New Data Highlights Strong Start to The 2025 Golf Season

SURELY helped by the driest start to a year in living memory, the British golf season is booming, with Sporting Insights reporting a 41% increase in rounds played during March compared to the same month last year—making it the busiest March since 2012.

Driven by an early spell of unseasonably warm and dry weather, combined with golf’s sustained post-pandemic popularity, the sport has seen levels of participation in March surpass even the post-Covid boom years of 2022 and 2023.

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The stark contrast is further amplified by 2024’s poor March weather, which was notably wet and gloomy, resulting in fewer playable days and reduced participation. Back then, Golfshake subscribers reported that many of their courses were closed due to flooding. There have been no such issues in 2025.

In total, it left the 2025 Q1 average up 18% against 2024, and effectively level with 2022 and 2023.

It is also safe to assume that Rory McIlroy’s memorable victory at The Masters, when he finally secured the Career Grand Slam, will only ensure that this boom increases.

John Bushell, managing director of Sporting Insights, said: “I’m so pleased for all those golf courses and clubs who I know have worked so hard to deliver the best possible playing conditions and membership and visitor welcome over the last few years.  

“Clubs have successfully battled recent winters and springs that were wetter than the long term averages and are being rewarded in course usage. Participation has remained strong, and golf continues to be in a great spot.  

Golf delivers great physical, social and mental health benefits, and I’m delighted that more and more people are finding life-long value and joy in the sport. Hopefully the weather cooperates for a glorious golfing summer.”

Additional data from England Golf further supports this positive trend. The governing body reported a 67% increase in scores submitted through the World Handicap System (WHS) in Q1 compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, sentiment among golfers points to even more growth ahead. According the recent Golfshake survey:

• 61% of non-club golfers said they plan to play more courses in 2025.
• 53% of non-club golfers intend to play more frequently than in 2024.
• Among club members, 49% plan to play more courses, and 39% expect to increase the number of rounds they play this year.

Our March survey, gave us reason for optimism that this season could deliver a welcome boom for the sport. As it has turned out, the sustained period of dry weather is presenting its own challenges to golfers and greenkeepers alike but the good news is that golf courses all over the country are as busy as they have ever been. And the glorious weather is also surely provide a financial bonus for clubhouses as golfers flock to the bar after their rounds for cold drinks.

For the record, 87% of respondents to our own March survey were members of a golf club, and a huge 89% of them stated that they had or were going to renew their membership with 9% undecided and just 2% stating no.

What makes this noteworthy is that when we ran a similar survey in 2023 at the same time of year, only 78% stated they had or would renew with a much higher 5% stating they didn't plan to renew at all.

Therefore, this is early evidence that golf club membership finds itself in a far more robust position in 2025, which should offer venues encouragement that their core golfers are satisfied and content with what they are being offered by the club.

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