From Tequila to Golf Balls
After building Patron into the world’s biggest ultra-premium tequila brand, Ed Brown is hoping for similar success in the golf business as CEO of ClearSports, a company best known for its high-end, members-only golf ball.
November 2018 National Rounds Played
Rounds of golf for November 2018 dropped 18.8% nationally compared to a year ago as four of eight geographic regions had precipitation levels surge more than 200% during the month compared to last November.
David Pillsbury – ClubCorp CEO
ClubCorp CEO David Pillsbury talks with the NGF about the company’s growth, non-traditional forms of golf and the future of the industry.
NGF Research Snapshot: How Old Are Your Golf Clubs?
Almost 1/3 of golfers bought at least one new club last year. The Q’s latest NGF research snapshot takes a closer look at the average age of clubs currently in golfers’ bags.
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Golfers
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.
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.
How Celebrities Sell Golf
Some of the biggest stars in sports, music and Hollywood gravitate to golf in their free time and after their professional careers. See how these high-profile participants are affecting public perception of this game of a lifetime and showing that “golf is cool.”
Golf Courses
Driving Revenues with New Approaches
With the success of Topgolf and the increasing consumption of golf in non-traditional formats, many golf course operators are seeking ways to re-create the atmosphere and excitement that these off-course venues provide. Here’s a closer look inside one example that’s engaging more customers while beefing up the bottom line.
The ROI on Course Renovations
The biggest form of investment for golf facilities over the past decade — and particularly since the Great Recession — has been course restorations and renovations. So, just what are these properties seeing in return?
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.
General Interest
Millennials in Golf – as Business Owners
Young adults remain a major part of golf’s participant base, with a pool of about 6.2 million golfers that contradicts some claims that golf is losing these “Millennial Golfers.” This next generation is also making waves as business owners within a competitive market.
Parlaying Passion Into a Golf Career
The founder and CEO of GOLFTEC, Joe Assell offers insights on building a successful golf business and advice to entrepreneurs looking to turn their passion into a career in the golf industry. Assell writes about hurdles, confidence, validation and his business philosophy.
Giving Back to Golf
PGA TOUR Superstore has one of the strongest trajectories in the game, with plans to hit 50 locations by 2020. The company is also focusing on introducing more people to the game, increasing participation and enhancing engagement.
NGF News & Reports
NGF Issues 2018 Golf Industry Report
The National Golf Foundation’s Golf Industry Report consolidates 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.
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.
The NGF’s Inaugural Top 100 Businesses in Golf: from Acushnet to Yamaha
The NGF GOLF 100 was created to recognize and celebrate the most successful, influential and innovative companies, organizations and associations in golf.