Golf Industry News - playing golf

The English Golf Union has identified that there are membership vacancies at over 75% of its 1,890 affiliated golf clubs. The EGU says that these figures confirm the need to invest in grass roots initiatives to encourage more people into the game and ultimately help them into golf club membership

The ‘Tiger Woods effect‘ is starting to show, as more American youngsters are taking up the sport. Participation among younger golfers (ages 7-17) has increased from 2.6 million in 1994 to 3.7 million in 1999, an increase of 42%. That is one of several conclusions drawn from an examination of key market research data published by the National Sporting Goods Association. On the other hand, ‘The myth that more women are playing golf is just that, a myth,’ said NSGA Vice President of Information & Research Thomas B. Doyle. ‘However, those women who are playing golf are much more serious about the sport, as their increased spending indicates.‘