Sports have played a prominent role in UK society for centuries. The country has a national team in virtually every international competition, and horse racing boasts deep roots in British culture. Naturally, when one thinks of athletic competitions in Britain, football is the first sport to come to mind, followed by rugby or cricket. The country has a rich heritage in all three, and golf is another pastime that not only enjoys a decent level of popularity in this part of the Old Continent but originated in Scotland as an activity practiced by gentlemen from The Land of the Brave.
Despite what some Brits may think, golf is still enjoying stunning growth in the UK. The latest data shows that around 5.6 million residents played it in 2022, a figure that represents the second-highest number in well over three decades. Some say that participation-wise, golf is now on par with football in the United Kingdom. However, concerning public interest, it is no contest. In 2022, Premier League clubs’ revenues hit £5.5 billion, with England’s premium football club competition getting watched by an audience surpassing three billion people globally.
Moreover, the list of online bookmakers on UK sites that see tremendous betting action on football is immense. Golf cannot match these stats, or any other realistically. Still, the sport itself has carved out a massive fan base in Britain, and below, we shall do a quick dive exploring the distinctive relationship between it and Europe’s favorite pastime, the second most important thing in life – football.
Shared Sporting Values
Without argument, golf gets super commonly played by footballers. Even though one is an individual sport and the other a team one, they share surprisingly many similarities. Both require composure and cooperation. Of course, stamina has an essential role in football, and golf is a more leisure-based activity. Still, the demand for participants to stay calm under pressure is the same in the two. Furthermore, strategy in set pieces is also a shared aspect, not to mention maintaining high levels of sportsmanship.
Hence, it is easy to see why many Brits like combining these two activities on the weekend, whether as something they engage in or watch at home on the TV. The Open Championship, nicknamed the British Open, draws an annual US audience of over two million. And it posts even higher numbers in Old Blighty, proving the previous statement.
Famous Golfers/Footballers That Love Football/Golf
The pack of British footie stars, active and retired, who adore teeing off in the morning is extensive. It includes the likes of Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Alan Shearer, and Gary Lineker. Even renowned footballer turned Hollywood star Vinnie Jones likes to hit the greens now and again.
On the flip side, golfers who have gotten obsessed with football include Rory McIlroy, a lifelong Manchester United fan, and Ian Poulter, who supports Arsenal. Justin Rose is an ardent Blues supporter. And High Wycombe native Tyrell Hatton pledges allegiance to Liverpool.
What About FootGolf?
What is FootGolf? It is a novel hybrid sport that seeks to combine football and golf, implementing many of the rules of the latter. It now gets played in more than thirty countries, receiving a mixed reception from fans of both sports.
Invented in the Netherlands in 2009, this bizarre mix is not going anywhere soon. That is so because it even has a FootGolf World Cup, with the first such tournament getting held in Hungary in 2012, with eight countries participating. The UK even managed to notch a female World Champion in Footgolf in the 2018 World Cup when Sophie Brown took home the women’s individual gold for Britain.