Do you remember those endless sunny days in 2025? The weather was incredible. Day after day, on and on it went. It was all a far cry from the truly dreadful weather we are currently enduring, with golf courses all over the country being forced to close because of flooding.
But those salad days were astonishing, so it should surprise nobody at all that we saw a record number of rounds of golf being played in 2025. Not bad for a sport that was supposedly on its knees not so very long ago.
Last year’s total was the highest since comparable records began in 2005 and saw a double-digit percentage rise when compared with every post-pandemic year. That is the sort of thing most other sports can only dream about.
According to The Golf Business, market research company Sporting Insight reports that a solid fourth quarter for 2025 built on strong first and third quarters, and a record breaking second quarter in April, May and June.
In total, 2025 rounds played in Britain were up 14 percent on 2024, 11 percent on 2023, 14 percent on 2022 and 21 percent on 2021.
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
The uplift was nationwide, with every region in 2025 outperforming each of the previous four years. The weather in this country certainly played a part, with 2025 warmer, significantly sunnier and slightly drier than average despite occasionally intense rainfall and storms. This alone though does not account for golf’s consistent and striking success.
But the good news is that the growth is also being seen in other parts of the world, and that cannot all be attributed to the weather.
In the USA, the National Golf Foundation reports that 2025 rounds set an all-time record for the fourth time in five years.
John Bushell, managing director of Sporting Insights, commented: “This is extremely good news for the golf industry. Our sport has never been more visible, more accessible or more popular, and huge credit should go to everyone involved.
“We in the industry know well the myriad benefits and joys of golf, from fresh air to time with friends and family, the challenge, the competition, the decades-long hunt to lower that handicap, or just the excitement, thrill, and fulfilment from that perfectly struck shot. That more golf is being experienced at golf clubs, on golf courses, and elsewhere is a wonderful thing.
“New entry points to the game and enhanced practice sites are having an impact, from simulator venues to shot-tracking equipped driving ranges that provide much more data and feedback to golfers of all levels.
“This is opening up the game to new social players, to younger golfers experiencing a different type of golf – as well as our core golfer who use it for data-driven practice, and for all-year-golf play in markets where golf cannot be played on course during winter – in Scandinavia, northern Europe and Canada for example.
“These things are picked up in growing global participation, and are included in alternative formats of golf, tracked by The R&A. The data suggests that those formats are in turn pushing more people to play traditional forms of golf more often.”
Obviously, we cannot rest on our laurels but this is good news. There was a feeling that the post-Covid boom would be short-lived but that is clearly not the case.
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.