Most people have a passing familiarity with professional golf, and the figures who make the sport compelling – even if they’ve never actually set foot on a golf course (like yours truly).
But what often gets lost in being aware of boldface names like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and of course Tiger Woods is the fact that pro golf isn’t actually where all the heat and light is. These personalities make golfing more interesting, but the smart money is increasingly flowing to the recreational side of one of America’s favorite pastimes.
Courtesy of the National Golf Foundation (NGF), here’s a rather mind-blowing statistic that showcases the power of recreational golf: Last year, over 48 million Americans at least 6 years of age played golf – both on and off-courses.
That number includes nearly 30 million who hit traditional driving ranges, simulators and entertainment venues like the ubiquitous Topgolf (a frequent subject of our coverage here at The Dallas Morning News).
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“More people are playing more golf in more ways than [at] any time in history. The metrics of our game are getting their own “mic drop” moment,” the organization boasts on its website.
A particularly prominent beneficiary of that mic-dropping can be found right here in North Texas. Arcis – the subject of Eric Prisbell’s cover story this week – has been on a tear over the last year, buying top-notch properties in Atlanta and Houston’s Woodlands area, and flexing recreational golf’s cultural and financial clout.
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It also happens to be leaning into the mien of a sports-obsessed region – with one professional team in particular. Arcis has invested “well into eight figures” to re-envision a Grapevine property into something that’s both a paean to the Dallas Cowboys, and to the changing nature of recreational golf – something that United States Golf Association president Fred Perpall told us at The News’ Business of Sports event last month.
“Golf is getting decidedly more diverse and younger,” Walker told Prisbell in an interview, “so really it’s about making the game more approachable for everyone. So gamification like we’re doing at Cowboys Golf Club, and putting courses like we’re doing at [the club], are really the entry point into golf.”
And whenever a definitive trend emerges, lots of resources are sure to follow.
A study commissioned by the Texas Alliance of Recreational Organizations found that Texas is reaping the benefits of a golf gold rush, creating over $14 billion in economic activity and buttressing about 107,000 jobs. And with hundreds of courses and facilities at its disposal, the state is also a destination for golf tourism, according to TARO.
And it doesn’t stop there. A country that still struggles to tame an obesity epidemic needs all the exercise it can get – and hitting the links are just the remedy.
“There is a renewed appreciation for the holistic benefits of the green-grass game, and tens of millions of Americans now recognize golf’s public health benefit as one of the ultimate wellness activities,” the NGF notes on its website. The sport combines “exercise, stress relief, challenge, self-improvement and community in a uniquely accessible outdoor setting.”
In short, golf is real estate, tourism, physical fitness, family outings and growth – all wrapped up in one. What more could an economy ask for?