Golf’s popularity continues to grow in New Zealand after initial covid boom

The influx of Kiwis getting into golf during the initial years of New Zealand’s response to covid-19 and the various social restrictions which ensued, has continued to steamroll in subsequent years – with a record number of players of all ages and abilities now registered as being involved with the sport.

Golf was one of the few sporting codes in New Zealand which continued to operate under covid-19 social movement restrictions, attracting tens of thousands of new entrants into the sport as a consequence.

A tweaking of playing formats meant golf could be safely enjoyed – while simultaneously complying with social distancing regulations – as many courses opened up their greens and fairways for general enjoyment by members of the public alongside traditional use by golfers.

The game’s popularity has been further enhanced post-covid by a raft of player-participation initiatives launched and administered by Golf New Zealand which were particularly designed to appeal to children, teenagers, novice players and women.

Building on the positive health and mental wellbeing aspects of the sport, Golf New Zealand’s participation programmes focus on the social interaction and fun aspects of the sport, rather than competitive or performance orientated elements of the game.

Golf New Zealand’s participation strategy has certainly paid off. Highlights of the past year include:

* Golf club membership nationally now sitting at 142,880 registrations – up from 136,571 in February 2023, representing a year-on-year increase of 4.62 percent.

* Casual player numbers in February, 2024 – that is people who have paid for a round of golf on a course, but who are not members of any particular club — now sit at 203,460 registrations, up 12.058 percent from April 2023, or the equivalent of 21,894 new sign-ins.

    Membership among women grew six percent year-on-year to 26,570 in February, 2024, playing 934,863 rounds of golf throughout the 12-month period, with golf clubs across the country hosting some 175 women-focussed events over the summer of 2023/2024.

   The number of rounds played by juniors (aged under-18-years-old) grew by 4.69 percent in the year to February 2024, to 138,418 tee spots.

* Flowing on from the juniors, golf club membership of under-19s nationally increased to a new peak of 12,048 players.

    The number of rounds entered nine-hole scorecards in Golf New Zealand’s Make Time Play 9 promotion run over the 2023/2024 summer period was 391,136 games – up 22 percent from 320,603 from the corresponding summer 2022/2023 period.

* Membership of Golf New Zealand’s virtual on-line Flexiclub has grown by 17.52 percent in 10-months, to sit at 5231 members in February, 2024 – with 32 percent of Flexiclub members progressing on to sign up membership to a local club.

Golf New Zealand chief executive Jeff Latch said the on-going growth of the sport’s popularity was underpinned by multiple participation initiatives developed by Golf New Zealand over recent years.

Latch said: “These include such programmes as She Loves Golf appealing to women and girls, Futures aimed at youth aged between 5-18-years-old, Make Time Play Nine targeting nine-hole round players, All Abilities catering to players with disabilities, and Flexiclub offering an entry-level structure for players wanting a golf handicap and affiliated rates when playing on golf courses.

“By creating the playing environment for an all-inclusive recreational activity, golf has broadened its appeal to multiple demographics within the wider Kiwi population.’'

“Through our regional ‘coalface’ partnerships in the Bay of Plenty, Manawatu/Whanganui, Tasman, Aorangi, Otago and Southland districts, alongside our partnership with the NZ Maori Golf Association, Golf NZ has been able to roll out year-round activities and programmes at participatory levels.”

Latch said golf playing figures already coming through for early 2024 - both in the number of rounds being played, and the number of golfers taking to the fairways - were also indicating continued year-on-year growth.