Mind-blowing stat reveals how long UK golfers spend on the road

For all the UK golfers out there, we’ve got quite the stat for you.

While you might want to know how much time you spend ON the golf course each year, this very well might shock you even more.

For context, it’s part of new research conducted by Edinburgh Executive Travel, a premium chauffeur service that runs across East Lothian and beyond.

And their mission? To better understand the behaviours, challenges, and preferences of UK golfers who like to travel.

So, here goes nothing.

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According to EET, golfers in the UK spend a staggering 25 million hours a year driving to and from their favourite courses.

In case you haven’t done the maths, that’s the equivalent of over a million days lost on the road.

Per golfer, it breaks down to around 37 hours of driving every year – equivalently, almost a full working week behind the wheel just getting to the first tee.

There is reason for it, however, just ask James Ritchie, founder of Edinburgh Executive Travel.

“Golf is a game that prizes attention to detail and a sense of occasion,” he said.

“But for many golfers, the lead-up to the first tee is spent in traffic, battling directions, or stuffing clubs into cramped boots.

“We launched EET Golf to change that – to make the journey an enjoyable and luxurious part of the day.”

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There is, of course, method to the madness.

It’s estimated that golf club members in the UK play an average of around 37 rounds of golf per year, while estimates based on forum discussions and golf tourism research suggests the average round-trip to a course takes around one hour.

Multiply that by the number of golfers and you get a figure around 25 million hours per year.

And the figure does not include additional travel by international tourists or casual golfers, so the true number is likely even higher!

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.