There are currently new golf courses in planning or under construction in 88 different countries — from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe.
This worldwide developmental pipeline encompasses more than 500 course projects in total, with half of those in the U.S.
NGF maintains the definitive database of more than 37,600 golf courses worldwide, with a team of researchers continually verifying the operational status of every golf facility outside the U.S. on a 24-month cycle. This verification process is done on an annual basis within the U.S., whose borders contain more than 42% of global golf supply.
NGF’s database team also tracks projects under development, an increasingly challenging task for a game played in 207 countries and territories recognized by the ISO (International Standard Organization).
The U.S. has by far the most courses in various stages of development – over 120 in active planning or under construction, and an even greater number than that having been proposed and looking to move forward.
Outside the U.S., the nation with the most active golf development is Vietnam, with 50+ courses in planning or under construction. The United Kingdom is a distant third (25+), followed by countries like India, Mexico, South Korea and Spain, all of which have 15 courses in various stages of development.
At the mid-year mark, 13 new courses have opened in the U.S., from additions like the Par 3 Shorty’s Course at Bandon Dunes (Oregon) and the Pinehurst Resort’s No. 10 course (North Carolina), to private club debuts like the Apogee Club’s Hanse Course (Florida) and the Darmor Club (Texas). The U.S. has accounted for 57% of the worldwide openings thus far in 2024 and approximately twice as many could debut during the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, there have been fewer than 40 18-hole equivalent closures through June. It’s yet another sign of U.S. supply equilibrium after there were approximately 90 18-HEQ closures in 2023, the fewest in almost two decades. The majority of these closures continue to be older, value-priced and/or 9-hole facilities. Some are in the process of being sold, others are being redeveloped, and a few may get new life in the future. One facility was even removed from the U.S. database and is now categorized as a Canadian course.
NGF members can find more details about the midyear trends in openings and closures in this Full Shots sidebar.
Any business that could benefit from licensing all or part of the NGF’s international course database should contact Kevin McLendon at kmclendon@ngf.org.