GBR Friday | US Golf at 250: A $226 Billion Economy and a Market Splitting Between Premium Growth and Broad Access

48.1 million participants, rounds still running ahead of last year's record, 19 million playing off-course only — and a new-build pipeline drifting upmarket. What the data says about who the American

Jul 03, 2026

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Good morning, GBR family.

On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, we stepped back from the week’s deal flow to read the game through the numbers of its largest market. The full analysis — participation, access, capacity, and where the money actually goes — is reserved for our paid subscribers. But first, this week’s moves across the industry.

TWO VETERANS TAKE THE REINS OF SUMMIT GOLF BRANDS' GLOBAL SALES (WITH A HOLLYWOOD CAMEO DRESSING EDWARD BURNS' GOLF COMEDY)

Summit Golf Brands Names McHugh, McFarlane Global Sales Co-Heads (and Suits Up Edward Burns’ New Golf Comedy)

Summit Golf Brands made two announcements this week:

Brendan McHugh and Matt McFarlane — previously co-heads of the Americas — have been promoted to SVP, Co-Heads of Global Sales, taking charge of the company’s wholesale operation across more than 25 countries and 3,500 clubs, resorts, and corporations. Both report to President Jack Lessing and retain oversight of domestic green-grass regions alongside their new international remit. The company cited record revenue performance alongside the promotions. Summit’s decoration and fulfillment run in-house, with 200+ embroidery heads across 75,000 square feet of manufacturing in Wisconsin.
Separately, Summit outfitted the cast of Finnegan’s Foursome, the golf comedy written, directed by, and starring Edward Burns, which premiered at Tribeca in June ahead of a Republic Pictures digital release. Burns’ plot — a family honoring a late father on the courses he loved — parallels a chapter in the life of B. Draddy founder and Summit creative director Billy Draddy. Filming took place at Carne Golf Links in Ireland, where changing weather conditions tested Zero Restriction outerwear on set.

Full stories on GBR:

WHY THE GENERAL MANAGER ROLE NEEDS BETTER UNDERSTANDING

In the latest article from Golf Business Review’s educational partnership with 59club, we look at one of the more difficult questions in club management: why does the general manager role appear to carry a shorter tenure than many other senior positions?

This is not only a recruitment issue. The modern club GM is expected to understand the boardroom, the tee sheet, the food and beverage operation, the staff room, the member experience, and the wider commercial pressures facing the club.

Yet much of the work that holds a club together is difficult to see, measure, and reward. While specialist roles can often demonstrate expertise in obvious ways, the GM’s value is frequently found in leadership, judgment, communication, and problem-solving — precisely the areas clubs rely on most when expectations rise, and operating conditions become more complex.

59club’s latest insight explores why this matters and why clubs may need to think more carefully about how they support, assess, and value the people charged with leading the whole operation.

Why is tenure lower in GM roles than in other positions?

Managers of golf clubs are often under-appreciated. Perhaps that is why they change jobs more frequently than other club employees, says 59club’s Managing Partner for Canada, Ryan Tracy

LeBron James recently surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in NBA history, yet many still hesitate to crown him the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).

This debate, while entertaining, highlights a broader issue: the undervaluation of generalists. LeBron’s versatility in the game may not be fully appreciated in a world that tends to value specialists over generalists.

This lack of appreciation extends beyond sports, especially to roles like the club general manager (GM).

While specialists in any field – whether a PhD academic, a gold-medal Olympian, or a software programmer – garner immediate respect for their mastery, generalists struggle to command the same admiration.

This is because specialization is tangible and easily recognized, whereas generalist skills like leadership, though essential, are more difficult to quantify or observe.

Specialised generalists

A club GM is, at heart, a generalist. While they may specialize in leadership, this skill is intangible and harder for others to appreciate. We conducted a study on management positions in clubs from October 2021 to December 2024 and found that GM turnover is among the highest. This suggests that the value of the GM role might not be fully understood.

A GM’s work, whether educating board members or resolving staff conflicts, lacks the immediate, awe-inspiring impact of, say, a chef crafting a meal or a PGA professional demonstrating their skills.

A club’s board or members might gain a deeper respect for a CFO after reviewing financials or for a greenkeeper after hearing about turf management science, but the GM’s contributions are often less visible. Ironically, many club GMs begin their careers as specialists before becoming generalists at the top of the staffing hierarchy.

