The pandemic has changed recent history in the golf industry as there was a huge surge of people who took up the game of golf. In 2020, the National Golf Foundation (NGF) announced new golfers or golfers returning to the game numbered 6.2 million. That was an all-time record for the game.
New golf courses versus golf course closings
That surge of golfers heading out to public and private courses did help to stem the tide of golf courses closing their doors. However, the United States continues to have more golf courses closing as compared to courses opening. In 2023, the industry was estimating that 23 new courses were going to be opened in the United States. According to the NGF, that was the largest number of new course openings going all the way back to 2010.
That growth number was more than offset by a closing of an estimated 150 courses. There were just too many courses built in the United States during the boom years. The United States presently has around 15,945 golf courses. The next closest country is Japan at around 3,100 courses. The UK comes in around 3,100 also and Canada around 2,500.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the courses that are closing are public access golf courses. NGF estimates that 90% of all the course closures in 2022 were public access. 75% of those course that closed were charging a green fee under $40.
Where are the new golf courses being built?
According to the NGF, between the years of 2019 and 2023, there were an estimated 63 new golf courses were built in the United States. The state benefiting with the most new golf courses was Florida with 21 new courses. Texas followed with 13 new golf courses and South Carolina came in third at 6 new courses. While these new courses being built are not home development related golf courses, in general. One would expect that the population growth in both Florida and Texas is linked to new course additions.
Rising green fees at golf courses
That surge in players moving into the game of golf has created a new golden age for the golf industry. Courses that were struggling are able to charge more and green fees seem up across the entire country. Certainly, the most sought after golf destinations are leading the charge in pushing new all-time green fee records. Here are a couple breakdowns on X. One for the top courses in the United States and another great breakdown for the UK. By the way, Shadow Creek has since jumped to $1250 to play. So, it seems the march upward continues, for now.