The Pulse of the Golf Consumer

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As the unofficial kickoff for the golf season, the window around the Masters Tournament makes for the ideal time to take (and report on) the pulse of the golf consumer.

More than 123 million Americans consumed golf in some fashion last year, a reach that’s up 14% over the past five years. This includes not only playing on a golf course or hitting balls at golf entertainment venues like Topgolf but also watching broadcasts of The Masters or streaming Netflix’s popular Full Swing series.

Our researchers conduct regular surveys of Core golfers (8+ rounds per year) to better understand sentiment and behaviors.

In terms of assessing appetite, 95% of Core golfers indicate they will play about the same or more in 2024 than they did last year. Nearly 40% said they expect to play more or much more, compared to just 5% who said they anticipate playing less. Weather can always have something to say about those best-laid springtime plans, as could economic uncertainties, but there is no indication of downward pressure from declining interest.

What’s also notable is that expectations for play remain particularly strong among the growing female segment. The sentiment to play more is even higher among Core female golfers than it is among their male counterparts. This is a testament to the recent strong momentum within the category, which has seen a 25% participation increase over the past four years.

More than two-thirds of Core golfers indicate they plan to go on a golf-specific trip this year, and as many as one-third indicate they intend to make a golf club purchase.

From Instagram to YouTube, over 50 million Americans consumed golf-related material on social media last year, 80% of whom don’t play green-grass golf. Even more read stories about golf or watched it on TV, as detailed in the above graphic.

Broadly speaking then, golf consumption is up.

So, as a new golf season kicks into full gear, will the game’s reach continue to grow? We’ll be tracking it.