Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
A holed flop shot helped James Conran to storm home over his final nine holes to win the $25,000 Southport Pro-Am on the Gold Coast.
Conran, who learnt the game in Orange and went on to become a member of the NSW men’s amateur squad, shot a 5-under 66 to finish two shots ahead of veteran Tour pro David Bransdon in the latest event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
The tricky Southport layout, short in length by modern standards but protected by an array of water hazards, stood up well as a test for the professionals, with only 13 players in the 59-strong field breaking par.
Conran, 24, pocketed $4490 for his victory.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Conran turned in even-par after an opening nine holes that featured birdies at the 12th and 13th and his only slip-up of the day, a double-bogey at the 18th.
He then played the front nine at Southport in just 31 strokes, including a run of four consecutive birdies from the third to the sixth. The highlight was a flop shot that he holed from behind the green at the par-four fourth.
WHAT THE WINNER/S SAID
Conran said: “The flop shot (at the fourth) had very little chance of coming off but somehow it did and just gave me more confidence to finish off with a few more birdies on five, six and eight. The greens were true and a very nice surface to putt on which helped me see a few putts go in early and I kept it up for the rest of the day.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
65: James Conran
67: David Bransdon
68: Kyle Michel, Andrew Campbell
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads up the M1 to the $12,500 TruHealth Solutions Windaroo Lakes Pro-Am on Wednesday.
Photo: Southport Golf Club General Manger Bernadette Lance, James Conran and Southport Golf Club Golf Operations Manager Phil Wolvaardt
Two days in Toowoomba proved to be very profitable for Brad Burns, who claimed his second victory in as many days on the Darling Downs at the Provincial Distributors Legends Pro-Am at City Golf Club.
Twenty-four hours after sharing the win with Marcus Cain at Toowoomba Golf Club’s SParms PGA Legends Tour event, Burns successfully defended his City title by firing a 2-under-par 68.
It looked like Richard Backwell, who is a past winner and former club champion at City was going to blitz the field being -5 through eight holes. However six late bogeys put a halt to his chances.
In a tie for second place were Murray Lott and Peter Jones, two shots back.
Best of the morning scores were Bryan Milligan, Nicolas White and Michael Craig with +2 (72)
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After beginning his afternoon round on the 15th hole, Burns was 4-under through his opening six holes.
He was 5-under for the day before a late run of bogeys at the 11th, 13th and 14th threatened to ruin his back-to-back bid.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Burns said: “It is that kind of course where there are birdies but just as may holes where you need to be spot on or there can be trouble, particularly with some of those pin positions.”
“I had two late bogeys and though may have blown it but it was good enough.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
68: Brad Burns
70: Murray Lott, Peter Jones
71: Christopher Taylor, Richard Backwell
NEXT UP
Wynnum Golf Club will host the Peter King Memorial Legends Pro-Am on Monday with the likes of Peter Senior, Peter Lonard and Paul Gow vying for their share of $30,000 prizemoney.
The Vic Open will be back at its home at 13th Beach Golf Links on the Bellarine Peninsula for an 11th year in 2024 with the tournament dates locked in for February 1-4.
A player and fan favourite, the tournament which includes titles for women, men, and all abilities will be part of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia.
The Beach course and the Creek course at the superb seaside facility, near the town of Barwon Heads, will host men and women competing for equal prizemoney on the same courses at the same time, with $420,000 on offer for each event.
The 2024 Vic Open will also coincide with the Victorian Inclusive Championship for golfers with a disability and the Australian Wheelchair Golf Championship will return for its third year.
WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said the Vic Open was a major highlight on the Tour’s calendar.
“Our players love coming back to 13th Beach every year and competing in front of the wonderful galleries who turn out to enjoy seeing the women’s and men’s tournaments, plus the all abilities, contested side by side,” she said.
“We’ve had some fantastic winners of the women’s title since the Vic Open came to 13th Beach, including three major champions in Minjee Lee twice, Hannah Green in 2022 and then a former world number one in Jiyai Shin earlier this year.”
PGA Tour of Australasia Tournament Director Nick Dastey said the Vic Open would be a key event on the second half of the 2023/24 Tour calendar.
