At GolfCave – you won’t be surprised to learn - we love the game of golf. We are particularly passionate about indoor golf, of course, but we enjoy this beautiful game in all its forms. Whether it’s played in one of our comfortable, high-tech Caves, or out on the fairways and greens of the thousands of great courses in our region, golf is simply the best.
If we can be honest about the history of our game, however, we can acknowledge that it has not always been the most open or accessible pastime. To a large degree, the history of golf is marked mostly by the participation of men – and white men, at that. Fortunately, the story is quickly changing, and golf courses are starting to more and more represent the communities that they serve.
In this post, we’d like to look specifically at the increasing role that women are playing in the game of golf. From the incredible talents of world-class players like Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko to teaching professionals, facility managers, superintendents, and more, it’s no longer uncommon to see women filling important roles in the game. And, of course, that’s just those who earn a living in golf – millions more are enjoying the game as one of their favorite hobbies. Let’s take a closer look at this wonderful development below.
Nearing Record Participation
The best way to evaluate how women are involved in golf is simply to look at how many women and girls are actively playing the game. When more women play golf, more and more of them are going to fall in love with the game and pursue careers in or around the sport. It all starts with getting out there for the first time and discovering the magic of hitting that elusive perfect shot.
A recent report from the National Golf Foundation points to just how well things are going on this front. In 2023, it was measured that roughly 7 million female golfers could be found in the United States. That is a notably higher number of women in golf than in any recent years, and it is the highest recorded since 2006. If the current trends continue, there is a good chance that 2025 will record an all-time high for female golf participants.
It's worth noting that those numbers are tracking only traditional golf. Things look even better when you include facilities like GolfCave where indoor golf is played – by that measure, there are 45 million total Americans who participate in some kind of golf, and a whopping one-third of them are women.
A Pandemic-Era Surge
Golf as a whole was one of the many outdoor activities that saw a boom throughout the COVID-19 era. Once the initial wave had passed and some businesses started to open up again, golf courses were an attractive place for people to spend time because they are outdoors and social distancing was easy. This encouraged many people either to get back into golf after being away for a while, or to pick up the game for the first time.
It is estimated that since 2019, golf has gained roughly 900,000 new male golfers. That’s a great increase, but it is actually well short of what is seen among female players. There have actually been 1.4 million new female golfers come into the game in that same time frame. And, while the early days of the pandemic may have limited new players to the traditional outdoor courses only, these days the new players can be found in indoor facilities as well as out on the courses.
Countless Reasons for the Rise
It’s hard to pin down one specific thing as being responsible for the growth in popularity of golf, both for women and men. However, there are plenty of possible ways to explain the rise in female golf, and it’s likely that all of these points below played a role in what has happened over the last few years.
- Take on a new challenge. One of the best things about golf regardless of gender is the engaging challenge that it presents. This is a hard game, to be sure, and learning how to play it one shot at a time is a rewarding experience. Perhaps the pandemic experience caused people to give golf a try for the first time, but it’s the challenge that is a big part of why they keep coming back.
- Excellent social opportunities. Golf is a social game at its heart. For generations, golf has been used as a reason to spend time with friends and build stronger relationships, whether those are personal or professional connections. It has traditionally been men that have benefitted from these social opportunities, and it is about time that more and more women are enjoying the same experience.
- Physical activity. In a world that seems to get more and more sedentary by the day, golf is a great way to stay active while having fun at the same time. Regardless of what form of golf is played, the game is surprisingly demanding and many people find that picking up golf gives them a reason to be more consistent with their exercise efforts so they can make quality swings time after time without fatigue or injury.
Everyone is Welcome at GolfCave
There are many different reasons why we are so proud to be in the indoor golf business – and one of the big reasons is how indoor golf makes the game accessible to more people than ever before. Regardless of gender, race, background, or anything else, everyone is welcome to join us at GolfCave. Take a moment today to schedule a tee time at one of our locations. Practice inside. Play better outside!
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