Golfers’ demand for food and beverage remains strong

A new survey on UK golfers’ buying behaviour during the pandemic has found that demand for food and beverage is strong – even if clubhouses are closed.

This follows research at the end of last year that found golf clubs’ food and beverage operations saw 22 percent growth in the summer of 2020 compared with the summer of 2019, even though more than two-thirds of responders said their food and beverage operations were reduced during that time.

The new PlayMoreGolf survey of 3,500 golfers shows that 62 percent of players have been spending at least £10 on food and drink after a round, with nearly half (47 percent) laying out at least £5 before teeing off.

Typically this would have involved food and drink purchased from buggies or the halfway house, or if from the clubhouse or pro shop it would have most likely have been consumed either on the course or in an external dining area.

Alastair Sinclair, CEO, PlayMoreGolf, said: “It was brilliant to see so many people picking up clubs for the first time or rediscovering their passion for golf last year. However, 2020 was also a year full of challenges. Alongside a reduction in capacity, golf clubs were unable to serve food and drink in the ways they would have done in pre-Covid times.”