26 Glorious Golf Industry Statistics [2023]: How Big Is The Golf Industry

Research Summary. Golf is a pleasant sport that’s enjoyed by millions of people every year. While the number of golfers, rounds played, and the market size has been declining over the 21st century, the activity recently had a revival. Many attribute this newfound American passion for golf to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 25.6 million Americans played golf on a golf course in 2022, or 8% of the total U.S. population

• 34.2 million people played golf both on and off course in 2019.

• 15.5 million people participated in off-course golf activities like driving ranges and golf simulators in 2022

• 3.2 million Americans played golf for the first time in 2021

• The U.S. golf course industry market size is $26.1 billion as of 2022.

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
New Golfers | Trends and Projections | Demographics | Courses and Clubs

General Golf Industry Statistics

• The U.S. golf industry is worth $84 billion.

  The golf industry has grown 22% since 2011 from $68.8 billion.

• The golf industry in California alone is worth $13.1 billion.

  California’s golf industry employs 128,000 people with $4.1 billion in wages.

• The U.S. golf course/country club industry has a market size of $27.2 billion.

  Since 2014, the U.S. golf course and country club industry has grown by over $3 billion.

  

Golf Industry Statistics by New Golfers

• 25% of female golfers were new to the sport in 2020 and tried it for the first time because of the pandemic.

• Women represent 41% of off-course golfers

• 27% of new golfers are aged 18-34 (Gen Z)

Golf Industry Trends and Projections

• In 2020, 502 million rounds of golf were played in the United States.

  This is a 14% increase from the previous year when 441 million rounds of golf were played. Many people attribute the rise in players to people’s desperation to get outside after the onset of the pandemic.

• There was a 2% increase in the number of golfers in the United States between 2019 and 2020.

  In 2020, there were 24.8 million golfers in the United States. This is 500,000 more people than there were playing golf in 2019.

  

• The number of golfers in America who play at least eight rounds per year has decreased by 3 to 4.5% every single year since 2006.

  This decrease in interest has impacted the professional world of golf and the industry as a whole.

• In 2006, there were 29.82 million golf players in the United States, and as of 2022, there are now 25.6 million.

  The number of golf players in the United States has steadily decreased over the past 13 years. There are over four million fewer golf players today.

Golf Industry Statistics by Demographics

• 6 million people aged 18-34 play golf

• Around 77% of golfers are men, while a little over 22% are women

• In 2020, there were 450,000 more female golfers than there were in 2019. An increase of 8% year over year

• 4% of Gen Z Americans (1995-2012) stated that they played golf in 2021

• 12% of Millenial Americans (1980-1994) said they played golf in 2021

• 7% of Generation X Americans (1965-1979) said they played gold in 2021

• In 2014, six million Millenials played 90 million rounds of golf every year

• People who play golf have an average household income of $125,000

Golf Industry Statistics by Golf Courses and Clubs

• There are 9,473 golf courses and country clubs in the United States as of 2022.

  This is a decrease of 0.7% since 2021.

  

• There are almost 40,000 golf courses in the world.

  There are golf courses in 209 different countries, or in 85% of the world.

• The top states for golf are California, Florida, and Oregon.

  These states have the most “Top 100” ranked courses in the entire country. California alone has ten top-ranked courses.

Golf Industry Statistics FAQ

1. How much is the golf industry worth?

   The golf industry is worth $84 billion. Golf courses alone make up a large portion of this, being worth $26 billion on their own.

2. Is the golf industry growing?

   Recently, the golf industry has been growing after a long period of decline. The number of golf rounds played in 2021 was 18% higher than in 2017-2019.

   Additionally, in 2020, golf experienced its biggest net increase since 1997. Many people think that the rise in golf interest is due to people wanting to get outside after being trapped indoors during the pandemic.

3. Is golf a dying sport?

   No, golf is not a dying sport. While golf has had a long period of decline when it comes to the number of players and revenue since the turn of the century, there has recently been more interest in playing golf. Since 2020, there’s been a huge jump in the number of golf players.

   Additionally, the golf industry has grown a whopping 22% in the past ten years. Today, the gold industry is worth $84 billion, and in 2011 it was worth $68.8 billion.

4. Where is golf the most popular in the U.S.?

   Florida is the state where golf is the most popular. Florida has the most golf courses in the United States and many avid golfers.

Conclusion

Golf might simply be a pleasant way for you to spend sunny days, but it’s actually an enormous industry in the United States. The U.S. golf course industry alone is worth over $26 billion as of 2022. The golf industry as a whole is worth $84 billion.

In 2020, 8% of the American population played golf on a golf course. If you count the people who played on and off-course, the number of players jumps to 34.2 million. There have recently been a lot of new golfers in the United States too. There were 6.2 million people who tried playing golf for the first time in 2020.

All this growth comes after a long period of decline, and the golf industry is still smaller than it was 15 years ago. In 2006, there were nearly 30 million golfers in the United States. As of 2019, there are only 24.3 million.

The timing is no coincidence. Although the pandemic destroyed many people’s lives, it actually helped the golf industry. People became desperate for outdoor activities after being locked down and stuck inside, encouraging the golf industry’s massive growth over the past two years. Only time will tell if the golf industry’s post-pandemic growth will be sustainable.

References

1. National Golf Foundation. Golf Industry Facts. Accessed on April 5, 2022

2. Riversedge Golf Bend. Golf Demographics | How Many People Play Golf | Golf Statistics. Accessed on April 5, 2022

3. Ibis World. Golf Courses & Country Clubs in the US – Market Size 2004–2027. Accessed on April 5, 2022

4. Forbes. The Economic Impact Of Golf: $84 Billion In The U.S. Accessed on April 5, 2022

5. Pace Turf. THE CALIFORNIA GOLF ECONOMY:. Accessed on April 5, 2022

6. Golf Digest. The numbers are official: Golf’s surge in popularity in 2020 was even better than predicted. Accessed on April 5, 2022

7. Bleacher Report. Golf’s Decline in America: Work/Life Balance Is the True Culprit | Bleacher Report. Accessed on April 5, 2022

8. Statistica. • Golf: number of participants US 2019 | Statista. Accessed on April 5, 2022

9. Statistica. • Share of golfers in the US by generation 2021 | Statista. Accessed on April 5, 2022

10. PaceSetter. Why Golf Must Attract Millennials | Pacesetter. Accessed on April 5, 2022

11. Bench Craft Company. Demographics | Bench Craft Company. Accessed on April 5, 2022

12. Randa.org. 2020 GB&I Golf Participation Report. Accessed on April 5, 2022

13. Golf Digest. New #inviteHER initiative aims to get more women into golf. Accessed on April 5, 2022

14. Golf Course Industry. KemperSports report: 27 percent of new golfers are 18-34 – Golf Course Industry. Accessed on April 5, 2022

15. Ibis World. Golf Courses & Country Clubs in the US – Number of Businesses | IBISWorld. Accessed on April 5, 2022

16. Golf Monthly. How Many Golf Courses Are There In The World?. Accessed on April 5, 2022

17. Golf Week. Golfweek’s Best: The best states for public, private, modern and classic golf in the U.S. Accessed on April 5, 2022

18. Front Office Sports. Golf Industry Continues to Flourish Amid Pandemic. Accessed on April 5, 2022

19. Golf.com. The United States of Golf: All 50 States Ranked By Their Golfiness. Accessed on April 5, 2022

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.