October 2020 National Rounds Played Report

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Play increases continued in October, with the national rounds total jumping by 32.2% over a year ago.

The industry is now 10.8% ahead of last year’s pace despite losing 20 million rounds in the spring due to the coronavirus, according to Golf Datatech’s monthly report.

October marked the fifth straight month that play has been up year-over-year in every state in the continental U.S. and continues a streak of ascending monthly increases. June was up 14% YOY, followed by increases of approximately 20% in July, 21% in August and 26% in September.

October’s YOY increase was the biggest yet this year, percentage-wise, and represents just over 11 million additional rounds for the month than in 2019. Since June, the surges translate to more than 50 million incremental rounds.

For perspective, the last rounds-played increase of 5% or more for a full year was in 2012, when an early-season heatwave contributed to a major uptick in play in parts of the country typically still in their offseason. This year, the industry faced a -16% deficit in play at the start of May before unprecedented surges in rounds nationwide.