March rounds see biggest national jump since the 2021 rebound that followed 2020’s pandemic lockdowns

New NGF Survey: Core Golfers

Early April is the time of year when millions of Americans — golfers and non-golfers alike — focus on golf more intently.

The Masters Tournament, golf's first major championship of the year, is synonymous with spring and the true start of the golf season, especially in northern parts of the country where courses (and golfers) are ramping up to full operational status. Golf companies, meanwhile, seize on the excitement the Masters creates among consumers by launching new equipment, apparel and accessories.

For our latest industry message about taking the pulse of the golf consumer, we looked broadly at the game's …

Is Golf Really Experiencing a ‘Munissance’?

Over the past decade, there’s been a net gain of approximately 100 municipal golf facilities in the U.S.

And, as detailed in this Fortnight piece, municipal supply has increased by 5% during the current market correction that dates to 2006. During that 18-year stretch in which annual course closures have exceeded new openings, the number of daily fee public courses – from resorts to mom-and-pop operations – has declined by 17%.

There are three primary reasons for the supply increase in the municipal golf space, with conversions leading the way (by a significant margin) over new openings and “resurrections.”

While more than 150 municipal …

On a national level, February was the third-warmest on record. More than a dozen states had one of their three-warmest Februarys ever, particularly in parts of the Midwest that typically see golf courses still closed over the first few months of the year.

New Supply & Demand Reports for All 50 U.S. States

When it comes to public golf, no state matches Michigan.

Florida and California lead the nation in total supply – running 1-2 in terms of the most golf courses and facilities – but it’s Michigan that has the most publicly accessible golf. The state’s 742 public courses – 653 of which are privately-owned daily fee properties or resorts – are more than 45 other states have in total.

Michigan ranks in the top 10 nationally with 86% of its courses open to public play, ahead of the national average of 73%.

But it’s four smaller northern states without many (or any) private clubs that hold the …

The newest member reports on golf supply in the U.S. are now available, including a comprehensive 46-page dive into the world’s best supplied-golf market. As a complement to this annual report is a one-page summary overview of golf facility supply in the U.S. Click here to access and download.