Report reveals golf’s $3.3 billion contribution to Australia
The Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) has today unveiled a report that reveals golf provides $3.3 billion in total annual benefits to the Australian community, economy and environment.
The 2023 Community Benefits of Golf in Australia report was commissioned by the AGIC, comprising the key national bodies of the golf industry in Australia, including the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia,
It was conducted by SGS Economics & Planning and details the wide-ranging and sizeable benefits of golf through quantified data and a robust methodology.
Headlining the report’s findings are the $3.3 billion in total annual benefits of golf; the growing and deepening participation in all forms of golf; and golf’s estimated annual household expenditure of $10.3 billion.
It also shows that 37 percent of adult Australians – a total of 7.23 million people – say they have visited a golf facility as a non-player.
The health benefits of golf are highlighted by the fact that Australian golfers walk 280 million kilometres annually or the equivalent of more than 7000 laps between the Earth and our moon.
On-course golfers are also happier than those who don’t get outdoors to play the game, rating 7.1 percent higher in subjective health and wellbeing compared to non-round golfers.
The benefits outlined in the report are partly created by the 3.5 million Australians who play a form of golf – 2.2 million on course, 1.3 million off course – across 1603 places to play around Australia.
These numbers make golf one of the country’s largest participation sports.
Golf’s contribution to the Australian economy is valued at $394 million for businesses and $122 million for industry workers, while the best example of sport’s huge economic impact is the $336 million of benefits provided via golf tourism.
Annually, 1.6 million domestic overnight trips are made by Australians, and another 150,000 international tourists visit, for the purpose of golf, with their spending covering items such as green fees, food, accommodation, and transportation.
The report shows an additional 166,000 Australians would be considered physically inactive without golf, saving the health system $49 million, and the physical health benefits for all golfers total $423 million.
Meanwhile, through physical exercise, social interaction and time in natural landscapes, the annual mental health benefit derived from golf is calculated at $439 million.
Like every element of society, a key focus for golf in the current day and moving forward is how the game interacts with and helps the environment.
The Community Benefits of Golf in Australia report details an annual environmental benefit of $890 million created by golf.
These benefits include water filtration and purification, flood and stormwater protection, carbon sequestration, urban cooling and significantly higher biodiversity than public parks.
Clearly outlining the significant detail of these benefits, and more, the Community Benefits of Golf in Australia is available Community Benefits of Golf in Australia Report (2023)[21] and it is hoped will serve as a valuable resource to the industry and reference point for broader conversations about golf and its place and value in for Australian community.
The Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) was established in 2006 as a group comprising the key national bodies of the golf industry in Australia, designed to work together for the common good of the game and the industry.
The AGIC includes representatives from PGA of Australia, Golf Australia, WPGA Tour of Australasia, Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, Australian Sporting Goods Association, Golf Management Australia and Society of Australian Golf Course Architects.
