The National Competition Rounds Report for 2018 has been released by the Australian Golf Industry Council.
More than 10.43 million rounds were recorded by GolfLink in 2018, an increase of 182.388 rounds or 1.8% compared to 2017.
Rounds increased at comparable speeds in regional and metropolitan areas among men and women
The AGIC chairman, Gavin Kirkman, was satisfied with the latest figures.
"We know from the countless ways in which people participate in our sport, have a disability and participate in club competitions is a big part of Australian golf culture. To see this, this growth is a healthy sign for golf," Kirkman said.
"We are very aware of the impact of time pressure on society, which affects not only golf participation, but also all traditional sports.
"With recent changes to the rules of Golf to make rules easier to understand and adaptations to the World Disability System to increase flexibility, golf is trying to become more accessible and in line with the way modern sports are played.
"With the promotion of nine-hole golf in the sector, it is encouraging to see nine-hole rounds rising 14.7% in 2018," Kirkman added.
"Reflecting the time constraints on participation, 63% of all rounds were played by golfers aged 60 and over. Nor is it surprising that the majority of golf is played by mid-to-high handicapped players and clubs must consider this in their course arrangements.
"Females who made 18% of all rounds had played only 5.7% of the rounds with a handicap of 10 or lower, for men with the remaining 82% of all rounds, only 24.2% were played with handicaps of 10 or less lower."
Golf courses are encouraged to promote more informal access to the game for more people, especially younger women and men. There are many ways in which a facility can do this:
– deliver equipment to new starters
– shortens gaps by implementing forward t-shirts
– relax the dress code
– Use social media to promote golf as a game for everyone
– emphasize scoring, competition and rules
Click here to view the full report