The shifting golf club environment

Club GMs operate in a constantly shifting environment, and are often told they need to be more visible and adaptive. As generalists, they must juggle numerous responsibilities. GMs are frequently called to step outside the office, with some spending up to half their time on the floor, yet this can still be deemed insufficient.

They possess a breadth of knowledge across many areas but lack the easy, identifiable expertise that specialists display. As a result, GMs might not receive the same recognition or respect, which could contribute to shorter tenures in the role. Some describe the GM’s position as akin to the narrow center of an hourglass, with the board above and staff below, and it can be isolating. A 2023 survey of GMs revealed that the most important skills for success were broad and non-technical, emphasizing the diverse demands of the role.

Key takeaway

While it is anecdotal to claim that the short tenure of general managers is solely due to their being specialized generalists, it is worth reflecting on how they juggle multiple roles, whether as an executive, a parent, a sibling, or a volunteer – often without the recognition they deserve.

It’s time to acknowledge and applaud their efforts.

The wider lesson for clubs is not simply to recognize the pressure on general managers, but to create a leadership environment in which their contribution is properly understood.

Clearer communication between boards, managers, staff, and members can help clubs move beyond short-term judgment and better appreciate the full range of responsibilities the role now carries.

59club helps clubs see their operation through the eyes of members, guests, and visitors, using mystery shopping, surveys, benchmarking, and best-practice insight to identify where performance can be strengthened.

For venues looking to improve service standards, support leadership teams, and build more sustainable operational performance, 59club’s data-led approach offers a practical starting point.

To learn how 59club can support your venue, contact the 59club team here: www.59club.com.

NORTH AMERICAN CAPITAL DRIVES SCOTTISH GOLF INVESTMENT MOMENTUM

Scottish firm Thorntons Solicitors corporate partner Robbie Francis says Scottish golf remains in “sustained market momentum” as the Genesis Scottish Open returns next week to The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.

Thorntons are active both in advising overseas buyers looking at golf and hospitality assets and supporting Scottish clubs and resorts seeking to expand facilities or strengthen visitor appeal. Francis said North American involvement has increased “noticeably” across asset categories over the past two years, pointing to US-backed construction at Feddinch near St Andrews, overseas investment at Carnoustie, Cabot’s opening of Old Petty on the Moray Firth, and Royal Dornoch’s new £13.9m clubhouse as evidence of rising transaction volumes and values.

He said investors are prioritizing assets with multiple revenue streams, including golf plus accommodation, property development or multi-course models, while areas such as St Andrews and East Lothian retain scarcity value as “trophy” locations. Francis added that Scotland’s premium golf product has some protection against global travel volatility, but clubs must balance visitor revenue with member access by managing finite tee-sheet inventory, using better visitor data and modern booking systems, while also protecting the culture, tradition, and public-access model that remain central to the country’s appeal. Kristy Dorsey’s Q&A with Robbie Francis appears in The Herald and can be read in full here.

TRUMP’S SCOTTISH GOLF RESORTS REPORT £30M-PLUS REVENUE

Donald Trump’s two Scottish golf resorts generated more than £30 million ($40 million) in revenue last year, according to his latest 927-page financial disclosure filing released by the US Office of Government Ethics.

Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire recorded £23,640,577 in “hotel and golf related revenue” in 2025, slightly below the £24.2 million turnover reported to Companies House for 2024, while Trump International Golf Links at Menie in Aberdeenshire reported £6,738,799, up from £4.47 million in 2024.

Both properties were valued at more than $50 million, or about £38 million, in the US filing, although the disclosure does not provide a full profit-and-loss picture. UK accounts for 2024 showed both resorts made losses that year, with Turnberry posting a pre-tax loss of £631,779 after depreciation and Menie recording total losses of £937,693 despite a reported £1.25 million profit figure in its accounts. Amy Watson, The Scotsman.

AUSTRALIAN GOLF CLUBS FACE GOVERNANCE GAP

The 2026 National Club Governance Report has found that Australian golf clubs need to strengthen boardroom performance.

The report surveyed 1,139 leaders across more than 600 clubs in a sector covering 1,300-plus clubs, 470,000 members, 1.8 million round players, 11,000 volunteer directors, and 30,000 jobs. Only 57% of leaders said directors clearly understand where board responsibilities end, and management begins, while 44% of boards remain focused on day-to-day operations, 63% believe their boards have the skills needed for future strategy, and women made up just 20% of respondents. The report also found 80% of directors rated their board effective, compared with 70% of managers, with professionally managed clubs scoring well ahead of fully volunteer-run clubs on strategic balance.

