Exclusive NGF Articles and Reports
How Does 2022 Rounds Momentum Compare to Pre-Covid?
A member-only look at rounds comparisons to previous years

In assessing play levels, it can be helpful to look beyond year-over-year comparisons. Here's how May 2022 stacks up against recent years just before the pandemic-driven play surges.

A year ago, May rounds were +18% across the U.S.
Rounds of golf were down slightly, again, on a nationwide level in May. How did they compare to 2021?
The latest monthly rounds played report it out and shows a 10% decline in play year-to-date. Is it a sign that golf’s pandemic dividend is eroding?
Less favorable weather in several notable regions hampers early-season play
April rounds were down on a national level, but in several well-supplied regions it’s a change that operators attribute largely to unfavorable golf weather.
Cooler, wetter weather takes toll in several key regions
April play follows March's trajectory, with the third year-over-year decline through the first four months of 2022.
U.S. Golf Facility Investments Total Nearly $1.8B Annually
Spend is almost split between public and private, but share is not

Beyond the exciting (but limited) number of new golf courses we read about, the real industry investment is in upgrades, improvements, renovations and restorations at existing facilities. And it's significant.

Golf Course Improvement & Investment


Golf's Big Investment

For anyone who suggests the relatively limited number of new course openings in recent years speaks to golf's overall health and points to limited investment in the game, the research tells a far different story.

Heightened demand, eagerness to hit the road again, and Canadian golfers return
After some understandable limitations on golf travel the past two years, particularly in 2020 after the initial coronavirus outbreak, indications are that golf travel in the U.S. is poised for a strong season.
NGF member benefit: one-page report on traveling golfers and golf resorts
Want to know how many traveling golfers there are in the U.S. or which state has the most golf resorts? Look no further.











