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Unleashing the Potential of 120 Million Golf Consumers


Emotional Commitment Among Golfers
A New Yardstick of Success

Whether temporarily or otherwise, golf has captured the global zeitgeist. So, what are the notable differences when it comes to golfers in the current era? For one, the number of golfers who place themselves on the highest level of NGF’s ‘passion scale’ has grown nearly 20% since the pandemic.
Topics: Course Operations, Green-Grass Facility

Greg Joins Barstool Boys to Talk Golf’s ‘Boom’ on the Fore Play Podcast

Greg Nathan, CEO of the National Golf Foundation, joins the Barstool Sports guys to break down the unprecedented growth of golf -- from skyrocketing participation and new player demographics to the evolution of how the game is played and experienced.

Female Golfers Fuel Cultural Shift

Women and girls have quietly become the driving force behind golf's post-pandemic resurgence. What makes the growth particularly significant is its youthful energy. More than half of net participation gains among women have come from those under 30, and equally encouraging is the cultural shift that's taking hold.

Is Golf Trapped Between Loyalists and Future Growth?

How can the imagery used in golf media and marketing create meaningful barriers to both initial and deepening engagement? And might the consequences of our historically-narrow view influence experience design itself?

Beginners, Juniors, Female, Young Adults, Seniors, and People of Color
Concise and comprehensive one-page summary reports on various participation-related topics among the U.S. golfer population.
As the golf industry enjoys unprecedented success, NGF research suggests most Core golfers feel like "just another customer," with transaction-based relationships emphasized over loyalty. As customer expectations evolve, relationship-building will likely emerge as the most undervalued innovation frontier in business and, perhaps, a new battleground in golf.
Working remotely has changed the contours of the work day for many over the past year. NGF recently conducted golfer research to gain deeper insight about the relationship between golf and the work-from-home dynamic.