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said boards are “consistently overestimating” their performance, while AICD CEO Mark Rigotti said good governance “doesn’t happen by accident,” following a governance program pilot that trained 775 participants from more than 360 clubs.

Additional reading: Australian Golf Digest’s Tim Lele’s article can be read here.

ARCCOS PARTNERS WITH META ON AI GLASSES INTEGRATION

Arccos Golf has announced a partnership with Meta to bring hands-free game tracking and analysis to golfers through Meta AI glasses, combining voice-led recommendations with Arccos data during a round.

The integration gives players audible, real-time guidance on areas including distance adjusted for wind and weather, safe-miss zones, shot patterns, score, club selection, and yardage to the pin, with members able to connect their Arccos account through the Meta AI app at no extra cost with an active game-tracking subscription. The feature is compatible with Arccos Air, Arccos Smart Sensors, and Smart Grips, and is built on Arccos’ dataset of 1.5 billion tracked shots, 25 million rounds, and AI trained on 4 trillion data points. “This integration with Meta takes sports wearables to the next level in player performance and game tracking,” said Sal Syed, CEO and co-founder of Arccos Golf, with PGA TOUR Studios also producing a 1v1 match featuring Min Woo Lee and D’Angelo Russell using Meta AI Glasses and Arccos Air.

FUJIKURA LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION VENTUS TR SHAFT FOR FOLDS OF HONOR

Fujikura has launched a limited-edition Ventus TR USA 250th Anniversary shaft in support of Folds of Honor, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence with a red, white, and blue design. The shaft features patriotic stars and stripes on a white base with a subtle blue tint, alongside the Folds of Honor logo, a commemorative 250 mark, blue Ventus branding, and a red TR accent. Offered in Blue or Black profile, the release uses Fujikura’s VeloCore+ technology, which is designed to improve clubhead stability, center-face contact, dispersion, control, and ball speed.

Fujikura’s special edition Ventus TR 250th Anniversary edition shaft supports Folds of Honor. Image courtesy of Fujikura.

The shaft will be available through select Fujikura Charter Dealers, with the release continuing Fujikura’s support for Folds of Honor and its work providing educational scholarships to families of America’s military members and first responders.

It’s not just Fujikura that is honoring the 250th anniversary.

Callaway and TaylorMade are among the manufacturers selling limited-edition clubs at premium prices. Callaway’s USA 250 Collection includes drivers, putters, and wedges, with its Odyssey Ai-DUAL USA 250 Freebird Cruiser putter priced at $429.99 compared with $349.99 for the standard Jailbird model, while TaylorMade’s Americana MG5 wedge set sells for $750, and its Americana Spider ZT putter is priced at $649.99, both above standard models.

Other products include balls, headcovers, hats, apparel, and accessories from multiple brands, including a $125 Swag Golf George Washington putter headcover, a $495 PXG Stars and Stripes golf bag, and official America250 golf merchandise, while PGA Tour Superstore said sales were especially strong in the Northeast and Golf Galaxy said USA 250 was one of its top trending online themes. “The response from golfers exceeded even our highest expectations,” Callaway VP of global marketing Nick McInally told Front Office Sports, while PGA Tour Superstore’s Ben Helmrath said he “could have quadrupled the inventory” in some markets.

AMERICA AT 250: WHAT THE US GOLF ECONOMY TELLS US ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE GAME

With Independence Day tomorrow, and America marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, golf has its own long-established place in the country’s sporting and leisure landscape.

The organized American game is often traced back to the late 19th century, when clubs such as Saint Andrew’s in New York helped lay the foundations for what became the world’s largest golf market. From Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan to Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods, the US game has since shaped golf’s competitive, cultural, and commercial identity.

That history matters because the current US golf market did not appear suddenly. It has moved through club formation, public-course growth, television expansion, the Tiger Woods effect, overbuild and correction, and a post-pandemic surge.

The numbers remain strong. The latest industry data puts total US golf participation at 48.1 million people aged six and above, including 29.1 million on-course golfers and 19 million who participated only through off-course formats such as driving ranges, indoor simulators, and golf-entertainment venues.