A major new England Golf study has highlighted the scale of golf participation in England, revealing more than 12 million adults took part in some form of golf during the past 12 months. The findings, discussed on Trending Topics with England Golf on Golf Club Talk UK, provide a much broader picture of the game than traditional club membership figures alone.
The Golfers Journey research, led by England Golf’s Data and Insights Manager Joshua Reynolds, builds on an earlier study undertaken in 2018/19. It looks across the entire participation spectrum – from adventure and crazy golf, driving ranges and simulators through to recreational and regular on-course golfers and, ultimately, golf club members.
The research identifies more than five million “leisure golfers” who have participated in formats such as adventure golf, mini golf, driving ranges and simulators, while more than 4.5 million are classed as recreational golfers who play on a golf course less than once a month. Almost two million are regular golfers, with around 750,000 club members and more than 80,000 iGolfers forming the more established end of the journey.
One of the most striking findings is the gender profile of those participating away from traditional golf. Some 73% of leisure golfers are female, but that figure falls to 38% among occasional on-course golfers, 24% among regular golfers and around 11% at club membership level. England Golf believes this demonstrates a significant opportunity to address the barriers preventing more women from progressing through the golfer journey.
The research also highlights wider diversity challenges, with ethnic diversity and representation of people with disabilities declining as participation moves towards regular golf and club membership. England Golf says the findings will help inform future campaigns and initiatives aimed at making the sport more accessible and inclusive.
Beyond participation numbers, the study provides insight into why people play. Enjoying the outdoors and nature, spending time with family and friends, having fun and entertainment, improving skills and escaping the pressures of everyday life all feature strongly. England Golf believes the industry could do more to communicate golf’s social, physical and mental wellbeing benefits, alongside its competitive appeal.
For golf clubs, the findings point towards a potentially significant pool of future customers and members. Matt Draper, England Golf’s Development and Memberships Director, suggested clubs should consider more flexible membership structures, shorter formats and alternative ways of engaging people who may not have the time or inclination for a traditional full membership. Partnerships between golf clubs and off-course facilities such as driving ranges and simulators could also provide an important bridge into the game.
England Golf sees the research as a starting point rather than a one-off exercise. Further work is planned around membership acquisition and retention, parents and children, coaching, golf expenditure, media consumption and female golfers, while future research will examine areas including wellbeing, technology and the use of AI in golf. The organisation’s ambition is to continue measuring the golfer journey and use the resulting data to help the wider industry turn a huge level of interest in the game into sustained participation and growth.
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