The Graffis Report
A year of resurgence for the U.S. golf industry
The outlook coming into 2020 was already bullish – stabilization and evolution were the pervading macro trends, with on-course golfers hovering around 24 million for a sixth consecutive year, and off-course participation continuing to grow by double digits each year, thanks to the increasing popularity of golf entertainment venues, indoor simulators and other off-course outlets. This, alongside a deeper-than-ever pool of interested on-course prospects, gave reason for optimism in 2020.
The novel coronavirus pandemic presented both obstacles and opportunity, with spring shutdowns giving way to an unprecedented summer and fall in terms of rounds, golfer introductions and reintroductions, and robust consumer spending.
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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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Expanding Rounds Played Research
The National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech, LLC who for years have collaborated in providing the industry with monthly rounds played reports, are heightening their efforts to recruit more golf…
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March 2021 National Rounds Played
National rounds played for March 2021 were up an estimated 45% over the same period a year ago, when the coronavirus first started impacting golf operations throughout the U.S.…
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Cleared for takeoff?
The comeback of commercial aviation is underway in the U.S., which no doubt bodes well for many in the golf business. Despite an increased willingness to trundle down the open…
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Pent Up Travel Demand Spurring Golf ‘Vax-cations’
The coronavirus pandemic has had unexpected benefits when it comes to the golf world: more play, new (or returning) faces on the golf course, and increased engagement and interest in…
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How Has Working From Home Affected Golf?
There’s no question working remotely has provided schedule flexibility to many people over the past year, eliminating commute times, providing employees greater control over when, where and how they work,…
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Harold Varner Sees Opportunity to ‘Give Back’ Through Youth on Course Partnership
As the first national ambassador for Youth on Course, Harold Varner III is excited about an even greater opportunity to provide juniors the same kind of access to affordable…
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February Rounds Down; Indicators Still Good
The latest monthly rounds numbers are out and show something we haven’t seen in a while – a decline in play. But there’s a bit more to unpack as we…
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February 2021 National Rounds Played
February rounds were down 4.7% nationwide compared to a year ago, when play for the month had been up 19% before the pandemic hit the U.S. Like January, February…
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Cracking the Code
There’s a multi-million dollar question floating around the industry these days: How do we retain more golfers, particularly in light of the extraordinary inflow of returners and first-timers in 2020…
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A Big Drop in Golf Course Closures
Is this the beginning of the end? Of golf’s 15-year market correction, that is. It might be. Last year, NGF recorded a net decline of 169 18-Hole Equivalent (18HEQ) golf…
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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..."
