Written By Jeffrey Reed
Growing the game of golf is without a doubt a monumental task. Junior golfers represent the future of the game, so it makes sense that the entire golf industry is looking at new ways to ensure golf participation remains healthy. But added detriments to growing golf make this a huge challenge.
Middlesex County is home to scores of public, semi-private and private golf clubs and each of them work tirelessly to grow the game. Until recently, every study pointed to lack of funds as the biggest obstacle to growing golf. But recent studies now list lack of time as the number one reason why people of all ages are not golfing as much as they wish they were.
But Canada is a golfing nation. The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) recently reported that hundreds of thousands of Canadians have entered the sport since the COVID-19 pandemic, with six million Canadians golfing in total.
“Canadians played 74 million rounds of golf in 2023, a considerable 24-per-cent increase from the last study in 2019,” said Jeff Calderwood, who will retire in December from his post of CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.
NAGA’s previous study reported there were an estimated 5.7 million golfers in our country who played an estimated 60 million rounds per year – those numbers indicated a substantial decrease in participation rate.
And, the pre-pandemic Canadian Golf Consumer Behaviour Study, commissioned by NAGA, said golf growth was stagnant. The study also reported only 7 per cent of Canadian adult golfers had a child aged 6-11 who played golf, and just 9 per cent had a junior golfer aged 12-17.
The good news is many new golfers entered the industry during the pandemic. The bad news is, many have already abandoned the game, according to most of the local PGA of Canada professionals I have spoken with over the past few years. The reasons? Lack of time, and lack of money.
In 2020, Golf Ontario had tabled a four-year strategic plan with one common theme: Ontario’s 805 golf facilities must play a larger role in sustaining participation and in drawing more people – in particular, women and girls – to the game.
According to a recent research report published by the R&A, there is a big opportunity to grow the game of golf if the industry can attract more women, girls and families. One of the key themes identified in the report is the importance of establishing the optimum environment for family participation by being aware of the makeup of the modern family.
It’s important, then, to make the game fun for all ages – not just youngsters – if golf is to experience growth.
Award-winning writer Jeffrey Reed has covered Middlesex County sports since 1980. He is publisher and editor of
LondonOntarioSports.com. Reach him at
jeff@londonontariosports.com.
