Whether golfer demand or equipment sales, trends suggest a return to where the golf industry was pre-financial crisis of 2007–08 rather than a “new normal”

Based on research from the NGF’s definitive international facility database, the R&A’s biennial Golf Around the World Report is back and counts golf courses in 206 of the world’s 251 countries — with more than 38,000 courses globally.

NGF’s database team has seen a notable supply-based drop during the first half of 2021. Could this be the year golf course supply in the U.S. levels out?

In the first real test of the sustainability of the 2020 summer surge, June 2021 rounds were essentially equal to June of last year.

While April’s rounds this year are obviously up dramatically due to last year’s course shutdowns, here’s how they compare to the pre-pandemic numbers.