NGF Releases Report on $20.5 Billion Golf Travel Industry
The NGF’s first Travel Report in 11 years finds that a total of 8.2 million golfers played 57.6 million rounds of golf while traveling for business or leisure in 2017.
The ‘Q’uestion
The NGF’s ‘Q’uestion for September: What percentage of kids ages 6 to 17 have been exposed to golf in a school setting at least once in their lives?
July 2018 National Rounds Played
Rounds-played for July were down only 1.6% nationally despite increases in precipitation in many regions of the country.
A Course by Any Other Name
What’s in a name? The Shore Club, Cobblestone Creek and Bluestone are among a host of aging private facilities that underwent a full re-brand, and substantial investment, in order to appeal to wider pool of golfers and entice the next generation of members.
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Golfers
Get Smart: Junior Golf
TGA Premier Golf is seeking to shape participation in golf through its after-school golf enrichment programs and, perhaps just as importantly, what happens next.
Get Motivated: Growing Women’s Golf
One in a series of informational NGF stories focused on industry exemplars that are designed to help readers Get Smart and Get Motivated.
Straying Off-Course with Golf Participation
Golf remains one of the most popular U.S. participation sports and the number of green-grass players was 23.8 million last year. Like many forms of entertainment, however, the traditional game continues to evolve given the demands like work and family. It’s why off-course participation is growing.
Golf Courses
New Home On the Range
Some golf facilities are looking to build their golfer base by creating engaging short courses — right on existing driving ranges.
When Nine is Fine
Nine-hole courses are golf’s sandlots, a breeding ground for future golfers and a farm team of sorts for future private-club membership rolls. They often serve as the foundation for learning the game, as well as its customs and etiquette.
Professional Course Management: Growing Market has Ample ‘White Space’
The number of U.S. golf facilities working with professional management companies has increased from 10.6 percent in 2006 to about 16 percent currently.
General Interest
NGF Releases Technology Report
The NGF’s first technology report since 2011 takes an in-depth look at how golf’s best customers engage with technology, from online equipment purchases and tee times to game improvement and distance-measuring devices.
Why a Top 100 Golf Company Changed Business Models
A changing golf travel marketplace inspired Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday’s recent transformation into a new entity called Golf Tourism Solutions. Here’s Bill Golden’s vision for the company.
Golf’s Biggest Outside Investors
Golf is a game perfectly suited to corporate sponsorship. The game’s biggest outside investors — non-endemics like Rolex, AT&T, FedEx, Charles Schwab and Mastercard — devote millions of dollars in golf sponsorship every year.