Which Australian state can really call itself the home of golf? We built Battle of the States to answer exactly that - an interactive breakdown of golf participation across every state and territory, built on 12.2 million handicap-eligible rounds. Here are the headline findings, and what they reveal about where Australian golf is growing fastest.
The methodology
Battle of the States draws on national handicap and participation data covering more than 12.2 million rounds played across Australia in the 2025–26 season (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026). Each state and territory is ranked across four pillars: how much they play (volume), how fast they're growing (momentum), how often each golfer plays (dedication), and how well they score (skill).
Rounds played by state, 2025–26
Volume is the clearest single measure of how much a state plays - and it isn't close at the top. New South Wales alone accounts for more than a third of every handicap round played in the country.
Share of the national game
Put another way, just two states - New South Wales and Victoria - account for well over half of every handicap round played in Australia.
| State / Territory | Total Rounds | Share of National Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 4.21 million | 34.4% |
| Victoria | 3.36 million | 27.5% |
| Queensland | 2.11 million | 17.3% |
| Western Australia | 1.11 million | 9.1% |
| South Australia | 829,000 | 6.8% |
| Tasmania | 321,000 | 2.6% |
| ACT | 232,000 | 1.9% |
| Northern Territory | 50,000 | 0.4% |
| National total | 12.2 million | 100% |
Explore the full interactive version at battle-of-the-states.netlify.app.
The four title winners
Volume is only one pillar. Across all four measures, four different states and territories took top honours - proof that "biggest" and "best" aren't the same thing.
| Pillar | Winner | The Number |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | New South Wales | 4.21 million rounds — a third of the national total |
| Momentum | Queensland | +7.6% year-on-year (~148,912 extra rounds) |
| Dedication | Western Australia | 28.4 rounds per golfer — nearly three clear of any other state |
| Skill | ACT | 16.98 average handicap — the lowest in the country |
Four things the data reveals
1. NSW dominates on sheer volume
With 4.21 million rounds - 34.4% of every round played in the country - New South Wales is comfortably Australia's biggest golfing state by participation. It's also, unsurprisingly, the single largest market for golf equipment, new and used.
2. Queensland and Victoria are the growth engines
Queensland posted the fastest single-season growth at +7.6%, adding roughly 148,900 rounds year-on-year. Victoria has added close to 250,000 rounds over three years (+8.0%), cementing its place as the clear number two behind NSW.
3. WA golfers are the most dedicated
Western Australians play 28.4 rounds per golfer - nearly three more than any other state. WA sits mid-table on total volume (1.11 million rounds), but its golfers are among the most active in the country on a per-person basis. More rounds per golfer means faster equipment wear - and more clubs cycling into the second-hand market.
4. The ACT punches above its weight on skill
The nation's lowest average handicap (16.98) belongs to the ACT - despite it being one of the smallest jurisdictions by volume (232,000 rounds). A small but seriously sharp field.
Average handicap: how the states score
Among the states with published figures, there's less than a shot and a half separating them - but the ACT's golfers are measurably the sharpest.
What this means for the used-club market
Participation data is really a map of demand. The states playing the most rounds - and growing the fastest - are where the most golf equipment changes hands, new and used. NSW and Victoria alone represent nearly 62% of all rounds, while dedicated-but-smaller markets like WA cycle clubs through faster on a per-golfer basis. As more Australians take up the game and existing golfers play more often, the second-hand market grows right alongside it.
At Rising Sun Clubs we ship professionally graded, pre-owned Japanese golf clubs to every state and territory in this study. Wherever your state landed on the ladder, you can browse our current range of used golf clubs here.
Explore the full data
See how your state stacks up across all four measures in the interactive Battle of the States, and read Golf Australia's official write-up in Golf's State of Origin.
Data sources: Battle of the States (Rising Sun Clubs) and Golf Australia / GOLF.com.au Insights Hub, powered by Capital.com GA Handicap, 2025–26 season (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026).