3-Minute Business Insights
Amid nationwide surges in play, over a third of public golf courses have bumped up their peak season fees after years of lagging behind the inflation rate. Yet golf continues to shine as an affordable option compared to other activities that take a similar amount of time.
Can golf's current higher levels of demand be sustained? History suggests the answer is "Yes."
Among the developments in golf over the past year-and-a-half or so, the evolving narrative surrounding the game has been particularly interesting to follow. Especially when it comes to outlets that don't follow golf regularly. Perceptions of the game have also been improving.
August Rounds and Pre-Covid Comparisons
NGF Member Bulletin
Given the surge in rounds played in the second half of last year, our expectation has been that play this year in Q3 and Q4 would fall somewhere between 2020 and prior year averages. This was the case in July and now again in August.
August rounds were slightly down nationwide compared to last year’s summer surges, as expected. See how much of a decline there was from 2020.
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.
July Rounds Down Slightly, as Expected
NGF Member Bulletin
While July rounds were down year-over-year, play is still trending closer to 2020's 'surge' levels than prior, pre-pandemic years.
Rounds played continued to see strong momentum during July even though year-over-year play was actually down compared to last year’s pandemic-fueled summer surge.
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.
Early summer play matches initial surge seen in 2020
In the first real test of the sustainability of the 2020 summer surge, June 2021 rounds were essentially equal to June of last year.
National rounds played for May 2021 were up over a year ago, when golf operations were still limited due to the coronavirus in some parts of the country.
Check out these numbers
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.
