Golfers are traveling more than ever to play on distant courses, according to a new survey by the National Golf Foundation. In 2023, some 12.2 million adults in the United States took a trip explicitly to visit a golf course. While that number seems high, it actually is a little short of the all-time high of 12.4 million set in 2022, and this year the number is projected to be even higher.
NGF reports that since 2022, golf travel is up 20% over the historical average of the years 1989-2023. Course operators and management companies can corroborate these numbers, based on the momentum of the early season and pre-bookings. Even TSA checkpoint numbers vouch for the increased numbers, showing overall traffic this year already trending ahead of the last three years.
It’s yet another example of the post-COVID golf boom, especially given that people feel the need to make up for time lost to the pandemic. Multiple high-profile locations across the country are enjoying the benefits of the pent-up demand and are capitalizing on it with the opening of new courses. Pinehurst just opened its 11th course, Bandon Dunes debuted a par-3 course to coincide with its 25th anniversary, Streamsong in Florida will soon open a new short course, and Cabot Citrus Farm unveiled its three renovated courses following the acquisition.
It’s not just the big names, though; regionally-known facilities pull in golfers from all walks of life both from inside their state as well as the neighboring ones. Golf tourism is the second-biggest economic driver in the industry; only facility operation generates more money. More than $31 billion is spent on golf travel in the U.S. People are all about the “experience” when they travel, and golfers are no exception.
