Golf course closures down in 2022 says NGF

A downward trend in golf course closures continued into 2022, according to the National Golf Foundation (NGF). In the first half of the year, the NGF learned less than 50 18-hole equivalents closed.

The NGF identifies closures through an outreach process, in which the foundation then confirms whether or not a course is open for business through email, website reviews, online searches, satellite images and phone calls. Through June, the NGF estimates half of the country’s 16,000-plus golf courses have been verified.

Through its research, the NGF found that more than 90 percent of closures are daily-fee public courses where over half were nine-hole courses, and 75 percent had a peak greens fee under $40.

“While the total number of 2022 closures is subject to change based on the results of second-half verifications, we currently project it at 95 18-hole equivalent. That would represent a 66 percent drop from the peak in closures that occurred in 2019,” said Joseph Beditz, president and CEO of the NGF.

To read the NGF’s full report, click here.