The Growth Of Junior Golf
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Hey Golfers —
Golf’s recent run of growth has had some people questioning if golf is in a bubble.
I'm not in the prediction business, per se. But I do believe golf has built an incredible foundation over the last few years to sustain and continue to grow.
Two key pillars to that foundation?
Women
Juniors
A couple of months ago, I wrote about the business side of women’s golf and the growth opportunities that accompany it. The female golf cohort has grown significantly.
And junior golf is no different.
Let’s get into it.
According to the National Golf Foundation, off-course junior participants surged from 2.2 million to 4 million between 2019 and 2023, an impressive 82% increase.
On-course junior golfers have also risen by 1 million, representing a 40% increase since 2019.
And juniors now make up 13% of on-course golfers and over 25% of off-course golf participants, highlighting their significant presence in the sport.
Female junior golfers are also on the rise, now comprising more than 36% of junior participants.
Additionally, over 5 million non-golfing kids have expressed a strong interest in playing on a course, indicating a substantial potential for further growth.
Here's a snapshot of the junior golf participation trends over the past decade.
The chart is fascinating. On-course junior participation declined by 700,000 from 2014 to 2019, a 22% drop in just five years. The four years that followed resulted in a 40% increase, an impressive bounce back.
Youth on Course has been a solid driver for getting more juniors on the golf course. And in 2023, they had record numbers.
32% increase in membership
48% increase in rounds played
Last year, Youth on Course had 190,000 members play over 700,000 rounds of golf across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Here's some quick context on Youth on Course: Members can play golf for $5 per round. I thought the below was interesting. The top three courses with the most rounds played.
Eagle Run Golf Course: Omaha, NE— 5,632 rounds
Members Point Golf Center: Forest City, CA — 5,200 rounds
Cleary Lake Park Golf Course: Prior Lake, MN — 4,772 rounds
Providing affordable access to junior golfers is critical to the development and growth of that cohort. And that is exactly what Youth on Course has done in recent years.
So, how has junior golf stack up against other junior sports?
It’s good, very good.
The Aspen Institute conducts an annual study on youth sports. From 2019 to 2022, golf was the fastest-growing cohort among those ages 13-17.
Here’s a look at the chart.
Only three sports saw positive increases from 2019 to 2022.
Golf — 45%
Tennis — 25%
Soccer — .2%
Golf is absolutely blowing it out of the water from a junior standpoint.
If golf’s growth was coming from its primary cohort, I would have been more interested in the ‘bubble’ word. But it’s not. Golf’s growth is primarily coming from other cohorts. And that has built an important foundation to sustain that growth in the coming years.
For some perspective on the cohort growth — here's a good look at the cohort growth from 2019 to 2022 courtesy of NGF.
Separately, I’d expect to see more investment from companies in the junior golf cohort. It’s an industry sector ripe for disruption and growth.
In the next few weeks, we will begin to receive some industry-related readouts on the first six months of the year. The six-month check-in is one of my favorite pieces to write, and I expect the industry results to continue the positive momentum.
Have a great Monday. We will talk to you next week!
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Other than golf and tennis, the decline in youth participation in most sports is alarming. What are they doing with their leisure time? Sitting in front of a video monitor with a game controller in their hands? Hello, obesity epidemic.
On a macabre note, you gotta hand it to the older folks for increasing #s! I mean, the water has to be draining almost as fast as filling😬 So any increase is significant imo. Thanks as always for your writing.