The number of golf federation members in Spain increases by 13,166 people.

Spanish golf concluded the year 2021 with 284,954 registered members, 283,363 of them amateurs, and 1,591 professionals, according to official data as of December 31st.

This figure represents an absolute increase of 13,166 licenses during the past year, which is a 4.8% increase compared to the beginning of the year.

The idiosyncrasy of golf – practiced outdoors and the establishment of a protocol – which allowed the practice of this sport to be reinstated from the very beginning – have been a draw for many people who find golf a healthy activity from both a physical and psychological perspective.
This increase in golf licenses marks the third consecutive year of growth, breaking a long streak of nine years of decline experienced between 2010 and 2018, coinciding with much of the prolonged economic crisis and social changes that have influenced the development of various sectors of Spanish society for many years.

In 1990, there were 45,000 players in Spain; the 100,000 mark was reached in 1996; 200,000 were registered in the early months of 2002; by mid-2004, 250,000 were counted, and by the end of 2006, the threshold of 300,000 registered members was surpassed. The peak number of licenses occurred in 2010 when there were 338,588 registered members, marking the beginning of the aforementioned inflection curve.

Women and golf’s future in Spain

It’s worth noting that the number of female licenses currently stands at over 79,000, accounting for 27.9% of the total golf licenses in Spain.
Among the younger generation, it’s important to highlight that the foundation of Spanish golf rests on 24,600 boys and girls under 16 years of age – nearly 36,000, specifically 35,938, if the age range is extended to 21 years – which represents 8.6% or 12.6% of the total registered members, respectively.

It’s noteworthy in this case that the base of Spanish golf continues to slowly expand, as at the beginning of 2015, there were 21,530 under-16s – 33,682 up to 21 years old – which, in percentage terms, then amounted to 7.6% or 11.9%, respectively. This process of gradual growth coincides with the progressive implementation of the «Golf in Schools» program, the Friends Cup, and various promotional activities among young people that have been jointly developed by the RFEG, Autonomous Federations, and Clubs for several years now.