The traditional game of golf has been undergoing an evolution that began long before the pandemic, even as the past two years have been a historic stretch marked by increased golf participation, rounds and engagement, more favorable perceptions of the game, and a generally healthier outlook.
Yes, golf’s evolution has been under way for some years now, and the latest milestones are significant.
For the first time in history, the overall participant base – the combination of on- and off-course golfers – will top 40 million Americans in 2022. And in another first, the number of people who play non-traditional, off-course forms of the game in the U.S. will surpass the green-grass total. We will be releasing the official, final numbers early next year.
![](https://www.ngf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Total-Golf-Participation-2022.png)
This isn’t new math or “moving the goalposts.” The latest findings are part of ongoing research to better understand and frame the evolution of golf – a topic that is the central theme of this year’s NGF Golf Business Symposium.
Among the high-level data being shared with attendees this week in Charlotte are the impending 2022 increases in both traditional on-course participation AND newer off-course styles of golf like Topgolf and other golf entertainment, simulator golf, and even virtual-reality play. The notable continued growth in the off-course space – in part driven by a wealth of new and engaging offerings — is providing new entry points to on-course play and recent research has proven they add to, not take away from traditional, on-course golf.
Regardless of whether you care about non-golfers swatting balls at a place like Topgolf between rounds of drinks (or struggle with categorizing such a pursuit as a form of golf), it’s positive broad momentum that better positions the game for the future. It’s also notable that some of the growth we’re seeing, both on-course and off, is coming from under-represented segments the industry has been actively seeking to engage.
Golf is evolving. In a great many ways. And we continue to track the game in all its forms.