“The Vic Open has established itself as a major feature of our schedule and 13th Beach has played a huge role in its ongoing success,” Dastey said.
“Our men and women again get the chance to play on two of Australia’s best golf courses. The hospitality we receive each year is first class and the locals really embrace having us visit them each summer.”
Acting Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Ben Carroll: “The Vic Open remains an important tournament for our golf superstars, and it’s fantastic that it will return to the sparkling Bellarine Peninsula next February.
“We know how much this tournament means to the local community and hosting it at 13th Beach will encourage fans and visitors alike to experience all this beautiful region has to offer.”
Chair of 13th Beach Golf Links Grant Phelps said: “The Vic Open has now become a permanent fixture on the Bellarine and 13th Beach.
“We absolutely love hosting the Vic Open. Our community really gets behind it and so many friendships have been formed because of the event.”
In 2024, 144 men and a minimum of 90 women will start out in the first round, with the top 35 men and 35 women and ties making it through to Sunday.
The Vic Open is part of an exciting summer of golf in Australia that includes the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports.
The 2023/24 season resumes with the NT PGA in August.
RECENT VIC OPEN CHAMPIONS
WOMEN
2023: Jiyai Shin (Korea)
2022: Hannah Green (Australia)
2020: H.Y. Park (Korea)
2019: Celine Boutier (France)
2018: Minjee Lee (Australia)
MEN
2023: Michael Hendry (NZ)
2022: Dimi Papadatos (Australia)
2020: Min Woo Lee (Australia)
2019: David Law (Scotland)
2018: Simon Hawkes (Australia)
The R&A and USGA have proposed a Model Local Rule (MLR) that gives competition organisers the option to require use of golf balls that are tested under modified launch conditions to address the impacts of hitting distance in golf.
The MLR is intended for use only in elite competitions and, if adopted, will have no impact on recreational golf.
The proposal notice was sent to golf equipment manufacturers on Tuesday, following the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures established by the governing bodies in 2011. Manufacturers and golf stakeholders can provide feedback until 14 August 2023. If adopted, the proposal would take effect in January 2026.
Golf balls that conform to the MLR must not exceed the current Overall Distance Standard (ODS) limit of 317 yards (290 metres, plus three yards tolerance) at modified Actual Launch Conditions (ALC) with a clubhead speed of 127mph and based on a calibration set-up for 11 degrees and 37 revolutions per second (2,220rpm) as part of this proposal.
All other balls, including those typically used by recreational golfers with lower swing speeds, would continue to be tested using the existing ALC values (120mph, and a calibration set-up of 10 degrees and 42 revolutions per second – 2,520rpm). The current ODS limit of 317 yards will remain unchanged and would be applied to both testing set-ups.
Over the past 20 years hitting distance has increased on average by around one yard per year and the modified testing set-up in the proposed MLR is expected to reduce hitting distance by 14-15 yards on average for the longest hitters with the highest clubhead speeds.
“At the core of our proposal is a desire to minimise the impact on a flourishing recreational game,” said Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A.
“We believe the proposed Model Local Rule will help us move forward in a way that protects the inherent qualities of the sport and reduces the pressure to lengthen courses. This is an important issue for golf and one which needs to be addressed if the sport is to retain its unique challenge and appeal.”
“Hitting distances at the elite level of the game have consistently increased over the past 20, 40, and 60 years,” added Mike What, CEO of the USGA.
“It’s been two decades since we last revisited our testing standards for ball distances. Predictable, continued increases will become a significant issue for the next generation if not addressed soon.
“The MLR we are proposing is simple to implement, forward-looking and does so without any impact on the recreational game.”
The governing bodies have consulted closely with the golf industry throughout the Distance Insights project, which commenced in 2018 but has been of continual study over at least the last two decades. This is the fourth formal feedback period to be opened in the last five years, in addition to continuing stakeholder engagement across the game, including golfers, fans, competition organisers, equipment manufacturers, golf course owners, superintendents, architects and others.
The R&A and USGA set out to address the long-term trend of increased hitting distances and course lengthening that they believe threaten golf’s long-term sustainability and undermines the core principle that a broad and balanced set of playing skills should remain the primary determinant of success in golf.
