There was a time not long ago where golf was viewed as a past time for retired men and rich business men. Things have changed and people have gained a whole new respect and love for the sport. You will notice more younger players that are putting a youthful spin to the game. The number of junior golfers between the ages 12-17 has grown from 19.5% to over 2 million since 1994. The junior golfers that are consistent in playing the game played 33.8 million rounds last year which is an increase from 20.9 million rounds in 1994. There are more golfers that are under the age of forty and most of them are in the 18 to 39 age group.
According to the National Golf Foundation the average household income of golfers was $68,209 last year compared to 1998 which was $51,855. In the most recent census we found that really devoted golfers earn on an average of $70,254. There are variables that include factors such as; household incomes of over $50,000, owning a vacation home, holding graduate degrees, married couples, men age 25 to 34 and men over age 65. Men who are 65 and over are 76% more likely to be able to play golf whenever they want than the general public. They are available to play whenever since most of them have already retired.
Golf participation varies with every state within the U.S. Out of 3,141 counties certain areas such as the East North Central,West North Central, Mid-Atlantic, New England, pacific and mountain states as well as Florida. Participation seems to be the lowest in the south. Participation in the game of golf seems to increase as latitude increases. The lack of participation in the south is probably due to the heat. It is probably too hot to be able to spend hours outside on the golf course. There is a high concentration of avid golfers in Connecticut. Almost 18,000 residents own a vacation home which places is as one of the top 50 counties in the country.
It is commonly known that there is a higher number of men golfers than there are women golfers. Men comprise 80.6% of all golfers and women at just 24% of the population. Seniors comprise another 28% or 7.4 million. More and more people are willing to spend more in order to play golf. People have spent $23 billion and that number has grown to $26 billion in 2001. That number has increased even more since 2001 and golf seems to be gaining more and more popularity. It has become a great escape from reality and responsibilities. It also brings friends and family together since it is a more intimate sport. The advantages involved in playing the game is becoming more apparent to those who always thought of golf as a sport for their grandfathers and their friends. Now the younger crowd is beginning to realize that grandpa had it right and they are now slowly becoming dedicated golfers.