How popular are golf simulators?
One of the biggest innovations in golf recently is indoor golf simulators.
Easy to use, quick to set up, and featuring famous courses rendered in masterful detail, golf simulators give golf enthusiasts and professionals alike the chance to play no matter the time, day, or weather conditions and develop their golfing skills at the same time.
But, as pretty pricey pieces of kit, how popular are they really?
How popular are golf simulators?
According to research conducted by Straits, the golf simulator market was valued at just over $1.3 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach more than $3.3 billion by 2030- giving a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.1%.
For those who didn’t attend business school, this demonstrates a healthy market interest and a CAGR of between 10-20% suggests that the growth of the industry is, and is likely to remain, strong.
This means that golf simulators are popular with customers now and are expected to remain increasingly popular in forecasts- disproving naysayers who might say they are just a trend.
This increasing market position is due to the union of multiple popular factors that are linked by golfing simulators. These include simulator technology and the increased uptake of golf as a leisure hobby
But how does the increasing popularity of these key areas influence the popularity of golf simulators?
Simulator technology
Simulator technology is frequently described as the next step in gaming technology.
Renowned for being immersive and featuring sky- high-levels of accuracy and realism, immersion technology has been utilised by game developers for years to create addictive, inspiring games that players don’t want to put down.
Combining popular immersion technology with real-time technology that coaches you and demonstrably improves your game, opens a whole new world of possibilities for golf lovers.
The amalgamation of game and practice creates an exciting experience for players, which similar to computer games, pulls them back in time and time again.
Now, players can, for all intents and purposes, be on the green, surrounded by the sights and sounds of world-renowned golf courses while life goes on around them.
TGL
The upcoming TGL, or ‘tech-infused’ golf league, pioneered by golf superstars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, in partnership with the PGA Tour, is due to start in January 2024.
This no doubt capitalises on current interest levels in golf simulators and is expected to bring golf played to new audiences worldwide.
It is also fair to see how this could also increase the number of golf simulator players.
Using golf simulators, golfers can completely immerse themselves in the experience from their homes, and use the most advanced technology to improve their gameplay in one fell swoop.
What’s not to like?
Golf as a leisure hobby
According to research from The R&A, published by Golf Monthly, official figures show the number of on-course adults in Great Britain has risen from 2.5 million in 2017 to 4.8 million in 2021.
Moreover, a total of 5.3 million adults enjoyed a round on a full-length course (nine or 18 holes) in Great Britain and Ireland in 2021.
This demonstrates the increasing importance of golf as a leisure activity and hints at the increased numbers of people who could use their interest in on-the-green golf as a segway to playing games of golf via simulator.
Especially if you look at the most popular areas for golf simulator sales, as identified by Straits: North America and Europe.
Geographically, these areas are renowned for experiencing poorer weather across all seasons, but especially in autumn and winter, making golf simulators ideal as they can be played in all weather.
The impact of COVID-19
Unlike in most other areas of life, the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns did much to increase participation in golf.
Research from the 2021 Great Britain Golf Participation Report quoted in England Golf, found that there was a marked increase in UK golfers, from 3 million in 2019 to a whopping 5.2 million in 2020.
The decreased availability of other sports, particularly team sports, and the increased time people spent indoors had them flocking to the greens, where they could exercise more, socialise in safety, and improve their mental well-being.
From the R&A data, we can see that this popularity has continued at much the same level, decreasing only slightly since the last lockdown.
Invest in a golf simulator today
Due to the marriage of impressive real-time technology and the increased popularity of golf as a leisure hobby, golf simulators are set to enjoy long-term popularity, especially for those who have time constraints or live in areas of poor weather.
Perfect for solo players, golf-mad families, or a group of golf buddies alike, there really is a golf simulator for everyone.
For those still considering a golf simulator, contact the experts at Black Box Golf today. We would be delighted to answer any questions you may have or advise on the best model for your needs. We can chat and arrange demonstrations in our Marbella showroom, or if you aren’t local, you can fill in our contact form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.