Golf is bringing in billions of pounds to the UK economy, according to a study that ‘surprised’ Sheffield Hallam University researchers.

The report, funded by the R&A, one of golf’s governing bodies, set out to find how much golf would contribute to the economy if it had its own account and measured the change between 2014 and 2019.

It revealed that consumer spending on golf rose by 20% over five years to £5.1bn.

Professor Simon Shibli, one of the researchers involved in the report, said: “What surprised me is that golf, a single sport, accounts for 10% of consumer expenditure on sport.

“So here you’ve got one sport, out of over 100 recognised sports, contributing quite a sizeable proportion of the overall sports industry.”

As well as measuring golf’s economic effects, the report also investigated the sport’s social impact.

The report found it contributed £1.04bn in ‘social value’, including the improved mental wellbeing of players.

But not all are convinced by the findings. James Glover, general manager of Hallamshire Golf Club, said the rise is down to ‘golf tourism’ at the country’s biggest courses, with more local clubs being less affected.

He said: “If you looked at most golf clubs, most of them don’t run a huge, if any, profit, most are just covering their expenses.

“I don’t dispute the figures, but I think if you were really looking at it, you would see there’s perhaps a regionalised bias for where that increase is coming. I’m not sure we’re seeing a huge amount of that in Sheffield.”

While acknowledging the massive role of golf tourism, Prof Shibli said the evidence goes against the elitist image of the sport and suggests grassroots growth.

He said: “Certainly it’s easy to stereotype golfers as middle-aged businesspeople or accountants indulging in their hobby.

“But the reality is, if 17% of the population of Scotland are playing, it is a sport of the people. It’s probably a more democratic sport than it’s given credit for.”

Prof Shibli also pointed out there was a clear public interest in the report, as it also found that golf raised £1.3bn in tax money in 2019.

He said: “What goes into golf from public sources is measured in the low millions, and yet it’s generating over a billion in revenue.

“So the more money you put into golf, the more you encourage it, the more the government will get back.”

More on the report can be found here.