JUPITER, Fla. – Same-store rounds played in the U.S. increased 1.1%, according to information provided to NGF by 1,329 golf facilities. Despite the better performance in May, rounds were down 1.6% through the first five months of the year nationwide, with private clubs faring worse than public courses. The region with the poorest year-to-date performance was the Southwest (down 7.7%), which includes California, Nevada and southern Arizona. Better performance overall in May was mainly attributable to strong gains in the Lower Midwest (up 5.6%) and Upper Midwest (up 4.6%) – together these regions contain about a third of all U.S. facilities.

Rounds Played, 2005 vs. 2004
Source: NGF/Allied Golf Associations

May
Year-to-date

Total U.S. facilities
1.1%
-1.6%

Private Clubs
-0.8%
-3.9%

Total Public Courses
1.5%
-1.0%

Public Courses:

Premium
-2.4%
-2.8%

Standard
1.1%
-1.0%

Value
2.1%
-0.8%

Northeast
-3.5%
-1.1%

Mid-Atlantic
2.8%
-3.5%

Southeast
2.1%
-2.3%

Central/South Florida
-0.9%
-0.9%

Gulf Coast
8.8%
3.6%

South Central
-5.7%
-3.1%

Lower Midwest
5.6%
2.4%

Upper Midwest
4.6%
0.7%

Mountain
-6.2%
0.9%

Southwest
-2.7%
-7.7%

Northwest
-4.8%
-1.3%

Public facilities fall into one of three categories based on peak season weekend green fees with cart:
Premium (High) - Above $70
Standard (Middle) - $40-$70
Value (Low) - Below $40

About the NGF
The National Golf Foundation, founded in 1936, is the industry leader in providing accurate information and insights on the business of golf. Based in Jupiter, Fla., the NGF serves many constituencies in the golf industry including equipment manufacturers; builders and developers; facilities and ranges; course architects; retailers; turf maintenance suppliers; golf associations and the media. For more information, visit www.ngf.org.

Media Contact:
Jim Kass
jkass@ngf.org
561-744-6006