At the midway point of 2024, U.S. rounds are trending 2% ahead of the midyear total from 2023 — a year during which more rounds of golf were played at U.S. courses than any time in history.
It might seem like a modest year-over-year change, but the bigger picture reveals the demand for recreational golf continues to reside in record territory. And the numbers continue to reinforce that the industry is enjoying a “new normal” when it comes to play.
We’re now in our 50th month since pandemic-related restrictions on golf were lifted. In only three of the previous 49 months did rounds fail to outperform their pre-pandemic equivalents (using 2017-2019 monthly averages as the basis for comparison). It comes as little surprise that April was the culprit in all three of those underperforming occasions, as April is statistically the most variable month for rounds due to weather unpredictability.
More importantly, golf continues to thrive during the peak season months of May through September. Again using pre-Covid comps, play has been up a minimum of 13% in every peak season month dating back to 2020.
Rounds are up an average of 17% during the 22 peak season months over the past five years.
The signs for sustainability are generally encouraging as well, especially for a pastime subject to the whims of weather and the economy.
Online searches for golf balls, the game’s ultimate consumable, remain robust.
Golf continues to pervade popular culture as it grows and modernizes its brand. It’s fair to argue the recreational game has never been healthier or more popular from a perception standpoint.
We’ve just started asking operators for rounds data for July (which is typically the highest-volume month for play every year), and some of the management companies we’ve talked with indicate the momentum remains generally positive.
Weather will play a big part in whether 2024 is another record-setting year for play, but signs indicate the appetite for “green grass golf” is as strong as ever.