2021 Golf Consumer Franchise: Second year of growth, just a little slower pace
Golf and COVID just continue to be the Energizer Bunny pairing with the ’21 consumer survey pointing higher in the number of golfers, participation rate, frequency rate and play rates. While the growth rate slowed, those of you with photographic memories will recall that I was skeptical in writing the May ’21 OtR issue on the ’20 consumer base that we’d be able to put together back-to-back gains. I was wrong (later in this issue I’ll address the incorrect assumptions that tanked my crystal ball) and the actual storyline, for the golfer base, is that on top of the ~4% growth in ’20 vs. ’19, we added another ~3% gain in ’21.
The good news in the ’21 golf consumer base survey is broad-based across the core metrics we track in size, shape and involvement and we’ll hit on all the highlights in this issue before you get to the end:
- On the size, frequency and Play Rate (the cardinal metric) dynamics, the golfer base rose to nearly 22M (1+ rds during calendar year ’21), the Participation Rate grew slightly within the 7-8% range, the Frequency Rate (rds/golfer/yr) saw a modest uptick within the 23-24 range and the Play Rate (rds/capita/yr) had a nice gain registering just under 2.0
- Switching lenses to look at the “shape” of the ’21 consumer base and how it changed, I’ll take you through both demographics and involvement levels. The summary version is growth dimensions were higher income, younger (Early Career), less diverse, higher involvement and a split decision on gender with both participating in the golfer gain for the year
- I’ll close by assessing whether we should label ’21 as good/OK/bad based on the report card and what areas of opportunity we’re either missing or squandering to extend the COVIdend (that has a nice rhyme) given that we have a plethora of new or recent-to-the-game participants and we need to get them up the involvement ladder so they don’t jump off
For our subscribers, read on to get the supporting facts and insights. For our Pellucid Publications Members, we’ve already updated the SoI consumer franchise presentation slides and distributed those to you (note to everyone else, our Publications Members always get Pellucid news first, another reason to “join the club”). For everyone else, you can get the rest of the story one of three ways:
- Subscribe to the Pellucid Publications Membership for $495/yr (most comprehensive coverage & detail) – Annual subscribers get access to the following:
- Outside the Ropes monthly digital newsletter
- Annual State of the Industry report portfolio (PowerPoint presentation, PDF commentary report, access to Jim/Stuart video of presentation)
- Geographic Weather Impact Tracking (US, 45 regions, 61 markets) or Cognilogic for Golf Playable Hours/Capacity Rounds for individual facilities
- National Consumer Franchise Health Scorecard (expanded data and tables underlying this issue’s summary figures)
- Subscribe to OtR, 12 monthly issues for $130/yr with a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied at any time during your subscription. Subscribers also get access to the historical archive of past issues (last two years) via the members-only section of the Pellucid website
- Subscribe to Golf Market Research Center (for operators wanting a combination of insights and action tools) – In addition to an OtR subscription (hence, this issue), you’ll get the State of the Industry presentation along with the full suite of Performance Tracking reports and weather impact services (Cognilogic for historical Golf Playable Hours/Capacity Rds, Foresight for the 60-day forecast for your facility location for Capacity Rds and daily key weather forecast variables)
