In an era when most teenagers would rather pick up a phone than a golf bag, youth caddying has been fighting to stay as relevant as it was in years past. However, organizations like the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, Youth on Course Caddie Academy and the Western Golf Association’s Carry the Game advocacy group are helping to put more bags on more shoulders every year.

The story of public golf in Detroit hasn’t been so rosy in recent years, but three area courses are rewriting their history. At Rackham, Chandler and Rouge Park, revenue is up 27% since last year. Here are some reasons why.

Almost two-thirds of golfers say they played a round of golf with a family member last year.

Total rounds played in June 2019 were unchanged from a year ago, though play was actually up in six of the eight geographic regions nationwide. The national year-to-date total actually improved slightly and is down -1% at the midpoint of the calendar year.

Did you know approximately a quarter of all rounds played in the U.S. are of the nine-hole variety? This month’s NGF research graphic takes a closer look at 9-hole golf.