While traditional, on-course participation has experienced a net increase of 800,000 golfers
over the past two years – the industry’s biggest rise since the early 2000s – engagement with
off-course forms of golf have almost doubled those noteworthy gains over the same period.

What’s “Off-Course”, Anyway?

When measuring off-course participation, we count anyone who participated at a driving range, golfentertainment facility (like Topgolf), or on an indoor simulator one or more times over the past 12 months. Not included in our count are those who played miniature golf or other forms that don’t involve swinging a club and hitting a ball. Why? Historically we’ve not seen a tremendous relationship between those other activities and the traditional, on-course game, in term of converting or onboarding people.

Accessibility and Affordability

What seems to remain a secret is the broad extent to which golf is an accessible and affordable recreational option for the majority of people. Today, 74% of golf courses nationwide are open to the public, while the average 18-hole greens fee at public courses is about $40 – a favorable rate compared to other leisure activities and experiences that require similar amounts of time, like professional sporting events, theme parks, skiing, and more.