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Interesting facts

From 2000 to 2010, England and Wales have experienced a decrease in the number of golfers (-63,800 and -14,500, respectively).

Golf participation

  • The Czech Republic, despite having the most developed golf market in Eastern Europe, has experienced an impressive 650% growth in the last 10 years, which was also significant in absolute terms: almost 40,000 new golfers have been registered in the country.

  • Participation growth in Turkey was led by an extensive youth program: while participation has grown from 1,500 to 5,538 golfers, ¾ of the new golfers were juniors.

  • In most European countries, demand is dominated by male golfers. On average, 65% of all golfers are men, 25% are women and 10% are junior golfers.


The business of professional golf

  • The PGA Tour is one of the most competitive tours in the world with 54% of all earnings going to the top 20% of its best players in 2009.

  • Golf is rightfully regarded as one of the most lucrative professional sports in the world with two of the three highest paid athletes being golfers.
  • For the top two highest earning golfers, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, it is estimated that over 75% of their earnings come from off-course revenue, such as endorsements, appearance fees, corporate outings, licensing fees, golf course design and other revenue that capitalizes on a person’s status and image as a player.
  • When taking both on and off-course income into consideration, Tiger Woods remained the world’s top earner in sports for the seventh consecutive year in 2009.

  • The very best golfers may earn up to USD10-20m in prize money by winning tournaments, but internationally recognized and ‘marketable’ golfers can earn more off the course than on.

  • In contrast to athletes playing team sports, golfers do not receive a regular salary and often their earnings depend on the next tournament they play, or sponsorship deal they sign.

  • Since its inception in 1971, the European Tour has developed a worldwide series of events well beyond the ‘Old Continent’, with 25 out of its 51 events in 2009 staged outside Europe, while the PGA Tour only staged 4 events outside the USA in that same period.


Golf tourism

  • If only 0.1% of China`s population will play golf by 2030, China would have 1.3 million golfers.

  • In 2009 the Belek region (Antalya) represented one of the fastest growing Mediterranean golf tourism destinations with 17% growth as compared to 2008.

  • Golf tourism supports the employment of approximately 60,000 people throughout EMA. (Fact from the “The value of golf to Europe Middle East and Africa”2006…).


Golf course operation & branding

  • In Europe, the number of both courses and players has more than doubled since 1985.

  • Many Japanese golfers carry hole-in-one insurance, because it is traditional in Japan to share one's good luck by sending gifts to all your friends when you get an ace. The price for what the Japanese term an albatross can often reach $10,000.

  • Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen is the world`s largest golfing complex with a total of 216 holes in operation as of November 2008.

  • Europe, Middle East and Africa host close to 7,100 regular golf courses and around 4.5 million affiliated golfers.


Details

  • Type: Article
  • Date: 08/17/2010