Participation in the game of golf continues to climb worldwide. According to a new report that has been released by The R&A, and produced by Sporting Insights, ten million extra adults have taken up the sport since 2016. There are now 39.6 million on-course golfers (9 and 18 hole) in R&A affiliated markets – up 34 percent from 29.6 million on-course golfers in 2016.
The data is provided in a new “Global Golf Participation Report” that collectively measures, for the first time in a single report, The R&A’s affiliated markets in Asia, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. There are currently 21,431 golf courses in The R&A affiliated 146 nations worldwide.
The growth trend in participation began before the start of the Covid-19 crisis and continued during and after the pandemic, after a 2012–2016 period in which golf participation had been fairly static. The rise in registered and unregistered 9 and 18 hole golfers since 2020 is 15 percent.
The top five on-course adult golfer markets overall – including registered and independent – in 2023 are Japan (8.1 million), Canada (5.6 million), Republic of Korea (5.4 million), England (3.4 million), and Germany (2.1 million). With total adult engagement of 22.5 million, Asia is the leading region for people engaging with golf among R&A affiliated regions. Europe is next highest with 21.1 million adult engagement. Indeed, 76 percent of all 9 and 18 holes golfers are in Asia and Europe.
England tops the ranking of registered golfers (740,673), followed by Japan (707,580), Germany (682,942), Sweden (536,203), and China (500,000). Women account for nearly a quarter (23 percent) of adult registered golfers in R&A affiliated markets worldwide. With 45 percent of adults registered being women, the Republic of Korea shows the strongest representation of women amongst registered adult golfers, followed by Germany (36 percent), and Netherlands (32 percent). Women make up at least 25 percent of adult registered golfers in 42 markets around the world.
The full Global Golf Participation Report 2023 is available online.
