Club managers in the Bay of Plenty say golf in the region is booming. Photo / Simon Watts
The “rebirth” of golf in the Bay of Plenty isn’t just a trend; it’s a transformation of a “booming” sport driven by a social momentum, according to the region’s golf club managers.
Participation in the sport has grown in the Bay, golf experts say, driven by summer weather, club investments and a new generation of players embracing the game.
Club managers in the Bay of Plenty say there has been a shift away from traditional golfing methods as the sport becomes “cool again”.
Figures from Golf NZ showed , golf club memberships grew 8% nationally from 2024 to 2025, and 30% since 2021.
There had been a 103% increase in junior memberships since 2021, which Golf NZ said showed the sport now appealed to all demographics.
“We are seeing growth across the wider spectrum,” Golf NZ Bay of Plenty regional support manager Mark Webb said.
He told the Bay of Plenty Times the region had always been a hotspot for emerging golfing talent.
“Simply put, golf is booming across the whole Bay of Plenty region, with the majority of clubs showing positive signs in participation numbers.”
Webb attributed the Bay’s golf surge to its many quality courses, easy access, favourable weather and strong competition.
“Golf is now appealing to all demographics, and we are seeing growth across the wider spectrum.”
The Times spoke with three club managers in the Bay of Plenty, all of whom had experienced a surge in players.
Tauranga Golf Club general manager Michelle Towersey said there had been a “huge shift” away from organised, traditional golf, and younger golfers preferred to play with mates.
“Our course is getting busier each year, and we get the summer influx of students back from uni and seasonal visitors from overseas.”
She said membership at the club was 1060, and in 2024, Tauranga Golf Club was ranked 11th for the most rounds played at a golf club in NZ.
The club recorded 53,000 rounds last year.
“Golf has become cool again, the young kids are playing, and they love the personal challenge.”
She said golf was “certainly booming” and her club’s neighbours, Omanu Golf Club and Mount Maunganui Golf Club, were ranked second and eighth respectively for the most rounds played in NZ.
Mount Maunganui Golf Club capitalised on the shift towards “shorter golfing experiences” by investing $3 million into updated course facilities.
In April, the club opened a 6000sq m practice putting green, bigger than a standard hockey pitch and smaller than a rugby field.
It has an 18-hole course and was designed to create additional space for its 1400 members to practice.
The second phase of the club’s development was completed in July when a new driving range opened.
It has 15 outdoor bays and two simulators with the latest golfing technology.
Mount Maunganui Golf Club general manager Michael Williams said with the younger demographic “rolling” into the sport, he wanted the club to cater to shorter experiences.
“That’s what our driving range can offer, you can spend an hour in there, have a great time, whereas if you play nine or 18 holes, it’s more of a time commitment.”
Williams said the biggest change he had seen was the younger demographic and women coming to the game.
“It’s a game for men, women, boys, girls, and all ages can play. That’s been golf forever, but I think people are cottoning onto that now.”
According to Golf NZ, the national growth of girls with memberships since 2021 was 35% – but, in the Bay of Plenty, it was 48%.
“Obviously, golf has always been a popular sport with the retiree age group, but it’s gotten a lot younger, especially with younger women.”
Omanu Golf Club general manager Neil Weber said golf in New Zealand was booming overall, but it was “particularly” booming in Tauranga.
“Some people get addicted to it, and we have a lot of young people who are just here a lot.”
He said easier accessibility to the sport was a driver for more women picking up a club and stepping out on the green.
“We’ve got a really cool She Loves Golf programme run here, and it’s oversubscribed.”
Weber said Omanu Golf Club had 1250 members, with a lot of those members frequenting the green up to seven days a week.
He said the club had seen a 20% increase in memberships in the past three years.
“It’s the only sport that’s got an equalisation system – the handicap system – so you can play someone really good and beat them.”
Weber said golf was the sort of game where people could play 17 bad holes and only remember the good one.
“You quickly forget your bad ones and live on the good ones.”
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.