Golf rounds up in the USA
The National Golf Foundation (NGF), an organisation which provides golf-business research and consulting services in the USA showed that golf’s participation jumped the most since 1997, the year that Tiger Woods’ impact first boosted the game.
The NGF 2020 report shows 24.8 million golfers in the U.S. alone. The numbers were so good that they actually were the largest percentage increase in beginning golfers and the biggest gain in youth golfers coming to the game since Tiger’s 1997 Masters win.
Women’s golf observed a surge of 8% year over year and made up nearly 25% of all golfers. The NGF also factored in the off-course golf experiences which includes play at driving ranges, Topgolf and indoor simulator golf to take the total golf related participation to 36.9 mn, for nearly a 20% gain in the last 5 years.
The pandemic posed it’s own challenges but did give enough time to the population to indulge and experience golf as a new sport. 2020, marked the third straight year which saw more golfers coming into golf than those who left it. The number NGF survey calls “very interested non-golfers” reached 17 million, a 1.5 million increase compared to 2019 and 4.2 million more than in 2016.
Driven by the surge in golf participation, Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist and Footjoy brands, reported its total sales for clubs and balls at $2.9 billion, matching 2019 numbers, despite the pandemic.
Findings in Numbers –
- Golfers – 24.8 million
- New players – 6.2 million
- Total golf participants – 36.9 million
- Very Interested non golfers – 17 million (+1.5 million)
- Rounds – 502 million (+61 million)
- Sales of Titleist equipment – $ 2.9 billion
- Golf course closure – 193 (1.3%)
Full research can be purchased from NGF’s website – https://www.thengfq.com/2021/02/ngfs-state-of-industry-graffis-report-now-available/
Credits:-
Photo – Golfweek