Tag: National Golf Foundation

One in seven people in the U.S. participated in golf in 2022, according to report

Rounds played holding relatively steady, and golf’s economic impact has climbed since pre-pandemic years.

As Tuesday is the 15th annual National Golf Day in Washington D.C., it’s worth a look to see how the industry is doing in the wake of participation surges in recent years credited to the COVID-19 outbreak and golf’s offerings as a relatively safe outdoor pursuit.

The news is good for the game. The American Golf Industry Coalition has reported that roughly one in seven Americans participated in golf in some fashion in 2022, leading to a $102 billion direct economic impact.

One major indicator for the health of the game – rounds played in the U.S. – also tells a story of a game that has captured attention in recent years and has been able to hold it.

The National Golf Foundation, using data from Golf Datatech, reported this week that combined first-quarter rounds played from the past three years in the U.S. are up 17 percent compared to the same first-quarter periods of 2017-2019, pre-COVID.

The monthly comparisons for this year versus 2022 and 2021 aren’t quite as rosy, mostly attributed to weather. A recent NGF/Golf Datatech report showed that overall, rounds played in March 2023 were down 2.3 percent compared to March 2022, which trailed March 2021 when rounds spiked 45 percent as players looked for a break from COVID restrictions. Much of this year’s dip versus 2022 was attributed to the vast rainstorms that slammed parts of the Pacific Northwest and California.

Rounds played were also slightly down in February this year versus February 2022, also attributed mainly to weather. That follows a great January in which rounds played were up 7.1 percent versus January 2022.

The NGF points out in its latest report that the period of May through September makes or breaks any year for golf as a seasonal sport. But if recent first-quarter gains show anything, it’s that increases in participation as a whole in the U.S. have proved to be sticky, with players not abandoning the game as other recreational and travel opportunities have reopened after major COVID restrictions were lifted.

That’s good news as National Golf Day – which as a whole has been stretched to three days, May 8-10 – is presented in person by the American Golf Industry Coalition in D.C. after the two previous annual events were conducted virtually. The group advocates on behalf of the golf industry on legislative and regulatory issues. Leaders of the coalition include prominent voices from the USGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour, LPGA, World Golf Foundation, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, National Golf Course Owners Association and other leading golf organizations.

Those converged in D.C. have quite a story to tell of golf’s impact in recent years. Some highlights from the American Golf Industry Coalition’s most recent economic impact study:

  • Roughly one in seven people in the U.S. participated in golf in 2022 for a $102 billion direct economic impact, an increase of 20 percent over its $84 billion direct impact in 2016.
  • Golf’s complete economic portrait in the U.S. totals $226 billion and reveals a significant ripple effect, with millions of players spurred to travel, make ancillary purchases and buy or build homes connected to golf.
  • The game enabled 1.65 million jobs including more than 1 million directly tied to the industry.
  • Golf is a vehicle for fundraising, with almost $4.6 billion raised in 2022, a 16 percent increase compared to 2016 ($3.9 billion) and close to 1 percent of all charitable giving in the U.S. Over 90 percent of golf-related fundraising was stimulated by events at local courses, with four out of five facilities holding at least one event in 2022.
  • Alternative forms of golf (such as Topgolf) have made the game increasingly accessible to a larger, more diverse audience, helping push golf’s overall participant base to 41.1 million (up from 32 million in 2016). In 2022, 48 percent of all golf participants (on- and off-course) were between the ages of 6 and 34, outsizing their share of the U.S. 6+ population (41%).
  • The on-course participant profile continues to diversify, with new high marks in 2022 in the proportion of golfers who are female or people of color.

Such details from the economic impact report provide great points of emphasis in D.C. for National Golf Day.

“We are very excited to have so many leaders join us in Washington to help advocate for the game of golf.” Greg McLaughlin, CEO of the World Golf Foundation, said in a media release discussing the economic impact report. “We are also pleased to release this new study that helps reflect the important role the game plays in the American economy.”

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Golf industry veteran makes first ace at a par 4 — and gets slapped by Bill Murray

Not too shabby to make your first ace on a par 4, which measured 285 yards on the scorecard.

After more than 25 years in the golf industry and chasing top-100 courses around the globe with a missionary’s zeal, Greg Nathan finally made his first hole-in-one on Tuesday.

The 15-year veteran with the National Golf Foundation did it in dramatic fashion, acing the par-4 fifth hole of the Whiskey routing at Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown, Georgia.

