Golf equipment is already a multibillion-dollar market. AI could be about to supercharge it

Golf is experiencing something of a boom. Following a resurgence during the pandemic, participation numbers hit record heights last year. More than 160 million people around the world played some form of golf in 2025, marking an almost 50% rise from 2023.

Driving ranges like Topgolf and indoor virtual simulators have also helped grow participation in the sport, with a new wave of casual players driving demand for golf gadgets. And in 2026, where there are gadgets, there is artificial intelligence.

The global golf equipment market grew to an estimated $20.9 billion in 2026, according to market research company Mordor Intelligence. Among the most influential factors identified for the projected rise is the adoption of AI-driven technology.

Its impact is being felt from the club-factory floor to the fairway — all the way to a virtual version of the sport’s most important assistant: the caddy. Botronics, a startup based in Nivelles, Belgium, has developed a self-driving golf trolley billed as a digital caddie that can not only carry clubs, but offer advice too.

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