The resurgence of golf during the pandemic: how the game has become more accessible

Golf clubs witnessed an unprecedented boom last year with PlayMoreGolf's data showing a 260% spike in members since July 2020. Today, however, we’re setting our sights on nurturing a younger demographic of golfers to help further grow the game and make it more accessible, writes Alastair Sinclair, CEO of PlayMoreGolf.

Our membership data has shown us that the average age has dropped by six years to roughly 43 years old. With golf being one of the fastest sports to reopen after multiple UK wide lockdowns, many younger players were incentivised to rediscover a sport they’d not played since their mid-twenties.

One of the biggest hurdles we've overcome as a business is creating a product for players who are too 'time poor' to justify a golf membership because they can't play each week and enjoy every pound of value. On the other hand, traditional golf memberships across the UK are creeping closer to four figures per annum – this is a considerable barrier to access for many players across the country.

Today, younger, more technologically savvy golfers, don't vie for the hallowed 08.08 am tee time on a Saturday morning. As our data shows, they opt for nine-holes after work in the summer or play 50 miles away from 'home' when visiting friends and family. We know that this age group is time-poor with busy lifestyles.

This is where we've been able to provide a category-defining solution for the 'nomadic' player. We’ve designed a product that recognises the demands of modern lifestyles and provides an alternative that works in harmony with the frantic timetables of the modern family. Not to mention being more than 50% cheaper than ‘traditional’ 7-day membership.

At the time of writing, thousands of members will have been contacted by their club secretaries with renewal forms. With an economy under strain from job losses and millions of workers being placed on furlough leave, retention rates of ‘traditional’ memberships have been a concern for clubs up and down the country.

The benefits of the flexible membership don't just suit the player, the clubs that are involved are equally benefitting from the introduction of non-traditional members. One of our partners, Wirral Golf Club, has used PlayMoreGolf to help promote the game to women and juniors, who are essential to the future of golf for everyone. Through an initiative with PlayMoreGolf, they were able to encourage more women to get involved and have reserved 15 memberships exclusively for women.2021 is an important year for golf, as a sport and leisure activity especially when it comes to appealing to a wider audience. It has been magnificent that half of PlayMoreGolf’s members played golf in the first week after restrictions lifted in England, and we hope this demand remains steady throughout the year.

PlayMoreGolf is the largest flexible golf membership linking over 250 golf clubs across the United Kingdom under one membership has become a sought-after product. With over 12,000 active players it’s the largest online golfing community. Find out more here: www.playmore.golf.