3-Minute Business Insights

New Normal or Old Normal?
Can golf's current higher levels of demand be sustained? History suggests the answer is "Yes."
Topics: Economy, Engagement, Equipment, Facilities, Facility Supply
New Normal or Old Normal?
Playing the Right Tees
Member-Only Core Golfer Survey Findings and Operator Feedback
Playing the Right Tees
Not only is a higher-than-expected percentage of golfers playing tees that are too long for them, many realize they should be playing up, but aren't. Here's what the latest findings say.
Topics: Facilities, Facility Operations, Golf Courses, Golfers, Research
Playing the Right Tees
Tee It Forward - Ten Years Later
Tee It Forward - Ten Years Later
NGF's recent survey of Core golfers indicated 73% recalled Tee It Forward, but a much smaller percentage had actually moved up in recent years. Here's what they found, and what's keeping others from moving forward a tee.
Topics: Engagement, Facilities, General Interest, Golf Courses, Golfers
Tee It Forward - Ten Years Later
Tiger's Long Tale
Tiger's Long Tale
It's the 25-year anniversary of Tiger's "Hello, World" introductory press conference. His impact on the game and business of golf was almost instantaneously felt and it continues to reverberate today.
Topics: Economy, Engagement, Golfers, Grow The Game, Image Of The Game
Tiger's Long Tale
Rounds Played Continue at Elevated Levels
Rounds Played Continue at Elevated Levels
The most frequently asked question since the beginning of the year was whether the elevated level of golf activity would maintain in 2021. Well, we’ve had our first real test – comparing peak season months in 2020 and 2021.
Topics: Consumer Spending, Engagement, Facilities, Facility Operations, Golf Courses
Rounds Played Continue at Elevated Levels
Golf: There's An App for That
Golf: There's An App for That
App use is becoming prevalent in all walks of life, including the golf world. There are now hundreds of golf-centric apps available and usage continues to climb.
Topics: Consumer Spending, Engagement, General Interest, Golfers, Research
Golf: There's An App for That
Game of a Lifetime?
Check out these numbers
Game of a Lifetime?
You often hear golf referred to as the game of a lifetime. But is it? Unlike virtually every other sport, golf participation actually holds steady across the ages.
Topics: Baby Boomers, General Interest, Golfers, Participation, Research
Game of a Lifetime?
Women in golf – progress and opportunity
Women in golf – progress and opportunity
Just seven years ago, the proportion of all golf participants (on/off-course combined) who were women was 27%. Since then, the volume of female participants has grown by 43%, and there's even greater potential.
Topics: Engagement, Females, General Interest, Golf Participation, Golfers
Women in golf – progress and opportunity
Golf is Getting Off Course
Golf is Getting Off Course
Golf’s overall participation base in the U.S. – combining on- and off-course players – rose 8% in 2020 to 36.9 million. This leaves us with three closely-sized and mutually-exclusive groups of Americans. And it probably won’t be long before traditional, “green grass” participants are out-numbered. Perhaps as soon as this year.
Topics: Engagement, General Interest, Golfers, Off-course Participation, Participation
Golf is Getting Off Course
Cleared for takeoff?
Cleared for takeoff?
A return to the friendly skies means more golf trips and destinations back in consideration. Core golfers, on average, are now expecting 1.8 golf trips in 2021 -- an increase of more than 60% over 2020.
Topics: Consumer Spending, General Interest, Golf Courses, Golf Facilities, Golf Travel
Cleared for takeoff?
Golf Travel Shows Signs of Roaring Back
Limitations on golf trips in 2020 have created a bottled-up demand to return to golf travel. Here's what golfers are saying and operators are seeing.
Topics: Consumer Spending, Golf Courses, Golf Facilities, Golf Travel, Golfers
Golf Travel Shows Signs of Roaring Back
Work-From-Home Impact on Golf
Working remotely has provided greater schedule flexibility for many people over the past year. It's also had a significant impact on golf.
Topics: General Interest, Golf Courses, Golfers, Participation
Work-From-Home Impact on Golf

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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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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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