Golf League Statistics 2026: Participation, Leagues and Dues
Updated
The National Golf Foundation (NGF) reports that the number of US golfers playing in leagues has jumped 68% since 2019, while on-course golfers grew 20%. In a sample of 18 public US league listings collected in October 2026, the median season dues were $60 per person and the median weekly fee was $10.
Updated October 2026.
Key statistics
- 68% growth in U.S. golfers participating in leagues since 2019 (NGF, United States, 2026).
- 20% growth in on-course golfers since 2019, from 24.3 million to 29.1 million (NGF, United States, 2026).
- More than twice as many annual rounds for league participants than non-participants (NGF, United States, 2026).
- Nearly two-thirds of public facilities at or near capacity (NGF, United States, 2026).
- 48.1 million Americans age 6+ played golf, on or off a course (NGF, United States, 2025).
- 112.2 million adults and juniors play golf in all its forms (The R&A, global excluding USA and Mexico, 2025).
- 33% of core golfers' rounds were nine holes (NGF, United States, 2020).
- $60 median season dues per person (n = 14) across public league pages such as Coldwater Golf Links and Meadow Lakes (original sample, United States, 2026-10-25).
- $10 median weekly fee (n = 10), range $5 to $49, from the same 18-league sample such as Adobe Creek at $5 and Oak Glen at $49 (United States, 2026-10-25).
Golf leagues
The NGF's article on leagues says the number of U.S. golfers participating in leagues, whether run internally by golf facilities or externally by national organizations such as Twilight Golf and Spark Golf, has jumped 68% since 2019. Over that same period, on-course golfers rose 20%, from 24.3 million to 29.1 million.
| Stat | Value | Year | Region | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth in U.S. golfers participating in leagues since 2019 | 68% | 2026 | United States | NGF |
| Growth in on-course golfers since 2019 | 20% (24.3 million to 29.1 million) | 2026 | United States | NGF |
| Annual rounds, league participants vs non-participants | More than twice as many | 2026 | United States | NGF |
| Public facilities at or near capacity | Nearly two-thirds | 2026 | United States | NGF |
League participation grew by 68% while the on-course golfer base grew by 20%, so participation in leagues grew faster than on-course golf overall. The NGF article gives a growth rate, not a total number of leagues or league golfers.
Golf participation in the US
The NGF's industry research page gives the overall picture for 2025. A total of 48.1 million Americans age 6 and older played golf, on-course and off-course. That includes 29.1 million people who played on a golf course and another 19 million who took part only in off-course golf such as driving ranges, indoor simulators or golf entertainment venues.
| Stat | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americans age 6+ who played golf (on- and off-course) | 48.1 million | 2025 | NGF |
| On-course golfers | 29.1 million | 2025 | NGF |
| Non-golfers "very interested" in playing on a course | Over 21 million | 2025 | NGF |
All rows are United States figures. The last row matters for organizers: over 21 million Americans did not play golf in 2025 but said in consumer surveys they are "very interested" in playing on a course.
Global participation
The R&A's 2025 release covers the world excluding the USA and Mexico, so these numbers cannot be added to the NGF's.
| Stat | Value | Year | Region | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golfers in all formats, adults and juniors | 112.2 million | 2025 | Global, excluding USA and Mexico | The R&A |
| Adult golfers, all formats | 65 million (up 1 million on 2024) | 2025 | Global, excluding USA and Mexico | The R&A |
| Junior golfers, all formats | 47.1 million (up 3.2 million in one year) | 2025 | Global, excluding USA and Mexico | The R&A |
| Adults and juniors playing 9 and 18-hole golf | 43.3 million (42.7 million in 2023) | 2024 | R&A affiliated markets | The R&A |
| Share of junior participation through formats other than 9 or 18-hole on-course golf | 80% | 2024 | R&A affiliated markets | The R&A |
Watch the year and region on every row. The 2025 figure of 112.2 million counts golf in all its forms. The 2024 figure of 43.3 million counts only 9 and 18-hole play in R&A affiliated markets. They measure different things.
Nine-hole play
These are 2020 United States figures, as quoted on the NGF's "The Emergency Nine" page. Read them as a 2020 snapshot.
| Stat (2020, United States) | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Core golfers' rounds that were nine-hole | 33% | NGF |
| Occasional golfers' rounds that were nine-hole | More than 40% | NGF |
| 9-hole scores as a share of World Handicap System scores posted | About 13% (NGF citing the USGA) | NGF |
Nine holes was a common way to play in 2020, not a niche one. For the mechanics of nine-hole handicaps, see 9-hole league handicaps explained.
