In a report published on the National Golf Foundation web site (https://www.ngf.org/), NGF Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joe Beditz wrote that golf’s “evolution has been under way for some years now, and the latest milestones are significant.’’
As his primary source of evidence, Beditz cites NGF numbers that indicate the overall participant base – the combination of on- and off-course golfers – will top a record 40 million Americans in 2022. And for the first time time in history, according to Beditz, the number of people who play non-traditional, off-course forms of the game in the U.S. will surpass the green-grass total.
The NGF will release final numbers early next year.
Although arguments can be made to the contrary, “This isn’t new math or ‘moving the goalposts,’’’ Beditz wrote. “The latest findings are part of ongoing research to better understand and frame the evolution of golf.’’
Non-traditional golf venues such as Topgolf, Beditz continued, better positions the game for the future.
“It’s also notable that some of the growth we’re seeing, both on-course and off, is coming from under-represented segments the industry has been actively seeking to engage.’’