Is Golf Finally Becoming a Younger Person’s Game?

Is Golf Finally Becoming a Younger Person’s Game?
For years, golf has had an image problem.
Ask someone who doesn’t play to describe a typical golfer and, historically, you might have heard the same stereotypes: older, male, a member of a private club and probably wearing something involving a collar.
But golf in 2026 looks increasingly different.

More young people are playing. Driving ranges have become social destinations. Technology has changed how we practise. Nine-hole, Par 3 and other shorter formats are making golf easier to fit around everyday life. And, importantly, many golf clubs and facilities are working hard to remove some of the barriers that once made the sport feel difficult to get into. The numbers suggest it’s working.

So, is golf finally becoming a younger person’s game?
Perhaps the better answer is that golf is becoming everyone’s game.

Are more young people actually playing golf?
Yes – and the scale of junior participation might surprise you.
According to The R&A’s 2025 Global Golf Participation Report, published in 2026, 47.1 million juniors are now playing golf in some form across its affiliated markets, excluding the USA and Mexico. That’s an increase of 3.2 million junior golfers in just one year. Europe has the highest junior participation of any region covered by the research, with 19.9 million young people taking part in golf.

Across adults and juniors combined, the European Golf Association reports that 40.5 million people played some form of golf in Europe during 2025.

Golf, it seems, isn’t struggling to find its next generation. The way that next generation discovers golf, however, is changing.

Young golfers aren’t necessarily starting with 18 holes
This could be one of the biggest shifts taking place in the game.
For generations, the traditional pathway into golf was fairly predictable. Learn to play, join a golf club and head out onto a full golf course.

Today, your first experience of golf could be completely different.
You might hit balls on a driving range with friends. You might play a Par 3 course with your family. You might try a golf simulator. You could attend a junior camp, have a lesson or play a technology-powered game without ever thinking about your handicap.

In fact, The R&A says that off-course golf continues to experience strong growth, with 68.3 million adults and juniors now taking part in formats including driving ranges and simulator-based golf.

That matters.

Because when the first question becomes “Do you fancy hitting some balls?” rather than “Do you fancy playing 18 holes?”, golf suddenly feels much easier to try.

That’s something we see at Leeds Golf Centre too.
You don’t have to begin your golfing journey on our 18-hole Wike Ridge course. You might start with a bucket of balls on our driving range, try Toptracer with friends, have a go around The Oaks Par 3 course or learn the basics with the Leeds Golf Academy.

There’s no single ‘right’ way into golf.

Is technology making golf more appealing to younger players?
It’s certainly changing the experience.

Golf technology was once largely about improving the performance of serious players. Today, it can make golf more entertaining and accessible from the very first shot.
Range technology can give you instant information about where your ball went, how far it travelled and how you performed. It can also turn practice into games, challenges and virtual rounds.
For a generation accustomed to technology being part of sport, fitness and entertainment, that’s a very different proposition from simply hitting ball after ball towards a flag.

The participation data supports that shift.
The R&A found that 12.5% of households with children aged 6–17 in Great Britain and Ireland had played golf at a driving range using range technology during the previous 12 months.
At Leeds Golf Centre, Toptracer technology is available across our covered driving range. You can practise your game, take on challenges or virtually play famous courses.

For an experienced golfer, it’s useful practice.

For somebody who’s never played before, it can simply be fun.
And that’s important.
Golf doesn’t always have to begin with learning the rules. Sometimes it can begin with seeing who can hit it closest to a target.

What does the data say about golfers in their teens and twenties?

There’s another interesting sign that the age profile of golf could be changing.

Garmin analysed its worldwide golf users during 2025 and found its fastest growth came from younger age groups.

The number of Garmin golfers under 20 increased by 76%, while the number aged 20–29 increased by 53% compared with the previous year.

That doesn’t mean golf participation as a whole grew by those percentages – the figures relate specifically to Garmin users – but it’s another indication of the growing engagement between younger people, golf and technology.

Virtual golf is growing too. Garmin recorded a 58% increase in virtual rounds among its users during 2025.

