SWIMPLEX AQUATICS
Swimplex Aquatics are a world-class company dedicated to the commercial pool, waterslide industry. We are Australian market leaders servicing all states Australia wide. Swimplex provide a full…
read moreThe 2020/21 Golf Club Participation Report, prepared by Golf Business Advisory Services using combined Golf Australia’s club member participation data and Sport Australia’s AusPlay data, reveals there has been record growth in club participation and total participation, with a 6.4% increase in club members and a 21% (210,000) year-on-year rise in round players.
More than 24,000 new players joined golf clubs in 2020-21, with the 6.4% increase the largest jump in percentage terms recorded since data collection began in 1970, taking the total number to 409,970.
Junior members also experienced a major increase, with 16% more children under-18 joining their local club.
AusPlay’s data reveals that Australian Golf’s vision to be a sport for all is gradually becoming a reality, with an estimated 1,204,000 total golf participants playing 9-hole or 18-hole rounds of golf in the 2020-21 period.
This is supported by Golf Australia’s nine-hole round data which experienced 20% growth with more than 517,000 rounds played in 2020-21.
At club level, Victoria experienced the biggest lift in membership (up 8.9%) despite access to golf clubs being limited during the ongoing pandemic, while all states experienced substantial growth. South Australia grew by 7.2%, WA by 7%, QLD by 6.4%, NSW by 4.8%, Tasmania by 4.6% and the Northern Territory by 0.5%.
Golf Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland said the findings were “monumentally encouraging for the game”, pointing out that the results buck the gradual decline in golfers endured between 2000-2019.
Sutherland notes “our purpose is simple – we want more Australians playing more golf. There are many different forms of golf making it truly a game for everyone.
“It’s fun, it can be played at any age, and it’s proven to be good for your health. These are just some of the factors driving this phenomenal growth.
“Interestingly, these latest figures tell us there are far more casual golfers that are not members of a club than there are club members. This suggests we have a fantastic launching pad to continue to grow our sport and bring new people to our game. We want to keep driving this by making the sport more accessible and creating more options to play to ensure golf continues to be a sport for all.”
Sutherland said that the launch in December of the Australian Golf Strategy – a strategic plan for the entire golf industry – has highlighted participation as the most important factor in the health of the industry into the future.
“So many new people have come to the game in recent times, they need to be embraced so they remain in the game while we continue to innovate to appeal to more Australians.
“It will be vital for us to understand these newcomers - what they want is not going to be the same as it has been in the past, and we need to acknowledge that and evolve to suit our new markets,” said Sutherland.
“The elite game is also incredibly important in providing role models for our young golfers to aspire to, and we’re excited to see some of Australia’s best players in action at the Vic Open this week at 13th beach. It’s been fantastic to see the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour Australasia getting back into the full swing of things this season and there’s no doubt the tour will play an important role in building on the 16% growth in junior members this year.
Key findings of the report include:
Image: Hannah Green 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Royal Adelaide Golf Club. Credit Royal Adelaide Golf Club/ David Brand
18th December 2021 - Tiffany Cherry appointed to Head of Female Engagement for Australian Golf
15th December 2021 - National Strategy launched for Australian Golf Industry
14th December 2021 - Golf Australia confirms mixed-gender Vic Open to resume in 2022
13th December 2021 - $60 million golf fund launched to redevelop under-performing courses into sport entertainment zones
26th November 2021 - Golf Australia announces highest participation and membership rates for 50 years
10th November 2021 - Australian Golf Foundation Junior Girls Scholarship program attracts impressive response for 2022
31st October 2021 - Latest Ausplay reports shows volunteers as key to sport’s successful return post COVID-19
25th October 2021 - PGA of Australia to establish world-first golf learning hub at Sandhurst
12th October 2021 - Nine million Australians interested in Golf suggests huge potential to grow the game
9th June 2021 - PGA of Australia and Golf Australia develop new pathway for elite amateurs
2nd May 2021 - Latest Ausplay report shows renewed participation in Olympic sport
21st April 2021 - Golf Australia releases new Handicap App
13th March 2021 - Golf Australia highlight golf’s summer boom
24th February 2021 - SPORTFIVE launches new global golf strategy
23rd February 2021 - James Sutherland calls for ‘need to protect’ public golf
30th October 2020 - Latest Sport Australia AusPlay survey results focus on early impact of COVID-19 on sport and activity
7th May 2020 - Latest AusPlay data shows further increase in adult participation in sport and physical activity
30th October 2019 - AusPlay survey advises that 81% of Australian adults participate in sport at least once a week
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