National Golf Foundation reports 3.7 percent decrease in rounds in 2022

According to a report from the National Golf Foundation (NGF), rounds played in 2022 were down 3.7 percent from the record-setting numbers of 2021.

The NGF points towards weather as a major player in the decline. The foundation says average playable hours decreased by 6.5 percent overall in 2022, thanks in large part to bad weather in November and December which saw playable hours decrease by 19 and 30 percent, respectively.

Despite the overall drop in rounds played, the NGF says the total number has continued to outpace those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. That trend has continued into 2023, according to the NGF. The foundation’s January 2023 rounds played report shows a 7.1 percent year-over-year increase in rounds played in the first month of the year.

NGF says January numbers are usually inconsistent from year to year, because of unpredictable weather with rounds played. Rounds played in January 2022 dropped 12 percent from a record-setting 21 percent jump in rounds played in 2020.