers churning up their greens. The high price for a round is prohibitive and yet the courses are almost empty, therefore the clubhouses are empty too. Their answer seems to be to rack up the price to make up for the loss of trade which, any successful businessman will tell you, is not the answer.
This approach has been going on for years and it's a question if the powers that be who run the clubs have even noticed there is a recession.
The UK clubs my husband uses have bent over backwards this year to ensure the society members have enjoyed their days golf. They have even played some of the more expensive/exclusive clubs this year, having left them off their fixture lists for a number of years due to the price. The secretaries (and in one instance the captain) have 'phoned the next day to thank him for the business and check the members found everything to their satisfaction. Some have even offered to pencil them in again for next year on the same deal. So the UK clubs have wakened up to the fact there is a recession and taken appropriate action.
It is really rather sad that Spanish clubs cannot follow suit and that; even when presented with the prospect of regular business at their inflated prices, they just cannot be bothered to get off their backsides and offer a little service.