Exclusive NGF Articles and Reports

A Longer Look at Short Course Supply
While new Par 3 courses grab attention, has overall supply been increasing?
A Longer Look at Short Course Supply
Short courses have accounted for over 1/4 of new course development over the past decade – a number of highly-visible examples at resort properties – despite accounting for 10% of overall supply.
A Longer Look at Short Course Supply
Is Golf Coming Up Short?
Is Golf Coming Up Short?
Are we really in the midst of a short course movement in golf? Yes. And no...
Is Golf Coming Up Short?
NJ, NY and PA see increased play after Nor'Easter effect in Feb 2021
February 2022 National Rounds Played
Buoyed by strong play totals in the South and parts of the Northeast, February 2022 rounds rose on a national level compared to the year prior.
February 2022 National Rounds Played
The Fight for Municipal Golf
A few high-profile fights for the preservation of municipal golf courses have led some to believe that Muni golf is facing an existential threat. It isn’t. Well, at least in 49 out of 50 states it isn’t.
The Fight for Municipal Golf
"this legislative initiative is based, at least in part, on inaccurate information"
NGF Responds to California's 'Public Golf Endangerment Act'
Municipal golf is under fire in California, misguidedly so. See the attached PDF for NGF's full response.
NGF Responds to California's 'Public Golf Endangerment Act'
"We thought we could never keep up with the fall of 2020”
This Category Drove 2021's Gains in Rounds Played
Nationwide, play in 2021 increased by almost 6% over 2020. The biggest gains were seen in the spring given that during 2020 over half of U.S. golf courses were shut down for more than a month. But for the year, it was this category that really spurred rounds increases.
This Category Drove 2021's Gains in Rounds Played
Inertia - Where is it taking golf?
Rounds of golf in 2020 were almost unthinkably high – the industry erased 20 years of decline in about six months. Naturally, we all wondered how 2021 would go. Would demand maintain, or regress as people presumably fell back into old routines? Emphatically, it was the former.
Inertia - Where is it taking golf?
Annual Members-Only Report Summarizes U.S. Play
Rounds Played Report for 2021 Now Available
This summary report provides an overview of the record-setting 2021 play in the world's top golf market.
Rounds Played Report for 2021 Now Available
A Closer Look at Course Openings
A member-only dive into new facilities
A Closer Look at Course Openings
In 2021, the number of new course openings in the U.S. was again limited. And yet these debuts, from Florida to Washington, hit their highest number since 2017.
A Closer Look at Course Openings
Need to Know Numbers About Golf Course Closures
Member-Only Look at Ongoing Supply Correction
Need to Know Numbers About Golf Course Closures
During the past two years of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. golf course market has experienced noteworthy changes. In 2021, course closure numbers reached a level not seen in over a decade.
Need to Know Numbers About Golf Course Closures
Golf Facilities Report Now Available
Annual Members-Only Report Provides Supply Overview
Golf Facilities Report Now Available
This comprehensive annual summary provides an overview of golf facility supply in the U.S., the world’s best-supplied golf market.
Golf Facilities Report Now Available

Learn from NGF Members

Golf as Life
Let me introduce myself—I’m Mike Klemme. You may not recognize my name, but if you’ve ever flipped through a golf magazine, visited a course, or…
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Ship Sticks
Whether you’re the head planner of your upcoming buddies golf trip or simply along for the ride, we’ve gathered a few easy ways to keep…
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Amanda Fontaine
Raking bunkers on a golf course was literally child’s play for Amanda Fontaine. Today, it’s part of her job as IGM’s Golf Course Superintendent at…
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