Not too shabby to make your first ace on a par 4, which measured 285 yards on the scorecard. (Yardages were measured for the event, but a caddie thought it was closer to 260 yards. “It’s going to get longer and longer as the years go on,” Nathan cracked.)

Nathan played in the first group of the day and word spread among competitors in the Bernard Darwin Matches, a two-day team event hosted by course designer Gil Hanse. When the actor Bill Murray, who played in the event and was in the club’s dining room after the round, caught wind of Nathan’s achievement, he had an all-time response: he slapped Nathan across the face.

Greg Nathan of NGF and Billy Murray at Ohoopee Match Club. (Courtesy Greg Nathan)

Nathan, the self-proclaimed Mayor of Crazy Town, is chief business officer for the NGF. He thought his Murray highlight came before the round as he was walking past the clubhouse to the first tee.

“You can actually see into a window of the gym and Bill Murray is in there. He sees us and waves at us,” Nathan recalled. “The guys I was with were like that’s a memorable moment.”

Nathan celebrated by a fire pit after his round and before leaving he went back into the clubhouse, where Murray was engrossed in conversation with members of No Laying Up. Just as Murray got up from where he was sitting, someone congratulated Nathan on his ace. Murray spun around and said, “You? You’re the one. You made the hole-in-one?”

Nathan shook his head in the affirmative. That’s when Murray slapped him across the face with his right hand.

“It wasn’t like Will Smith (slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards) where he leaned his weight into it but there was a loud smack,” Nathan said.

Nathan smiled – “that’s memorable,” he thought to himself – and asked Murray to pose for a picture.

The first day of the event had been played on the Championship Course routing. The Whiskey routing is a separate layout that incorporates five completely different holes (dubbed A, B, C, D and E) and variations of 13 from the Championship course. (No. 5 on the Whiskey routing plays as No. 9 on the Championship routing.)

An aerial shot at No.5 at Ohoopee Match Club, where the NGF’s Greg Nathan made an ace on December 13, 2022.

With the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain” playing on his caddie’s speaker, Nathan took aim at the drivable par 4, but wasn’t even sure if he could clear the pot bunker guarding the path to the green.

His blast just made it over — “I was holding my breath that it wouldn’t dunk in there on the fly,” he said — and bounded to the green and climbed up its right slope.

Nathan remembers thinking, “Awesome, I drove the green at a par 4.” But the caddies in his group knew better. They knew the contours of the green and figured it had a chance of going in and began chirping. As the ball slowly descended downhill to the left it momentarily went out of view but when it re-appeared, Nathan could see it tracking to the hole and go straight in like a putt.

His opponent in their match had the best line: “I made birdie and lost the hole by two shots,” he said.

But at least Nathan was buying.

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Is golf still booming? Rounds played in U.S. up again for June but down for the year vs. COVID surge

Is golf still booming? Check the weather.

Is golf still booming? Are more people playing in the wake of now years-old COVID-19 gains for the game? How’s the weather? All relevant questions as the golf industry tries to maintain a furious rally in annual rounds played in 2020 and ’21.

The latest: Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation reported this week that rounds played in June were up 2.7 percent versus the same month in 2021. But that gain was on the heels of monthly declines in four of the previous five months. For the year, 2022 trails 2021 in rounds played by 5.7 percent, the industry-monitoring Golf Datatech reported.

The weather plays a considerable role, making it difficult for industry trackers to discern if declines in rounds played are because golfers who flocked to courses during the worst of the COVID pandemic have now found other things to do as health restrictions have almost entirely eased.

Industry analyst Pelucid Corp. tracks the days around the country on which weather conditions are favorable for golf, and it has reported a 9-percent decline nationwide in playable hours in 2022. The dip in rounds played, at least in part, might be because of winter weather that stretched well into spring in many areas followed by incredible heat waves and storms through much of the summer.

This all comes after some of the most dramatic increases in rounds played in history. The total number of rounds played in 2020 surged 13.9 percent versus 2019 as the pandemic shut down many alternative entertainment and exercise options. Rounds played increased again in 2021, rising 5.5 percent as the popularity of golf continued.

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Is golf’s boom slipping? NGF reports number of rounds played have dipped, with weather largely to blame

Is golf’s boom chilling? Yes, and crummy winter weather is largely to blame as rounds have decreased year over year.

