Collier County (in Florida) has the most private golf holes per person in the nation, with 84% of its facilities being private (more than double the national average). Among the “Top-50” U.S. golf markets, 61% are public courses and 39% are private courses.

Health of Private Clubs

Some good news to start the work week…In 2009, 39% of private clubs indicated their financial health was good/excellent and 24% indicated their financial health was poor/very poor. In 2026, 75% of private clubs indicated their financial health was good/excellent and only 2% indicated their financial health was poor/very poor.

Players Entering the Game

The number of golf newbies has been at record or near-record levels in recent years, with three million or more on-course beginners every year since 2020.

Importance of Referrals

An estimated 60% of new members come from existing member referrals.