The findings of extensive research by the governing bodies into distance (along with the supporting research and data) were set out within the Distance Insights report into the Implications of Hitting Distance in February 2020 under two key themes: the pressure on courses to continue to lengthen and ensuring that distance did not become predominant in the balance of skills required in golf.
The report also found that the overall trend of golf courses becoming longer has adverse consequences, including by increasing the cost and time to play, limiting the advancement of sustainability efforts and reducing the challenge of courses – in some cases creating a risk of them becoming obsolete.
The 2022 Annual Driving Distance Report reports a four per cent average year-over-year increase in hitting distance across all seven tours, with all but the Japan Golf Tour and LPGA Tour reporting the longest values on record. The Korn Ferry Tour recorded the highest annual hitting average across all tours in 2022, at 307.8 yards.
The Champion Golfer of the Year, Cameron Smith, has added to his glittering list of accomplishments in 2022 by being named the Male Athlete of the Year at the AIS Sport Performance Awards in Sydney on Thursday night.
More than 350 guests attended the black-tie gala event to celebrate the incredible achievements of Australian athletes, coaches, leaders and volunteers over the past 12 months across Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.
An Olympic representative in Tokyo in 2021, Smith took his game to new heights this year in what will stand as one of the great seasons in the glorious history of Australian golf.
Starting with a record-setting victory at the PGA TOUR’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, Smith claimed THE PLAYERS Championship, delivered one of major golf’s greatest ever finishes to win the 150th Open at St Andrews, won in just his second start on the LIV Golf tour and capped it all with a spectacular homecoming where he claimed a third Fortinet Australian PGA Championship title at Royal Queensland last month.
The 29-year-old was recognised not just for his on-course accomplishments but for becoming one of the greatest role models and mentors within Australian golf, highlighted by his willingness to give back to the game and Guinness World Record attempt for the largest golf lesson ever given alongside his long-time coach Grant Field.
Coming on the same day as the launch of Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy and the Win Well initiative – won for the first time by the Victorian Institute of Sport – Smith’s overall contribution to golf was a key factor in his award.
“Our judges also considered behaviours of sportsmanship, fair play, respect and integrity, broader contributions such as role modelling and leadership, and achievements beyond the sporting arena, like community involvement, academic and vocational achievements. It’s important to recognise and reward these qualities in our successful athletes,” said Australian Sports Commission CEO, Kieren Perkins OAM.
2022 ASPAs Award Winners
Male Athlete of the Year: Cam Smith, Golf Australia
Female Athlete of the Year: Jessica Stenson, Athletics Australia
Female Para-Athlete of the Year: Emily Petricola, AusCycling
Male Para-Athlete of the Year: Ben Tudhope, Snow Australia
Coach of the Year: Peter McNiel and Kate Blamey, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Emerging Athlete of the Year: Donnell Wallam, Netball Australia
High Performance Program of the Year: Athletics Australia
Award for Leadership: Petria Thomas, Commonwealth Games Australia
Team of the Year: Women’s Rugby 7s, Rugby Australia
Community Engagement Award: Kyle Vander-Kuyp, Athletics Australia
Win Well Award: Victorian Institute of Sport
Sport Volunteer of the Year Award: Nicole Williams, Cricket Australia
The PGA of Australia has made changes to its board with long-term director James Erskine stepping down after a significant contribution to the Board of Directors.
Erskine will be replaced by former Coca-Cola Amatil boss Alison Watkins, who is the second woman to join the PGA of Australia board, while Ian Baker-Finch has been elected Deputy-Chair.
Baker-Finch will play a support role in global relations and has been identified as the successor to Chair Rodger Davis who will see out his second three-year term as chair in May, 2024.
During his time on the board as an independent director, Erskine helped PGA member directors navigate through a period of significant change in golf following a change of Chief Executives in his first year in 2010, through to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent resurgence in the game.
PGA of Australia Chair Rodger Davis honoured Erskine for his contribution to the game of golf whilst on the PGA board.
“James’ expertise in event management, commercial partnerships and in particular broadcast has been invaluable to the PGA of Australia,” he said.
