Golf course statistics show a large, changing playing environment: the United States had about 16,000 courses at the end of 2025, while 43.3 million golfers played 9- or 18-hole courses across R&A-affiliated markets excluding the USA and Mexico in 2024. The measures below distinguish courses, facilities, rounds, posted scores and participation estimates.
Key Golf Course Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- In 2024, 43.3 million golfers played 9- or 18-hole courses in R&A-affiliated markets excluding the USA and Mexico.
- At the end of 2025, the United States had approximately 16,000 golf courses at about 14,000 facilities.
- At the end of 2025, about three-quarters of U.S. golf courses and facilities were open to the public.
- More than 531 million rounds were played at U.S. courses in 2023.
- U.S. rounds from 2020 through 2025 were 21% above the 2015–2019 pre-pandemic average.
- U.S. on-course participation increased by 1 million people from 2022 to 2023.
- In August 2024, U.S. rounds increased 1.9% year over year, while year-to-date rounds through August rose 1.4%.
- The R&A counted 108 million adult and junior golfers across all formats in 2024 in 148 affiliated countries excluding the USA and Mexico.
- Adult all-format participation in R&A-affiliated markets excluding the USA and Mexico was 64.1 million in 2024.
- Total junior participation across all formats in those R&A markets was 43.9 million in 2024, up 9% year over year.
- In 2024, Australia had 2.3 million 9- and 18-hole golfers and 1,404 courses.
- In 2024, Oceania had 2.571 million 9- and 18-hole golfers across 1,845 courses.
- The Middle East had 44,000 9- and 18-hole golfers across 64 courses in 2024.
- In a 2024 R&A market-barometer sample, women represented 18% of adult 9- and 18-hole golfers.
- More than 3.35 million U.S. golfers maintained a Handicap Index in 2024.
- U.S. golfers posted more than 77 million World Handicap System scores from January 1 through November 30, 2024.
- 94.5% of U.S. WHS scores posted in 2024 were recreational.
Contents
- U.S. golf course supply, facilities and public access
- U.S. rounds played and regional golf course trends
- Global 9- and 18-hole participation
- Regional golf course data and facility use
- Women and junior golf participation
- Handicap activity and recreational play
U.S. Golf Course Statistics: Supply, Facilities and Public Access
The National Golf Foundation (NGF) distinguishes a course from a facility. A facility is a business location where golf can be played on one or more courses, so the two counts should not be treated as interchangeable.
At the end of 2025, the United States had approximately 16,000 golf courses at about 14,000 golf facilities. About three-quarters of both courses and facilities were open to the public, according to the NGF’s estimate in Golf Industry Facts.
| U.S. supply measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Golf courses | Approximately 16,000 | End of 2025 |
| Golf facilities | About 14,000 | End of 2025 |
| Public-access share | About three-quarters | End of 2025 |
| Municipal facilities | Approximately 2,600 | End of 2025 |
| Daily-fee facilities | Approximately 7,600 | End of 2025 |
The NGF estimates that U.S. golf-course supply grew 44% during the 20-year expansion cycle before 2006. Supply then contracted approximately 13% cumulatively from 2006 onward as the industry rebalanced supply and demand, leaving about 2,000 fewer courses in 2025 than during the early-2000s Tiger-boom peak.
Closures since 2006 were disproportionately concentrated among courses charging less than $40 in greens fees. This is a concentration by fee threshold, not a reported percentage of closures.
U.S. Rounds Played and Regional Golf Course Trends
U.S. course use has remained elevated, but rounds and participation are different measures. The NGF reports more than 500 million rounds in each year from 2020 through 2025, with those years trending 21% above the 2015–2019 pre-pandemic five-year average.
More than 531 million rounds were played at U.S. courses in 2023, according to A Record for U.S. Rounds?. That total was 0.3% above the previous high from 2021, while on-course participation increased by 1 million from 2022 to 2023.
| U.S. rounds measure | Result | Period or comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rounds | More than 500 million each year | 2020–2025 |
| Annual rounds | More than 531 million | 2023 |
| 2023 rounds versus prior high | 0.3% higher | 2023 versus 2021 |
| Long-run trend | 21% higher | 2020–2025 versus 2015–2019 |
Typical weather-related fluctuation in U.S. rounds is plus or minus 3% from year to year. In the NGF’s historical modeled analysis, a 1°F year-over-year temperature increase was associated with a 0.76% increase in rounds, while a 1-inch increase in rain was associated with a 2.2% decrease; these are modeled relationships, not randomized causal estimates.
Three of the four years from 2020 through 2023 had annual play increases above 3%. In the National Rounds Played Report: August 2024, August rounds rose 1.9% year over year and rounds through August rose 1.4%.
- Public-access rounds rose 1.9% in August 2024 versus August 2023, while private rounds rose 1.8%.
- Pacific-region rounds increased 4.8% in August 2024 versus August 2023.
- Mountain-region rounds through August 2024 increased 5.5% year over year.
- West North Central rounds through August 2024 increased 2.6% year over year.
- South Atlantic rounds through August 2024 decreased 2.6% year over year.
These regional figures are facility-round comparisons reported through Golf Datatech and the NGF, rather than estimates of all golfers in each region.
