The explosive growth of golf over the past five years continues at a record pace – and is being driven by groups that were previously underrepresented in the sport. That was the key takeaway from an expert panel discussion Wednesday morning at the 72nd PGA Show.
The Evolution of Inclusion presented by Make Golf Your Thing was the first event on the PGA of America Industry Stage presented by CapTech, and attendees were given an overview of the continuing surge in golf participation, and the groups helping fuel the sport’s expansion. Moderated by PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross, the discussion covered the emergence of People of Color, Women and Juniors in taking the sport to new heights.
Tom Kuhn, the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the PGA TOUR, shared the latest data from the National Golf Foundation (NGF) indicating that 535 million on-course rounds were played in 2024, setting a new record for a fourth consecutive year. 28.1 million golfers played on course last year, the biggest single-year jump in rounds played since 2020.
People of Color accounted for 6.9 million of all U.S. golfers last year, marking a 44 percent increase since 2019. Women accounted for 7.9 million golfers and now comprise 28 percent of all golfers, a record number. And Junior participation is up 48 percent from 2019, with 3.7 million kids aged 6-17 playing last year.
“There’s been no drop-off, and actually new growth is occurring,” Kuhn said. “And that growth is being driven by these three segments of golfers.”
PGA of America Past President Suzy Whaley credited golf’s governing bodies with laying the groundwork for this surge in inclusion in the sport, and for being ready when the Covid-19 pandemic opened the door to the golf boom.
“PGA and LPGA Professionals were ready, since we’ve been inviting people into the game for years and had the programs in place,” Whaley said. “We were prepared, and now we need to be prepared to keep these previously underserved groups in the game and not get complacent about their participation.”
PGA of America Golf Professional Dave Barton, the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Accessible Golf, underlined the increase in opportunities for adaptive golf, and how making the game accessible and inclusive is driving participation.
“Exposure is the key, and staying connected to these golfers,” Barton said. “Golf has always been a pull system, where we’re trying to bring people in, but now we’re in a push system where people are seeking us out. A lot of that is underserved populations seeing that playing golf is possible.”