Golf rounds played in Great Britain increase for fourth consecutive year
2021 was another busy and popular year for golf and there was unsurprisingly a 12% increase in the number of golf rounds played compared to 2020.
Golf rounds played in Great Britain have risen for a fourth consecutive year, showing the popularity of the sport and the post-lockdown boom.
According to Sports Marketing Surveys, there were parts of 2021 that couldn't compete against the peak of 2020 when golf reopened and the demand at golf courses and driving ranges was manic.
However, there were still parts of 2021 that largely outperformed previous seasons. In quarter four of 2021, rounds played were up 40% compared with quarter four of 2019.
It is difficult to draw exact comparisons between rounds played in 2020 and 2021 because of course closures and rushes for tee times, but the increase since 2019 is very encouraging.
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On the whole, rounds played in Britain have increased four years running. 2021's rounds were up 12% from 2020 and 17% from 2019. They are also up 17% from 2018 as well.
Sports Marketing Surveys have been tracking rounds played in Great Britain for over two decades and now they have begun a partnership with the Revenue Club to track online golf bookings and ensure they can gather as much data from as many different sources as possible.
"First and foremost, it’s great to see rounds played growing, proving that demand for golf is strong as we head into an exciting 2022," said Richard Payne, Director of Sports Marketing Surveys.
"Rising costs and inflation are likely to put pressure on leisure budgets this year and so, particularly for those who came into golf during the pandemic, the key question now is how embedded has it become in their sporting and lifestyle DNA.
"Is it a core hobby that they will continue to play even if the costs of access and equipment rise in line with inflation in other areas of the economy?
"The strong results for Q4 do suggest golfers continuing to play through the inclement winter months, and so we are optimistic that people will stay in the game."
