New Courses
Course Openings That Bucked the Trend
It’s undeniable there have been more golf course closures than openings in the U.S. over the past 13 years. But do you realize that more than 720 golf courses have opened around the country during that period? That total, during what’s looked at as a “down period” for the industry, is more than the entire golf course supply in nations such as Scotland, Ireland, Spain and South Africa.
New Golf Courses for 2019
A new year is a time for optimism and to look forward to what’s to come in the months ahead. The NGF’s facility database shows at least 18 U.S. facilities are scheduled to open either 9- or 18-hole courses this year. Here are some of the notable openings scheduled for 2019.
Destination Golf
In an era when land is becoming increasingly valuable near major metropolitan centers, many golfers are eager to get off the beaten path to find great golf. Here’s a look at how some of these destination properties have found success.
The Emergency Nine
Twilight tee times and the discounted green fees that go along are evidently in high demand. We’ve been hearing from operators that afternoon slots are selling like hotcakes. Seems many work-from-home golfers have shifted their hours to begin earlier in the morning (we hope) so that they can tee off later in the afternoon. I…
Tracking New Golfers
It’s been two months since we reached fully-operational status at golf courses and the effects continue to ripple. Among our more recent inquiries, perhaps none has been more popular than the impacts on beginners, returners and youth. Are we seeing a swell? The short answer is yes. Analysis of our monthly national participation data reveals…
Momentum
The first returns for golf’s post-crackdown are in and looking pretty good. The May rounds report from Golf Datatech showed play was up more than 6% nationally. While this isn’t as positive as some had hoped given reports from operators about new faces and full tee sheets, it’s moving in the right direction. Given the…
Equipment bouncing back, golf travel still grounded
Hello again from Jupiter, FL, where the population noticeably dropped the past couple weeks as all of our resident touring professionals left for Columbus. NGF’s OEM shipment reports for June are hot off the presses and GOOD NEWS: wholesale sales of clubs were up over 30% in dollars year-over-year while golf balls saw a bump…
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