Most expected rounds to be up, year-over-year, when compared to last March and April when the pandemic shut down thousands of courses. But the surge continued into May, with rounds up 18% compared to May 2020, according to the newest National Rounds Played report by Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation.
In mid-May of last year, things were getting back underway. Twelve states were still restricting public gatherings, as well as limiting golf operations in general, in the form of wider tee time intervals, a maximum of two-player groups, no cart use, and reduced tee times for guests. But rounds were booming elsewhere, so much so that total rounds were on pace with the prior three-year average.
That means this May’s numbers, up 18%, are stronger than recent Mays prior to 2020. That bodes well for a continued surge in play. But data from June will be the real indicator whether there is a more permanent change in rounds.
Rounds in March and April 2021 saw increases of 45% and 81%, respectively. Those same months in 2020 bore the brunt of the virus-related shutdowns. Overall, the industry has seen an increase of 33.6% as of the beginning of June.
One other notable statistic for the month of May is the increase of public course play, up 22.7% from last year, compared to a slim 2.6% increase at private clubs. That is somewhat attributed to an inverse pairing of numbers from last year, with May 2020 showing private clubs at +18% versus only +3% for daily fee and municipal courses.
For an extensive breakdown, click here.