Industry Data and Reports

2024 Golf Industry Compensation & Benefits Report

For Single Course Owners, Multi-Course Owners/Golf Management Companies, and Resorts

The NGCOA 2024 Golf Industry Compensation & Benefits Report and the NGCOA 2024 Golf Industry Compensation & Benefits Report for Multi-Course Owners are important resources provided by the National Golf Course Owners Association to its members. Within its 45+ pages is the most recent and reliable compensation and benefits levels based on 842 participating facilities. It represents the most complete, accurate and up-to-date compensation data in the industry, and is designed to allow NGCOA members to easily compare compensation levels and benefit policies among their peer golf course businesses.

The data was collected and the report produced by the NGCOA in partnership with the National Golf Foundation (NGF), who jointly surveyed compensation and benefits data from members of NGCOA as well as a broader universe of golf course operators. This analysis focuses on the organizational factors that have historically shown a relationship with golf course staff compensation including annual gross revenue, facility type, geographic region and scope of responsibility.

The data within explains how changes in the golf landscape will affect our industry, and offers insights that can better help owners and operators develop a compensation and benefits plan moving forward. For more information on the reports, please contact Rachel Carter, NGCOA Senior Director of Membership, at rcarter@ngcoa.org.

2024 Golf Business Pulse Report

An Immersion Into Current and Future Trends Impacting Golf Facility Operations

NGCOA has released the 2024 Golf Business Pulse Report, sponsored by Pepsi. The Golf Business Pulse Report, initiated in 2022, was once again developed and produced in partnership with Sports and Leisure Research Group. This insightful publication ​​examines emerging trends and critical issues for the year ahead, a macro perspective on the state of golf course operations, and a deeper analysis into three key operating areas: Operations, Agronomy and Marketing.

This year’s report incorporates perspectives drawn from in-depth interviews conducted with NGCOA members and a comprehensive and empirical survey of 242 facility owners and operators on emerging trends and critical issues for the year ahead. Readers will notice year over year trending analysis, revealing significant shifts and developments. The results show attitudes and perceptions on significant challenges, opportunities and issues, and determine the extent of their impact on golf facility performance optimization. This report explores technology, labor issues, inflation, automation, gamification, smart ranges and more — we take off the gloves to finely peel back the layers of not only which trends golf course owners and operators are embracing, but heavy challenges they’re facing.

Here are some owner/operator sentiments contained within the report:

• 68% of golf facilities need to focus more on providing alternatives to the 18-hole round
• 73% of golf courses need more forward tees
• 74% believe golf ranges will become a significant new revenue source over the next several years
• 87% agree that golf needs to do a better job of managing the customer journey of golfers once they complete their initial introduction to the game
• Nearly 70% agree that golf continues to be a more viable leisure option than other activities that have reopened after COVID

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So, You Want to Own a Golf Course?

A must-read, go-to primer for anyone aspiring to purchase a golf course

Are you new to golf course ownership? Do you know someone aspiring to own his or her own course but they don't know where to start? NGCOA's comprehensive 'So, You Want to Own a Golf Course?' is everything you need to know about owning a golf business, but didn't know who to ask. Within its 50 pages are 10 chapters dissecting a wide range of disciplines across the golf business, including specific data and research from notable leaders and experts in our industry.

Beware of Barter: The Ins and Outs of Trading Your Tee Times

A must-read, go-to primer for anyone aspiring to purchase a golf course

This guide reveals data, reviews and narratives every golf course owner or operator should know about bartering tee times away for golf management software (GMS) technology, and tee time distribution services. The guide begins with a definition and discussion of barter; it then explores Calculating the Cost of Barter, Price Elasticity and Golf, Rate Integrity and Parity — Protecting Your Brand, Is the Technology Worth the Cost?, The Hospitality Handbook, and various case studies and best practices. Research included academic studies, case histories, and expert observations and analysis; the findings have developed over the years, not only through a recent member survey, but through discussions with GMS providers and Online Tee Time Agents (OTTAs), and general industry awareness.

Click here to download the report.