iGolf Nomadic Handicap System Doubles Subscribers In Second Year

Subscribers to England Golf's iGolf platform have doubled to over 50,000 in its second year, with also an increase in players then joining golf clubs

England Golf's new initiative iGolf has had impressive results
(Image credit: Getty Images / England Golf)
Paul Higham
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England Golf has doubled the number of subscribers to its iGolf platform to over 50,000 as the independent golfer handicap scheme also proves to be a productive pathway into club membership.

The iGolf platform is used by golfers who are not club members to submit scorecards and get a Handicap Index before tracking and trying to improve their game.

After being launched in 2021, the second year of iGolf saw the number of subscribers double to over 50,000, while the number of players then going on to join golf clubs rose sharply from 1,440 to over 6,000 in year two.

The number of golf clubs now taking on iGolf subscribers as members rose to 1,320 while the average age of players using the platform being 42 is welcome news for England Golf as they look to attract a younger demographic.

Over 500,000 rounds have been recorded on the platform as golfers track their progress, and the scheme has been such a success that England Golf are staging the first ever iGolf Open at their headquarters at Woodhall Spa on August 18.

"The growth and vibrancy we've seen in the last two years is a testament to the impact iGolf is making,” said England Golf chief operating officer Richard Flint.

“We're not just increasing numbers, we're reaching the targets we set, engaging with a group of golfers who previously had no official means of obtaining a Handicap Index, increasing participation levels of the sport, as well as benefiting the network of clubs up and down the country.”

Woodhall Spa Hotchkin course 16th hole

Woodhall Spa will host the inaugural iGolf Open in August

(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

More iGolf events could well follow as the scheme moves into its third year with plenty of golfers seemingly keen to get a handicap first before settling on a club membership.

One famous face using the platform is former England goalkeeper Jack Butland, who is using iGolf to try and lower his handicap.

“For me, it’s given me a target to achieve a lower handicap, but also has become a fun tool to compete with friends, track each other’s progress and have side matches between us using the app,” said Butland.

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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