Abstract
Golf is not a sport that leaves many with a neutral opinion. For the Avid Players identified by Mintel, it can verge on an obsession, but half the population are either puzzled about its appeal or show antagonism towards it. That half of the population has an image of golf which is negative: it is basically masculine, favoured by middle-aged wealthy white men, and it still demands a level of etiquette that has long disappeared from other sports and from social life in general.
And yet....more ' juniors' are playing than ever before and the media image has certainly shifted towards the glamorous, designer-dressed young icon striding across a manicured green. So whereas the natural hypothesis of the report might be that golf is bound to decline because of its old-fashioned image, the more likely scenario is that participation will remain fairly steady as its image gradually becomes updated and the stranglehold of the clubhouse ' crusties' is loosened by the readers of Golf Punk magazine.
Table of Contents
- Issues in the Market
- Main issues
- Definition
- Abbreviations
- Market in Brief
- Number of golfers steady at nearly 5 million
- Doing it for the kids
- Media exposure and sponsorship appeal
- A sizeable Potential market
- Time is of the essence
- Internal Market Environment
- Key points:
- Interest remains steady
- Figure 1: Interest in golf, 2002-06
- Appealing to the youth market
- Figure 2: Youths aged 7-14 who like best and play golf, 2002-06
- Golf in the media
- Golf on television
- Figure 3: Television coverage of golf, by channel, 2004 and 2006
- Golf magazines
- Figure 4: Leading golf magazines, by total average net circulation/distribution per issue, January-June 2006
- Geographical imperatives
- Saving the planet from golf
- The role of the pro shop
- Broader Market Environment
- Key points:
- Spending power on the rise, but cost remains a barrier
- Figure 5: Personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2001-11
- More ABs to prove a positive influence
- Figure 6: Trends in population, by socio-economic group, 2001-11
- Boom in younger twentysomethings predicted
- Figure 7: Trends in population, by gender and age, 2001-11
- The drive towards healthier lifestyles
- Cash-rich, time-poor
- Competitive Context
- Key points:
- The competition for participants
- Figure 8: Golf and the other popular participation sports, 2002-06
- The cost of playing
- Making time for the team
- An individual commitment
- Greater competition for general interest
- Figure 9: The most popular sports, by general level of interest, 2002-06
- A popular choice for the sponsors
- Figure 10: Most-sponsored sports in the UK (active deals, July-December 2005)
- Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points
- Nearly 5 million golfers in Britain
- Figure 11: Number of adult golfers in Great Britain, 2001-11
- Membership figures flat since 2001
- Figure 12: Number of golf club members in Great Britain, 2001-06
- More kids picking up the clubs
- Figure 13: Number of golfers aged 7-14 in Great Britain, 2002-06
- Factors incorporated in the forecast
- Clubs, Courses and Golf Organisations
- Key points:
- Small-scale expansion since the turn of the decade
- Private members' clubs dominate
- What to do if it' s raining?
- Figure 14: Facilities at English golf clubs, 2006
- The multiple operators
- Crown Golf
- The Club Company
- Other operators
- Figure 15: Top ten luxury hotel* operating companies in the UK, 2006
- Selling Golf
- Golf Foundation: committing to youth
- The R&A: looking abroad
- The PGA: basking in Ryder Cup glory
- Figure 16: Attendance at selected major UK golf events, 2002-06
- England Golf: A central database
- ScottishGolf: from the roots of golf to grass-roots progress
- Who Plays Golf?
- Key points:
- One in ten play the game
- Figure 17: Participation and interest in golf, 2002-06
- An old man' s sport?
- Figure 18: Participation and interest in golf, by gender, age and socio-economic group, 2006
- Playing habits and intentions
- Figure 19: Golf playing habits and intentions, November 2006
- Playing habits and intentions -- demographic analysis
- Figure 20: Golf playing habits and intentions, by gender, age, socio-economic group, region, daily newspaper readership, household income, presence of children, daily Internet usage, TV reception, supermarket usage, commercial TV viewing and mobile phone provider, November 2006
- Unlocking female potential
- Get ' em while they' re young?
- Golfers and Lapsed Golfers -- Motivations and Obstacles
- Key points:
- Golfers' attitudes towards the game
- Figure 21: Golfers' attitudes towards golf, November 2006
- One man' s ' stuffy' is another man' s ' exclusive' ...
- ...but Casual Golfers feel it the most
- Figure 22: Attitudes towards golf, by type of golfer, November 2006
- Golfers -- assessing enthusiasm and resistance
- Figure 23: Levels of enthusiasm and resistance to golf, November 2006
- Figure 24: Levels of enthusiasm and resistance to golf, by gender, age, socio-economic group, region, household income, commercial TV viewing, daily Internet usage, daily newspaper readership and supermarket usage, November 2006
- Lapsed Golfers -- why did they stop?
- Figure 25: Factors that have stopped golfers from playing, November 2006