If you’ve recently tried at the last minute to book a weekend round of golf just about anywhere in the U.S. – especially if the weather was nice – you know how packed many courses are. Golf has boomed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and wise players have learned to schedule early.

But will the boom continue?

That question has been front and center on the minds of many course operators and industry insiders, and recent numbers provided by industry tracker Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation haven’t been entirely definitive on the recreational game’s trajectory. There are many factors to consider, with weather likely chief among them. But based solely on the number of rounds played, the sport in the U.S. is in decline compared to the boom years of 2020 and ’21.

Golf Datatech this week reported that rounds played in April 2022 in the U.S. slipped almost 13 percent versus the same period in 2021. That follows a 14.3-percent decline in rounds played in March 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Golf Datatech reports that total rounds played in 2022 in the U.S. have dipped 9.8 percent through April versus the same four-month period in 2021.

As golfers frequently love to do, you might be able to blame the frequently crummy weather more than a drop in interest.

The NGF reports that golf industry analyst company Pellucid Corp. says bad weather has been a major factor in the decline in rounds played. Pellucid reported that so far in 2022, playable hours dropped 14 percent. Pellucid uses detailed weather data from across the U.S. to determine playable hours, and its research showed that extreme cold, rain and snow kept players off the courses in many regions more frequently than in recent years.

And because fewer total rounds are played annually in the first several months of each year because of winter, especially in northern climates, the recent dip in rounds played likely will have only a small effect on total rounds played for the year. If the weather is better this summer, the game appears to be in good shape to continue its rebound – that assessment is based on the fact that club and golf ball sales have climbed 14 percent versus the same period in 2021.

So apparently there are plenty of players who have been stuck at home waiting for the weather to clear so they can use all those new clubs and balls. Our advice: Book early.

This all comes on the heels of some of the most dramatic increases in rounds played in history. The total number of rounds played in 2020 surged 13.9 percent versus 2019 as the pandemic shut down many alternative entertainment and exercise options. Rounds played increased again in 2021, rising 5.5 percent as the popularity of golf continued.

Are those kinds of numbers sustainable? Time will tell. But in the meantime, keep an eye on the weather and your favorite online tee time booking site.

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How many countries and territories around the world now have golf? The answer might surprise you.

Only 7-Eleven and Subway have more physical business locations around the world. 

According to a survey by the National Golf Foundation, golf is now played in 206 of 251 countries and dependent territories. That includes a nine-hole course on Christmas Island.

Around 82 percent of the world’s countries have golf courses, totaling more than 38,000. Only 7-Eleven and Subway have more physical business locations around the world.

The NGF maintains the official database of golf courses worldwide. A dedicated team verifies the operational status of all golf facilities – on a 12-month cycle within the U.S., and every 24 months globally. New courses in planning and under construction are also tracked.

While golf is widely dispersed, it also remains highly concentrated, with 80% of courses in the top 10 best-supplied countries. The U.S. is home to 42 percent of the world’s courses (more than 16,000), followed by Japan (3,140) and the United Kingdom (3,101).

Here in the U.S., despite losing several months’ worth of rounds in many states as COVID-19 precautions led to courses being temporarily shuttered, 2020 saw an increase of 13.9 percent in total rounds played over 2019, Golf Datatech and the NGF have reported.

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The increases in rounds played have come as players — both new golfers and veteran players — sought quarantine relief in the relatively safe environments of golf courses.

And the increase in play has been maintained in 2021. In fact, many resorts are completely booked for the remainder of the year, some well into 2022. For example, Bandon Dunes has on its website a warning about extremely high call volumes from people looking to books golf vacations. Bandon Dunes is home to five of the top 10 courses on Golfweek’s Best list of top resort layouts in the U.S.

“We’re experiencing record-breaking occupancy rates and golf rounds throughout 2021, even with the addition of 24 new guest rooms that we opened on August 1,” said Don Crowe, general manager of Bandon Dunes. “This demand continues into 2022 based on early booking trends and high call volume in our reservations department. For larger groups with multiple night stays, we recommend that groups start the booking process at least a year in advance.”

The same is happening around the country at top resorts. For a Midwest example, Destination Kohler in Wisconsin – host of this month’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits and home to four top-ranked courses in all – is running a website warning about unprecedented call volume and advising guests to use its new online booking system.

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Want to play golf at a top U.S. resort? Many courses are packed, so start planning early.

Resorts are seeing incredible demand from players ready to hit the road.

