UK golf participation resilient in 2022
It was the question many asked when golf participation was booming during Covid-19: can these levels be maintained once the pandemic is over?
In the UK, the answer is yes – for now.
A study by Sporting Insights – formerly Sports Marketing Surveys – found that there were 10% more rounds of golf played in the first nine months of the year than in the same period in 2021.
There was a 4% drop in year-on-year participation between July and September, but overall the figures show that a strong appetite for golf remains.
And compared to pre-Covid years, Q3 2022 rounds were up 40% against 2019.
The North was the strongest performing region in the first three quarters of 2022, recording 1% growth against 2021.
Richard Payne, Director at Sporting Insights, says: “The similarity in results between 2021 and 2022 suggests to us that golf is reaching a new normal baseline, which would be great news, because that normal is clearly a step up on where the game found itself before the pandemic.
“However, we are certainly not getting complacent because we know that the cost of living crisis is going to impact on leisure, putting pressure on memberships and green fee visits alike.
“What’s clear though is that golf is in a much better position to weather this storm thanks to the industry’s efforts over the last two years.”
