The Surge’s Impact on the Private Side of Golf

Private golf makes up just over one-quarter of overall U.S. supply — whether it be courses or facilities.

But when it comes to what's currently in development, a higher percentage of courses under construction, in-planning or on the drawing board are private clubs, many of the high-end variety. Driven in part by post-Covid increases in participation and play (along with the rise of destination golf and experiential golf getaways), new course development in the U.S. is at its highest level since 2014.

Despite the slight uptick in development, annual course closures still outnumber openings.

This supply correction will …

Record or near-record high July temperatures in a number of golf-rich states, including Florida and California, helped keep national play levels below 2023 pace — at least for the month.

Thanks to the support of locals, golf is back as a recreational amenity for this tiny town in rural North Dakota, with a free-to-play Par 3 course that has some of the most unusual greens in the golf world. 

June play momentum remains strong on nationwide level as rounds continue to run ahead of 2023’s pace.

Contextualizing 2024’s Course Closures

Midway through 2024, approximately one-third of this year’s global golf course closures have been in the U.S., the world’s best-supplied golf market.

A total of 37.5 18-hole equivalent closures were recorded by NGF’s database team through the end of June, with a relatively even split of 18-hole and 9-hole shutdowns.

The pace is consistent with recent industry trajectory, which has seen a declining number of golf course closures throughout the “pandemic era” after there were a record-high 279.5 in 2019. Last year, there were approximately 90 18-HEQ closures, the fewest in the U.S. since 2004 (prior to the Great Recession).

It’…

How to Plug Golf’s “Leaky Bucket”

The U.S. golf industry has perhaps never been more focused than it is today on making the game approachable and available to a wider range of people.

In recent years, as golf’s popularity has surged – along with participation and play – the game has not had an attraction problem. But it has struggled with conversion, among adults especially. As noted in this accompanying Short Game piece, on-course participation levels have risen by about 2.3 million over the past four years, but 10 times as many people have picked up or returned to the game over that same period.

This inability to …