“James has also been and remains an advocate for collaboration in the golf industry, reflective in the advancements in relationships locally with Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia, but also internationally as the PGA of Australia has begun its second five-year term of a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour and a thriving relationship with the PGA TOUR.”
Erskine said he thoroughly enjoyed his time in the game.
“It was a privilege to serve on the PGA board, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 12 years since Craig Parry and Peter O’Malley approached me about the role,” Erskine said.
“I’ve loved golf since I was five-years old as a member of Royal Birkdale, and I hope that the PGA of Australia is in better shape than it was when I started. If I’ve been part of that achievement, it’s all been worthwhile.
“Historically, Australia has punched way above its weight in professional golf and continues to do so following the recent success of Cam Smith and Minjee Lee, and I’m sure golf in this country will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Erskine’s successor, Watkins, brings an abundance of commercial experience having served as Group Managing Director at Coca-Cola Amatil, Chief Executive Officer of ASX listed agribusiness GrainCorp Limited, CEO of Berri Limited and Managing Director of Regional Banking at ANZ.
Having previously held non-executive director roles at ANZ Banking Group Limited, Woolworths Limited and Just Group Limited, Watkins is currently a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Board, a non-executive Director of CSL Limited and Wesfarmers Limited, Chancellor of the University of Tasmania and a director of The Centre of Independent Studies.
Davis said the directors were excited to welcome the exceptional business experience of Watkins to the PGA of Australia board in such an exciting time for golf, and spoke highly of Baker-Finch’s appointment.
“Alison is a fantastic addition to our board with brilliant leadership experience that has grown across a variety of industries, and we can’t wait for her to contribute to the growth of golf in Australasia to ultimately benefit our 2,000 plus members,” he said.
“Ian is one of the most respected figures in Australian golf, his passion for the sport is second to none and we are pleased that he will be using his talents to continue to grow the PGA of Australia.
“Ian will have a renewed focus on supporting our international golf relationships as we continue to play a critical role in golf’s global eco-system, and by being elected to the Deputy-Chair role, this experience will hold him in good stead should he wish to stand for Chair at the appropriate time.”
Stephen Hutchison will continue in his role as Chair of the Vocational Members Council, while Rodger Davis will continue as Chair of the Tournament Players Council.
PGA of Australia Board: Rodger Davis (Chair), Ian Baker-Finch (Deputy-Chair), Alison Watkins, Carole Brownlee, Josh Madden, Paul Lappin, Richard Lazar, Stephen Hutchison.
Australia’s best golfers and a sprinkling of the elite of the DP World Tour have converged on Brisbane for the 2022 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.
All four days of the championship will be broadcast live on Channel Nine’s 9Gem and 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport in New Zealand.
The PGA of Australia will accompany that coverage with a live blog from start to finish all four days where we will keep you up to date with live scores, insights from the course and selected highlights.
Broadcast times AEST
Round 1: LIVE 11am–4pm on 9Gem, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Round 2: LIVE 11am–4pm on 9Gem, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Round 3: LIVE 11am–4pm on 9Gem, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Round 4: LIVE 11am–4pm on 9Gem, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Australian PGA Championship social media handles
Instagram: @pgaofaustralia, @pgatouraus
Facebook: PGA Tour of Australasia, PGA of Australia
Twitter: @pgaofaustralia
Hashtag: #AusPGA
Karen Lunn has made history by becoming the first-ever woman to chair the Australian Golf Industry Council.
Lunn, who is also Chief Executive of the WPGA Tour Australasia, was elected this week to the role.
She replaces Gavin Kirkman, Chief Executive of the PGA of Australia, who served two terms over four years at the helm of the all-encompassing industry body.
“I’m very honoured,” said Lunn. “To represent the whole of the industry is an honour. We’re seeing collaboration through the industry and it’s great to be a part of that, and it’s really good timing.
“Everyone in the sport including all the organisations that sit within the AGIC will play an integral part in delivering the Australian Golf Strategy. It’s an exciting time and I’m proud to take on the
role.”
Lunn said there was symbolism in the appointment.
“The strategy has such a strong focus on women and girls’ participation, knowing that the industry hasn’t done so well in that space before, so it is significant,” she said.
