Golf’s image overhaul as women and Gen Z lift the game beyond the course
Record numbers of Aussies are swinging the sticks as golf participation surges with social media and superstar golfers such as Rory McIroy and Min Woo Lee making the game more accessible than ever before.
Golf is no longer the domain of retirees and business men, the intersection of sport, tech and culture is helping attract younger players through new formats and build superstar players through social media.
The game has experienced a significant surge in growth and popularity since Covid, which helped reverse a 1 per cent annual decline in participation in Australia to drive a 24.1 per cent increase on 2018.
Last year, more than four million Australians played golf in some form, from the traditional on-course game, to a driving range, indoor simulator, or a mini golf venue. The growth, which represents a 5.2 per cent total increase, is indicative of the broader mass market appeal of the game, thanks to social media influencers and superstar players.
The change in golf in Australia will be evident this week when the Australian Open takes place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The sold-out event will showcase the rise in younger fans, aged between 25-45, as well as the increase in women golfers.
The crowd is also indicative of the changing face of golfers with less than half (45 per cent) of event ticket holders holding a current golf course membership, a significant shift on previous years when that number was 65 per cent.
In a further boon for the national sport, the open will host golf superstar Rory McIlroy enabling Golf Australia to leverage the popularity and virality of McIlroy following his emotional win at the US Masters earlier this year.
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the Rory factor was another opportunity to leverage the sport and drive interest from new audiences.
“Golf is on the rise. Never in its history has the game grown as much as it has in the last five years, nor has it changed as much as it has in the last five years,” he said. “That growth and change brings about an inclination for the curious to get a bit closer and to understand it. And that’s what we are already seeing in all sorts of different ways.
“There’s no doubt that people want to play golf more off the back of big tournaments. There’s plenty of research that talks about that. These events are important to pique people’s interest, and a bit like Tennis Australia, with the tennis open, it’s part of our identity and it’s part of our responsibility. The Open has been going for over a hundred years, it’s got huge history and some of the best golfers who have ever played the game, have their name engraved on the cup. So we’ve got a sense of responsibility to that heritage and we’re very conscious of hosting a big event with big-name players like Rory. It’s really important as well as ensuring we have high performance programs in place that nurture the best talent in Australia.”
A significant driver behind the change has been led by the national strategy which was established four years ago in a major overhaul undertaken by Golf Australia, PGA of Australia and FutureBrand to reposition the sport for the future.
The move sought to change the definition of golf and a golfer, to “All golf is golf’ and ‘all of us can be golfers’, in a bid to increase the sport’s accessibility and be more inclusive to players at a private course, or hitting a ball in a paddock or hitting at an indoor simulator.
“That philosophy has been transformational,” said Mr Sutherland. “When we went to set our growth agenda for golf we were very clear about our purpose, which is to see more Australians hitting more golf balls and more Australians playing more golf. It’s a pretty simple message, but that’s what we’re all about.”
Mr Sutherland said social media has played a huge role in changing perception of the game, from something that your grandfather played to something that anyone can play, at any age.
“Social media has helped highlight who is playing, that might be Test cricketers or AFL footballers in their spare time. It’s also the content that comes through on social media – it’s fun, it demystifies the game, and it also makes it clear that you don’t have to be good at golf to have a good time and to have fun.
“There’s so much humour that comes through on social media and 10 years, 20 years ago, there wasn’t much humour about golf. You just played the game, there’s rules and you score. But now it’s fun and when you look at people at the driving range hitting balls these days the fans are a very diverse audience.”
While the Australian Open is attracting strong golf sponsors such as Rolex, Crown, BMW and Amex, it’s also starting to draw new sponsors such as Isla Vodka and Asahi, looking to engage with the younger golf fans.
There’s also a flood of new boutique golf brands helping to build momentum among a new wave of fans.
Golf Australia said $10.3bn of household expenditure was spent on golf in Australia in 2023.
