More people are playing more golf in more ways than any time in history. The metrics of our game are getting their own “mic drop” moment.
Momentum across the recreational side of the U.S. golf industry remained broadly positive in 2025, and indicators continue to point to sustainability in both participation and play.
This trajectory, which began even before the pandemic, has now settled into a recalibrated, higher baseline for the game – perspective that’s highlighted in NGF’s newest industry overview. The annual Graffis Report, named after NGF’s founders, is available to current (and new… please join!) members HERE.
Green-grass golf participation surpassed 29 million in 2025 (all-time record is 30.6 million in 2003), marking an eighth consecutive year of growth and a net increase of roughly one million golfers YOY. Over the past eight years, on-course participation has risen by over five million, reinforcing that this is not a short-term COVID bump but a broader, lifestyle-driven shift toward experiences that deliver social connection, time outdoors, and physical, mental and emotional well-being.
There is a renewed appreciation for the holistic benefits of the green-grass game, and tens of millions of Americans now recognize golf’s public health benefit as one of the ultimate wellness activities — combining exercise, stress relief, challenge, self-improvement and community in a uniquely accessible outdoor setting.
Total golf participation (on-course and off-course, using a real club and ball with a full swing) climbed to an all-time high, fueled by both traditional play and the continued expansion of technology-enabled ranges, simulators and entertainment venues. These off-course formats are proving to be powerful entry points that complement, rather than replace, the green-grass game.
NGF members can explore the full set of participation, play, supply, development, equipment and retail trends in our holistic look at the U.S. golf industry and its key performance indicators. The Graffis Report includes a concise one-page “leaderboard” of the game’s vital signs, along with deeper analysis and context.
Among the notable takeaways:
- On-course participation at its highest level since the Tiger Woods–aided peak era of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and total participation (on-course and off) is up 50% over the past decade to more than 48M.
- National Rounds Played reached another all-time record, the fourth time in five years — achieved with roughly 2,000 fewer facilities than existed during that previous participation peak two decades ago
- More than 8 million women and girls now playing on course, an all-time high, and a 46% increase compared to 2019 (pre-COVID)
- Record levels of diversity across golf’s participation base, with unprecedented on-course representation among Females (28%) and People of Color (26%)
- Roughly two-thirds of ‘green-grass’ beginners enter the game with ‘off-course’ experience
- With approximately 15,900 courses at nearly 14,000 facilities, the U.S. maintains its position as the world’s largest golf market
- Continued strength in demand and facility utilization support healthier economics and golf course spending on infrastructure and supplies, with nearly 70% of operators rating their financial condition as “good” or “excellent”
- Normalization of public pricing power, with average 18-hole fee up roughly 29% since 2019, which is broadly in line with cumulative U.S. inflation
Overall, today’s golf economy is broader, more inclusive and more resilient than at any time in the modern era, supported by a multi-channel ecosystem that introduces millions to the game while reinforcing the central role of the golf course as the industry’s front door.
About
Founded in 1936, the National Golf Foundation is a dynamic membership organization supported and trusted by thousands of golf related businesses and individuals who rely on NGF to provide the most up-to-date, accurate and objective insights on the state of the game and business of golf. It is the only trade association for everyone in the golf business, advocating for growth by educating and connecting its members. NGF is also the leading marketing services provider in golf, leveraging a database of 2.5 million golfers and the industry’s most comprehensive worldwide database of golf facilities. Additionally, NGF’s research arm works with individual companies to help them better understand their markets and grow their businesses. If you’re not among the hundreds of businesses that help support NGF’s ongoing research efforts through membership, we invite you to join the community.
Contact:
Erik Matuszewski
National Golf Foundation
Editorial Director
(561) 354-1637
(609) 577-0652
erikm@ngf.org
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