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Want a September or October tee time at one of the top golf resorts in the U.S.? Maybe take a foursome to Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes or any of a handful of bucket-list destinations? You had better book now.

And that’s for 2022.

At many resorts, you can forget about scoring multiple, prime tee times in the fall of 2021. You might be able to get out as a single, and you might even have luck finding a midweek slot for a foursome. Hoping to book a big buddies trip for multiple weekend days anytime over the next three months? Best of luck to you, and plan to cast a wide net.

Many industry observers and managers report that demand for tee times hasn’t been this high in more than a decade, since before the market crash of 2008. With an increasing number of Americans returning to recreational travel after COVID-19 restrictions have eased or ceased, many top golf resorts are packed.

Rounds of golf played in the U.S. surged in the second half of 2020 as golf was seen as a relatively safe activity during COVID-19 lockdowns, and that growth extended into the early months of 2021. June was considered to be a great test of sustained growth, as June 2020 saw a 13.9-percent increase in year-over-year rounds played nationwide versus June 2019, according to the National Golf Foundation and market-research company Golf Datatech. Could that kind of interest in golf be maintained into 2021? The answer is yes, as June 2021 saw a slight increase of 0.4 percent over June 2020. It appears, at least for now, that increased interest in golf might be a new normal.

It follows a tough year for many resorts, some of which were forced to shutter their courses early in the pandemic. When play resumed, many potential guests were understandably hesitant to travel. But now, just more than a year after they fully reopened and with players champing at the bit to play highly rated courses, many of these resorts are booming.

Spyglass Hill at Pebble Beach in California (Courtesy of Pebble Beach Resorts)

“Golf already had a tailwind because of COVID, and then you had people cooped up for the better part of a year, and now people are looking to get out, explore, play golf, take vacations,” said Aaron Flink, the executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Pebble Beach Resorts in California, home to Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and the Links at Spanish Bay. “It’s been nice to see that rebound, nice to see people on property again, and nice to see our hotels and golf courses full.”

Pebble Beach is running on its website a warning about limited availability and long wait times for booking calls. The resort’s main three courses are each inside the top 100 on Golfweek’s Best list of top resort courses in the country, including No. 1 Pebble Beach Golf Links. Flink said that famous course – host of six previous U.S. Opens – never has a real lack of players on its tee sheet. But even with that in consideration, the course – which Flink said typically hosts more than 60,000 rounds a year – is having its busiest season since the 2008 recession. The resort is also home to a newly renovated short course, the Hay, which features a design by Tiger Woods.

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“We keep telling people, if you want to come to Pebble, get your trip booked now,” Flink said. “If you want to be here in the summer or fall, now is the time to start your planning for ’22.”

The resort operates 495 guest rooms in its three hotels – The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The Inn at Spanish Bay and Casa Palmero – enough to accommodate all the players at its three main courses. But availability in one of those rooms with an accompanying weekend tee time is extremely limited, based on the resort’s online booking calendar.

One open spot is around the winter holidays. There are rooms available the last two weeks of 2021 and first two weeks of 2022, and Flink said the resort’s location on the Pacific Ocean provides reasonable and consistent winter weather. The period from December 22 to January 5 might be the best option to play Pebble Beach for months.

Calling it a “post-COVID gold rush,” Flink said all the demand for rounds at the resort’s three main 18s includes an increased percentage of first-time guests. And it’s almost entirely domestic travelers filling the tee sheets – in a normal year Pebble Beach might have 10 percent or slightly more of its guests from other countries, Flink said, but now the resort is drawing almost entirely U.S.-based players. If international recreational travel picks up, demand at Pebble Beach is likely to spike even higher.

Bandon Dunes Sheep Ranch
The new Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon (Courtesy of Bandon Dunes)

It’s a similar story up the Pacific coast at another top golf destination, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. Like Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes has on its website a warning about extremely high call volumes from people looking to books golf vacations. Bandon Dunes is home to five of the top 10 courses on Golfweek’s best list of top resort layouts in the U.S.

“We’re experiencing record-breaking occupancy rates and golf rounds throughout 2021, even with the addition of 24 new guest rooms that we opened on August 1,” said Don Crowe, general manager of Bandon Dunes. “This demand continues into 2022 based on early booking trends and high call volume in our reservations department. For larger groups with multiple night stays, we recommend that groups start the booking process at least a year in advance.”

The same is happening around the country at top resorts. For a Midwest example, Destination Kohler in Wisconsin – host of this month’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits and home to four top-ranked courses in all – is running a website warning about unprecedented call volume and advising guests to use its new online booking system.

