New research for golf participation over the last six months compared with previous years has found an unprecedented and stunning drop.
Golf participation has been steadily falling for nearly 20 years although in recent years there has been evidence to suggest the slump was over.
However, new data from SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC has found that the number of golf rounds played in the UK between January and March 2018 were down by, on average, an extraordinary 22 per cent.
This follows on from the company’s research at the start of the year, which revealed that participation between October and December 2017 was down more than 11 per cent compared with 2016.
The previous three months were also down four per cent compared with 2016 and, to complete the year, the Q2 figures were up by four per cent.
“Rounds played were significantly lower for quarter one across all regions, leading to an average drop of over 22 per cent,” said a company spokesman.
“With a decrease of 15.7 per cent, Scotland was the territory least affected, with the north being the worst hit and losing a third of rounds compared to last year.
“ Q1 2017 had experienced a relatively strong period for rounds played with the highest average recorded since 2012 so perhaps it should come as no surprise that without unseasonably good conditions, Q1 2018 would see a decline year on year.
“However, very few could have anticipated the arrival of the two-part ‘beast from the east’ and the disruption, some may say destruction, that it wreaked on golf courses throughout the country.
“In total, rounds played in March were 35 per cent down compared to 2017.”
Director Richard Payne said he remained positive for 2018. “There are certain points in life where you come up against the perfect storm and it just so happens that, as an outside sport, golf’s storms share their names with meteorological ones, with ‘Eleanor’ disrupting the start of the year and ‘The Beast’ making golf virtually unplayable in March,” he said.
“That said, Q1 typically accounts for between 15 and 20 per cent of annual rounds played, meaning that there is a lot of golf still to be played. Following an exciting Masters, the revival of Tiger Woods and the Ryder Cup back in Europe in September, as an industry we need to dust ourselves off and focus on the positives that the year still has to offer – let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the sun gives us a helping hand too.”
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