NGF’s member-only overview features golf participation and course supply data along with rounds information for 2021
Jupiter, FL – The National Golf Foundation’s Graffis Report, a holistic overview of the golf industry for 2021, is now available for NGF members. The Graffis Report compiles many of the game’s key data points on the business of golf and the health of the game in a single publication: golf participation, engagement, rounds-played, golf course supply and development, golf equipment sales, retail supply and the game’s reach.
The full state-of-industry report, named after Herb and Joe Graffis, who founded NGF 86 years ago as the first golf business research, education and trade organization, can be accessed here.
While resurgence was central to golf’s story in 2020 following the coronavirus outbreak, the underlying theme throughout the industry in 2021 was opportunity. What 2021 and the tail-end of 2020 fostered is renewed engagement, whether that’s committed golfers playing more, interested non-golfers giving the game a shot for the first time, or lapsed golfers returning after an extended time away. Among the notable numbers from 2021:
- The number of traditional, on-course golfers rose for the fourth straight year to 25.1 million
- Overall golf participation (on/off-course combined) increased 2% year-over-year to 37.5M participants
- The 600K gain in golf’s consumer base was evenly split between on- and off-course players
- The number of junior golfers has increased by almost 25% over the past three years, to over 3.1M
- Women comprise 25% of golfers and people of color 21%, both groups increasing meaningfully over the past five years
- The number of beginners hit a record high, at more than 3 million
The increases in play that received significant attention during the second half of 2020 continued in 2021, with the total number of rounds played across the U.S. increasing about 5% over the year prior, and around 20% over recent pre-pandemic years.
Interest among non-golfers (both lapsed and those who have never played) reached record levels, with almost 18 million Americans saying they’re “very interested” in taking up the game. This is due in part because golf has broad appeal – played by 1 in 9 Americans among all age groups – and has long provided a healthy physical, mental and social outlet, but also because the growing number of off-course forms of the game offer an engaging, accessible and non-intimidating introduction to golf in a non-traditional way.
Members looking to be informed with the latest state-of-industry information ahead of the PGA Merchandise Show and GCSAA Conference and Trade Show can download a copy of the full Graffis Report at the new NGF website. To learn more about joining the NGF’s growing community of golf courses, businesses and organizations, please visit https://www.ngf.org/membership/ or contact Cindi Cronk at (561) 354-1632. Member dues, which start at $295 annually, help fund the research and services NGF provides for the industry.
About the National Golf Foundation
The National Golf Foundation is a community of individuals and golf businesses committed to being the most well-informed advocates for the growth of the industry. With a deep and experienced research team dedicated to golf, NGF provides members with the most accurate and objective insights on the game, while helping golf companies and organizations better understand their market and grow their businesses. The NGF is the only association for everyone in golf, advocating for growth by educating and connecting its members.
Contact:
Erik Matuszewski
National Golf Foundation
Editorial Director
(561) 354-1637
(609) 577-0652
erikm@ngf.org
