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How many golf players are in Japan?

Author

Sarah Smith

Published Jan 22, 2026

Japan has the second largest golf market in the world after the United States. There are around 10 million golfers and 2,450 golf courses in Japan (compared to 25 million golfers and 13,600 golf courses in the United States).

How many people play golf in the Japan?

In 2020, the number of people playing golf in Japan amounted to approximately 8.91 million. Figures during the past decade revolved around the nine million mark, pointing at a relatively stable player population.

What percentage of Japanese people play golf?

According to a survey conducted in Japan in 2016, around 13.5 percent of men and 2.5 percent of women claimed to play golf. Despite the declining participation rate since 1996, golf is a popular sport in Japan, with over two thousand golf courses and around 500 practice ranges in operation.

Is golf popular in Japan?

Golf (ゴルフ) is a popular sport in Japan.

Is golf a big deal in Japan?

Golf in Japan is as unique as the country itself. Across the more than 6,852 islands - including the four main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu - there are no less than 2,349 golf courses, varying from revered top-100 courses to riverside pitch and putts.

20 related questions found

Do Japanese people love golf?

Japan Has Half Of Asia's Golf Courses, But The Game's Popularity There Is Flagging : Parallels In the 1980s, Japan built thousands of golf courses and the game became baked into its business culture. Those days are over. Golf participation in Japan has dropped by 40 percent since 1996.

Why can't yakuza play golf?

The police said the three played together at a golf course in Osaka Prefecture in March last year after hiding that they were gangsters. The golf course bans yakuza, they said, adding Kyo has kept silent and Watanabe has denied he is a mobster.

Why is golf so big in Japan?

“There has always been many core golf fans in Japan, but with the pandemic, Japan also saw a huge surge in golf popularity with new people joining the game so there were many more new fans this time around,” Ishizaka said.

How many golf clubs are in Japan?

According to the National Golf Foundation, Japan has 2,227 golf facilities (seven percent of the world's supply) for its 127 million people – or 57,000 people per course.

Is golf popular in Asia?

There are billions of golf tourist dollars up for grabs, and Asian golf is getting more popular every year.

Does Japan have more golf courses than the US?

There are around 10 million golfers and 2,450 golf courses in Japan (compared to 25 million golfers and 13,600 golf courses in the United States).

How many 18 hole golf courses are there in Japan?

The English guide to golf courses in Japan

Golf in Japan is the comprehensive guide in English for Japanese golf featuring detailed information on 'all' 2,349 eighteen hole or more golf establishments in Japan.

How much is a round of golf in Tokyo?

You can expect to pay 10,000 yen, or about 90 U.S. dollars, for a weekday round at a top-notch facility near Tokyo. That same club on a weekend will run you about double that price, and in some cases more. If you venture about two hours from the city you can find some great deals.

Are there a lot of golf courses in Japan?

In a golfing culture so finely curated as this, the essence is hard to miss. There are some 2,200 golf courses here, as many as the U.K. and Ireland combined.

Is golf becoming less popular?

Since 2003, there has been a consistent annual decline in the number of golf players. There were 6.8 million fewer golfers in 2018 compared to 2003 — a loss of 22 percent.

Is golf gaining or losing popularity?

Golf is on the decline in America. That reality has finally smacked us in the face like a two-by-four. The number of core American golfers (those playing eight rounds or more per year) has fallen between three and 4.5 percent every year since 2006.

Where is the golf capital of the world?

Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the Grand Strand has a golf course for every level! Thanks to it being the area with the most golf courses, per-capita, Myrtle Beach has been named the Golf Capital of the World!

What country invented golf?

Golf originated from a game played on the eastern coast of Scotland, in an area close to the royal capital of Edinburgh. In those early days players would attempt to hit a pebble over sand dunes and around tracks using a bent stick or club.

Is golf popular in Spain?

Spain's geographic diversity and excellent weather makes it ideal for golfing and one of the most popular holiday golfing destinations in the world.

Is yakuza illegal in Japan?

These activities make the relationship between yakuza and police in Japan a complicated one; yakuza membership itself is not illegal, and yakuza-owned businesses and gang headquarters are often clearly marked. Gang whereabouts and activities are often known to Japanese police without the latter's taking any action.

What is the yakuza code?

The Yakuza Code of Ethics prohibits anything that may be considered an indecent act, or an act that goes against Ninkyodo (Chivalry). Reasoning - The Yakuza were known as the chivalrous organization of their community. The whole purpose of the Yakuza was to serve their own form of justice.

How are the yakuza treated in Japan?

They dress nicely, are respectful and talk politely – when not trying to make money. Violence for the most part happens between gang branches or non-yakuza gangs within Japan. The yakuza punish their own, sometimes infamously forcing the person who did wrong to remove the tip of a finger as a form of apology.