Many more golf rounds were played this September than in previous years’ summer months

New data on golf participation in the UK has found that significantly more rounds were played this September than in any summer month in the previous four years.

The extraordinary results, compiled by Sports Marketing Surveys, confirm that the boom in golf participation continued for the whole of the summer and into the autumn.

The Q3 rounds report, which looks at the number of rounds played in July, August and September, reveals that 2020 figures represent the highest average rounds played that the company has recorded since it started digitally recording figures in 2005. This follows similar records from the Q2 report.

According to the data, the average number of rounds per British course between June and August from 2016 to 2019 ranged from about 2,500 to a little over 3,000. For those months this year the figure was consistently above 4,000, peaking above 4,500. But even in September, when there is traditionally a strong dip in the number of rounds played, the figure was nearly 4,000 – about one-third up compared to previous years’ peak months, and nearly double the participation compared with September 2019.

Overall, the average number of rounds played across the country for the three months in 2020 was up 59 percent compared to 2019. Total rounds for the year up to September were up seven percent against 2019, even though the UK saw the complete closure of golf courses for several weeks, and there were ensuing periods of two-ball-only play as well as increased gaps between tee times.

Leading the charge has been the south, where the year to September-end figure was 22 percent up.

Sports Marketing Surveys director Richard Payne said: “The record results are a credit to the hard work of course owners, secretaries, professionals and greenkeeping staff, and should give great heart to clubs as they face the next four weeks.