2024 Platinum
More young and female golfers
Golf’s changed a lot over the past decade or so – and now the sport, so long associated with middle-aged men and retirees, is undergoing the next stage of its transformation. Roughly a third of golfers in the US are now millennials and, in 2019, females made up a quarter of all players in the country. As clubs strive to make their facilities more inclusive these numbers are sure to grow. The change in demographics has reached the UK too and is set to make a big difference to the golfing experience of the future.
Adoption of technology
Clubs like TaylorMade’s Spider Interactive Putter are redefining golfers’ expectations of game-legal golf gear. An in-built sensor analyses your stroke before sending data to a mobile app. Don’t be surprised if more manufacturers offer similar technology over the coming year. Courses will also embrace tech like never before. The Kings Walk Golf Course in North Dakota already delivers drinks by drone and, in a socially distant age, we could see more similar facilities jumping on the bandwagon.
Bigger markets in Asia
There were no golf courses in China as recently as 1983. Fast-forward less than 40 years and there are an estimated 500 courses to choose from. The professional game has noticed the trend too. 2018 saw a record number of Asian golfers competing for Masters glory and we wouldn’t be surprised if that record is broken again in the near future. And it’s not just the Chinese who are taking to the course, according to Callaway’s predictions – it expects 30-40 million people in India to take up the game going forward.
Shorter holes and courses
Back in 2019, Tiger Woods was approached to redesign the par-three layout at Pebble Beach, California. After jumping at the chance to put his stamp on the short course he explained how reducing distances to the pin is a great way of getting more people into the game. The new-look course will be unveiled in spring 2021 and could be the first of many quicker courses built around the world in the near future.
Greater emphasis on eco-friendly courses
Golf associations from around the world will make greater efforts to ensure that courses become more eco-friendly. Earlier this year, the French Golf Federation signed an agreement with authorities covering the watering and maintenance of courses. A contract to reduce water consumption and use natural pesticides is valid until 2024. Closer to home, Operation Pollinator plans to secure 250 hectares of land across 500 UK golf courses to support dwindling bee numbers.