Engagement with the Game
best-supplied golf market
We're the NGF. We bring golf businesses together. Data sets them apart. Our knowledge drives them forward.
Trusted by the most successful companies as the leading authority on the game and business of golf.
Our unique Board of Directors is comprised of leaders from various sectors of the industry, a diversity that brings broad perspective to our work.
Learn more about the trends impacting golf businesses.
As the industry’s leading independent and objective information resource, we provide our members with a comprehensive library of golf research and insights on the state of the game.
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.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Just ask. We’ve learned a lot in our 80-year history and chances are we have insights that will help.
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Golf Industry Facts
Golf by State
Explore golf’s geographic footprint through our interactive map to learn how many courses and golf-related businesses are in each state.
Looking for a specific course or business? Search our database.
The Q – The only publication for everyone interested in the business of golf
Q&A: Golfballs.com Founder and CEO Tom Cox
Over the past 25 years, Tom Cox has grown Golfballs.com from a startup that sold used golf balls found in lakes to a world leader in the online sale of…
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Don’t Miss NGF’s Complimentary PGA Show Seminars
If you’re looking to take your business to the next level in 2020 and be better informed about the industry overall, be sure to attend these complimentary seminars hosted by…
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Introducing ‘The International 25’
The ‘International 25’ is an extension of the NGF’s recognition of the top businesses and organizations in golf, further demonstrating the size and scope of the industry. On this list…
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10 Top Golf Course Openings for 2020
One of the many beauties of the game of golf is that every playing field, every canvas, is different. From seaside links and mountainside layouts to classic parkland designs, there’s…
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The NGF’s Top 100 Businesses in Golf — New For 2020
The start of a new decade brings the second installment of the National Golf Foundation’s Top 100 Businesses in Golf initiative, an effort that highlights the vitality, size and diversity…
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Sizing Up Golf’s $2.9 Billion Club and Ball Market
The equipment industry is the most commercially visible sector in golf, thanks to clubs and balls from major manufacturers found in millions of golf bags around the country, not to…
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NGF Research Snapshot: Family Golf
While golf can be a solitary game, golfers play with family or friends more often than not. Approximately two-thirds of golfers say they played golf on a course with…
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November 2019 National Rounds Played
Rounds of golf for November 2019 rose 9.8% nationally compared to a year ago thanks to significantly less precipitation in six of eight geographic regions, with more favorable…
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Is CBD Gaining a Foothold in Golf Retail?
Golf is the game of a lifetime, with participants playing into their Golden Years and beyond. It’s also a game of imperfection, which is why even the best golfers are…
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Bringing Winter Sports to the Golf Course
Winter means the end of golf season in a large swath of the country. But courses in the regions that see snow and frigid temperatures don’t all go unoccupied during…
Read MoreWe’re Not Only Golf’s Go-To Source for Data and Research
We Also Provide a Wide Variety of Specialized Services to Help Businesses Compete More Effectively
From e-mail and database marketing to custom research and course-operations consulting, businesses throughout the industry engage the NGF’s team of professional analysts and advisors for personalized solutions. Find out how we can help you.
Custom Research
The NGF custom research team designs and executes qualitative and quantitative research studies to answer specific client questions. How is my brand perceived vs. competition? What’s the appeal of a new product idea – and how can it be optimized? Who’s my best customer target?
Market & Account Analytics
With nearly 15,000 golf facilities in the US, no company has the staff or resources to chase every sales opportunity. And while it may be easy to identify the biggest green grass accounts and the iconic venues across the US, it becomes much more challenging to prioritize the next tiers – how to target and allocate limited business development resources.
Facility Consulting
NGF’s facility consulting division has been providing advisory services to golf course owners, prospective owners, lenders and a broad spectrum of other clients for over 30 years. The NGF Consulting practice covers all areas of golf facility businesses and we provide services to public and private golf facilities, driving ranges, alternative golf facilities and other “specialty” golf facilities.
Syndicated Services
Syndicated research may require cooperation among competitors, sharing sensitive company information with NGF which is aggregated and reported back – without compromising individual company data. NGF is a trusted partner with many of the leading brands in golf, enabling these syndicated solutions.
Email & Database Marketing
Expert direct marketing services to help companies acquire new customers, compete more effectively and generate more revenue.
The 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..."