July 2019 National Rounds Played Report

Click image to view the full July 2019 rounds played report.

The number of golf rounds played nationwide during the month of July was essentially unchanged, down 0.1% year-over-year. Because of that, the national year-to-date total improved slightly to -0.7% through the first seven months of 2019 (compared to -1% through June).

June, July and August are typically the heaviest months for play, so a strong turnout on the August tee sheet could help the industry bounce back from the downturn in 2018, when total rounds decreased 4.8% to 434 million, in part due to the third-wettest year on record dating back to 1895.

Precipitation was actually up by at least 10% in five of the eight geographic regions in July. That includes the Pacific region, where rounds played rose 3.6% despite a 250% jump in rainfall. In California, which has the most golfers of any state, play was up 3.4%, with the biggest increase in Palm Springs (+10.6%).

By comparison, June play was down 3.9% in Florida, which has more golf courses than any other state in the country.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, one of the most popular golf destinations in the nation, experienced an 11.4% rise in July rounds at its 73 facilities, the biggest increase of any metro area included in the monthly report.