I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! With PGA of America Golf Professionals at the forefront of the game’s $102 billion industry, golf’s continued growth across key sectors remains strong.
We can all look to the future with great optimism as the game enjoys unprecedented popularity at public, private, resort and municipal facilities, as well as on- and off-course instruction, fitting and entertainment business operations.
According to our friends at the National Golf Foundation (NGF) and their annual Graffis Report, which serves as a review of the industry, golf continues to enjoy steady and sustained post-pandemic growth. Based on the NGF’s last report, which was released in January of 2025, here are some high-level data points:
• 28.1 million people participated in “green-grass golf” in 2024, the highest since 2008 and the seventh straight annual increase.
• There was a 1.8 million golfer jump from 2023 to 2024, the largest single-year increase since 2000.
• In the post-COVID era (since 2020), the NGF says that the number of golfers has increased 16 percent – 3.8 million.
• More golfers has translated to more rounds, as 2024 brought a new record-high 545 million rounds played, marking the fifth year in a row that number has eclipsed 500 million.
This is great news and we anticipate the updated NGF Graffis Report, scheduled for release in early 2026, will tell an even more powerful story and help fuel the momentum coming out of the 73rd PGA Show. The golf industry’s largest global business gathering takes place Jan. 20-23 in Orlando, and if you are not registered yet, please consider doing so. A strong presence by PGA of America Golf Professionals, who are the engine of the sport, is critical to driving industry growth and always helps to elevate the overall experience for all attendees.
This month’s PGA Magazine cover story profiles the PGA Show and all that it offers. Specific for PGA of America Members, the Show provides a comprehensive schedule of more than 80 education sessions across a wide range of professional development topics, hosted by influential and well-respected experts. These sessions help equip us with the necessary tools to thrive in our current roles, and effectively prepare PGA of America Members for future opportunities within the golf industry. Core PGA Show sessions will focus on the Association’s Teaching & Coaching, Executive Management and Golf Operations learning tracks. Additional Golf Industry sessions will cover widespread business subjects such as marketing strategies, culture & diversity, retail operations, member engagement, emerging tech, career development and more.
Each year, the PGA Show attracts some 30,000 industry professionals from around the world and features the latest innovations in golf equipment, apparel and technology from more than 1,000 of the game’s most recognizable brands and emerging small businesses. An exciting new addition for 2026 is Racquet Sports at the PGA Show, a brand new “show within a show” that integrates the fast-growing racquet sports category into the golf industry’s flagship event. Delivering a great golfing experience will always be at our core, but from a business perspective we must continually enhance the leisure experience for consumers at all types of golf facilities. Thus, the evolving racquet sports sector offers tremendous growth opportunities.
These are just a few of the many top-level programs and activities offered during PGA Show Week. Most importantly, it’s the ideal time to network, collaborate, strategize and share ideas that can drive the business and game to new heights. Please always remember, this is “OUR” PGA Show, and it shines a bright light on the value of PGA of America Golf Professionals. I look forward to seeing you at this month’s PGA Show, and please say hello to me, our Officers, Board or staff onsite, as we’d love to meet and hear how you are doing. Safe travels and God bless.
Sincerely,
Don Rea Jr., PGA President, PGA of America