Bucking concerns of a downturn, a report released this week shows strong growth in competition golf in Australia with the approaching summer months expected to deliver further momentum.
According to the 2012 Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) Competition Rounds Report, over 12 million rounds of golf (3.5% increase) have been played since the same time last year.
GolfAustralia CEO, and current AGIC Chairman Stephen Pitt, said that the growth of competition rounds being played was a particularly pleasing result for the golf club industry. “What we are seeing is rounds growth being driven off increasing average frequency in the metropolitan areas and in some regions more favourable weather outcomes than in prior years,” said Pitt.
The report also notes an encouraging trend being experienced over the summer period in Australia where over the past three years total rounds played over this period have grown by 5%. Pitt added “As the tournament season is about to begin, this outcome is also very pleasing and indicates that increased exposure does appear to impact golf demand.”
The author of the report, Jeff Blunden, said: “Let’s hope that off the back of this report there is a greater appreciation of the importance of playing frequency. Membership numbers, whilst the driver to rounds played, are only part of golf’s outcome. At the coal face it is all about rounds being played. In lieu of membership growth, getting existing golfers to play more golf is one way we can drive improving industry health.”
Report highlights
– Total rounds played in formal club competitions grew by approximately 3 per cent over the 2009-10 financial year, averaging over one million rounds per month.
– Male competitive play increased almost 4 per cent with female competitive play increasing 2 per cent.
– From July 2011 – July 1012 approximately 12.085 million rounds were recorded by GolfLink across the same facility base, a 3.5% increase over the previous 12 month period.
– Single handicap rounds accounted for approximately 50% of all rounds played throughoutAustralia
– National rounds played in March 2012 fell by 9% over the prior year as NSW experienced its second wettest March on record.
– Average frequency within male golfers is up by an average of 3 % across the country.
The AGIC Competition Rounds Report details single handicapped round data submitted by clubs to Golf Link over a three year period from 2009/10 to 2011/12, along with comparative data collected for the 2011/12 financial year and year to date figures to September 2012. The Report can be viewed on the AGIC website.
The Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) was established in late 2006 to provide a forum to help unite the industry on agreed industry wide initiatives. Membership includes: Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association, Australian Ladies Professional Golf, Australian Sporting Goods Association, GolfAustralia, Golf Management Australia, PGA of Australia and the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects.
Australian Golf Industry Council www.agic.org.au