New data from the Golf for All report reveals golfers may be less worried about the time spent on the course than we all might think
This article is part of GCMA Insights – topical content for golf industry professionals, discussing the things that matter to those who work in golf clubs.
Time. We’re told it’s a huge factor stopping people from playing golf. 9-hole competition, short courses, new formats – the sport has spent much of the last decade trying to speed up the game.
You’ll hear plenty of policymakers, and players who may have stepped away from the game, talking about catering for the “time poor”.
But is that how golfers really think? New figures commissioned by the PGA might just appear to suggest otherwise.
In the latest reveal of their Golf for All data, considering participation pathways and what attracted people to the game, researchers asked survey participants to tell them what the least appealing aspect of the sport was.
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Forty per cent of respondents chose the weather, while 36 per cent said it was expensive. Only 15 per cent claimed it was a “time-consuming activity”.
That figure remained consistent when you stripped back the numbers into those who played golf regularly and those who were infrequent golfers.
In each case, just 14 per cent of respondents said the length of time it took to play was the least appealing factor.
Golf for All is the result of a partnership between the PGA and IPSOS. The agency were commissioned to conduct surveys, both online and offline, to understand the size of the golfing landscape within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
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The PGA says the research aims to provide “an understanding across a board audience of those with any level of interest in golf”.
The research also shows the growing importance of adventure golf in introducing people to the game. 60 per cent of infrequent golfers – classed as those who play at least yearly – had enjoyed their first taste of golf at adventure golf, compared with just 11 per cent of regular golfers.
For those who played the game at least monthly, just under half had been introduced to golf on course.
To view, and download, the full report, visit golf-for-all.co.uk.
This article is part of GCMA Insights – topical content for golf industry professionals, discussing the things that matter to those who work in golf clubs.
Get involved in the debate. To join the GCMA, click here, or to organise a call with a member of the GCMA team, just complete this form and we’ll be in touch!
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