April 29, 2026

When you golf with Garmin, you get a lot of data. Like, a lot of data. You get helpful health insights from your Garmin golf smartwatch, precise distance measurements from your rangefinder so you know what’s ahead, and robust ball and club metrics from a launch monitor to improve your game.

But you might wonder how your stats fit in with Garmin golfers across the globe. This is our latest deep dive into data logged in the Garmin Golf™ app, an interactive tool used by golf lovers worldwide to track, analyze and share their activities on the links. As you gather your gear for the upcoming golf season, let’s look at how golfers completed their rounds in 2025 compared to 2024.

Here are a few of the 2025 highlights:

• The number of Garmin golfers under age 20 increased markedly in 2025 from 2024.
• Golfers who used a Garmin launch monitor for at least six months saw a meaningful decrease in their average score.
• Garmin golfers hit the fairway more than a third of the time (and how that compares to the pros).
• Of the locales with the best median handicaps, we have a list of the most popular courses for Garmin golfers around the world — from California in the U.S. to North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.
• Strength training and yoga were two ways Garmin golfers stayed active beyond golf — and they did those activities significantly more than in 2024.

How many more golfers hit the course — and how often?

There’s something special about setting up the tee, perfecting your swing and walking across the green. And more people — especially young golfers — are seeing the appeal. When breaking down the increase in golfers who used a Garmin device by age, young people led the growth in 2025 compared to 2024. In 2025, we saw 76% growth in golfers under age 20. Golfers 20–29 grew 53% while golfers 30–39 grew 18%. Golfers 40–49 grew 15% and those 50–59 grew 12%.

If you have a junior golfer in your life, might we recommend Approach® J1? It’s the first GPS golf watch specifically designed for youth golfers, built to help them learn the game and track their performance.

The median number of golf rounds rose by 13%, with golfers on average squeezing in one more round in 2025 compared to 2024. The number of female and male golfers using Garmin devices each increased about 16%.

The number of real-life rounds increased 17% while the number of virtual rounds increased 58%. (We like to think the premium all-in-one experience you get on the Approach R50 launch monitor and simulator has something to do with that.)

When it comes to virtual rounds, it’s hard to beat the Home Tee Hero app¹. You get more than 43,000 courses to choose from, more realistic graphics and an added on-course practice mode, making it easier than ever to focus on improving your game.

How well were Garmin golfers swinging?

OK, so Garmin golfers were spending more time on the links. How well were they actually performing?

We found that golfers who used a Garmin launch monitor for at least 6 months had average scores that were 4.4 strokes lower after use. Golfers must have played at least 20 rounds before and 20 rounds after getting the launch monitor, using it at least 5 times. Practice makes perfect, after all.

Garmin golfers hit the fairway 37% of the time. (That’s including only included those who played a full round of golf in person and those whose rounds were added to either the Garmin Golf app or their Garmin golf device.) Keep in mind, though, that the average for PGA TOUR pros was 59% through the 2025 season — so maybe that 37% isn’t too shabby.

If you struggle to choose which golf club to use or have a hard time avoiding different hazards, a Garmin golf smartwatch such as Approach S70 could help. This Garmin GPS golf watch offers a virtual caddie feature to help you choose your club. This feature also provides a shot dispersion chart to help you determine which club choice gives you the best chance to hit the fairway and avoid hazards.

The median handicap for Garmin golfers was 14 in 2025. If you’re wondering how your handicap stacks up to other locales, we’ve got that answer too. Here’s a sample of 10 median handicaps across the globe.

How close was your handicap to the median? If you’ve got some work to do, we’re here to help. With a Garmin golf launch monitor¹, you can get precise ball and club metrics that analyze your swing. Plus, you can use the golf simulator on Approach R50 (for the ultimate simulator experience) or Approach R10 with a paired smartphone or tablet to spend more time practicing, whether you’re home or on the course¹.

How have Garmin golfers improved?

Ever wondered how your performance measures across different areas of the game, including drives, approach, chip, putt or even bunker shots? That’s where strokes gained comes in. This…