Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2019 - 5

FRONT
Tiger Boom
W
hen Tiger Woods putted out on No. 18 at Augusta
National Golf Club for his fi fth Green Jacket
this past April, the golf industry received a boost
that will likely ripple throughout the rest of the season. How
much of a Tiger-bump remains to be seen, but Woods' return
to form was already in play last season, and the National Golf
Foundation (NGF) measured that and other factors in its 2019
Golf Industry Report.
" Golf is an $84 billion industry that is adapting to cultural
and behavioral shifts, like many other aspects of society, " the
report said. " The NGF's annual Golf Industry Report takes a
high-level view of this evolution, presenting a balanced state-ofthe-industry
overview
that aggregates many of
the game's key metrics. "
One of the most vital
metrics is golfer participation,
and according to
the report, 24.2 million
people played golf on
a course last season. In 2017, there were
23.8 million golfers in the United States,
and approximately the same number
in 2016. That 2018 total nears the most
recent peak of the past fi ve years, which
was 24.7 million golfers in 2014 and 2013.
The 24.2 million number represents
golfers who played on a green-grass
course, but the NGF's expanded defi nition
of participation also tracks people
playing off-course-the 23 million who swung golf clubs at
entertainment venues such as Topgolf, indoor simulators and
at stand-alone ranges last year. Therefore, the number of people
who play golf exclusively off-course (9.3 million) is included to
create a total participation base of 33.5 million (compared to
32.1 million the previous season).
Unfortunately, the number of rounds played decreased in
2018, as weather and economic factors took their toll. According
to the report, " rounds-played dipped 4.8 percent to 434 million,
a decline driven by heavier precipitation levels than normal
across the country during the busiest months for golf. "
mngolf.org
* BY JOSEPH OBERLE *
The NGF's annual Golf Industry Report shows the game may be
heading out of the " Woods. "
Arguably, the most important metric is " committed golfers, "
considered the backbone of golfer participation. Of the 24.2
million on-course golfers, 20.3 are committed golfers (responsible
for approximately 95 percent of rounds played and golf
spending, according to the report) and their numbers are holding
steady.
Meanwhile, golf's demographics were generally unchanged:
2.5 million juniors (ages 6 to 17) represent 11 percent of all
golfers; 6.1 million young adults (ages 18 to 34) equal 26 percent;
the 5.7 million women are 23 percent; and 4.3 million
non-Caucasian golfers make up 18 percent.
Beginning golfers (those who played on a golf course for the
fi rst time) numbered an
estimated 2.6 million in
2018-near record levels
and the fi fth straight year
showing more than two
million newcomers. The
next step? Keep them in
the game.
Perhaps Tiger Woods winning his
15th major at the 2019 Masters can help,
as the viewership ratings were already
climbing last season. The NGF reported
Nielsen television ratings showing a 30
percent increase in 2018 tournament
viewership that correlated with Woods'
participation. It is diffi cult to attribute it
all to Woods' return from injury, but the
parallels are hard to ignore.
" As the game faces persistent economic and
societal headwinds, the big-picture view of
golf's most recognizable metrics-approximately
15,000 facilities, 24 million golfers and in
the neighborhood of 450 million rounds-played-
is strikingly similar to 20 to 25 years ago, " the NGF
Golf Industry Report concluded. " That was before
a transcendent player named Tiger Woods spurred
unprecedented levels of interest ... "
Is golf heading toward another Tiger Boom?
Stay tuned.
Summer 2019 MINNESOTAGOLFER
5
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2019

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