In 2021, golf continued to grow in popularity in South Africa, with more rounds registered on the HNA system than ever before. This month we take a look at some of the most interesting statistics from last year, drawn from rounds registered on our system.
In 2020, we recorded 3 478 119 rounds on our system, which translated to an increase of 12,7% on 2019, when adjusted for the 77 days lost due to Lockdown. In 2021, we saw even further growth with an effective 1,9% increase to a record number of 4 490 275 registered rounds. Way to go golfers!
Part of the reason for the increase in the number of rounds recorded may be the 4,3% increase in the number of golf club members that are registered on our system. In 2020 we had 142 281 golfers on the system, including golfers from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo, and this figure increased to 148 335 in 2021.
On average, 12 794 rounds were registered each day that courses were open in 2021 – marginally up from 12 071 per day in 2020.
Of the 4 490 275 scores entered on the handicap system in 2021, 9.3% (436 170) were hole-by-hole scores. This is marginally up on 2020’s figures.
The average Handicap Index for male golfers in 2021 was 13.5 and for women, it was 20.2.
The proportion of junior golfers in the country continues to climb. In 2020 we saw it jump from 4,6% of all golfers to 5,7%, and it has again climbed in 2021, to 6,8%. Let’s keep introducing our youngsters to this wonderful game.
Incredibly, 135 golfers recorded over 200 rounds of golf over the course of 2021.
The HNA Handicaps & Tournament App once again proved to be the most popular means for golfers to submit scores, with 79,9% of all scores accounted for.
The App provides a platform for players to enter scores and check their Handicap Indexes, as well as run their own public and private tournaments. Premium users of the App are able to also track their statistics, follow the handicaps of friends and access their national and club rankings. The Premium version of the App costs R199.99 per year and is available in iOS and Android.
Over the course of 2021, the HNA website received 4 644 255 impressions.
Back in December 2020, we celebrated a record-high number of 404 342 scores entered, but just a few months later April 2021 edged it, with a new high of 405 744 rounds. The next busiest months in 2021 were March (400 031) and January (397 145).
It was a neck-and-neck race between Randpark and Country Club Johannesburg when it comes to most recorded rounds in 2021. In the end, Randpark (78 634) edged CCJ (78 557) by just 77 rounds.
Of the 18-hole facilities, Cape Town’s Westlake claimed pole position with an incredible 48 900 registered rounds. Old rival Stellenbosch was close behind with 48 275, with Durbanville, Clovelly and Paarl not too far behind.
The busiest clubs per region are as follows:
Boland: Stellenbosch GC
Border: East London GC
Central Gauteng: Randpark
Eastern Province: Port Elizabeth GC
Ekurhuleni: Reading CC
Free State: Schoeman Park
Gauteng North: Wingate Park
KwaZulu-Natal: Mount Edgecombe
Limpopo: Polokwane GC
Mpumalanga: Mbombela GC
North West: Pecanwood
Northern Cape: Kimberley GC
Southern Cape: Mossel Bay GC
Western Province: Westlake GC
Botswana: Gaborone GC
Democratic Republic of Congo: Kinshasa GC
Malawi: Lilongwe GC
Mozambique: Clube de Golfe da Beira
Namibia: Windhoek G&CC
Eswatini: Ezulwini G&CC
Tanzania: Dar Es Salaam Gymkhana GC
Zambia: Lusaka GC
Zimbabwe: Royal Harare GC
Note: all figures are only for rounds that are registered on the HNA system.
Quote of the Month
“This 90/10 rule holds true in almost anything financial. Take the game of golf, for example. Ten percent of the professional golfers make 90 percent of the money.” – Robert Kiyosaki.