Home / Golf industry
For the golf industry
PGAs, national federations, clubs, coaches and event organisers are best placed to turn research into more people playing, more often. Here’s what the evidence asks of the industry, a checklist for your facility and resources to help you make the case.
Golf for everyone
Why it matters
€630m
Golf’s total benefit to Finnish society in 2021, including €330m in golfers’ wellbeing and joy.
Source: Kettinen et al., 2026
11,589
At a professional tournament in Scotland, 83% of spectators hit their daily step target.
Source: Murray et al., 2017
2×
After a cardiac arrest on a US golf course, survival was about twice as high when a defibrillator was used.
Source: Gustafson et al., 2025
What the industry can do
Agreed by 25 experts from public health and golf in the 2018 International Consensus on Golf and Health. Source: Murray et al., 2018
Share the key health messages with players and potential players, consistently and in a way that suits your setting.
Build on inclusivity initiatives, with environments and price structures that are welcoming to all.
Work together to recruit more women and girls into golf, and keep them playing.
Offer good learning and coaching environments and entry-level play, and set courses up with the average golfer in mind.
Make every effort to promote equality and diversity and open the game up to more people.
Where possible, add facilities such as a gym, walking routes or child care.
Encourage players to walk the course if they can, and avoid making buggies compulsory.
Support wildlife and green space, and limit water, energy and chemical use.
For clubs and facilities
Simple things that help golfers get more health from every visit, all taken from the 2018 consensus. How many does your club have? Source: Murray et al., 2018
Tick off what your club already has.
Resources
Research paper
The full consensus, with actions for golfers, the industry and policy makers.
Read the paper →
For coaches
How coaches can use health messages to reach new audiences.
Read the article →
For events
The evidence on active spectating, and an infographic to share with fans.
See the evidence →
Want to work with the Golf & Health Project? Email info@golfandhealth.org.
Common questions
Golf’s health benefits are a strong reason for people to start and keep playing, and the value is large: one study put golf’s total benefit to Finnish society at €630 million in a year. Source: Kettinen et al., 2026.
The consensus recommends welcoming environments and price structures, good coaching and entry-level play, and work to recruit and keep women and girls. Source: Murray et al., 2018.
Yes. The consensus recommends defibrillators and CPR training for staff, and US data shows survival roughly doubles when one is used. Sources: Murray et al., 2018; Gustafson et al., 2025.
No. The consensus says facilities should encourage players to walk if they can and avoid mandatory buggy use. Source: Murray et al., 2018.
Encourage spectators to walk and watch actively. At one tournament, spectators averaged 11,589 steps. Sources: Murray et al., 2018; Murray et al., 2017.
The Golf & Health Project brings together published research on golf and health. Page last reviewed: November 2026.