Streamsong Red in Florida (Courtesy of Streamsong/Laurence Lambrecht)

The same is true in the Southeast. Craig Falanga, the director of sales and marketing at Streamsong Resort in Florida, said that destination’s three courses already are experiencing strong demand for April of 2022, following month after month of record amounts of play. Streamsong is home to three courses – the Red, Blue and Black – that all rank inside the top 25 on Golfweek’s Best resort courses list.

“I would definitely agree with you that people need to book earlier than they might normally as buddy golf trips seem to be more popular than ever,” Falanga said in an email.

The message is clear: If you want to take a group of players to a top golf destination with great accommodations in 2022, you need to plan now.

Golf Datatech: Rounds played and retail sales soared in 2020

The number of rounds of golf played in the United States in 2020 climbed 13.9 percent as people flocked to courses to escape COVID pandemic.

Consider this more evidence that you should book your tee times early: Golf Datatech reported Monday that total rounds of golf played in the United States in 2020 were up 13.9 percent over 2019, largely due to golfers seeking recreational opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That annual increase in rounds set a record for percentage increase since Golf Datatech started tracking rounds played in 1998. The previous record had been a 5.7-percent surge in rounds played in 2012.

Retail sales of golf equipment also surged in 2020, Golf Datatech reported, with $2.81 billion in revenue. That was a 10.1 percent increase over 2019. It gave 2020 the third-highest annual total since Golf Datatech began tracking the industry, trailing only $2.91 billion in 2008 and $2.87 billion in 2007.

“While the global pandemic wreaked havoc on many segments of our economy, the golf industry experienced a significant boost in rounds played and equipment sales,” John Krzynowek, a partner at Golf Datatech, said in a release announcing the surge in rounds played. “On the equipment side, sales increased by low single digits in both 2018 and 2019, but the double-digit gains in 2020 can only be attributed to the pandemic and golf being a respite for so many.”

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Those year-long gains happened despite golf being shut down in many states as the pandemic took hold of the nation in March and April. Rounds played in March fell 8.5 percent versus the same period of 2019, and rounds in April were down 42.2 percent, based on reports by Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation.

Then came the surge, as golf was recognized as a relatively safe escape during the pandemic. Rounds played were up 6.2 percent in May of 2020 versus May of 2019, followed by gains of 13.9 percent in June, 19.7 percent in July, 20.6 percent in August, 25.5 percent in September, 32.2 percent in October and 57.5 percent in November. Information for December was released Monday, with rounds played for the month up 37 percent over December of 2019, which no doubt was helped by good weather in winter golf settings such as Florida, Arizona and California.

“Golf Datatech started collecting and projecting monthly rounds-played data in January 1998 and has been the industry’s exclusive monthly metric since that time,” Krzynowek said. “We’ve never seen an annual increase remotely close to this, as the previous record increase occurred in 2012, a year when we had nearly perfect weather across much of the United States and rounds played grew by 5.7 percent. While there is no doubt that the pandemic provided a positive jolt of energy to the golf business in 2020, a warmer and drier climate across broad swaths of the U.S. also generated more potential tee times, which the golf community passionately consumed…and continued to ask for more.”

Increases in rounds played varied greatly by region. The area defined as West North Central by Golf Datatech – Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota – saw a 23.1-percent increase in rounds played in 2020 over 2019. That compares to only a 4.8-percent annual rise – the smallest of any region in the U.S. – in the Pacific Region of California, Oregon and Washington.

It’s important to note that gains aren’t spread evenly across the industry. Some resorts that rely on air travel have been hit particularly hard in the wake of the pandemic as golfers choose to drive to more local and regional destinations. And the percentage increases in rounds played don’t necessarily mean equal increase in revenue, as many clubs have lost income tied to food and beverage as well as events such as weddings.

On the retail side, as well, gains were not even across categories. While revenue for clubs, balls and other hard goods soared, with many equipment makers struggling to fill demand as inventories dwindled, some soft goods categories lagged in sales.

For example, Golf Datatech reported that sales of apparel dropped 14.2 percent in 2020 versus 2019, largely because access to green-grass pro shops was limited by the pandemic and more public-access golfers were booking rounds online. The loss of rounds played at resorts that rely on air travel also diminished total apparel sales, as fewer players were onsite to purchase logo merchandise. Meanwhile, online sales of apparel rose, and despite the overall annual drop, the last two months of 2020 saw an 11 percent increase in apparel sales versus the same period in 2019.

