9-Hole Facility Supply Trend

Did you know that the number of 9-hole golf facilities in the U.S. outnumbered the number of 18-hole facilities until the 1970's? The 1960's ushered in the democratization of golf, helped in part by a charismatic "everyman" in Arnold Palmer, as demand from a growing middle class drove the development of public courses across the nation. From 1960 through 1975, more than 5,000 new facilities were opened -- and the majority of those were 18 holes rather than 9. Since 1980, the number of 9-hole facilities has dropped fairly significantly, either due to closures or, more frequently, adding another nine to bring them to 18 holes (...