September 2018 National Rounds Played
Rounds of golf for September 2018 were down 7.2% compared to a year ago due to heavier-than-normal precipitation levels in many regions of the United States. It’s been the continuation of a trend that’s had an impact for much of the year, and the national year-to-date rounds-played total is -3.3% through September. Six of…
NGF Releases Golf Media Report on Consumer Engagement
The NGF’s latest Golf Media Report examines the widespread nature of golf media and explores the demographics of consumers who engage with the game on TV, in print and online.
NGF Research: What Are Golfers Buying?
From clubs and bags to balls and shoes, here is what golfers have spent their money on in the past year.
Eddy Lui – 18Birdies, CEO and Founder
Q&A with Eddy Lui, who founded mobile golf technology company 18Birdies in 2011 after a successful career building and growing technology startups. The platform is one of the fastest-growing technologies in golf.
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Golfers
The Bridge Built for Golf
Separated by only about 85 miles in New York, The Bridge and the Bridge Learning Center occupy vastly different worlds but share a bond built around golf.
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.
Golf Courses
Golf’s Social Circle
Golfers are increasingly staying connected with their favorite courses through social media, particularly among the younger generation. What are facilities (and brands) doing to keep pace with this trend and stay relevant?
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.
Municipal Golf’s High-Water Mark
There may be no better time to be a municipal golfer. The NGF’s recently-released 2018 Golf Facilities in the U.S. report counts a record number of 2,497 municipal courses in the U.S.
General Interest
Military Golf in the U.S.
Collectively, the various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces operate more than 120 U.S. golf courses. If the individual branches were grouped together to form a single management company, it would rank among the top five in the country, behind only the game’s biggest multi-course operators such as Troon, ClubCorp, Billy Casper and KemperSports.
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.
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.
