Why golf in Asia is booming, and what has to happen next to fulfil the sport’s potential
The region boasts 26.2 million players and more than 600 courses have sprung up – five leading figures spell out how the surge can continue
Golf is big business and in Asia it is bigger than ever. From tens of millions of players to billions of dollars in investment and a growing professional circuit, the sport is booming on and off the course.
That growth is visible in myriad industries connected to the game, while a recent survey by the R&A identified Asia as having an adult playing population of 26.2 million – the highest of the governing body’s affiliated members.
Here, five leading figures give their opinions on what has driven that surge and what comes next.
The CEO – Hoyt McGarity
A regular on lists of the most influential people in the sport, Hoyt McGarity, as the CEO and president of 8AM Golf, takes charge of 16 brands, including Golf.com, club manufacturer Miura Golf, Nicklaus Companies, and the newest venture, 8AM Travel.
With investment high on the list of priorities, McGarity believes Asia, and Hong Kong specifically, is full of opportunity.
“I spend my day with all businesses globally, to either buy, invest, lend money, merge with, and I’m always on the lookout for what’s going on here that could translate to North America, or what I do have that could be better placed here.
“I would need local partners to do that, because who am I to come here? So, to me, it’s who is out there, who’s interested in golf investment, what’s going on? And I find Hong Kong is the first place in Asia that I could probably do business with, and I think there is probably a strategic partner for us in all of Asia, in Hong Kong.
