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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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…
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June 2021 National Rounds Played Report
Rounds of golf for June 2021 were essentially equal to June of last year, when the industry began to see nationwide surges in play throughout the summer months. The…
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Equipment Sales Continue Run
Golf equipment sales: a mid-year update. The surge in equipment sales that began last May is showing no signs of letting up. Through June, YTD combined golf club and ball…
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Interview: Troon President & CEO Tim Schantz
Troon President and CEO Tim Schantz has more than 30 years experience specializing in corporate and real estate transactional matters, including the past 20+ years focused on the golf and…
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Golf: There’s An App for That
When the iOS App store opened in 2008 – less than a month after Tiger’s dramatic U.S. Open playoff win at Torrey Pines – 500 applications were available for Apple…
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Golf Apps Continue to Gain Adoption
With clubhouses and golf shops closed in some areas for an extended time in 2020, golfers embraced new approaches – whether it was reserving tee times, checking in or posting…
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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..."