“Any time that a woman takes on a role when they haven’t taken on before, it’s significant, and that’s not lost on me either. I’m honoured that the rest of the organisations in the AGIC, who are all represented by men, have put their trust in me to do the job.”
Kirkman said Lunn was an obvious choice in a time when the industry was promoting inclusiveness for the sport.
“She’s there because she’s the best person to do the job,” he said. “It’s about her input and her knowledge and her experience. We’re delighted that Karen has seen fit to take this on and we’re sure she’ll do an excellent job.”
Lunn is a former touring professional who played in Europe (1985-2013), on the LPGA Tour (1994-2002) and in Asia (1998-2005), serving on the LET board of directors for 14 years including a 10-year stint as chair as well as chair of the players’ council.
A 10-time winner in Europe, the high point was her 1993 British Women’s Open victory.
She has been CEO of the WPGA (and its forerunner, the ALPG), for nine years.
Lunn said the industry had seen how it needed to move forward with the publication late last year of the Australian Golf Strategy, a roadmap for the future compiled by the full golf industry.
“The work that we’ve done has shown us that there is a lot of work to be done,” she said. “We’re all very aware of that. But there are resources allocated to the areas that need to be focused on.”
The AGIC was formed in 2006 to help unite the golf industry in Australia, and includes representatives from the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA), Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA), Golf Australia, Golf Management Australia, PGA of Australia, WPGA and the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects (SAGCA).
Australian Golf has welcomed the exciting news that golf will appear in a Commonwealth Games for the first time when the Games come to Victoria in 2026.
The sport appeared on the new competition list released today along with two other new sports – BMX and coastal rowing.
Golf made its reappearance at the 2016 Olympic Games after a gap of more than 100 years and was also part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
But it has not been on a Commonwealth Games program before and Australian Golf has acknowledged the initiative of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Victorian State Government in endorsing golf into the 2026 program.
The addition of golf has been driven by the International Golf Federation (IGF), which also runs the Olympic golf competition and the World Amateur Teams Championship, and the three peak bodies in Australian Golf – the PGA of Australia, the WPGA and Golf Australia.
To this point there is no announcement on the format of the competition. Given the vast array of quality golf courses across regional Victoria, the organisers will be spoilt for choice. Various regional golf facilities have expressed interest in hosting, noting that the 2026 Games are designated across regional hubs in Geelong, Ballarat, Gippsland and Bendigo.
James Sutherland, Golf Australia’s Chief Executive, said he was enthusiastic about the news that golf will be part of Commonwealth Games competition.
“This is a great win for golf,” said James Sutherland, Chief Executive of Golf Australia.
“This announcement validates golf’s increasing popularity and the enormous growth that the sport has enjoyed over the last three years. The golf industry has embarked on an aggressive growth strategy that involves bringing new people to the game. The Commonwealth Games in 2026 will provide a huge platform to further demonstrate golf’s appeal as a sport for all.
“Together with the PGA of Australia and WPGA Tour, Golf Australia looks forward to working with the IGF, CGF and State Government to deliver a wonderful spectacle and we encourage innovative thinking around a competition format that is inclusive of men and women, and attractive to golf fans new and old.”
Gavin Kirkman, Chief Executive of the PGA of Australia, said: “This is a terrific result for our sport. It’s going to provide playing opportunities for our young stars from around the Commonwealth.
“We absolutely love golf in the Olympic Games and we’re sure that the sport being in the Commonwealth Games will be important for golf going forward as well. It’s a big stage, the Commonwealth Games, and we’re privileged to be finally on it.”
Karen Lunn, Chief Executive of the WPGA Tour, said: “We’re really excited in particular to see some of our fantastic female players compete alongside the men on this stage. These are the kinds of platforms that we’re seeking to find for our sport and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to make it happen so quickly.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games are to be held from March 17-29.
It is estimated the Games will contribute more than $3 billion to Victoria’s economy, creating more than 600 full-time equivalent jobs before the Games, 3900 jobs during the Games and a further 3000 jobs beyond the Closing Ceremony.
Golf Australia today announced record growth in club participation and total participation, with a 6.4 per cent increase in club members and a 21 per cent (210,000) year-on-year rise in round players, according to AusPlay data.
