First European country with more women golfers than men

Here’s an interesting first. A European country has reported that more women were members of its golf clubs than men in 2016.

According to KPMG’s Golf Participation Report for Europe 2017, 45 per cent of registered golfers in Slovakia are adult women with 42 per cent adult men.

The remaining registered golfers are juniors. Slovakia has more than 10,000 registered golfers across its 29 golf clubs, which is a rise of more than 25 per cent in just one year.

Golf in Slovakia - looking good!

In another four European countries – Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – more than a third of the registered golfers are adult women.

But over in the UK, Wales, England and Scotland have the second to fourth lowest proportions of female members, which range from 12 to 13 per cent.

Only Albania, for pities sake, has a lower proportion of lady golfers in Europe than the British nations, with just three percent.

Germany now has just under a quarter of a million adult female club members, which is nearly double the next three highest countries on the list: The Netherlands, Sweden and France. 

But the UK’s stats in terms of the level of female memberships are woeful, and show just how much work needs to be to bring more women into the game.

It’s a massive opportunity, and the industry and governing bodies really need to start getting their act together on this one. It’s an opportunity that has been staring everyone in the face for so long, but no one seems to be seriously taking it on. #ThisGirlGolfs is a great initiative, but there has be more done by individual golf clubs as well to properly turn this tide.

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