Golf has long carried a reputation as a pastime reserved for the privileged – with the average age of a golfer in many traditional club settings in the 50s. But many argue the landscape has shifted.
Chris has played at Enderby Golf Course for about 35 years. He says before Covid-19 the average age of a golfer there was around 60, but is now much younger with many players in their 20s or younger. “The difference in demographic is incredible,” he says.
The course is municipal, meaning it is owned by the local council and open to the general public, while private golf clubs tend to be members-only and have annual fees. Enderby costs an adult £12 for a nine hole round on a weekend.
“[The course] is massive for youngsters now,” Chris says. “They can’t really access the private golf courses, because they’re too expensive.” Membership costs vary greatly – one annual survey of 79 members’ clubs across ten regions in the UK found costs ranged from £200 to £3,870.
But Anderson says that golf is becoming more welcoming. “The myth that golf is exclusive or inaccessible is not the reality on the ground,” he argues, though he notes barriers still exist – including cost and perception.
Total membership at English golf clubs rose from 730,602 in 2024 to 750,071 in 2025 – with junior membership growing by more than 34% in 2025, rising from 46,028 to 61,483. Meanwhile, 20% of adult golfers on full-length courses in the UK and Ireland were female in 2022 compared to 15% in 2019.
Yet this growth happens at a time when house building is falling well short of government targets. Ant Breach, director of policy and research at the Centre for Cities think tank, says too few homes are being built, contributing to “exceptionally expensive” housing.
