The matchweek of the 2025 Australian Open has been opened with some wonderful news from the world of Aussie golf, with governing body Golf Australia (GA) announcing significant growth in participation across the country.
GA's annual participation report revealed that one-in-five Australian adults - or more than four million - participated in the game of golf during 2024/25 either on a course, driving range, or one of the increasingly popular indoor golf simulators popping up around the country.
The report identified nearly two million Australians "regularly" play a round of golf without being a member of a club, including around 250,000 who play casually as often as once a month, with cheaper 'social memberships' growing four times faster (up 14.8% in 2024/25) than the more expensive and traditional full club memberships.
GA CEO James Sutherland hailed the report as "a defining moment for golf in Australia".
“We’ve passed four million players for the first time and the data shows that growth is coming from younger and more diverse communities.
"Golf isn’t just growing, it’s evolving as more Australians than ever find a version of the game that suits their lifestyle.”
GA has driven diversity amongst its player base through the Get Into Golf program, which rose in participation 10% year-on-year and was made up of 88% female participants and 25% with overseas birth nations.
The changing landscape of how golf is played in the country has prompted GA to develop a new mobile app and subscription that allows Australian golfers to maintain an official handicap, no matter how often they play and at which course, through what effectively acts as online membership of a nationwide club.
“Golf Australia Club will provide these golfers with an official GA Handicap, insurance and access to the GA App, giving them a simple, flexible and affordable way to start or continue their journey in the sport,” Sutherland said.
“Critically, this is about building a larger pipeline of future club members.
"Similar programs overseas have shown enormous success, England Golf’s iGolf initiative has already transitioned more than 20,000 subscribers into traditional club membership.”
For a subscription price of $15 per month or $125 per year, golfers will be assigned an official GA handicap that will be automatically calculated and recalculated as they input their scores into the app.
The report comes as global star Rory McIlroy is soon to land in Melbourne to participate in the 2025 Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club this week, heading a field that also includes Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Ryan Fox and Adam Scott.
