Rounds of golf in February 2023 were down about 3% on a national level year-over-year, impacted most notably by storm-related play declines in California.
Through the first two months of the season, rounds are up 1.8% compared to 2022, which ranked as one of the top four years on record for play.
In February, weather always plays a significant role in the YOY swings, particularly in northern states hoping to get an early start on the golf season. This was most evident in the Mid-Atlantic region (New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania), where February 2023 play was up almost 114% as the average temperature for the month was almost 5 degrees higher than last year and precipitation levels were down 48%.
In the East North Central region, some golf courses in Illinois and Ohio were able to get a lot more golf than last February, but wintry conditions kept golfers off the course altogether in the golf-rich states of Michigan and Wisconsin. Play was down 34% YOY in the region.
In the Pacific Region, February play was down 20% versus the same time last year. The biggest declines were in California (-21.4%) as winter storm systems not only brought frigid temperatures to the state, but floods and, in some areas, blizzard conditions.
January and February typically account for only about 10% of annual play.
NGF provides facility-level rounds data to Golf Datatech in helping compile the free, monthly play reports on behalf of the golf industry. Click the image below to see the full report. ⬇
For a historical archive of Rounds Played reports, click here
