England Golf has unveiled a raft of statistics that reveal what the average golfer looks like in terms of their age, gender and handicap among the 785,000-plus golfers in England who hold a Handicap Index, either as members of a club or have an iGolf membership.
The data has been gathered from 2024, which was a record-breaking year for England Golf, with over 10.2 million scores submitted through the World Handicap System. That number saw competition scores grow to 5.7 million (from 5.4million in 2023), while general play scores saw an increase from 3.9 million to 4.4 million in the same period.
With 1,735 golf clubs in England, and club membership standing at over 730,000, the stats revealed that the average Handicap Index of golf club members is 18.62 (male 17.38, female 28.09).
The average age of golf club members has decreased in England, reducing from 56.18 to 54.99 since 2023, with the average male age dropping from 54.98 years to 53.78, while the average female age has dropped from 64.65 to 62.98.
iGolfers are younger, but have higher handicaps than club members
iGolfers, England Golf’s handicap scheme for golfers who are not club members, make up 7% of golfers with a Handicap Index in England, accounting for 494,000 scores submitted in 2024. There are over 55,000 iGolf subscribers in England, with the average county including 1,587 iGolfers.
Middlesex & London has the highest representation of iGolfers, with over 12.24% of the iGolf population. The average age of an iGolfer is 43 (male 43, female 48), while the average Handicap Index of an iGolfer is 20.07 (male 19.72, female 30.88).
The average Handicap Index of all golfers – including club members and iGolf members in England – is 19.37 (male 18.60, female 29.33). The average age of all golfers with a Handicap Index in England is 54.14, having dropped from 55.41 in 2023.
iGolfers per County (Top 3)
1 Middlesex & London 7,596
2 Surrey 4,024
3 Yorkshire 4,001
Average iGolfer Age (Lowest 3)
1 Cambridgeshire 42.19
2 Shropshire & Herefordshire 42.61
3 Somerset 42.69
Average iGolfer Handicap Index (Top 3)
1 Isle of Man 16.45
2 Cumbria 18.60
3 Middlesex & London 18.94
GOLF CLUB MEMBERS (Top 3)
1 Yorkshire 70,926
2 Lancashire 49,990
3 Surrey 47,779
Golf Club Members Average Age (Lowest 3)
1 Isle of Man 51.37
2 Middlesex 52.66
3 Cornwall 53.31
Golf Club Members Average Handicap Index (Lowest 3)
1 Isle of Man 16.84
2 Nottinghamshire 17.46
3 Durham 17.47
iGOLF & CLUB MEMBERSHIP COMBINED
(Total golfers with a Handicap Index)
1 Yorkshire 74,927
2 Lancashire 52,341
3 Surrey 51,803
For the full county by county stats from England Golf’s 2024 data, click here