Home » Latest Travel News of Canada » US Golf Industry Feels The Burn As Canadian Cross-Border Travel Declines Sharply, Leading To Substantial Losses In Summer Revenue
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Canadian golfers are staying home this summer, leading to a sharp drop in cross-border play at U.S. golf clubs like Malone Golf Club. Ongoing political tensions, unfavorable currency exchange rates, and rising travel costs have made trips south of the border less appealing, resulting in significant revenue losses and a noticeable decline in Canadian visits to recreational destinations across the northern United States.
Canadian Golfers Staying Home as Cross-Border Tensions Impact U.S. Clubs Like Malone Golf Club
It’s not just golf balls feeling the heat at clubs across the northern United States—economic strains and shifting diplomatic winds between Canada and the U.S. are reshaping the landscape for many recreational businesses. Among the hardest hit are golf courses that have long depended on a steady influx of Canadian visitors during the warmer months.
One such example is the Malone Golf Club, which, like many U.S. courses near the border, has seen a noticeable decline in Canadian golfers this season. Once a reliable source of revenue, cross-border visits from Canadian players have slowed dramatically, reflecting a larger trend tied to economic uncertainty, currency fluctuations, and evolving traveler preferences.
The downturn comes at a time when the tourism and leisure industries are still trying to rebound from post-pandemic volatility. While domestic travel in both countries is showing signs of recovery, international and cross-border leisure travel has become more sensitive to broader political and financial developments.
Golf courses situated close to the U.S.-Canada border are reporting fewer tee time bookings from their northern neighbors. Instead of crossing into the United States, many Canadian golfers are choosing to remain in their home country, turning to local golf courses that offer convenience, lower perceived travel risks, and cost savings. What used to be a routine weekend trip for golf and shopping has become a less attractive proposition for many.
A key contributor to this shift is the unfavorable currency exchange rate, which makes spending in the United States more expensive for Canadian visitors. Rising fuel prices, higher travel insurance costs, and a general sense of financial caution are all factors influencing Canadians’ decisions to stay local.
Additionally, changes in travel behavior are being shaped by geopolitical developments. Tensions in trade, diplomatic discourse, and differing policy decisions have all contributed to a climate of uncertainty, which in turn is discouraging casual and leisure travel between the two countries. This has had ripple effects on businesses in U.S. border communities that once relied on Canadian dollars to support their seasonal operations.
Golf clubs in particular are feeling the pinch. These facilities typically count on a mix of local memberships and out-of-town green fees to maintain operations during the peak summer season. Losing a substantial segment of Canadian clientele means less revenue from not only greens fees but also from associated services such as cart rentals, food and beverage sales, and pro shop purchases.
For example, the Malone Golf Club alone has reported a revenue loss of approximately $400,000 due to the downturn in Canadian visitors this season. That figure underscores just how important cross-border patronage is to the club’s business model—and how vulnerable these operations are to international fluctuations outside their control.
The impact is not just anecdotal. According to recent figures released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the number of Canadians crossing into the United States through northern border checkpoints dropped by 21% in May compared to the same month last year. This decline highlights a wider contraction in cross-border leisure travel and suggests that the trend may persist through the rest of the summer unless broader conditions improve.
Local businesses and golf course managers are hopeful that the situation will stabilize in the future, with some even launching targeted outreach efforts to bring Canadians back. Special discounts, promotional events, and regional advertising campaigns are being explored as ways to rekindle cross-border interest. However, these initiatives face uphill challenges as long as economic and political headwinds continue to weigh on consumer confidence.
Ultimately, the future of cross-border recreational travel may depend on more than marketing. Easing diplomatic tensions, stabilizing currency rates, and restoring traveler trust are all essential to restoring the flow of Canadian visitors who have long been an integral part of the summer golf scene in places like upstate New York and Vermont.
Until then, American golf clubs near the border are adapting to a season of uncertainty—where the silence on the fairway may say as much about geopolitics as it does about the game itself.
