[Guancha] The Spread of Indoor Golf Centered on GOLFZON China: How Far Can Golf Go Mainstream?

Guancha (观察者网) reported that indoor golf is rapidly going mainstream in China, primarily among the middle class, with simulator golf venues emerging as the key driver of this trend. The article stated that, as of 2024, China’s golf population reached approximately 5.4 million, that the indoor golf venues operated by the three partner companies of the China Golf Association numbered 1,859, and that in 2025 the total number of golf venues nationwide surpassed 2,000.

It reported that GOLFZON China Chairman Park Young-jo emphasized that the core competitive strengths of indoor golf are the convenience of being able to play anytime without constraints of weather, distance, or time, along with data-based analysis and tournament and social features. The article noted that it is difficult to generate profit by operating a golf venue alone, and that a complex space model combining various business formats such as food and beverage, bars, and entertainment has now become the mainstream business model.

It reported that GOLFZON is expanding golf into everyday living spaces by partnering with more than 100 universities, premium residential complexes, hotels, and fitness centers across the country, and that the Secretary-General of the China Golf Association noted that maintaining just a 3% retention rate among the indoor golf participant population could create a new population equivalent to 50% of the current core golf population.