February 2024 National Rounds Played

February rounds were up about 5% nationally compared to a year ago, aided in part by one of the warmest months (of February) on record in parts of the upper Midwest.

Through the first two months of 2024, U.S. rounds of golf are running about 5% behind the 2023 pace.

In terms of average statewide temperature ranks, 15 Sunbelt states had one of their top three warmest Februarys on record, resulting in more days favorable for golf, even in a low-volume winter month.

Rounds were up 132% year-over-year in Michigan — which has the most public golf courses of any state in the nation — and +116% in Illinois. Play was also up more than 30% in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, all of which had their warmest February ever in the 130-year history of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s record-keeping.

In the West North Central region, which is home to Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, the average February temperature was almost 10 degrees warmer than the same time a year ago. While many courses in these states remained closed in February, the increases — even with a limited number of rounds — helped bump up the national total, as did a 18% YOY increase in the South Central region that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Tennessee.

NGF provides facility-level rounds data to Golf Datatech in helping compile the free, monthly play reports on behalf of the golf industry. Click the image below to see the full report. ⬇

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