Exclusive NGF Articles and Reports

February 2021 National Rounds Played
February rounds were down 4.7% nationwide compared to a year ago, when play for the month had been up 19% before the pandemic hit the U.S.
February 2021 National Rounds Played
NGF's State-of-Industry Graffis Report Is Available
NGF's Graffis Report, a overview of an unprecedented year for the golf business in 2020, is now available for NGF members.
NGF's State-of-Industry Graffis Report Is Available
Saved From the Chopping Block
In an era when golf course closures far outweigh new openings – a market correction that’s the result of oversupply in the industry coupled with a strong demand for real estate -- here's a look at facilities that have escaped the chopping block. From the posh Wynn Golf Club on the Las Vegas Strip to a 9-hole layout in Nebraska that costs just $9 to walk on weekdays.
Saved From the Chopping Block
Golf Under the Lights
NGF research shows that 50% of golfers express some interest in playing golf at night. Could a lighted course be an option for some operators?
Golf Under the Lights
January 2021 Rounds Played Summary
Golf's on-course momentum from 2020 carried into 2021. Here's a look at how much play was up nationwide in the first month of the year.
January 2021 Rounds Played Summary
A BIG Drop in Golf Course Closures
There was a 31% decline in 18HEQ course closures in 2020, the largest drop on record. Could golf be approaching the end of its 15-year market correction?
A BIG Drop in Golf Course Closures
Who Wants In?
The flood of new faces on U.S. golf courses in 2020 was noteworthy, even if some gains were offset. Who were these new people? And who wanted “in” last year?
Who Wants In?
Golf's KPIs for 2020
After the coronavirus struck in 2020, spring shutdowns gave way to an unprecedented summer and fall in terms of play, golfer introductions and reintroductions, and robust, late-season spending.
Golf's KPIs for 2020
November 2020 Rounds Played Report
November rounds of golf were up almost 57% nationally over a year ago, continuing an upward trend since coronavirus restrictions on golf operations were lifted.
November 2020 Rounds Played Report
Record-Setting Rounds for 2020? Not Quite
October rounds played came in 32% higher than last year, according to Golf Datatech, raising the national year-to-date figure to +10.8%. Several multi-course operators we checked with recently told us that the surge in play continued in November, putting us on track for an annual increase of somewhere around 50 million rounds over 2019. Pretty amazing.
Record-Setting Rounds for 2020? Not Quite

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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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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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