Who Owns US Golf Courses? With Downgrain Labs

Asked to imagine an American golfer, we tend to default to stereotypes – the country club member.  But is the stereotype who we should be marketing our products and services to?

The data reveals a different story.

In our latest Gather White Paper, produced in partnership with Downgrain Labs, we empirically investigate where American golfers actually play. The findings are clear:

• While member-owned clubs make up 29% of facilities, only 8% of American golfers are actually private club members.
• The vast majority of play happens on public-access courses, with municipal and government-owned facilities being the single largest segment (27%).

This means over 90% of the U.S. golf market exists outside the private club gates. This invisible majority of nomadic and public-course golfers collectively represents a larger and more diverse commercial opportunity than the traditional country club niche.

Read more about the findings in our exclusive white paper which you can download at the link below.

What can your business learn from this?
Private club members may be wealthier and spend more on golf compared to other players, but the broader golf market dwarfs them. So how do brands engage with the non-private club golfer?

A huge thank you to Derek Smith at Downgrain Labs for partnering with us on this project. Downgrain Labs believe the golf industry is at a turning point — one where data, technology, and innovation will reshape how businesses grow, facilities operate, and golfers experience the game.  If you would like to find out more about Downgrain Labs, reach out to Derek here.

If you find the white paper valuable, please share it with anyone in your organisation or network who will also appreciate it.

If you would like to chat to the Gather team about this white paper, get in touch here.

Enjoy the read.