Across the board, Golf Datatech reported that total consumer demand across the golf industry as measured by dollars spent increased 3.2 percent versus 2019.

“Given the state of the golf economy in late spring, anything in positive territory had to be considered a big win,” Krzynowek said, “and December data continues to impress and suggest the business may still have room to run in early 2021. …

“Golf has fared better than many other U.S. industries during the pandemic, as on-course and off-course facilities effectively adapted their operations to accommodate customers while adhering to CDC, local and national health departments guidelines. Overall, the golf industry can be proud of how it has handled the adversity brought on by the pandemic thus far but must always be aware that until a vaccine is distributed, and broad-based immunity is present, we must all continue to be on guard.”

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Golf has surged in 2020, but nothing beats the ‘Tiger Effect’

Rounds played in the U.S. this year are estimated by the NGF to climb 50 million higher than in 2019, with October seeing the largest surge

The number of rounds of golf played late in 2020 have seen enormous surges versus 2019 as all kinds of golfers – from novices to past enthusiasts reentering the sport – have sought escape from the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean 2020 will set the growth record.

Turns out, even this year’s flood of golfers can’t beat Tiger Woods in his youth.

The National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech, both industry observers tracking rounds played and trends, estimate in a report released this week that 2020 will end with about a 12-percent increase in rounds played in the United States over 2019’s total round played. That equates to 50 million more rounds played in 2020, the second-highest increase of any year reported.

The highest? That would be 1997, when Woods grabbed international fame with his record-breaking Masters title at the age of 21.

The U.S. saw a jump in rounds played of 63 million in 1997 over 1996, according to Golf Datatech. That year spawned what became known as the “Tiger Effect” as players flocked to the game in the wake of Woods’ inspirational April performance.

Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods celebrates after sinking a 4-foot putt to win the 1997 Masters with a record-low score of 18 under. He became the youngest winner at 21 years, 3 months and 14 days old. (Photo by Stephen Munday/Allsport/Getty Images)

Not that 2020 has been anything to scoff at, considering the pandemic and the fact that many courses – and the sport in entire states – were shut down for much of the spring and early summer as coronavirus cases first surged.

Since June, not only have rounds played increased each month versus the same periods in 2019, the rate of increase has climbed significantly. In October 2020, rounds played in the U.S. were up 32.2 percent over the same month in 2019. That followed increases of approximately 14 percent in June, 20 percent in July, 21 percent in August and 26 percent in September.

U.S. golf courses had lost approximately 20 million rounds as courses were closed in the spring, according to Golf Datatech, which at the start of May put total rounds played in a 16-percent hole compared to the same period of 2019. But the increases since June have resulted in an increase of 50 million rounds year to date. October 2020 alone saw an increase of 11 million rounds over October 2019.

There are other factors besides the pandemic. Good weather certainly has played a role. But the NGF reported that typical fluctuations in rounds played in the U.S. have averaged less than 5 percent per year for more than 20 years, so golf’s position as a relatively safe recreational activity during the pandemic appears to have played the starring role in 2020’s surge.

Despite all the good news, there is still uncertainty about any long-term gains. A large portion of the surge in rounds played has been by juniors and novices, and it is yet to be seen if those players will continue in golf for years to come or if capture rates will decrease. The NGF also points out that not all business segments are equally enjoying the “V-shaped” recovery and boom in rounds played. For example, resorts that require travel, especially air travel, have not seen the same spikes as locally favored destinations.

And while rounds played at private clubs have soared, that doesn’t necessarily equate to increases in revenues. Dues typically have remained static for existing members, so basically the average cost per round has dropped at many private clubs while maintenance requirements have increased. Meanwhile, food and beverage revenue has dropped for many clubs because players are reluctant to linger in a clubhouse after a round.

Still, all things considered in what has been a terrible year for so many, golf as a whole has proved to be a silver lining as the pandemic continues to storm.

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Golf is booming, as NGF reports September gain of 25.5 percent in rounds played

If you have trouble finding a tee time, know it’s because rounds played in the U.S. are soaring as the coronavirus pandemic lingers.

Golf as a recreational sport is skyrocketing in the United States during the pandemic, as players across the country look to escape in the outdoors as the coronavirus pandemic rolls on.