Global Golf Course Statistics: 9- and 18-Hole Participation
The R&A’s 2024 report separates all-format golf from play on traditional 9- and 18-hole courses. Its affiliated-market totals cover 148 countries excluding the USA and Mexico and combine federation data, survey research and modeling.
The R&A estimated 108 million adult and junior golfers across all formats in 2024. Within that broader total, 43.3 million golfers played 9- and 18-hole courses, up from 42.7 million in 2023.
| R&A measure | Figure | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| All-format golfers | 108 million | 148 affiliated countries excluding USA and Mexico, 2024 |
| 9- and 18-hole golfers | 43.3 million | Same affiliated-market scope, 2024 |
| 9- and 18-hole golfers | 42.7 million | Same scope, 2023 |
| Adult all-format participation | 64.1 million | Same scope, 2024 |
| Adult all-format increase | 1.8 million | 2023–2024 |
The all-format figures are broader than traditional course participation. They include on-course and other formats, and the report notes that registered and unregistered players are included where available.
Regional Golf Course Data: Golfers, Courses and Facility Use
Regional comparisons are estimates, and the R&A tables use rounded values in several places. The following figures describe 9- and 18-hole golfers and courses unless otherwise stated.
| Country or region | Golfers | Courses | Additional measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2.3 million | 1,404 | — |
| New Zealand | 258,500 | 402 | — |
| Oceania | 2.571 million | 1,845 | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 27,000 | 24 | 1,120 average mean users per course |
| Saudi Arabia | 5,500 | 14 | 390 average mean users per course |
| Middle East | 44,000 | 64 | — |
| Argentina | 160,500 | 349 | 460 average mean users per course |
All country and regional rows represent 2024 estimates from The R&A Global Golf Participation Report 2024. “Average mean users per course” is the report’s measure and should not be read as total annual rounds per course.
The Middle East total increased 76% from 2023 to 2024, a large change that the report cautions reflects regional estimates and rounded data. Central and South America totaled 271,000 9- and 18-hole golfers in 2024, up 1% year over year.
Women and Junior Golf Participation Statistics
Gender and age measures depend strongly on the definition used. The R&A’s total junior figures cover all formats, while registered junior golfers and 9- or 18-hole golfers are narrower populations.
Total junior participation across all formats in R&A-affiliated markets excluding the USA and Mexico was 43.9 million in 2024, up 9% year over year. Registered junior golfers totaled 654,000, up 3% year over year.
About 20% of juniors aged 6–17 in the R&A Golf Barometer markets had played 9- or 18-hole golf in the prior year, while about 80% had played only non-9/18-hole formats. This is a directional survey insight, not a census of all juniors.
Europe had 18.5 million junior participants across all formats in 2024, compared with 8.6 million in Asia and 7.5 million in Africa. These are all-format junior estimates, not course-only participation.
The R&A estimated that women represented 18% of adult 9- and 18-hole golfers in its combined market-barometer sample in 2024. Among registered golfers, women represented 16% in Australia, 26% in Canada, 17% in the United Arab Emirates and 14% in Saudi Arabia; the Saudi figure was derived from rounded table counts.
Golf Handicap Statistics and Recreational Course Play
USGA World Handicap System figures measure golfers who maintain a Handicap Index and scores posted under that system. They do not represent every U.S. golfer or every round played.
More than 3.35 million U.S. golfers maintained a Handicap Index from January 1 through November 30, 2024, and posted more than 77 million scores. The population increased more than 6% from 2023 to 2024 and nearly 30% from 2020 to 2024, according to Golf Scorecard Provides a 2024 Snapshot of the Recreational Game.
| U.S. WHS measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Golfers maintaining a Handicap Index | More than 3.35 million | Jan. 1–Nov. 30, 2024 |
| Posted scores | More than 77 million | Jan. 1–Nov. 30, 2024 |
| 9-hole posted scores | 13,798,174 | 2024 |
| 9-hole score change | 8% higher | 2024 versus 2023 |
| 9-hole score change | Nearly 40% higher | 2024 versus 2020 |
| Short-course postings | More than 180,000 scores at over 350 courses | 2024 |
After short courses became eligible for WHS Course and Slope Ratings in 2024, more than 180,000 scores were posted at over 350 U.S. short courses. December activity was not included in the initial more-than-77-million-score dataset.
Recreational play dominated the posted-score record: 94.5% of U.S. WHS scores in that January–November period were recreational. Competitive participation was 25.4% among male WHS golfers and 23.7% among female WHS golfers, where competitive means posting at least one competitive score.
The average male U.S. WHS golfer posted 24 scores in 2024—20 for 18 holes and 4 for 9 holes—while the average female golfer posted 20 scores—14 for 18 holes and 6 for 9 holes. Among the WHS population, 1.16 million golfers posted at least 25 scores, 487,000 posted at least 50, and 85,300 posted at least 100; those groups represented 34.6%, 14.6% and 2.5%, respectively.
The average 2024 Handicap Index was 14.2 for U.S. male WHS golfers and 28.7 for U.S. female WHS golfers. A Handicap Index is not a score or a course rating, so it should be interpreted as a separate measure of playing ability.