Accelerated by COVID-19, golf enjoys worldwide boom

Golf is enjoying a massive participation boom. Picture: The R&A.

World golf enjoyed a massive participation boom in 2020 with Great Britain and Ireland one of the most significant growth areas, according to new research figures revealed by the R&A.

According to Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS), golf's popularity has soared worldwide since 2016, with over 5.5 million additional golfers taking up the sport.

In Great Britain, the number of adults playing a nine or 18-hole course began to gradually increase before the onset of Covid-19, rising from 2.5 million in 2017 to 2.8 million in 2018, then 3 million in 2019 before surging to 5.2 million in 2020 - a rise of 108pc in five years.

In Ireland, the total number of adults playing full-length courses increased last year alone by 68 pc, up by 219,000 golfers to 540,000.

The number of total golfers globally has increased by 9.18pc from 61 million to 66.6 million in a five-year growth period, surpassing the 2012 high of 61.6 million.

After a period of decline, participation levels are rising worldwide, as reflected in the recent 2021 European Golf Participation Report.

It showed more than 10.6 million golfers are now playing full-length courses on the continent – a 34.17 pc increase since 2016.

Figures indicate the growth trend began before Covid-19 and then accelerated during the pandemic as golf was viewed as a safe sport due to its outdoor setting.

Regions experiencing the largest rises include Asia (20.9 million to 23.3 million); Europe (7.9 million to 10.6 million – driven largely by Great Britain and Ireland 3.6 million to 5.7 million); and North America (29.9 million to 30.6 million).