Today’s golfer can move between the real and digital versions of the game in a way previous generations couldn’t.

And rather than replacing traditional golf, technology could be helping more people discover it.

Does golf still take too long?
Time has always been one of golf’s biggest challenges.
Finding four or five hours for an 18-hole round isn’t always easy – particularly for younger adults balancing work, family, social lives and everything else.

But who decided golf always has to mean 18 holes?

The R&A actively promotes shorter formats of the game as a way to fit golf around modern lifestyles.

Nine holes counts.
A Par 3 round counts.
An hour at the driving range counts.
A lesson counts.
Going out for a few holes on a summer evening counts.

The more golf moves away from an all-or-nothing approach, the easier it becomes to make the game part of everyday life.

That’s one of the reasons facilities such as The Oaks at Leeds Golf Centre are important. A shorter Par 3 course provides a very different experience to a full 18 holes and can be a brilliant way for newer golfers, families and experienced players looking to sharpen their short game to get out on a course.

Do you have to dress like a golfer to play golf?
This is where golf still has some work to do.

Dress codes, etiquette, terminology, handicaps and club traditions can all make perfect sense once you’re part of the game.

From the outside, they can make golf seem complicated.
And sometimes unnecessarily so.

At Leeds Golf Centre, we’ve always believed that the game should be accessible. Golf should feel welcoming whether you’ve been playing for 30 years or you’ve never held a club before.
Removing unnecessary barriers doesn’t mean removing everything that’s great about golf.

Respect for other players matters. Looking after the course matters. Playing safely matters.

Whether someone’s socks are the correct length? Not so much.
The easier we make it for somebody to walk through the door and give golf a try, the healthier the future of the game becomes.

Why are junior golf programmes so important?
Getting young people to try golf is one thing.
Giving them a reason to come back is another.
That’s where junior coaching, camps and development programmes become so important.

A good junior golf experience isn’t simply about producing technically brilliant golfers. It’s about making the game enjoyable, helping children build confidence, getting them active and giving them an opportunity to make friends.

Our own junior camps at Leeds Golf Centre are designed around that principle. Golf skills are part of the experience, but so are fun, activity and spending time with other young people.
Some children may go on to become lifelong golfers.
Others might simply discover a sport they enjoy.

Both are a win.

So, is golf becoming a younger person’s game?
The evidence certainly points towards a younger generation becoming increasingly important to golf’s future.
But we’d argue that the bigger change is about choice.
You can be a member and play competitions every weekend.
You can visit the driving range once a month with your mates.
You can play Par 3 golf with your children.
You can spend hours working on your swing.
Or you can simply turn up and hit some golf balls because you enjoy it.
All of it is golf.

The traditional 18-hole game isn’t disappearing – nor should it. It’s still at the heart of the sport and something millions of people love.

But it no longer has to be the only version of golf we present to the world.

Technology, shorter formats, better coaching and a more relaxed approach are giving people more ways to discover the game on their own terms.

And if that means more young people feel like golf is somewhere they belong, the future of the game looks pretty exciting.

Golf and younger players: quick FAQs

Is golf becoming more popular with young people?
Yes. The R&A reported 47.1 million junior participants across its affiliated markets in 2025, an increase of 3.2 million in one year.

Do you have to play 18 holes to play golf?
No. Golf includes many different formats, including nine-hole golf, Par 3 golf, driving ranges and simulator golf.

Why are driving ranges popular with younger golfers?
Driving ranges can offer a quicker, more relaxed introduction to golf. Technology such as Toptracer also adds games, challenges, shot tracking and virtual golf to the experience.

Can beginners use a golf driving range?
Absolutely. A driving range can be one of the easiest places to try golf because you don’t need to know every rule or be an experienced player before getting started.

What’s the easiest way for a child to start golf?
Junior lessons, golf camps, driving ranges and shorter courses can all provide a welcoming introduction. The most important thing at the beginning is finding an environment where they can have fun and enjoy hitting golf balls.