Exclusive NGF Articles and Reports
How much did Hurricane season impact 2024's momentum?
After general stability over the peak season months, September saw more fluctuation when it comes to year-over-year play. How did this impact the pursuit of another potential record-setting year for rounds in 2024?
With the influx of new golfers in the post-Covid era and the perceptions that the game is becoming younger and cooler, has the average age of a golfer changed much? NGF research shows that 71% of the post-pandemic rounds growth has come from golfers under the age of 50.
August rounds follow regional precipitation changes as summer play finishes strong
August rounds were up in six of eight geographic regions, with all of those experiencing less precipitation than a year ago. Two regions on the East coast saw fewer rounds thanks to wetter weather than a year ago, but play at U.S. golf facilities overall remained steady through the end of the peak summer months.
Golf isn’t a game of perfect. There’s always room for improvement. Better performance invariably leads to more play… and, in turn, more spend and a deeper connection. So, how many golfers are taking instruction? And what's the overall economic impact of the tens of millions of lessons on the industry at large?
Golf's Growing Instructional Landscape
A deeper dive into trends, behaviors and participation across segments in the $1.5B golf instruction category
Amid golf's increases in popularity, participation and play in recent years, how has instruction grown and evolved? This member deliverable examines the jump in the number of golfers taking instruction (and the number of lessons), and delves into engagement by ability, avidity, age, and participation segments.
Golf Instruction Overview
Is Golf Real Estate Booming?
Golf course living, in general, is enjoying a rebound like the game itself in the post-pandemic era. And golf-related real estate is a topic we’re asked about frequently and a subject our consulting team addresses regularly with developers and municipal planning boards or other authorities.
The Surge's Impact on the Private Side of Golf
Amid the recent increases in play and participation nationwide, what's happening on the private side of the game? This NGF member-exclusive examines supply and demand changes when it comes to private clubs, as well as the overindexing of private course development.
Does Golf Have a Capacity Problem?
More golfers have played more rounds over the past several years and this means U.S. golf courses – broadly speaking — are busier than ever. So what are operators and golfers saying about current capacity, whether it's being able to run a facility efficiently given the manpower and course conditioning, or getting tee times at crowded public courses on the weekend?
Slight peak season dip in play driven by hotter temperatures in parts of southern U.S.
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.
Asking what an "average golfer" typically shoots isn't as straightforward a question as it might seem. The golfer-reported average -- among those who keep score -- hasn't changed very much in years. But if you account for some important caveats, the actual average likely skews upwards.
9-hole community course has sand greens and is free to play
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.
