First ever in continent Europe, there appears a country where female golfers surpass male ones.


 
According to the European Golf Participation Report released by KPMG International Accounting Firms in 2017, there are 45% female players in Slovakia’s registered golfers while 42% males, and the rest are teenagers. Now there are more than 10 thousand registered golfers in Slovakia’s 29 golf clubs, which has increased over 25% compared with last year’s number. Isn’t that astonishing?
 
Or you may think it aint too much.
 
But this reports seemingly provide a road to money, “The female-friendly courses both in market and equipment are more potential”. In contrast, the countries where female players’ number increase slowly face a decline in number of general golfers.
 
It amply demonstrated that—Women are the main force of consumers!
 
In other four European countries –Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, female golfers cover more than 1/3 in total registered golfers. However, the number of female golfers in Welsh, England and Scotland come from bottom, which is from 12% to 13%. Albania’s golf women cover only 3% in all golfers, making it the only country who gets lower female-golfer percentage than British.
 
Last year, half countries in Europe had increased number of golfers while less than 1/5 countries had declined one, which are Scotland and Welsh. However, the Switzerland country whose female golfers cover 1/4 got significant increase in golf population.
 
So women really matter.
 
Germany now have 250,000 female golf club members, which is about twice as that in Holland, Switzerland and French who follow Germany. England runs at fifth in female members ranking with the number of 90,132.
 
Although female members cover low percentage, Scotland’s golf population got remarkable increase in number.
 
The increase rate of registered golfers in England has reached to 4.4%, which is nearly 30,000 people, making its golf population increased from 665,103 in 2015 to 694,623 in 2016. This is the hugest growth in European golf market. The country follow England is Spanish with 10% increase rate and 28,000 people. England also owns the largest member group in Europe, followed by Germany with 643,158 and Switzerland with 463,952.
 
Over 1/4 of nearly 7 thousand European courses are located in England (1907 course). But in 2016, there are 16 England courses closed.
 
There is only one country in Europe where teenagers dominant mostly in golf population—Turkey, of which golfers include 43% teenagers but 41% males only.
 
However, the largest teenager golfers group in Europe is in Switzerland, which is 460,048 persons—48 persons more than England. Germany and French also have young golfers over 40,000.
 
According to this report, 2016 could be the year of recovery for European golf industry. Only 52 courses closed while 24 new courses emerged in Europe. Also there are 2% increase rate in European golf population, which covers more than 82,500.
 
Although there showed a female-dominant country, the 67% of European golf club members are still men. Golfers is still a small part of European population, and same as 2015, active golfer group occupies only 0.9% in total European population.