Playing recreational golf became one of the go-to activities during the COVID-19 pandemic as the nature of the game made it safe under Canada's public health measures.
Golf Canada's 2024 annual report, released on March 6, shows that the pandemic bubble growth wasn't just a passing fad. Nearly six million Canadians played golf last year, including more than 360,000 Golf Canada members who posted nearly 11 million rounds to the national sport body's scoring centre.
"This surge that we felt has really stabilized with continued growth," said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum on Tuesday. "Technological advancement, the shifting of lifestyles and the work week has really helped the participation side, as has the expansion of new formats for golf, like shorter formats, simulator golf.
"It's actually all these factors have come together to help continue that growth."
Golf Canada's youth and accessibility programs have also fuelled the growth of its participation numbers.
First Tee, a youth development program that gives children life-enhancing experiences, was rolled out in every province in 2024 with more than 100,000 participants since it was launched in 2021.
Youth on Course, another program that aims to make golf more financially accessible for kids, expanded across nine provinces with 105 golf courses participating. Over 32,900 rounds of golf at $5 or less were played by 5,382 unique golfers thanks to Youth on Course.
"(First Tee) is a life skills program that uses golf, and they're having a blast," said Applebaum. "We were seeing a lot of really strong participation from golfers and our demographics had been getting older but in '23 and '24 we saw the demographic ages actually slide younger and skew younger and more female."
First launched in Calgary in 2023, She Plays Golf festivals were also held in Toronto and Vancouver last year. Organized by Golf Canada, the weeklong events are designed to introduce women and girls to the game in a safe, fun and judgment-free environment.
Applebaum said that these programs that help people try golf when they've never picked up a club before, as well as a women's executive program for professionals in the marketplace that have always wanted to be part of the golf environment, have buoyed those annual participation numbers.
"So it's not one thing, it's probably 15 or 20 things that are coming together," he said. "Golf has hit that moment as an incredible sport for physical and mental health that has really connected with people of all ages and stages."
Golf Canada also introduced two new championships in 2024: the Canadian U15 Championship and the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, for a total championship schedule that included 36 titles.
The BDO National Golf League, a countrywide, season-long competition created by Golf Canada also encouraged players to get in more rounds over the year. It allows golfers participating in the club's league to also compete provincially and nationally.
More than 10,000 participants from 107 leagues competed, with 52 pairings qualifying for the league championship at Hamilton Golf and Country Club during the 2024 RBC Canadian Open.
The champions represented Canada at Royal Troon in Scotland for The R&A 9 Hole Challenge at the 152nd British Open.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
