It’s no secret that golf took a major hit following the 2008 housing crash. However, since then things have changed significantly for the better. Today with the help of a National Golf Foundation report, we will take a look at 5 exciting golf facts.
1: Between 2011 and 2015, the number of non-golfers interested in golf rose from 26.5 million to 37.4 million.
This fact is excellent for the golfing community. While interest in golf may have peaked with “Tiger Mania” in the mid to early 2000s, It is an excellent sign that interest is gaining again. This may be a direct result of the new alternate golf activities that are popping up. These include companies like Top Golf. These companies are most likely raising interest in golf among the non-golfing community.
2: The number of junior golfers increased from 2.4 million in 2011 to 3.0 million in 2015
Again this is an excellent trend for the golfing community. Ultimately, more youth golfers translate to more adult golfers. Expanding youth participation is an excellent sign for the future and longevity of the sport. Hopefully, this also sets the scene for even more competitive professionals in the coming years.
3: Likewise, the number of beginner golfers rose as well from 1.5 million in 2011 to 2.2 million in 2015.
Beginner golfers lead to proficient golfers. This figure coupled with the rise in youth golfers indicate that there is definitely golfers interested in assuming the mantle of golf. This is an exciting trend, as following 2008, the number of beginner golfers were rapidly decreasing.
4: Female golfers again rose from 5 million in 2011 to 5.8 million in 2015.
This is another exciting statistic for golf as a whole. The sport is becoming increasingly gender diversified. This trend follows the LPGA’s trend of increased TV rankings. Overall, while golf may not be accelerating in the male demographic it is definitely growing in others.
5: Golf is estimated to reach approximately ⅓ of the U.S. Population over the age of 6
Despite the drop in golfers over a decade ago, golf is still reaching an enormous number of people in the United States. No need to fear golf going anywhere anytime soon. Alternate golf activities are doing an excellent job of introducing people to the sport. While these may be frowned upon by many avid golfers, they remove much of the barrier of entry into the sport. We can only hope that golf continues and grows.
