Golf in Germany Showing Growth and Promise

By: WGTF Member, Arthur van den Dool

Golf in Germany has always been a popular pastime, not in the least because international stars such as Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymer, who both won major championships, originate from Germany. On the heels of this international exposure and success, the game of golf in Germany has shown steady progress over the years. However, things are changing.

When we look at the numbers, the total number of active golfers in the last decade has seen substantial growth. Where in 2012 approximately 635.000 golfers were active on the many beautiful German courses, that number has risen to 673.000 in 2021. As far as gender is concerned, roughly 57% are male, 35% female and 8% junior players, with these figures not differentiating much from other European markets.

Not surprising, the strongest growth the sport has seen is caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In Europe, golf was one of the few sports that was able to continue during these uncertain times and it is reflected in the German numbers, as well.

The number of golf courses in the country has also been on the rise. The current figure stands at 837 courses in total, which, compared to 2015 when there were 730 active golf courses, is a substantial rise. Most courses and players are located in the south and west parts of the country. The eastern part has the fewest, not surprising since that part of the country had been added just over 30 years ago.

Given these numbers, it seems clear that golf in Germany is doing quite well. It is expected to rise even further, although perhaps not as fast as in the past couple of years.