More global than ever

The R&A announced new global participation figures that show an additional 10 million adult golfers are playing the sport worldwide since 2016.

According to new research undertaken by the governing body, there are now 39.6 million on-course golfers (9 and 18 hole) in R&A affiliated markets. An additional 25.6 million on-course golfers live in the United States, according to the National Golf Foundation.

The research indicates that the growth trend began before the onset of COVID-19 and continued during the pandemic – up 34 percent from 29.6 million on-course golfers in R&A affiliated markets in 2016. The sport has since continued to increase in popularity post-pandemic, up 15 percent from 34.5 million on-course players in R&A affiliated markets in 2020.

The data is provided in a new Global Golf Participation Report, which, for the first time, collectively measures The R&A’s affiliated markets in Asia, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. There are 21,431 golf courses in those regions, according to the report.

The report also highlights that 61.2 million adults (outside the USA and Mexico) engage with the sport in some format, which is the first time an estimate has been made beyond on-course activity to include alternative-only formats, such as par-3 golf, indoor simulator golf and driving range use.

“Golf’s popularity has surged in recent years, which is reflected in a notable increase in the number of people playing the sport in both traditional on-course and alternative formats,” The R&A chief development officer Phil Anderton said. “It is significant that 10 million more golfers are playing on the course since 2016, but it is also important that millions of others are engaged in golf through many other alternative formats, such as driving ranges, which are so vital to the growth of the sport.

“It also underlines why effective and impactful participation programs are important for encouraging more people into the sport and retaining them in greater numbers. We are working closely with our affiliated national federations and stakeholders within golf to sustain this momentum. We thank them for their efforts as we aim to ensure that golf is thriving for years to come.”

The top five on-course adult golfer markets overall in 2023 are in the United States (25.6 million), Japan (8.1 million), Canada (5.6 million), Republic of Korea (5.4 million), England (3.4 million) and Germany (2.1 million).

Asia is the leading region for people engaging with golf among R&A affiliated regions, with total adult engagement of 22.5 million. Europe is next highest with 21.1 million adult engagement.

Women comprise almost a quarter of adult registered golfers in R&A affiliated markets worldwide.

View The R&A’s Global Golf Participation Report HERE.

The Global Golf Participation Report was produced for The R&A by Sporting Insights.