The 2020-21 Golf Club Participation Report, which was prepared by Golf Business Advisory Services, showcases a combination of Golf Australia’s club member participation data and Sport Australia’s AusPlay data, with both data sets providing the golf industry a year-on-year view of the game’s participation trends.
More than 24,000 new players joined golf clubs in 2020-21, with the 6.4 per cent increase the largest jump in percentage terms recorded since data collection began in 1970, taking the total number to 409,970.
Junior members also experienced a major increase, with 16 per cent more kids under-18 joining their local club.
AusPlay’s data reveals that Australian Golf’s vision to be a sport for all is gradually becoming a reality, with an estimated 1,204,000 total golf participants playing nine-hole or 18-hole rounds of golf in the 2020-21 period.
This is supported by Golf Australia’s nine-hole round data which experienced 20 per cent growth with more than 517,000 rounds played in 2020-21.
At club level, Victoria experienced the biggest lift in membership (up 8.9 per cent) despite access to golf clubs being limited during the ongoing pandemic, while all states experienced substantial growth. South Australia grew by 7.2 per cent, WA by 7 per cent, QLD by 6.4 per cent, NSW by 4.8 per cent, Tasmania by 4.6 per cent and the Northern Territory by 0.5 per cent.
Golf Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland said the findings were “monumentally encouraging for the game”, pointing out that the results buck the gradual decline in golfers endured between 2000-2019.
“Our purpose is simple – we want more Australians playing more golf. There are many different forms of golf making it truly a game for everyone,” he said.
“It’s fun, it can be played at any age, and it’s proven to be good for your health. These are just some of the factors driving this phenomenal growth.
“Interestingly, these latest figures tell us there are far more casual golfers that are not members of a club than there are club members. This suggests we have a fantastic launching pad to continue to grow our sport and bring new people to our game.
“We want to keep driving this by making the sport more accessible and creating more options to play to ensure golf continues to be a sport for all.”
Sutherland said that the launch in December of the Australian Golf Strategy – a strategic plan for the entire golf industry – has highlighted participation as the most important factor in the health of the industry into the future.
“So many new people have come to the game in recent times, they need to be embraced so they remain in the game while we continue to innovate to appeal to more Australians,” said Sutherland.
“It will be vital for us to understand these newcomers – what they want is not going to be the same as it has been in the past, and we need to acknowledge that and evolve to suit our new markets.
“The elite game is also incredibly important in providing role models for our young golfers to aspire to, and we’re excited to see some of Australia’s best players in action at the Vic Open this week at 13th Beach.
“It’s been fantastic to see the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour Australasia getting back into the full swing of things this season and there’s no doubt the tour will play an important role in building on the 16 per cent growth in junior members this year.”
Key findings of the report include:
• Positive member movement was evident in all key market segments. Both member clubs and social clubs enjoyed growth of around six per cent, driven by growth in male numbers of more than seven per cent. Junior numbers also enjoyed substantial growth, increasing by 15 per cent compared to the prior year.
• All states except Northern Territory enjoyed growth well in advance of recent trends. Despite long periods of course closures due to lockdown measures, Victoria recorded the largest growth of 8.9 per cent.
• New members coming to our sport are younger than the broader club member age profile, with 60 per cent of new members under the age of 50. Of new members, 34 per cent were between 15-34 in 2020-21, compared to 25 per cent in 2019-20.
• Female members make up 19 per cent of all golfers.
• The national new club member attraction rate was 13 per cent, with an attrition rate of 10 per cent. Of all new golfers in 2020-21, 60 per cent were under 50 years old, compared to the number of 30 per cent of current members.
• The average age of club members in Australia is 56.9 years. The average for male members is 55.3 years and for women, 64.3 years.
• There were 11,769 million competition rounds played in 2020-21, representing a 12 per cent increase over 2019-20.
• The report estimates ‘total golf participants’ at 1.204 million people, according to AusPlay, up 21 percent on the previous year.
• Get Into Golf, the adult introductory program, saw 313 clubs and facilities registered, with 224 actively participating, and 6594 participants in 1,230 programs. Of the total participants, 5,564 or 84 per cent were female.
