Sport Australia's AusPlay and Community Perceptions Monitor surveys found the pandemic drove up rates of participation in the two sports and other recreational activities.

An estimated 253,000 more Australian adults participated in golf in 2020 compared with 2019 while 185,000 more played tennis.

The survey found the coronavirus pandemic was still a deterrent for participation in organised sport across Australia.

Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton said while the pandemic had resulted in a dip in participation for some sports, others had risen.

"While men drove the increases in golf, tennis, and mountain biking, women contributed more than men to the increases in walking, running, bush walking, swimming and yoga," Dalton said.

"Sports like golf and tennis, which weren't as affected by lockdowns and restrictions, have seen significant increases in overall participation over the past 12 months."

Warrnambool tennis coach Joe Hakimi said he saw numbers at Supergrasse Tennis Complex increase late last year.

He noticed around a 15 per cent increase before it returned to normal when other sports started again over summer and into winter.

"Around that October-November-December we really had a big increase as people weren't able to participate in sports other than tennis and golf and to some degree we benefitted from it," he said.

"It is now back to what they were in past seasons because people are able to play other sports again. Numbers have gone back to where they've been before."

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Hakimi said it was a mix of genders and ages taking up the sport.

He said he had not changed how he advertised through the club's social media and that the growth was natural due to it being one of the few sports available at the time.

Dalton said the survey found 80 per cent of adults and children who played organised sport before COVID-19, had returned to at least one by March 2021.

However, restrictions on junior sport saw the percentage of children and teenagers who played organised sport outside of school at least once a week drop from 55 per cent in 2019 to 43 in 2020.

Warrnambool Table Tennis Association was one south-west club which experienced a drop in participation across the board but especially its juniors due to the pandemic.

The research found the top reasons children hadn't returned were primarily because junior competition had not restarted (37 per cent) and they had concerns about COVID-19 (31 per cent).

WTTA president Mark Taylor said it had been a long 12 months trying to get people to return.

"It was very hard to get people used to a particular day to play for them to come back," he said. "At the start of year we had a successful come and try day and then had to close down.

"The main impact lockdown has had is we are struggling this year with junior numbers.

"COVID didn't cause that lack of numbers but it didn't help in terms of kids going a whole 12 months not playing where they could find something else to do so we are struggling in that regard."

Taylor said there was positive signs - numbers were starting to return - but volunteer issues stemming from the pandemic were holding the association black.

"People are coming back, which is terrific, but again the volunteers had 12 months off too, which is a substantial break, and it's hard getting people back into the mode," he said.

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The Sport Australia survey's results found 53 per cent of adults who volunteered before the pandemic were back volunteering by March 2021 compared with 30 per cent in August 2020.

Taylor said the association was working hard to draw players and volunteers back in again after the most recent Victorian lockdown.

The WTTA has social games, Monday pennant and free coaching available for its members with head coach Trevor McDowell.

Taylor said when more volunteers returned it would start a junior program and possibly host another come-and-try day at its Cramer Street home.

Pennant, which has social and competitive grades, costs $5 or $7 a week to play.

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