Golf courses were closing, then opening, then closing again. The number of courses in the U.S. available for play hovered around 50 percent. But now? That’s all changed. According to the National Golf Foundation, nearly every course in the U.S. is now open for play — and demand from golfers remains high.
Full Answer
What percentage of golf courses are open?
A week ago (May 10), the NGF reported that 91% of courses were open, but that excluded New Hampshire courses (which opened May 11) as well as a number of courses in Vermont, Massachusetts, California and Maryland, which had just opened completely a few days earlier. As a result, the NGF now estimates that number is up to 95%.
Why are so many golf courses closing?
The number of golfers and rounds played began to decline in the 2000s. And across the U.S., courses began to close - 10% of them since 2006. The National Golf Foundation says that reflects the market correcting itself.
How many golf courses are there in the US?
And for the remaining 14,000 courses, competition for players is fierce, especially for the almost 11,000 courses that are open to the public - whether daily fee courses owned by companies or municipal courses run by cities. Madison, Wis., has more than a dozen golf courses in the area, and the city's four municipal courses are in crisis.
What's different about the country club this time around at open?
What's different about The Country Club this time around at the U.S. Open? Plenty The U.S. Open will return to The Country Club on Thursday, but the course won’t play the same as it did when the Brookline club last hosted the prestigious event in 1988. The routing is different than in 1988, when there was a one-tee start.
How much did golf round sales increase in 2008?
Rounds increased more than 13 percent year over year through the end of November and quarterly equipment sales topped $1 billion from July through September — just the second time that figure has hit 10 digits and the first since right before the start of the Great Recession in 2008 — according to Golf Datatech.
How long did the PGA Tour shut down?
For golf, more courses closed within the week. The average shutdown, at least among our State of the Industry respondents, lasted more than 22 days.
Is golf a construct?
Golf courses, much like space and time, are a construct. We might glance at our scorecards or tee signs to check distances and pars, but there are no real boundaries. Each course can be whatever we want it to be.
Why is golf booming?
Golf is booming because of the pandemic. Players wearing face masks warm up on the range at the Miami Beach Golf Club on April 29, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. (CNN) The pandemic has popularized a lot of unexpected activities.
How many viewers will watch the 2020 PGA Championship?
The first round of the tournament averaged 1,246,000 viewers, making it the event's most viewed first round telecast since 2015, and the second best opening round in the last 10 years.
When did golf datatech start recording equipment data?
July and August saw the two best months for golf sales since Golf Datatech started recording equipment data in 1997. "We have never seen a surge like what has happened in the summer of 2020, coming out of the worldwide shutdown from COVID-19," said John Krzynowek, Partner, Golf Datatech in a news release.
Will college gameday be broadcast in 2020?
Even ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from the Masters for the first time ever, and gained a 31% increase in viewership from all of its other shows in 2020, according to ESPN's Bill Hofmeier.
Is golf resurgence?
Thanks to social distancing, the sport of golf has seen a resurgence, too. At the beginning of 2020, golf courses were seeing business as usual. There was no big nationwide increase in the number of rounds of golf played, according to data from Golf DataTech.
How much did Rusted Rail spend on golf course repairs?
Greens are most important, followed by fairways. At Rusted Rail, they spent nearly $1 million on course repairs as well as clubhouse improvements.
How many acres are there in Golden Eagle Golf Course?
And at Golden Eagle, head professional Don Nelson says even though the excellent George Cobb design as well as the natural beauty of the rolling wooded terrain that surrounds a 50- acre lake around a 50-acre lake overcame some of the course's maintenance issues in the past, improved maintenance is helping to bring the course back to relevance.
Where is Golden Eagle Golf Club?
And in most cases it also benefits the community. For example, at Golden Eagle Golf Club at The Tides Inn near Chesapeake Bay in Irvington, Va. , the semi-private/resort course involved the community to help it become the only surviving facility with a championship golf course in Lancaster County. Just south of Dallas in Crandall, Texas, new owners ...
How many golf courses are open to the public?
And for the remaining 14,000 courses, competition for players is fierce, especially for the almost 11,000 courses that are open to the public - whether daily fee courses owned by companies or municipal courses run by cities.
How many golf courses have closed in the last decade?
An estimated 800 golf courses have closed in the last decade, freeing up vast swaths of green space and a new "golf course gold rush" for developers and loss of public courses for golfers.
Did Tiger Woods live in gated communities?
Tiger Woods was in his prime, and residents sometimes paid millions to live in gated communities alongside golf courses. But Karen says exclusive, expensive courses weren't the only ones built in the '90s.
