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The all-new and improved NGF.org
Thousands of members rely on the NGF. We aim to serve them better (and our future members out there) by providing the most accurate and latest golf business data and trends in a more modern way.
The all-new NGF.org has been more than a year in the making and, in addition to reports and publications from the best research team in golf, there are free-to-read industry "Viewpoint" and "Spotlight" stories, as well as valuable overviews on specific topics and an archive of data, information and insight in the member-only Vault that's sure to keep you coming back for more.
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Explore golf’s geographic footprint through our interactive map to learn how many courses and golf-related businesses are in each state.
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2020 Industry Facts
Reports & Publications
The NGF’s reports and publications are free to members, providing information and intel to make better-informed decisions. Browse our catalog, from annual reports on participation and golf course supply to more focused reports on key golfer segments and business categories.
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Amid Beginner Influx, Where Are the Introductory Golf Programs for Adults?
Consider this. There were 3 million beginning golfers in the U.S. in 2020 – a record high – and the number of newcomers will top that total this year. Also…
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Rethinking the Retention Question
As golf’s pandemic-fueled high tide reaches its 18th month in the U.S., we continue to field questions about the mid- and longer-term sustainability of more players and higher engagement, which…
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September 2021 National Rounds Played
Rounds played for September were down 8% nationwide compared to 2020, but continue to trend ahead of recent non-pandemic years. Although play in recent months has trailed the torrid…
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Play It Forward – Ten Years Later
Ten years ago, the PGA of America and the USGA announced a joint initiative encouraging golfers to play from tees that best suited their game. Tee It Forward was inspired…
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August 2021 National Rounds Played Report
Rounds played for August were down 7.3% nationwide compared to 2020’s end-of-summer surge, although play continues to trend ahead of recent non-pandemic years. August is typically one of the three…
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Golf Around the World
Did you know that 82% of countries worldwide have golf courses – from American Samoa to Zambia? Or that there are more than 38,000 courses globally? Only 7-Eleven and Subway have…
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Tiger’s Long Tale
Tiger Woods is one of the very best things that ever happened to golf. A quarter century ago, he turned pro, and two simple words reshaped the business of golf.…
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July 2021 National Rounds Played Report
Rounds played continued to see encouraging momentum during July even though year-over-year play was actually down compared to last year’s pandemic-fueled summer surge. July is typically the highest-volume month…
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Course Supply Leveling Out
This could be the year golf course supply in the U.S. levels out. For about the past 15 years, total supply in the world’s biggest golf market has been slowly…
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Rounds Played Continue at Elevated Levels
The most frequently asked question since the beginning of the year, and even before then, was whether the elevated level of golf activity (equipment sales, rounds played, overall participation) would…
Read MoreThe most reliable source for golf industry information.
The NGF’s proprietary data and research is regularly cited by national news organizations in stories that highlight the health and vitality of the golf industry. See the latest buzz:
"Following the recent report that the golf industry drove $84.1 billion in economic activity in the United States in 2016, an increase of 22.1 percent since 2011, the National Golf Foundation offered more modestly encouraging numbers about the health of the game with Tuesday’s release of its annual Golf Industry Report..."
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"The National Golf Foundation's latest list of the Top 100 businesses in golf... is a deep dive into a diverse group of leading companies, organizations and associations that span a multitude of verticals within the $84 billion golf industry."
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"...According to a report from the National Golf Foundation, roughly 51% of Topgolf guests in 2017 were people who had never played traditional golf.
Of these non-golfers, 75% said they were interested in playing traditional golf after visiting a Topgolf location..."
