John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
Taking part in leisure golf turned one of many go-to actions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as the character of the sport made it protected underneath Canada’s public well being measures.
Golf Canada’s 2024 annual report, launched on March 6, exhibits that the pandemic bubble progress wasn’t only a passing fad. Almost six million Canadians performed golf final yr, together with greater than 360,000 Golf Canada members who posted almost 11 million rounds to the nationwide sport physique’s scoring centre.
“This surge that we felt has actually stabilized with continued progress,” stated Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum on Tuesday. “Technological development, the shifting of life and the work week has actually helped the participation aspect, as has the enlargement of recent codecs for golf, like shorter codecs, simulator golf.
“It’s really all these components have come collectively to assist proceed that progress.”
Golf Canada’s youth and accessibility packages have additionally fuelled the expansion of its participation numbers.
First Tee – Canada, a youth improvement program that provides youngsters life-enhancing experiences, was rolled out in each province in 2024 with greater than 100,000 individuals because it was launched in 2021.
Youth on Course, one other program that goals to make golf extra financially accessible for teenagers, expanded throughout 9 provinces with 105 golf programs collaborating. Over 32,900 rounds of golf at $5 or much less had been performed by 5,382 distinctive golfers due to Youth on Course.
“(First Tee) is a life expertise program that makes use of golf, and so they’re having a blast,” stated Applebaum. “We had been seeing quite a lot of actually robust participation from golfers and our demographics had been getting older however in ’23 and ’24 we noticed the demographic ages really slide youthful and skew youthful and extra feminine.”
First launched in Calgary in 2023, She Performs Golf festivals had been additionally held in Toronto and Vancouver final yr. Organized by Golf Canada, the weeklong occasions are designed to introduce ladies and ladies to the sport in a protected, enjoyable and judgment-free surroundings.
Applebaum stated that these packages that assist folks attempt golf after they’ve by no means picked up a membership earlier than, in addition to a ladies’s government program for professionals within the market which have all the time needed to be a part of the golf surroundings, have buoyed these annual participation numbers.
“So it’s not one factor, it’s most likely 15 or 20 issues which might be coming collectively,” he stated. “Golf has hit that second as an unimaginable sport for bodily and psychological well being that has actually related with folks of all ages and levels.”
Golf Canada additionally launched two new championships in 2024: the Canadian U15 Championship and the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, for a complete championship schedule that included 36 titles.
The BDO Nationwide Golf League, a national, season-long competitors created by Golf Canada additionally inspired gamers to get in additional rounds over the yr. It permits golfers collaborating within the membership’s league to additionally compete provincially and nationally.
Greater than 10,000 individuals from 107 leagues competed, with 52 pairings qualifying for the league championship at Hamilton Golf and Nation Membership throughout the 2024 RBC Canadian Open.
The champions represented Canada at Royal Troon in Scotland for The R&A 9 Gap Problem on the 152nd British Open.