For the fifth month in a row, rounds played in the U.S. have climbed past their monthly totals from 2019, according to a report from the National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech.

In September, rounds played were up 25.5 percent over the same period in 2019. That represents an increase of about 12 million rounds just for that month.

That increase came on the heels of steady climb in which May saw a 6.2 percent increase over May 2019, June was up 13.9 percent, July was up 19.7 percent and August soared 20.6 percent. Those gains followed decreases of 8.5 percent in March 2020 versus March 2019 and 16 percent in April, as many courses were closed in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every state in the U.S. saw at least a 2 percent gain in September, the third straight month for such widespread gains.

Before the pandemic, January (11 percent) and February (19.1 percent) also had seen gains over 2019. For the year through September, rounds played in the U.S. were up 8.7 percent over the same nine-month period of 2019, despite the depressed months of March and April.

The NGF cautiously projects that total rounds for 2020 could be up as much as 15 percent over 2019, but the organization also points out that the increases in rounds haven’t benefitted all courses equally. The “V-shaped” recovery has been a lifesaver for many local daily fee and private facilities, but many resorts – especially those to which players typically fly – have not seen such as boost as travel overall has diminished during the pandemic.

The NGF also reported that decreases in rain have helped, as good fall weather in many states has boosted rounds played.

Golf gear is hot, too

It’s all in keeping with a Golf Datatech report that golf equipment is flying off the shelves.

The market research company said total sales for July, August and September topped $1 billion, the first time the U.S. market has achieved that height in the third quarter.

It marked a nearly 32 percent jump over the same period in 2019, and it also made that three-month period the second highest quarter in sales ever, trailing only the second quarter of 2008, which logged $1.013 billion in equipment sales.

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Massachusetts allows its courses to reopen, the last state to announce golf may resume

Massachusetts allows golf courses to reopen in wake of coronavirus, the last state to announce golf’s reopening.

Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker reopened his state for golf Thursday, effective immediately, making the Commonwealth the last state to announce when the sport could be resumed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Maryland and Vermont had been the most recent holdouts to announce the reopening of their courses. Both those states’ courses also were allowed to reopen Thursday, according to the National Golf Foundation. New Hampshire beat each of those to the announcement this week, allowing its courses to reopen May 11, making it the last to have it courses closed despite the earlier announcement.

Alaska is still closed due to seasonality, and some courses are still closed because of municipal or county mandate. Across the country, 79 percent of golf courses in the United States were open as of May 3, according to a National Golf Foundation update. That’s up from 58 percent the week before.

The latest NGF data shows that 66 percent of municipal courses, 83 percent of public daily-fee courses and 77 percent of private courses were open as of May 3.

Many top resorts have announced their reopening dates as well, and off-course retail golf shops in several states have started allowing customers into the stores as governors have loosened stay-at-home orders.

On Tuesday, golf industry leaders announced a set of guidelines that could help courses reopen safely as part of the new Back2Golf initiative that includes the PGA of America, the U.S. Golf Association and the PGA Tour, among others. The guidelines were developed in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Massachusetts laid out many rules for its golfers as they return to the course, as reported by massgolf.com:

  • Security personnel can be delineated by each club (example: a pro and the head starter) and will be present to enforce social distancing. There can be no other employees working at the recreational component of the golf operation.
  • All staff must wear face coverings while on property.
  • Course facilities including but not limited to the clubhouse, golf shop, restaurant, bag room and locker room must remain closed.
  • No caddies allowed.
  • No golf carts allowed.
  • Push carts may be used. Players must either carry their own bag or use a push cart.
  • All golfers must maintain proper social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times.
  • Groups of players are restricted to no more than four players at one time.
  • Members-only clubs can allow guests as determined by the security personnel on the golf course.
  • Private clubs that allow non-members to make reservations can do so at their discretion.
  • Maintenance personnel are permitted to work on the golf course.
  • Tee time policy must be 15 minutes between groups.
  • Golfers must stay in their car until 15 minutes before their tee time and must return to their car immediately following play.
  • Online and remote payment options must be utilized.
  • All golfers must use their own golf clubs. Sharing golf clubs or rental golf clubs is not allowed.
  • Flagsticks must remain in the hole. Hole liners must be raised so picking a ball out of the hole doesn’t occur.
  • Bunker rakes must be removed, and ball washers must be removed or covered.
  • Practice putting green, driving range and chipping areas must be closed.
  • Facilities must have readily accessible hand sanitizer.

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