Golf consumer spending spans equipment, green fees, entertainment, travel and venue services. The available U.S. evidence shows a broad audience, rising participation, stronger online purchasing and measurable cost increases, while company revenue remains a proxy rather than a complete national spending total.
Key Golf Consumer Spending Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- In 2023, more than 123 million Americans consumed golf in some fashion through play, entertainment, broadcasts or golf content.
- In 2023, more than 50 million Americans consumed golf-related material on social media in the United States.
- In 2024, green-grass golf participation topped 28 million people in the United States.
- From 2019 to 2024, traditional golfers increased 16% in the United States.
- In 2024, total golf participation reached 47.2 million when on- and off-course full-swing play were combined.
- From 2019 to 2024, total golf participation was 38% above 2019 under NGF’s combined definition.
- In the 12 months preceding a June 2024 survey, approximately 80% of golfers purchased golf-related merchandise in the United States.
- Entering June 2024, golf-ball sales were up 7% year over year in aggregated U.S. industry reports.
- In a 2024 survey, 54% of golfers purchased golf merchandise online during the preceding 12 months.
- From 2019 to the 2024 survey, the online golf-merchandise purchase rate rose from 38% to 54% among U.S. golfers.
- In 2024 context, Core golfers numbered almost 13 million and accounted for over 90% of golf spend, according to NGF’s segmentation.
- As of April 2024, annual U.S. rounds were trending 12% above the 10-year pre-pandemic average.
- Over approximately 2020–2024, peak 18-hole green fees at public facilities climbed more than 16% cumulatively in the United States.
- In 2024 context, the average discounted public 18-hole fee was just over $37 excluding resorts.
- In the prior year reported in April 2024, 49% of public facilities undertook significant capital investment in courses or clubhouses.
- For 2024, Topgolf venue revenue was $1,728.3 million for the reported segment.
- In 2024, Topgolf Callaway Brands reported $1,382.0 million in golf-equipment sales combining clubs and balls.
Contents
- Market reach and participation scale
- Equipment spending and merchandise purchases
- Retail and online shopping trends
- Playing costs, green fees and course investment
- Entertainment, travel and venue spending
- Company sales and spending proxies
Golf Consumer Spending Statistics: Market Reach and Participation Scale
NGF’s broad consumption measure captures people who play, watch or engage with golf content, so it provides market reach rather than a dollar total. In 2023, more than 123 million Americans consumed golf in some fashion, 14% above 2018; more than 50 million also consumed golf-related material on social media. The Pulse of the Golf Consumer
The social audience is not identical to the playing audience. NGF reported that 80% of social-media golf consumers did not play green-grass golf in 2023, a consumer-research segment that should not be generalized to all Americans.
| Measure | Period | U.S. result | Definition or limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green-grass participation | 2024 | More than 28 million | Traditional on-course measure |
| Net green-grass increase | 2023–2024 | Approximately 1.5 million | Net annual change |
| Traditional golfers | 2019–2024 | 16% increase | Narrower on-course measure |
| Total golf participation | 2024 | 47.2 million | On- and off-course full-swing play |
| Total participation change | 2023–2024 | 5% increase | Combined NGF definition |
| Total participation versus 2019 | 2019–2024 | 38% above 2019 | Combined NGF definition |
These participation measures are estimates and are not interchangeable: green-grass golf excludes off-course full-swing activity, while total participation includes it. Golf’s State-of-Industry In 3 Minutes
Golf Equipment Spending Statistics: Merchandise Purchases and Shipments
Merchandise purchasing is a closer spending indicator than audience reach, but the available measures still differ between consumer surveys and manufacturer reports. Approximately 80% of U.S. golfers said they purchased golf-related merchandise in the 12 months preceding a June 2024 survey; the measure is self-reported and does not show dollars or purchase frequency. Mid-Year Update: Retail & Equipment
Entering June 2024, cumulative club-and-ball shipments were 3% above the prior year and 55% above the pre-pandemic base index. The index is not a dollar total, and shipments are not retail sell-through.
- Golf-ball sales were up 7% year over year entering June 2024 in aggregated participating-manufacturer reports.
- Golf-club sales were up 1% year over year over the same period.
- As many as one-third of Core golfers intended to purchase a golf club in 2024; Core golfers are NGF’s segment playing at least eight rounds per year.
The shipment and sales figures are industry-report aggregates, not a complete census of every consumer transaction. They are best read as equipment-market activity alongside, rather than as a replacement for, household spending data.
Golf Retail and Online Shopping Spending Trends
Online buying has become a larger part of golf merchandise purchasing. 54% of U.S. golfers said they had purchased golf-related merchandise online in the preceding 12 months in the survey reported in November 2024, compared with 38% in 2019. Is Holiday Golf Purchasing Changing?
