Here’s three of the most significant developments from January for the golf industry

From pandemic year two golf participation data showing even better results than year one, to this publication getting a new publisher, we look at important developments in the golf industry in January 2022.

The effects of the participation surge are now being felt across the industry

There have been numerous reports of golf clubs reporting a surge in members in the last 18 months but now other areas of the industry are also detailing significant growth.

Retailer American Golf has said that its sales performance over Christmas was up 55 percent compared to 2019 while Barclaycard has revealed that spending on golf products grew at nearly 10 times the pace of spending growth in general in 2021.

The jump in participation is also leading to stories like that of North Inch and Dalmuir golf clubs – both came close to closure before the pandemic, but both are now thriving.

The second year of the pandemic has seen more golf growth than the first

There were predictions in the summer of 2020 that the membership boom would only last a year, but that’s not proved to be the case.

Wales Golf has revealed that the number of members of Welsh golf clubs has risen by nearly a quarter in the last two years – with even more growth (13 percent) in the second year than in the first (10 percent).

Similarly Scottish Golf has seen the number of members of Scottish golf clubs rise by nearly 25,000 in the last two years – with more than half in the second year.

The continued surge has resulted in clubs like Royal Dornoch Golf Club closing the book for the 2022 season in January.

The Golf Business has a new publisher

This magazine, along with our sister title GreenKeeping, have been acquired by HDID Media from Union Press.

HDID Media, which publishes the world’s biggest website for golf equipment news and reviews, Golfalot, and the most visited golfing website in Europe, HowDidiDo, as well as managing the European media sales for Global Golf Post, is Europe’s biggest golf online media publisher.

The sale, which has taken place amid this participation surge, should result in the online activity of both these publications being enhanced significantly.

As Barry Dyett, HDID Media’s chairman, put it: “The publication is almost uniquely placed to engage with the golf industry. We hope to give these publications the space and freedom to develop editorially and cement their position at the very top.”