3-Minute Business Insights
Short Game
Amid recent increases in participation and play, it isn’t uncommon to hear some golfers lamenting greater limitations on tee time availability. So when it comes to public golf access, where is demand at the highest levels?
Topics: Daily Fee, Facility Supply, Municipal Golf, Public Golf, State Participation
U.S. golf course development and investment in existing faciltiies are up, including an increased number of renovations, reconstructions, and resurrections. Meanwhile, the number of annual course closures has decreased for five straight years, with the 2024 total dipping to its lowest levels in two decades. The result is a supply stability that has legs.
Topics: Closures, Construction, Development, Facilities, Facility Supply
The face of golf may have changed more in the past five years than the previous 50. Golf’s latest participation numbers are out and they reveal unprecedented diversity in the game -- both on and off the course.
Topics: Beginners, Demand, Engagement, General Interest, Golfers
When a tee time goes unfilled, a golf course doesn’t just lose the greens fee – it loses all the revenue accompaniments that would have come with it. It’s why we dove deeper into the concept of RevPOTT, or the estimated total revenue per occupied tee time at public golf facilities.
Topics: Consumer Spending, Economy, Engagement, Facilities, Facility Operations
NGF's annual state-of-industry report is out and available for members, providing a holistic look at the U.S. golf industry for 2024. Momentum across the recreational side of the U.S. golf industry remained broadly positive this past year, and future indicators point to sustainability when it comes to participation and play.
Topics: Economy, Facilities, Facility Supply, Golf Courses, Golf Facilities
Recreational golf has enjoyed a renaissance in the post-pandemic era – with increases in participation, play and engagement – and a key driver has been an increasingly positive narrative surrounding the game. Perceptions of golf and golf’s brand have shifted dramatically over the past decade or so, and social media has helped lead the charge.
Topics: Engagement, General Interest, Golfers, Image Of The Game, Latent Demand
Approximately half of Core Golfers say golf gifting is a part of their holiday routine. And whether through a specialty golf retailer or a channel like Amazon, a growing percentage are buying golf-related items online.
Topics: Consumer Spending, Economy, Engagement, Equipment, Retail
Amid the uptick in golf construction (and understandable excitement about a few brand new courses), perhaps the most noteworthy sign of the health and vitality in U.S. golf supply is the considerable investment being made in existing facilities.
Topics: Facilities, Facility Supply, General Interest, Golf Courses, Golf Facilities
When looking at rounds-played momentum on the heels of the peak season, the only real question has been whether the weather will hold up. Hurricane season was a not-so-gentle reminder of the impact weather has on an outdoor sport like golf.
Topics: Facilities, Facility Operations, General Interest, Golf Courses, Golf Facilities
With the influx of new golfers in the post-Covid era and the perceptions that the game is becoming younger and cooler, has the average age of a golfer changed much? NGF research shows that 71% of the post-pandemic rounds growth has come from golfers under the age of 50.
Topics: Age, Engagement, General Interest, Golfer Age Groups, Golfers
Golf isn’t a game of perfect. There’s always room for improvement. Better performance invariably leads to more play… and, in turn, more spend and a deeper connection. So, how many golfers are taking instruction? And what's the overall economic impact of the tens of millions of lessons on the industry at large?
Topics: Engagement, Facilities, Game Improvement, General Interest, Golf Lessons
Golf course living, in general, is enjoying a rebound like the game itself in the post-pandemic era. And golf-related real estate is a topic we’re asked about frequently and a subject our consulting team addresses regularly with developers and municipal planning boards or other authorities.
Topics: Construction, Development, Facilities, Facility Supply, General Interest
