3-Minute Business Insights

Screen Golf’s Growth is Not Simulated
The golf simulator niche is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the golf industry, and the number of commercial golf simulator venues has proliferated in recent years. NGF continues to try to size and scope the explosive growth in the market.
Screen Golf’s Growth is Not Simulated
Golf’s Private Side
Private club golfers account for less than 8% of golf's green-grass participation base, but this group plays and spends more on the game and is a popular target market audience for businesses inside and outside the golf industry.
Golf’s Private Side
A New Yardstick of Success
Emotional Commitment Among Golfers
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.
Emotional Commitment Among Golfers
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.
Female Golfers Fuel Cultural Shift
Golf Talk Live Interview with NGF’s Greg Nathan
In this compelling Golf Talk Live podcast (March 2025), Greg explores the evolving landscape of golf and the diverse ways enthusiasts engage with the sport today, providing a deeper understanding of the current state and future direction of the game.
Golf Talk Live Interview with NGF’s Greg Nathan
NGF’s State-Level Golf Summaries – Now Available
NGF’s State-Level Golf Summaries – Now Available
Members looking for more granular supply and demand data at the state level -- from courses, golfers and rounds to price points, demographic breakouts and economic impact -- can find individual one-page summary overviews of the golf landscape from Alaska to Florida.
NGF’s State-Level Golf Summaries – Now Available
On-Course Participation Trend by Gender
On-Course Participation Trend by Gender
On-Course Participation Trend by Gender
On-Course Participation by Frequency of Play
On-Course Participation by Frequency of Play
On-Course Participation by Frequency of Play
On-Course Golfer Growth Segments
'Pandemic Era' changes since 2019
On-Course Golfer Growth Segments
On-Course Golfer Growth Segments
Golf Participation vs Other U.S. Sports
Golf Participation vs Other U.S. Sports
Golf Participation vs Other U.S. Sports
Junior Golf Participation Trend
10-year, overall engagement
Junior Golf Participation Trend
Junior Golf Participation Trend
Female Golf Participation Trend
10-year, overall engagement
Female Golf Participation Trend
Female Golf Participation Trend

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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