It sounds like a simple question. Yet in most discussions about the future of golf, the answer is still largely based on one indicator: membership numbers.
Membership data tells us something about participation in the sport. But it does not fully show how golf facilities actually operate.
How many rounds are played across Europe? How much capacity is used during the season? What role do driving ranges play in the business model? How do revenue streams and cost structures develop across different types of facilities?
These questions describe the operational reality of golf facilities, yet until now they have rarely been measured at a European level.
The European Golf Benchmark, launched by the Golf Course Association Europe (GCAE), aims to change that.
The European Golf Benchmark will bring together operational data from golf facilities across Europe for the first time.
The project focuses on key indicators that define the business side of golf facilities, including:
By collecting and analysing this information across multiple countries and facility types, the benchmark will provide a clearer picture of how golf facilities actually perform.
For the first time, the sector will be able to describe the economic size and operational performance of golf facilities in Europe based on real data from the facilities themselves.
The European Golf Benchmark is led by GCAE, together with its members and their facilities across Europe.
The pilot phase of the project is supported by The R&A, while the technical benchmarking platform and data infrastructure are provided by Players 1st using a secure system designed specifically for industry benchmarking.
Together, these partners are building a project that will allow the European golf facility sector to better understand its own performance and development.
The benchmark will start with a pilot group of approximately 80–100 facilities across Europe.
Several leading multi-course operators have already confirmed their participation, including UGolf, GolfStar and Burhill Group, helping to establish the first foundation of the benchmark.
During the pilot phase, participating facilities will contribute a focused set of operational data. This will allow the benchmark structure and reporting to be tested and refined before the project expands further.
Over time, additional facilities will join through the GCAE member network, allowing the dataset to grow step by step across the European golf industry.
The long-term ambition of the European Golf Benchmark is to create a reliable operational dataset for the European golf facility sector.
As the benchmark grows, it will help the industry better understand trends such as:
Insights like these have largely been missing at a European level. The European Golf Benchmark aims to close that gap.
Golf facilities are the operational heart of the sport. They host the rounds, run the businesses, employ people and shape the experience of millions of golfers every year.
By measuring how golf facilities actually perform, the European Golf Benchmark will help the industry gain a clearer understanding of its own scale, structure and development.
For facility owners and operators, it will provide valuable insight into how their business compares within the wider European market.
For the sector as a whole, it will strengthen the industry’s ability to understand and communicate its economic impact.
For the first time, the industry will begin measuring how golf facilities across Europe actually perform based on real operational data from the facilities themselves.
The pilot phase of the European Golf Benchmark will begin in Q2 2026 with the first group of participating facilities.
Facilities interested in learning more about the project or exploring participation can contact:
Renate Roeleveld at rr@gcae.eu
