3-Minute Business Insights
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?
There are hundreds of new golf courses in varying stages of development around the world, with over half of those in the pipeline within the U.S. So, which other countries are especially active in the world of golf course construction?
Golf course closures last year came in at their lowest figure in almost two decades, resulting in less than a 1% reduction in overall U.S. supply. Here’s a bit more context, as the closure of golf courses is a topic of frequent interest… and frequent misinterpretation.
Get the full accounting on U.S. golf courses and facilities through year-end 2023
The newest member reports on golf supply in the U.S. are now available, including a comprehensive 46-page dive into the world's best supplied-golf market. As a complement to this annual report is a one-page summary overview of golf facility supply in the U.S. Click here to access and download.
The pandemic era uptick in golf popularity and play has meant some property owners and visionaries are actively building golf courses – much more so than a decade ago or so. This development looks quite different than it did during the boom era of golf course construction, however.
New golf course construction has been on an upswing since the pandemic. NGF's database team is currently tracking more than 100 new course projects under construction or in planning.
The Growth of Destination Golf
A closer look at one of golf's biggest development categories

Whether its golf destinations, destination golf resorts or destination golf in general, this niche continues to grow in popularity – on both the public and private side.

Golf Course Supply: No Boom, But Better

When it comes to traditional, new golf courses, what’s being built today is different than during the development boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here's how.

Course Openings by State (P5Y)














