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Dec 13th, 2015
Golf stabilises!
Participation levels holding up
Words: The Brigadier Photography: Getty Images
Golf participation appears to be continuing to stabilise after the latest Active People Survey figures from Sport England.
The encouraging news comes from the results for the year to October 2015, which have just been released. They consolidate the previous year’s results, which had indicated that the downward trend was slowing.
The results give cause for optimism that the focus on creating more players, more members and stronger clubs is having a positive impact.
The survey shows:
Overall 740,100 people, aged 16-plus, play golf in England for at least 30 minutes once a week. That’s up slightly on the previous year (730,300) and this is the first, small, increase in participation since October 2012.
The growth is among young people, with 50,400 aged between 16 and 25 now involved in weekly golf, compared to 38,400 a year ago.
Other encouraging signs include a slight increase in the number of male golfers among black and minority ethnic (BME) groups; and in club membership.
Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of the PGA, said: “It is heartening to see these results and especially to see the recovery in the numbers of young people who are playing golf. But there is still much more to be done to consolidate these results and to grow the game. That is why there is ever-closer collaboration across the industry to ensure our collective efforts are focused on the right priorities for the future.”
David Joy, Chief Executive of England Golf, said: “A great deal of hard and coordinated work is taking place at club, county and national levels, to recruit and retain more players and members, to provide the right coaching opportunities and to show that golf really is a game for all. These results will encourage all who are involved in this work to continue their efforts and to keep moving in the same direction.”
