ENGLAND Golf is delighted to report that the rise in popularity of the game as a healthy, outdoor pursuit for players of all ages, backgrounds and abilities has resulted in golf club membership rising by almost 90,000 in the past year.

With golf clubs supported in their efforts by England Golf’s “Membership: Give it a Shot” campaign, new figures officially released today confirm a rise for the third consecutive year.

The number of golf club members at affiliated venues in England now stands at 737,021.

This is a rise of 89,797 players and a growth rate of 13.9 per cent compared to the February 2021 figure of 647,224.

Since the pandemic struck in March 2020, affiliated golf club membership in England has increased by 100,000.

Jeremy Tomlinson, CEO of England Golf, said: “These new membership figures are fantastic to see and reflect well on a great many people in the industry who have worked tirelessly to promote and re-energise the sport at club, county and national level.

“Golf is an amazing activity for players of all ages, from any background and of any ability, and this can be seen in the numbers now falling in love with the game for the first time or rekindling their passion for the sport.

“The introduction of the “Membership: Give it a Shot” campaign in June 2020 has helped clubs with the recruitment of players.

“Crucially, it will help clubs moving forward as they look to retain members.

“Our clubs, supported by the counties and England Golf as the national governing body, have recognised they must offer a value proposition to anyone wanting to join as well as providing an inclusive, safe and secure environment for people to enjoy the game.

“Everyone at England Golf looks forward to working with our clubs and the wider golfing community to build on this growth to ensure we encourage new golfers from diverse backgrounds, or those returning to the sport, to develop a lifelong love affair with this wonderfully fun and frustrating game of ours!”

Golfers have flocked back to the game or taken up the sport after learning to value the variety of services and options for play offered by local clubs.

In addition, many golfers report having a greater appreciation of the mental and physical benefits of enjoying aerobic exercise in the open air after the isolation caused by the pandemic.

The rise in golf club membership comes at a time when there is now more opportunity than ever before for avid golfers to enjoy the game in different ways with driving range use and nine-hole golf figures also on the up.