The Australian golf boom continues with more than 12 million rounds of competitive golf played across the nation in 2023.
The latest stats from Golf Australia show that 12,227,604 competition rounds were played at golf clubs and facilities by 526,248 golfers in 2023 – an increase of 15.9% percent on the 2022 figure of 10,546,459.
Even more hearteningly for the future of the sport, the number of competition rounds played by golfers aged 18 years and under jumped a massive 39% in 12 months, from 131,997 rounds to 183,553.
New South Wales recorded the biggest increase overall, with over 4.5 million rounds played by just under 200,000 golfers. Queensland and Victoria both also recorded significant growth, with Victoria for the first time surpassing the three million mark for competition rounds played.
WA saw an overall 3.7% increase in competition rounds, reaching 1,128,726 in 2023. This was partly achieved by a 30.8% increase in junior competitions, with 183,553 recorded rounds.
GolfWA Chief Executive Gary Thomas hailed the positive figures – especially the uplift in junior competitive rounds.
“The increase in the junior category is very significant and shows that initiatives like the Crunch&Sip Junior Tour, MyGolf in Schools and TeeMates are helping to instil a deep-rooted love for the game at an early age,” he said. “That’s great news for the long-term sustainability of golf in WA.”
A version of this article first appeared on the Golf Australia website.
