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Every college football season a team bonds, evolves, surprises oddsmakers in a few early games, keeps winning into late October and early November, and continues to be underestimated by the public and pundits.
Indiana, Georgia Tech, Missouri and BYU represented those teams in 2024. Indiana, Georgia Tech, Missouri and BYU might be those teams again in 2025.
Golf has become the version of the underappreciated football team morphing into a big winner. Regardless of the opposition —soggy spring weather and tariff uncertainty caused early 2025 angst — golf continues to thrive at levels many operators and decision makers don’t fully comprehend or believe.
Nearly anybody who works at a United States golf course indicated they were slammed and sweltering in August. Numbers supported their stories; rounds played during August 2025 were up 7.7 percent compared with August 2024, according to Golf Datatech. More than 25 percent of the country also ended August in moderate to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Slammed golf courses defined summer 2025. Through eight months, rounds played nationally were up 1.4 percent compared with 2024, a year when the United States supported a record 545 million rounds. September stayed sweltering. When Golf Datatech releases numbers for the month, expect more positive vibes for the industry.
Industry analysts — especially this one — expect rounds played in the United States to surpass 550 million in 2025 for the first time. This will be fourth time in five years the rounds-played record will be eclipsed. And the industry played from behind in 2025, as year to date rounds were down .6 percent through June compared with the first half of 2024.
Data and anecdotes demonstrate the public and private golf supply in most markets lags demand.
Earlier this week, members of our team attempted something more challenging than slowing the 2022 Kansas City Chief offense: booking two consecutive tee times on a public golf course in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Seventeen internet searches and nine phone calls eventually yielded 1:20 and 1:30 tee times at a suburban public facility surrounded by seven-figure homes. Fall doesn’t mean a public golf slowdown in the Heartland or anywhere else.
Private club members also tussle for tee times these days. The National Golf Foundation recently reported 2.1 million American golfers hold private club memberships, which accounts for 8 percent of the golf population. Only 1.4 million American golfers belonged to private clubs in 2018.
How should golf’s popularity be handled?
By slamming the throttle and recognizing golf’s growth potential.
It would take an unforeseen occurrence producing the reverse effect of the COVID-19 surge for golf to crater. Preparing for all scenarios is a sound business practice. But operating with a 2019 or 2009 mentality will result in facilities and businesses missing significant opportunities.
Revenue increases, through increased volume, higher fees and filled memberships, will help retain and add staff, the most critical component in creating consistently fabulous experiences for consumers. Retaining and adding talent always provides a substantial return on investment. Moreover, smart personnel moves allow staff working exhaustively to support golf’s growth to receive well-deserved respites. Talent needs opportunities to recharge.
The current situation offers stark contrast to 2019 or 2009, as slimmer staffs toiled to keep golf afloat. Still-slim staffs now toil to support golf’s growth.
In college football, winning means expanding the NIL coffers. In golf, winning means expanding the labor budget beyond green industry norms.
Winning organizations also strive for better facilities, equipment and technology. Stalling on course renovations, equipment purchases and other golf-centric capital improvements because of trepidation about golf going backward will stunt responsible growth. Failing to invest now means paying significantly more in three, four and five years.
Consistent winners emerge from anywhere and sometimes there’s luck involved. Golf received a once-in-a-generation break because of lifestyle changes during and following a horrific pandemic.
This year provides another bold reminder there’s nothing lucky about golf’s staying power. Those acting like golf will keep winning possess promising futures.
Guy Cipriano is Golf Course Industry’s publisher + editor-in-chief
