Jupiter, Fla. – Same-store rounds played were up 0.6% in the month of October 2005 vs. October 2004. Rounds have been in positive territory for four of the last six months, bringing the year-to-date figure through October to -0.5%. October data was reported by 1,813 golf facility operators across the U.S. (Same-store rounds means, for example, that only facilities reporting rounds for both October 2005 and October 2004 are included in results.)
Four regions experienced large swings, up or down: Northeast, (-18.4%); Central/South Florida(-13.6%) [note: Hurricane Wilma, October 24]; Upper Midwest (+12.8%); and Mountain (+16.7%). In each case, the change correlated with play days. For example, in the Northeast, operators posted an average of 27.6 play days out of 31 last October vs. 22.9 play days in October 2005.
Rounds Played, 2005 vs. 2004
Source: NGF/Allied Golf Associations
October
Year-to-date
Total U.S. facilities
0.6%
-0.5%
Private Clubs
-4.9%
-1.4%
Total Public Courses
2.0%
-0.2%
Public Courses:
Premium
-5.2%
-0.3%
Standard
-1.6%
0.1%
Value
4.4%
-0.3%
Northeast
-18.4%
0.0%
Mid-Atlantic
-6.5%
-0.4%
Southeast
2.0%
-0.7%
Central/South Florida
-13.6%
-0.2%
Gulf Coast
0.1%
3.3%
South Central
8.0%
0.3%
Lower Midwest
5.5%
-0.5%
Upper Midwest
12.8%
-0.2%
Mountain
16.7%
2.1%
Southwest
4.6%
-3.8%
Northwest
-3.4%
0.6%
Public facilities fall into one of three categories based on peak season weekend green fees with cart:
Premium (High) – Above $70
Standard (Middle) – $40-$70
Value (Low) – Below $40
About the NGF
The National Golf Foundation, founded in 1936, is the industry leader in providing accurate information and insights on the business of golf. Based in Jupiter, Fla., the NGF serves many constituencies in the golf industry including equipment manufacturers; builders and developers; facilities and ranges; course architects; retailers; turf maintenance suppliers; golf associations and the media. For more information, visit www.ngf.org.
Contact:
Jim Kass
jkass@ngf.org
561-744-6006
