The latest comprehensive report from the National Golf Foundation found that golf’s participation base remains stable at 23.8 million, and another 8.3 million played exclusively off-course at facilities like Topgolf. The number of non-golfers who said they are “very interested” in playing at a golf course hit a new measured high at 14.9 million, a 16% jump over 2016.
The National Golf Foundation (NGF) has released its new Golf Industry Report, a comprehensive state-of-the-industry overview.
The report compiles many of the game’s key data points in a single publication and is intended to provide the most holistic view of the business of golf and the health of the game to stakeholders and the media. The report includes the latest NGF data on golf participation, engagement, rounds-played, golf course supply and development, retail supply, golf equipment sales, and golf’s reach.
Golf’s participation base remains stable, with an estimated 23.8 million people who played golf on a course in 2017—the same as a year earlier. Another 8.3 million played exclusively off-course at facilities like Topgolf, driving ranges or in indoor simulators, putting the game’s overall participant pool at more than 32 million.
According to the Morning Read, the number of “committed golfers,” defined as individuals age 6 and older who played at least one round of golf in the past year and indicate that golf is one of several ways in which they like to spend recreational time, stayed relatively steady at 19.5 million. Because those committed golfers were responsible for 95 percent of all rounds played and money spent on golf, the game seems to be in better shape than many believe, with little or no decline.
The number of U.S. non-golfers who said they are now “very interested” in playing at a golf course hit a new measured high, at 14.9 million. This represents a 16% jump over 2016 and the continued increase in latent demand helped boost the number of golf newcomers (2.6 million) for the fourth year in a row.
Further, according to the Morning Read, those newcomers represented more diverse backgrounds. Female newcomers outpaced current female golfers, 35 percent to 24 percent. Non-Caucasians represented 26 percent of the beginners compared with 18 percent of the current crop of non-Caucasian golfers. New golfers younger than 35 numbered 70 percent versus 37 percent of that age group among current golfers.
There were 456 million rounds of golf played in 2017, an average of 19 rounds per golfer. Total golf course supply declined by 1.5%, with the opening of 15.5 new 18-hole equivalent golf courses and 205.5 course closures, in a continuation of a correction in supply and demand. The U.S. remains the best-supplied golf market in the world with 14,794 facilities, 75% of which are open to all players.
Other 2017 highlights from the Golf Industry Report:
• There are almost 20 million committed golfers who account for approximately 95% of all rounds-played and spending.
• The average price paid for an 18-hole round at public golf facilities is $34.
• Juniors (6-17) and young adults (18-34) comprise more than 37% of all on-course golfers, with 2.7 million junior participants and 6.2 million young adults. These groups make up 69% of the off-course only participant pool.
• There are 5.8 million women who played golf on a course in 2017. Women account for 24% of the on-course golfer base and 41% of off-course only play.
• Newcomers to golf are increasingly diverse: 35% are female, 26% are non-Caucasian and 70% are under the age of 35.
• The number of golfers age 65-and-over increased 13% to 3.6 million in 2017. This number will continue to increase as the balance of Baby Boomers cross this milestone.
• Golf’s total reach of 97.6 million people in the U.S. is comprised of 32.1M total golf participants plus 65.5M who watched and/or read about golf, but didn’t play on or off course. This represents about one-third of the U.S. population (age six-plus) and is 3% greater than 2016.
“We’re excited to present a single state-of-the-industry report, encompassing golf’s key metrics, on behalf of our members and the industry we serve,” NGF President and CEO Joe Beditz said. “This information is enhanced and driven by a significant increase in our investment in consumer research.”
NGF members can download a copy of the 2018 Golf Industry Report at ngf.org.
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