FGolf industry numbers in recent years have stunned observers just as those from the National Golf Foundation indicate that more golfers in the United States are playing exclusively on off-course courses such as Topgolf and PopStroke (15.5 million in 2022). who get it only in actual courses (13.2 million).
In addition, the numbers for what the NGF describes as “total off-court participation,” which also includes the 12.4 million in America who patron both on and off-course facilities, have “outperformed for the first time those who play on the course.”
Equally surprising is the composition of people who are only off-track. According to the NGF, they are younger, with an average age of 31 versus 46 for golfers on the course, and also more diverse in terms of gender (40 percent female off the course versus 28 percent on the course) and race (40 percent nonwhite versus 22 percent).
“This group is less bound by traditional golf protocols,” said Greg Bartoli, the former Wall Street executive who founded PopStroke. “They want to play the game but with the music on and with their own dress code. And they don’t want it to take as long as on a traditional course.”
Much of the growth in off-course golf can be attributed to the huge success of Topgolf, which counted 85 courses globally at the end of 2022 and expects to continue to add 10 or 11 new facilities in the US on an annual basis for several of the following. years. But the arrival of many entities in space has helped, from Buttery and X Golf to Dryvebox and Five Iron Golf. And the fact that players in the field have outperformed those who are exclusive to the track is a big deal.
As well as all the money that flows into this part of the game. TaylorMade Golf and Tiger Woods join Bartoli as co-owners of PopStroke, which provides upscale miniature golf on its outdoor settings as well as first-class food and drink, while Rory McIlroy has backed a similar endeavor called Buttery with a $10 investment. million. Chicago-based Poshack, which company officials have described as a “tech miniature golf experiment,” is said to have last year raised more than $210 million in growth capital. And through a partnership called EP Golf Ventures that it created with the private investment arm of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the PGA of America has invested money in Dryvebox, which provides mobile simulators that can be tracked to and from events and outings.
“Decades ago, off-course golf consisted largely of driving ranges and miniature golf. What we have now are much more sophisticated and entertaining ways for groups of people to come together around a game of golf, with music, food and drink and in less time-consuming ways.” Casey Alexander
Then there’s Callaway, which in 2021 not only closed an all-stock deal worth more than $2.5 billion for the 86 percent of Topgolf it didn’t already own, but also invested an additional $30 million in Five Iron Golf, which employs state-run simulators. state-of-the-art golf equipment for everything from golf tournament play to individual instruction, coaching, and club installation.
Even big-box retailers are getting a part of the trend, with the PGA Tour Superstore beginning to create off-the-court experiences in retail locations that include state-of-the-art hitting venues and high tables with barstools so golfers can catch up with each other. To play, practice and just hang out.
Taken together, these developments show industry-wide optimism in the viability of off-course golf entertainment and also how it can benefit the on-course segment by introducing new people to the sport while giving experienced golfers ways to enjoy the sport in their spare time. – Seasons or when they travel to urban areas.
“Decades ago, off-course golf consisted largely of driving ranges and miniature golf,” said Casey Alexander, managing director of equity research at Compass Point Research & Trading and a keen observer of the golf industry. “What we have now are more sophisticated and fun ways for groups of people to come together around a game of golf, with music, food and drink and in less time-consuming ways.
Topgolf applied this approach to the old-school driving range concept, and then places like Puttery did the same with mini golf. The improved quality of golf simulators helped the off-course segment grow as well, as did the use of technology like Toptracer and TrackMan. Suddenly, it became The game is more fun, interesting, and accessible to people who previously stayed away from it.”
Indeed, it was. Topgolf, for example, has become the venue for date nights and birthday parties. Five Iron Golf has been developed into a place for players who want to use their simulators to compete in national golf tournaments or work on their games with PGA pros. PopStroke has evolved into a place for families to have some fun and for businesses to entertain customers. Some venues have added games such as shuffleboard, pingpong, cornhole and foosball to keep customers entertained and have installed plasma televisions in all their facilities.
“It’s kind of crazy how much energy, money and momentum there is around these new golf concepts and the ways they resonate with golfers and non-golfers alike,” said Chip Brewer, President and CEO of Topgolf Callaway Brands.
And while the off-course experiences the facilities provide are different from traditional golf courses, these venues act as new entry points into the old and royal game.
“According to NGF data, 10 percent of all new golfers say they were introduced to the game by Topgolf,” Brewer said. “Golf is growing, and off-court golf is definitely a big part of that. And as it grows, it gets more and more people into the game.”
Alexander agrees. “You can’t put golf clubs into the hands of millions of people in a fun and recreational way and not expect some of them to finally say, ‘Hey, I want to try golf. This off-the-beaten-track element is a completely new feed system for the on-course version of the game, and a very effective one at that.”
Jared Solomon, co-founder and CEO of Five Iron Golf, is among those in the field who don’t like the term “golf off the field,” though he understands why so many people describe it that way.
“We think of ourselves as a golf and leisure company,” he said, “and we think of what we and others do in this space as just golf.” “And now, we have entire generations of people who have grown up with a very different understanding of what golf is, with traditional golf being just one of the pieces that make up the game.”
What is happening is really a big problem.
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