That change is 16 percentage points, a survey-rate difference rather than a dollar-growth rate. Sample composition, wording and recall can affect the comparison.
| Indicator | Earlier period | Later period | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online golf-merchandise purchase rate | 38% in 2019 | 54% in 2024 survey | Share of golfers reporting an online purchase |
| Core golfer population | — | Almost 13 million in 2024 context | NGF industry segment |
| Core share of golf spend | — | Over 90% in 2024 context | NGF segmentation estimate |
| Core spending indication | — | About 50% more than typical American shopper | Relative survey indication |
NGF defines Core golfers as people playing at least eight rounds per year. Its claim that this group accounts for over 90% of golf spend is an industry segmentation estimate, not a national-accounts total.
Broader retail conditions provide context but are not golf totals. The NRF forecast cited by NGF put total U.S. holiday spending at $980 billion to $989 billion in 2024, up 2.5% to 3.5% from 2023; online and other non-store sales were expected to rise as much as 9% and reach as much as $298 billion. Is Holiday Golf Purchasing Changing?
Golf Playing Costs, Green Fees and Course Investment Statistics
Golf access became more expensive at public facilities in the period covered by NGF. Peak 18-hole green fees climbed more than 16% cumulatively over approximately 2020–2024, although peak published fees are not always the rack rates golfers ultimately pay. The (Rising) Cost of Golf?
| Public-course fee measure | Period | Reported amount |
|---|---|---|
| Average discounted 18-hole fee, excluding resorts | 2020 | About $32 |
| Average discounted 18-hole fee, excluding resorts | 2024 context | Just over $37 |
| Difference between rounded endpoints | 2020–2024 | More than $5 |
The fee difference is calculated from NGF’s rounded endpoints and is not inflation-adjusted. Annual U.S. rounds were trending 12% above the 10-year pre-pandemic average as of April 2024, showing higher activity alongside higher observed fees.
Nearly 14,000 green-grass facilities operated across the United States in the 2024 context. Course investment was also widespread: 49% of public facilities and 62% of private facilities reported significant course- or clubhouse-related capital investment during the prior year, though NGF does not define a common dollar threshold for “significant.” The (Rising) Cost of Golf?
The USGA provides a separate participation signal: its scorecard dataset included over 3.35 million golfers maintaining a Handicap Index between January 1 and November 30, 2024. WHS score-posting users are not the full golfer population or a spending sample. Golf Scorecard Provides a 2024 Snapshot of the Recreational Game
Golf Entertainment, Travel and Venue Spending Indicators
Travel and frequency intentions show where future spending may concentrate, but they are not completed transactions. More than two-thirds of Core golfers indicated they planned a golf-specific trip in 2024, while 95% expected to play about the same or more than in the prior year. The Pulse of the Golf Consumer
Nearly 40% of Core golfers expected to play more or much more in 2024, and 5% expected to play less. These are forward-looking survey responses, not observed rounds or spending.
Female participation increased 25% over approximately 2020–2024, according to NGF’s April 2024 reporting. This is a demand indicator, not a female-consumer spending total. The Pulse of the Golf Consumer
Topgolf offers a company-level view of entertainment-oriented golf. Venue revenue was $1,477.1 million in 2022, $1,692.6 million in 2023 and $1,728.3 million in 2024 for the reported segment; Topgolf ended 2024 with 100 owned and operated venues. Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. 2024 Annual Report
Topgolf venue revenue increased about 17.0% from 2022 to 2024 based on the filing’s rounded figures. This is not market-wide consumer-spending growth, and venue revenue includes services.
Golf Company Sales Statistics and Consumer-Spending Proxies
Company filings help quantify activity where national spending totals are unavailable, but they should be labeled as company or segment revenue. Topgolf Callaway Brands reported the following golf-equipment sales:
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf clubs | $1,097.1 million | $1,073.5 million | $1,060.9 million |
| Golf balls | $309.5 million | $314.0 million | $321.1 million |
| Total golf equipment | $1,406.6 million | $1,387.5 million | $1,382.0 million |
These are consolidated company segment revenues, not the complete golf-club or golf-ball market. Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. 2024 Annual Report
The same filing reported $4,239.3 million in consolidated revenue in 2024, including Topgolf, golf equipment and active lifestyle. Its geographic revenue was $3,102.5 million in the United States, $511.1 million in Europe, $487.6 million in Asia and $138.1 million in the Rest of World; these figures include multiple business lines and are not regional golf-spending estimates.
Topgolf venue product sales were $17.9 million in 2024, covering only a component of venue revenue and including clubs, balls, apparel and gear sold at venues. Together, these company figures show measurable commercial channels without implying that one company’s reported sales equal total consumer spending.