The Quiet Growth of Municipal Golf
National Golf Foundation | Published on 7/2/2026
As the U.S. golf market has experienced a supply correction over the past two decades – with a net reduction of more than 2,000 golf courses – there’s quietly been a curious trend: a slow, upward climb in the municipal golf space.
Dating back to 2006, the number of municipally owned and operated golf courses has increased by 7% while the two other ownership segments (daily fee public courses and private clubs) have undergone notable contraction.
At the start of this year, there were nearly 3,000 municipal golf courses at over 2,600 facilities, the highest totals on record.
This muni momentum predates the pandemic. And it isn’t the byproduct of states, counties or cities building new courses...