Photos courtesy Full Swing.
Golf is already a $102 billion powerhouse of an industry, but high-tech simulators and new entertainment options are driving even more participation in the sport.
Entertainment venues such as Topgolf and high-tech simulators fulfill the demand for a more approachable entry point to golf, especially in densely populated urban/suburban areas.
“Topgolf has excelled at taking the bowling model forged by companies like Bowlero and ostensibly turning golf into a legitimate evening/weekend entertainment option for adults and families in suburban areas who’d have never considered golf before,” says Greg Chatzinoff, senior director of business development & partnerships for Golf Digest.
The drive for an alternative
For the second straight year, golf saw off-course participation exceed on-course
play. That includes virtual golf, simulators and tech-assisted driving ranges as well as “traditional” driving ranges and putting courses.
“It’s having a massive, positive impact on the game,” Chatzinoff says.
The alternative options address consumer demands, such as:
Time constraints
On-course golf can take anywhere from two to five hours, plus potentially significant time commuting to/from the golf course. “With these alternative options, they tend to be more centrally located (in denser population hubs), and one can spend as little as 30 minutes there,” says Chatzinoff.
Approachability
Playing golf on a golf course can be intimidating—there’s concerns (especially for beginners) about pace of play, etiquette, being judged by others, etc.
Social aspect/entertainment
Each of these alternatives provides opportunities for groups of friends to play golf together despite differences in skill or level of interest. Golf is also not the only activity. These venues have bars, TVs, table games, etc., that provide additional engagement.
fun with friends at Topgolf entertainment
complexes, like this one in Tampa, Fla.
Full Swing simulators—once reserved for individual avid golfers for their homes and clubhouses —are now becoming an amenity for bars and restaurants wanting to attract golfers and their families, says Ryan O’Keefe, senior director of marketing for Full Swing, which builds simulators and launch monitors.
“When it comes to simulators, how they are growing increasingly to become a part of culture beyond avid golfers, it’s been amazing to watch,” says O’Keefe. “The growth of our simulator business has been exponential and continues to grow on the commercial side in a big way as more and more business owners experience our simulators at other locations for the first time and see the broad appeal of attracting guests and keeping them on property longer or setting up regular trips.”
Par for the course
The numbers tell the story. In 2023, 45 million Americans played both on-course and off-course forms of golf, while about 26.6 million people played the traditional, on-course game, according to Erik Matuszewski, editorial director for the National Golf Foundation.
Chatzinoff explains that this is a nine percent increase over 2022, a 32 percent increase over 2019 (pre-COVID), and up 50 percent since 2014.
On-course participation experienced an increase for the six straight years.
“An estimated 2.5 million (or 10 percent) of today’s 25.6 million on-course players credit their off-course experience(s) for getting them to the golf course,” he continues. “Approximately half of on-course participants agree that off-course ‘reengaged them’ with golf.”
Off-course participation, in particular, looks much more like the general population in age, gender and race. As more people are introduced to off-course options, those numbers transfer to on-course participation.
“For on-course golf, two of the largest growth areas have been women—up 25 percent since pre-Covid—and people of color, up 27 percent since pre-Covid,” Chatzinoff says.
“Interest in taking up the traditional game is five times higher among ‘non-golfers’ with off-course experience, than those without,” Chatzinoff says. “Around two-thirds of today’s on-course beginners are coming to the course with off-course experience, compared to fewer than 40 percent five years ago.”
Upgrading the golf experience
Golfers can also use high-tech equipment off-course to improve their game with options like the Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor that can be taken on the range or set up in the home. O’Keefe says the KIT monitors can turn a driving range into a PGA Tour-level experience.
“When it comes to the Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor on the range, we see how beginning players love to see the immediate feedback of how far they have hit the ball and love seeing the instant improvement whereas the tour-level player can dive into 16 points of data paired with video to analyze their swing like they would have been able to in a lab years ago,” explains O’Keefe.
Destinations can use those new options to draw more events/tournaments. Chatzinoff says a perfect example is the new OMNI PGA Frisco Resort in Texas.
The facility opened with two championship golf courses but also specifically built a giant putting course, an under-the-lights short course, an indoor “lounge by Topgolf” concept, and a Texas-style BBQ restaurant with tech-enabled hitting bays inside.
“All designed to make the destination more attractive to individuals and groups interested in golf but not necessarily wanting/able to take advantage of the golf courses themselves,” he says.
He adds it will be interesting to see over time how much of a downstream impact of the technology, especially in terms of answering the following questions:
- Will people coming into Topgolf drive a statistically significant increase in golf’s retail business across equipment (clubs/balls) and apparel?
- Will there be more people looking to take lessons—either at a Topgolf, an indoor simulator facility or a more traditional facility?
- How many of these new entrants to the industry make the “jump” from off-course to on-course participation?
O’Keefe says Full Swing is excited about how technology can make the experience better for players of all levels, no matter if they’re an avid player or not.
“We have solutions for tour players and people just getting started,” he says. “We have seen over the years the growth of golf and technology is continuing to get bigger year after year, bringing more players to the game for the first time and bringing players back who haven’t swung a club in years.”
