Unlike many other sports, the true health of the golf industry is determined by the tens of millions of everyday recreational players like you and me who engage with the game in an increasing variety of ways and purchase equipment, apparel, accessories, and more.
Its vitality is shaped by those who visit golf courses, driving ranges, and entertainment venues, and those who travel to resorts and destination locations, not by the hundreds of professional golfers who compete at the highest tour levels.
Golf in the post-pandemic era (post-2020) is thriving, from elevated levels of play and participation to more positive perceptions about the game—at least the recreational one we play. As we look ahead to (or dream of) more great golf experiences in 2025, here are some of the latest data points to know about the state-of-the-game from the National Golf Foundation, the industry’s leading information and research authority.
Record-Breaking Participation Numbers
The number of Americans playing traditional golf reached new heights in 2024, climbing to 28 million players. This marks the seventh consecutive year of growth, with 2024 delivering the largest single-year net increase (1.5 million more golfers) since Tiger Woods’s peak in 2000. Over the past five years alone, the number of on-course golfers has surged by 16 percent.
Total Golf Engagement Soars
When combining both on-course and off-course participation (defined as hitting a golf ball in the air with a golf club away from a golf course), the total golf engagement number has risen to 47.2 million Americans—a 5 percent increase from 2023 and a remarkable 38 percent jump from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This figure encompasses everything from traditional rounds to modern entertainment venues like Topgolf and indoor simulators, reflecting golf’s evolution and broadening appeal.
Unprecedented Play Levels
The appetite for green-grass golf continues to grow, with 2024 marking the third record-setting year for rounds played in the past four years. There have been more than 500 million rounds played in total at U.S. courses nationwide in each of the past five years. This sustained high level of course utilization demonstrates that the pandemic-era golf boom wasn’t just a temporary phenomenon but rather the establishment of a “new normal” for the sport.
A Diversifying Participant Pool
The game is becoming increasingly diverse and looking more like America’s population overall, with females and People of Color seeing unprecedented representation among the traditional golfer participation base. In fact, more women and girls played golf on a course last year in the U.S. than any time in the game’s history. And there are more young adults (ages 18-to-34) playing traditional golf than any other age group. They’re not playing as frequently, given money and time constraints, but they’re getting out there and participating at levels not seen in more than a decade.
Infrastructure Growth
There are approximately 16,000 golf courses in the U.S., more than five times more than any other country in the world. But with improved levels of supply and demand, new golf course development has reached its highest levels since 2011 while the U.S. market in 2024 recorded its fewest course closures in 20 years. New facility openings and development span a variety of types and locales, from destination resorts to innovative short courses.
Looking Ahead
Golf’s future appears bright, with several positive indicators:
- Sustained high levels of facility utilization
- Record or near-record numbers of beginners and interest among non-golfers
- An increasingly favorable public perception of recreational golf
- A wider participation funnel introducing a greater number of players in new ways
While professional golf will always capture headlines, it’s the millions of recreational players who drive the industry’s health and future prospects. The latest metrics paint a clear picture: golf isn’t just surviving but thriving, with a renaissance fueled by everyday players like us who embrace the game in all its forms. And the sport’s ability to attract new participants while maintaining strong engagement from existing players—its core consumers—positions golf well for more growth in the coming years.
In both places I play, Seattle and Palm Springs, the days of finding a tee time within a week are gone. Green fees up 25-50% over the last two years.
Now that I am retired and have the time to play more, I’m priced out. $440 for an early morning tee time on Stadium.