Photo: LondonOntarioGolf.com
LondonOntarioGolf.com Launches 2024 London & Area Golf Survey
Comprehensive Survey Measures Local Playing, Spending Habits
Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024LondonGolfSurvey
March 1, 2024 (London, ONT) — Today, LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004), celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, announces the launch of the 2024 London & Area Golf Survey.
A comprehensive, 50-question survey which takes 10 minutes to complete, the 2024 London & Area Golf Survey is the second survey from the award-winning golf publication. The 2020 London & Area Golf Survey drew 1,580 responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first of its kind since the City of London municipal golf system surveyed its members in 1999. The City also conducted two golf studies, in 1991 and 2003.
Per capita, Southwestern Ontario is home to the most golf courses in Canada. In London and surrounding counties, local golfers have access to 13 private golf clubs, 112 semi-private and public clubs, 20 stand-alone outdoor golf practice centres, numerous golf ranges housed at local clubs plus a growing number of indoor golf simulators and practice centres.
The golf industry contributes millions of dollars annually to the local economy, including club, retail and charity golf spending. And, in addition to supporting pro shops and golf retailers, local golfers continue to purchase equipment, apparel and accessories online at a growing rate.
“Since the pandemic, London and area golf clubs have collectively announced they have experienced unprecedented traffic in tee times, as golf has provided even the most casual golfer with a safe outdoor activity,” said LondonOntarioGolf.com publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed. “Local courses also report that new golfers introduced to the game during the pandemic continue to golf – proving once again that golf is a game for a lifetime.
Jeffrey Reed (second from left) with foursome during charity event at Mitchell G&CC.
“London is one of Canada’s golf capitals, given our participation rate, our number of courses, the quality of our links and the notable amateur and professional tournaments we have hosted over the past century.” Reed added.
Mike Olizarevitch, retired long-time head golf pro at the City’s Fanshawe Golf Club, produced a report for the City in 2003 indicating there were enough golf courses in and around London to support a population of 1,050,000 – more than three times London’s then population of about 330,000. The National Golf Foundation indicates, in order to sustain a viable trade, one golf course should be built for every 25,000 people.
The 2020 London & Area Golf Survey reflected London and area’s growing population and larger supply of golf amenities. Groups, including the City of London municipal golf system, relied on the survey for business planning and marketing.
The 2020 survey produced some key findings, most notably that 78 per cent of respondents consider themselves avid golfers, as opposed to casual golfers, with half of all respondents playing 40 or more rounds per season. These findings are in line with a 1991 City of London study, conducted by Canadian Golf Marketing, which stated there were 81,000 golfers in London, 29,000 of whom were recreational golfers, and the balance avid golfers. That study reported, in most other municipalities, those numbers were reversed.
Another key finding from the 2020 London & Area Golf Survey is that 78 per cent of respondents overwhelmingly named lack of time as the biggest reason they don’t play more golf. This finding concurs with recent national reports. Lack of money (24 per cent), and lack of playing partners (25 per cent) were named the next biggest detriments to playing more golf.
The new 2024 London & Area Golf Survey will bring up-to-date a report on how local golfers enjoy the game, what’s important to them on and off the golf course and how they spend their dollars during an ever-increasing tough economy. The question bank remains almost identical to the 2020 survey, in order to gauge how playing and spending habits have changed since the pandemic.
The 2024 London & Area Golf Survey will remain open during the entire 2024 Southwestern Ontario golf season. Results will be made available for free online at LondonOntarioGolf.com and in PDF format for all local golf industry members.
Said Reed, “The 2020 London & Area Golf Survey, available for free online at LondonOntarioGolf.com, was the largest of its kind in local golf history. The 2024 survey will continue to provide valuable information to the local golf industry, which will then better understand its clientele.”
The link to the 2024 London & Area Golf Survey is:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024LondonGolfSurvey.
For more information, please contact:
Jeffrey Reed, Publisher & Editor – LondonOntarioGolf.com
519/643-6334
jeff@londonontariogolf.com
New: Jeffrey Reed talks about golf’s importance to the London economy and local history, and about how golf helps define London in a WQLN Public Television documentary, Our Town: Stories from London (2016). Watch Reed beginning at the 5-minute, 30-second mark of the video posted here at YouTube.
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About LondonOntarioGolf.com
LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004), The Voice of Golf in Southwestern Ontario, is a project from publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed, a member of the Canadian sports media since 1980. A three-time author, Reed is also a three-time writing award winner from the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. Since 2016, LondonOntarioGolf.com has been published in its entirety at parent publication LondonOntarioSports.com, London’s Trusted Source for Sports News & Information. Combined, the two publications have contributed more than $100,000 in charitable giving. Since 2011, the publications have presented the annual Heart Award to a local golf industry member who gives back to golf while growing the game, and the Courage Award, presented annually to a local athlete who inspires with courage on and off the playing field.
