The UK has seen the biggest golf spike in the world
By Alistair Dunsmuir
New data analysing golf activity around the world has found growth everywhere in recent weeks – with the UK leading the way.
Shot Scope, a company that manufactures GPS and shot tracking technology used in watches that golfers wear, analysed the activities of 50,000 golfers around the world this July, and compared this with data it had for July 2017, 2018 and 2019.
It found that golf rounds in the UK were up by just under 40 percent (39.7%) compared with pre coronavirus levels, the biggest growth in the world.
The USA saw an increase of 34.9 percent of rounds played and Canada 12.7 percent.
The average for Europe was 27.9 percent, and the rest of the world at 7.5 percent.
“On the heels of the Covid-19 lockdowns and closed courses around the world, golfers everywhere jumped at the opportunity to play in 2020, and among our more than 50,000 golfers, July rounds skyrocketed,” said David Hunter, CEO, Shot Scope.
“With the UK and US markets recording nearly 40 and 35 percent growth respectively, and as golf is the perfect outdoor social distancing activity, it is clear that the game is thriving right now.”
The company also found that the average user of its software played 5.2 rounds in 2018 – but this rises to 6.2 for 2020.
By Alistair Dunsmuir
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the future is not just. ……. There is work ahead! Make it fun, standards come first, than we recommend to value scores and experiences!
& the increase in rounds played in the UK had nothing to do with the fine weather ?
Another wet dismal autumn & winter will be the test
Great news for golf in the UK but huge challenges ahead with the membership model of all you can play for a fixed price – courses with low greenkeeping budgets are being hammered this year and it is not sustainable. There is a solution if Clubs change and think out the box and delight in the boom the sport has enjoyed of late.
Fabulous to read this positive news! How strange it took a global pandemic to fill the fairways….
Is this the start of permanent growth in participation or a blip in the 20 year decline?
I think a spike is understandable given lockdown and restriction on other sports. The great news would be if golf can sustain this growth going forward.