UK parents face costs of nearly £380 per child to get their kids into golf

Golf finishes third as the most expensive sport for kids in 2024.

09 Jan 2024

UK parents face costs of nearly £380 per child to get their kids into golf

New research by retail company Sports Direct has revealed parents in the United Kingdom are required to pay an average £374 for their child's first year in golf.

The study saw golf finish third behind cricket and skiing as the most expensive sport for kids to get started out in.

Cricket took the top spot with a total start-up cost of £419, with skiing in second £385.

For golf, the research found parents are required to pay an average of £374 for their child’s first year participating, with equipment costing £224, and training or participation fees costing an average of £150.

Other sports ranking in the top 10 included rugby (£338), football (£334), boxing (£316), tennis (£289), athletics (£237), basketball (£228) and hockey (£224).

Swimming, which is regarded as the most popular sport for 5-10 year olds in the UK, finished at the bottom of the pile on £131.

According to Statista.com, nine in 10 (86%) of 5 to 15 year-old's participate in physical activity in 2024.

Does golf cost too much to play for youngsters, and in general in 2024? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.

Sports Direct's latest research also examined access to sports clubs and facilities around the UK, to reveal the cities with the best and worst access to sport in the country.

With 110 sports clubs, and 44 clubs per 100,000 people, Wolverhampton is the city best served by sporting facilities.

Meanwhile, despite having the most sports clubs in total (238), London has the lowest access to facilities in the country, with only 3 per 100,000 Londoners.

Despite the importance of sport however, due to the cost of living crisis, many parents face the difficult decision of whether or not they can continue to afford to pay for their child to take part in extra curricular sports and activities.

To help address this problem, Sports Direct has launched an initiative to help cut down on the cost involved with children’s sports.

With equipment costs making up a large part of the initial cost parents face getting their children involved in sports, Sports Direct is launching an indefinite discount scheme, offering savings of up to 70% across a range of core products for multiple sports.

The discount scheme will be available for all parents, meaning that parents will be able to save money keeping their child in a sport, as well as getting started with a new one.

Scott Sparks, Sports Digital Trading Lead at Sports Direct, said:

"Sport is a vital part of childhood development, with benefits for both mental and physical health, as well as their confidence and social skills. However, due to the cost of living crisis, many parents across the country may find themselves unable to afford to continue to pay for their child to participate in sport.

"As one of the biggest costs associated with kids’ sports is the cost of purchasing new equipment, we’re pleased to launch our discount scheme to help take some of the financial burden off parents.

"So whether your child needs a new set of golf clubs, or they’ve outgrown their old pair of adidas boots, we hope that this initiative goes some way towards helping keep them playing the sports they love."

For more information and to access the discount scheme, please click here.