Handicaps
The one worldwide handicap count on the R&A pages used here is old. In an article on the World Handicap System rollout, The R&A wrote that the six handicapping authorities that existed then represent approximately 15 million golfers in 80 countries who maintain a handicap. That is a 2019, pre-World Handicap System figure. It describes the six systems before they merged into one, and it is not a current count.
No current worldwide count of golfers with a handicap was found on the R&A pages used for this page. If you need one for a presentation, label it "approximately 15 million in 2019, before the World Handicap System" or ask The R&A directly.
What US leagues charge: a sample of 18 public league listings (October 2026)
Nobody publishes a national price list for leagues, so this page builds one. Each row is a public league page from a course, parks department or club, with prices as posted on 2026-10-25. "Season dues" is the one-time or annual league fee; "weekly fee" is what the page lists per night. "Not posted" means the page gave no unambiguous price.
| # | Organization | City, state | League type | Season dues | Weekly fee | Unit note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coldwater Golf Links | Ames, IA | Men's | $50 | $20 | Per person; weekly includes green fees and skins | Page |
| 2 | Meadow Lakes Golf Course (City of Prineville) | Prineville, OR | Men's, 9 holes | $44 | $10 | Weekly is on top of green fees; separate $41 handicap fee | Page |
| 3 | Park City Golf Club (Park City Municipal) | Park City, UT | Women's, 9 holes | $50 | Not posted | Annual dues; separate $38 UGA GHIN fee | Page |
| 4 | Thanksgiving Point Golf Club | Lehi, UT | Women's, 9 holes, 12 weeks | None (no membership fee) | $35 | Per 9-hole round; optional $8 prize pool, $3 league fee | Page |
| 5 | Gahanna Senior Center (City of Gahanna) | Gahanna, OH | Senior, 9 holes | $15 | Not posted | Annual fee; needs Senior Center membership | Page |
| 6 | Bunker Hill Golf Course (City of Dubuque) | Dubuque, IA | Couples | $40 | $5 | Per couple one-time fee; weekly $5 event fee | Page |
| 7 | Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort | Delavan, WI | After-work, Monday two-person team | $60 | $30 | Per person; weekly greens fee includes cart | Page |
| 8 | Zollner Golf Course (Trine University) | Angola, IN | Men's, Monday two-man team | $100 | Not posted | Per man ($200 per team); 100% returned via prizes; green fees separate | Page |
| 9 | Trails West Golf Course (Fort Leavenworth MWR) | Fort Leavenworth, KS | Couples | $35 | $5 | Per person, non-member price; members free | Page |
| 10 | Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club | Leesburg, VA | Women's | $45 | Not posted | Annual dues; separate $45 GHIN registration fee for those without one | Page |
| 11 | Hobble Creek Golf Course (City of Springville) | Springville, UT | Couples, 9 holes, 5 weeks | $100 | Not posted | Per couple; players pay own green fees each week | Page |
| 12 | Vail Golf Club (Vail Recreation District) | Vail, CO | Men's | $70 | Not posted | Colorado GHIN membership required, additional $50 | Page |
| 13 | Vail Golf Club (Vail Recreation District) | Vail, CO | Senior | $120 | Not posted | Per person; includes Colorado Golf Association membership and social events | Page |
| 14 | Rifle Creek Golf Course | Rifle, CO | Men's, 9 holes, 2-player teams | $200 | $10 | Per player ($400 per team); includes $55 GHIN fee per player; $10 skins buy-in | Page |
| 15 | Rifle Creek Golf Course | Rifle, CO | Women's twilight, 9 holes, 2-player teams | $130 | $5 | Per player ($260 per team); includes $49 GHIN fee per player; $5 skins buy-in | Page |
| 16 | Oak Glen Championship Course | Stillwater, MN | Women's | $60 | $49 | Sign-up fee includes a handicap, kickoff meeting and luncheon; weekly green fee includes cart and $5 prize fee | Page |
| 17 | Portage Lake Golf Course (Michigan Tech) | Houghton, MI | Men's | $395 | Not posted | Per player, non-member price (members $125, students $140); includes league matches and banquet | Page |
| 18 | Adobe Creek National Golf Course | Fruita, CO | After-work (business networking) | Not posted | $5 | Weekly cash-prize buy-in; play any time after 2:00 PM Mondays | Page |
Prices are 2026 prices unless a page gave no year (Gahanna lists its rate as current).
