Despite an economic crash that ravaged golf economies across the planet, between 2006 and 2012 Europe’s golf clubs increased their membership by more than 7 percent, from 4.1 million to 4.4 million. That’s probably the most surprising fact that can be found in “The Economic Impact of Golf on the Economy of Europe,” a new study by Sports Marketing Surveys.
Here are three others worth noting: One, there are more golfers in Great Britain and Ireland (4.2 million) than in the rest of Europe’s nations combined (3.65 million). Two, of the 4.2 million golfers in Great Britian and Ireland, 32 percent (1.36 million) are members of golf clubs and 38 percent (1.6 million) play at least 12 rounds a year. And finally, golf is worth £12.9 billion ($19.7 billion) to Europe’s economy, an amount that’s nearly £300 million ($458 million) less than it was in 2006.