Golf Datatech, LLC, an independent research firm for consumer, trade and retail golf trends and performance, unveiled its first-ever Women’s Golf Market Study. An independent, non-commissioned study designed to capture important feedback on the female perceptions and experiences from one of golf’s most significant growth segments. Key findings from the the study, which details a wide range of attitudes of serious women golfers about the game, the equipment, and the apparel they wear, were as follows:

Respondents were asked what they enjoy about playing the game and 91% said they like being outdoors, while 82% enjoy the time with friends, 80% are always trying to improve and 79% enjoy the challenge of the game. When asked to identify the single factor they enjoy best about playing the game, 32% chose the challenge of the game as their primary motivation, while 18% said being with friends is most important. One in three respondents thinks it “costs too much,” while almost half of all respondents said they would be likely to play more golf if it cost less. 21% of respondents disliked the fact that a round of golf takes too long to play, while 40% are constrained by limited leisure time, and 31% work too much to play as much as they would like.

The average female respondent estimates they spent slightly less than $700 in the past year on golf equipment, with 18% saying they spent over $1,000.  They also estimate they spent an additional $515 on golf apparel, with 14% spending above $1,000.  74% of respondents believe that the technology in golf club designs can significantly improve their play. When it comes time to purchase new golf clubs, 63% of females take the golf clubs out to a driving range or onto a golf course to try them out prior to purchase, while 58% gather information from their golf professional, 44% research products and trends online, and 43% read golf publications to get information on equipment trends.