Golf by the Numbers

What really fuels the golf market and keeps courses up and running? Pro's? Scratch golfers? Avid golfers? The answer is quite simple - the average or moderate golfer. If there are 27 million or so golfer's in the U.S. and less than 1% are pro or scratch golfers, count them out.

Ironically, a lot of pro's who can afford the game rarely pay for it or get great deals. As for avid golfers (25+ rounds per year), they only account for roughly 3-5% of the market, which leaves the average and beginners (less than 7 rounds per year).

The average golfer is statistically a mid to upper-mid working class person playing around 20 rounds a year. Funny thing is if it wasn't for this demographic, 80% of golf courses would probably shut their doors. Here's a reality check: average golfers use more golf balls, period. They or we go through 3-5 balls (or more) a round.

Let's do the math; say an average golf ball costs $1.00 times 4 balls a round times 20 rounds a year. That comes out to $80 dollars in golf balls per average golfer per season. Now multiply that times the roughly 20 million average golfers and there you have 1.6 billion dollars spent a year on golf balls. Sounds crazy, huh...how about those greens fees?

These numbers represent a driving but unheard voice in the golf community. We can take these stats and apply them to other commodities in the golf industry like clubs, apparel and accessories and get a good idea of the revenue we spill into this game we love.

What's in store for the future? I guess only time will tell...but as long as average golfers keep losing balls on the course, the golf economy will continue to drive forward...

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!! Love your balls.

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