A symbol of wealth and social standing in Japan 40 years ago, golf suffered a deep downswing in its popularity after the nation's economic bubble burst in the early 1990s.
With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and a dramatic shift in the lifestyles of many Japanese, the sport is enjoying new-found popularity.
The Golf Digest Online course reservation site reported a record number of bookings in calendar 2020, up 12% on the previous year, while the organization for golf course operators announced that player numbers were up 10% in October compared to that of the same month one year earlier, which was before the pandemic struck.
Similarly, operators of golf driving ranges and companies selling golfing equipment and specialist clothing for the sport are all reporting increased sales.
The recent boom in the sport is "incredible," says Bennett Galloway, president and CEO of the Galloway Golf Group and a player in Japan for 30 years. And he says that while it may have been prompted by the pandemic, it may very well be sustained by changing social attitudes here.
