Page 15 - GBC Fall 2024 ENG

ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY DATA
Every 5 years, NAGA conducts an Economic Impact Study on golf in Canada. Released in tandem with National Golf Day, this edition was our first post-pandemic study. As such, it captured golf’s increased demand and any other shifts in the financial implications that our industry has undergone.
That provides some valuable comparisons and economic trends, as well as current data to support the talking points for our GR and PR strategies. In addition to the national results, we produced regional reports for each of the larger provinces, plus an Atlantic report for the 4 smaller provinces. Special thanks to each of the sponsors who stepped up to co- fund this project (see above). It is a large and expensive undertaking, so the financial support of those leading suppliers and larger multi- course-owners is very much appreciated.
The top line economic indicator is gross domestic product (GDP), basically capturing every financial contribution that the Canadian golf industry generates. At $23.2 billion in the year 2023, that is a $5 billion per year increase since our pre-Covid state of the industry and positions golf as the leading participation sport economically.
More Canadians played golf in 2023 than any other participation sport. When we note that golf participation has now grown to 6 million golfers, it often comes as a pleasant surprise to government officials or media. Golf ’s broad appeal to all ages, genders, abilities, price points and availability virtually anywhere, provides advantages over most other sports. For the record, Canada’s golf participation rate (per capita calculation) is actually #1 of all countries despite the nasty winters that interfere with our golf seasons.
Similarly, Canada has an exceptionally high number of golf courses for its population. And the vast majority, approximately 91%, are open to the public. That is far higher than the proportion of courses open to the public in other countries. So, accessibility is another big driver of Canadian golf participation.
Charitable fundraising is also a leading economic contributor for golf. This economic impact study shows $382 million raised through the Canadian golf industry in 2023. That is a return to pre-pandemic levels, after a serious drop during the Covid years. Once again, golf is #1 here. We raise more for charity than all other participation sports in Canada. Politicians and the media love hearing about that.
Employment is another strong talking point from this study. On one hand, quantifying the 237,000 total person-years of employment generated by Canadian golf impresses any audience. Politicians, in particular, care deeply about how beneficial that is to society. And this data point reinforces our message that golf is not just a great game, but also a well-developed business industry.
But on the other hand, this employment statistic is one of the very few that actually showed a decline compared to our pre- pandemic data. So that connects our golf industry directly to important government discussions about labour shortages facing businesses and how we can collaborate to solve that challenge.
ADDITIONAL KEY MESSAGING
In addition to the economic value that our industry generates, Canadian golf provides numerous qualitative benefits to our society.
These key messages further boost our positioning that “golf is good”. These talking points are critical because we still need to
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