Worked example: the median season fee, step by step
Sixteen rows post a season fee. Two of them are priced per couple (Dubuque, IA at $40 and Springville, UT at $100), so they are left out of the per-person statistics. That leaves n = 14. For Michigan Tech and Fort Leavenworth the figure used is the price stated on the page: $395 and $35, both the non-member price. Thanksgiving Point and Adobe Creek post no season fee.
Sorted from lowest to highest, the 14 per-person season fees are:
15, 35, 44, 45, 50, 50, 60, 60, 70, 100, 120, 130, 200, 395
With 14 values the median is the average of the 7th and 8th values: (60 + 60) / 2 = $60. The minimum is $15 (Gahanna Senior Center) and the maximum is $395 (Michigan Tech, non-member price).
| Measure | Season dues per person (n = 14) |
|---|---|
| Median | $60 |
| Minimum | $15 |
| Maximum | $395 |
The two per-couple rows, listed separately: Dubuque, IA, $40 per couple (one-time) and Springville, UT, $100 per couple (5-week league, 9 holes).
The spread is wide because the fees cover different things. Zollner's $100 is 100% returned through prizes and awards. Michigan Tech's $395 includes all league matches and a banquet. Rifle Creek's $200 and $130 include a handicap fee.
By league type, the same per-person figures give these medians (python3 output below):
| League type | n | Sorted values | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's | 6 | 44, 50, 70, 100, 200, 395 | $85 |
| Women's | 4 | 45, 50, 60, 130 | $55 |
| Nine-hole leagues (rows marked 9 holes, per person) | 5 | 15, 44, 50, 130, 200 | $50 |
These groups are small (n of 2 to 6), so treat the gaps between them as noise, not a finding.
Weekly fee: the arithmetic
Ten pages post a weekly fee. Sorted: 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 20, 30, 35, 49. With n = 10 the median is the average of the 5th and 6th values: (10 + 10) / 2 = $10. The minimum is $5 and the maximum is $49.
That single median hides two kinds of fee, so split them by what the page says the fee covers:
| Weekly fee type | n | Sorted values | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly fee includes the round (Ames $20, Delavan $30, Lehi $35, Stillwater $49) | 4 | 20, 30, 35, 49 | $32.50 |
| Weekly fee is an add-on such as a prize, event or skins fee (Prineville $10, Rifle $10 and $5, Dubuque $5, Fort Leavenworth $5, Fruita $5) | 6 | 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10 | $5 |
Dubuque's $5 is an event fee and the page does not say per person or per couple. Fort Leavenworth's page does not say whether green fees are included, so it sits in the add-on group by default.
Worked example: season dues plus a separate handicap fee
Four pages list a handicap or association fee outside the league fee. Adding the posted numbers:
| League | Season dues | Separate fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prineville, OR men's | $44 | $41 handicap fee (goes to the OGA) | $85 |
| Park City, UT women's | $50 | $38 UGA GHIN fee | $88 |
| Leesburg, VA women's | $45 | $45 GHIN registration (for those without one) | $90 |
| Vail, CO men's | $70 | $50 Colorado GHIN membership | $120 |
Three pages state the handicap is inside the posted fee: Rifle Creek (a $55 men's and a $49 women's GHIN fee included in registration) and Oak Glen (the sign-up fee includes a handicap). Vail's senior dues include Colorado Golf Association membership instead. These are each course's posted inclusions. When you compare your dues to a course's, check whether the handicap is inside or outside the number.
Methodology and limits
How the sample was gathered. Public league pages from golf courses, parks departments and clubs were found by web search. Prices are as posted on 2026-10-25, and only unambiguous prices were recorded. Each row keeps the page URL and the exact wording of the price.
What it covers. 18 league listings across 11 states (CO, IA, IN, KS, MI, MN, OH, OR, UT, VA, WI); Colorado has five rows.
What it does not do. It is not a random sample and it is not representative of all leagues. Private clubs and leagues without a public page are absent, and with n = 14 one more page could move the median. Use the numbers as a reference range, not a national average.
No national count exists. There is no official national count of weekly golf leagues. The NGF reports how much league participation has grown, not how many leagues there are, and the R&A figures cover golfers, not leagues.
What this means for a commissioner
- Price against the right comparison. A $60 season fee plus a weekly fee of around $10 is the middle of this sample, but a weekly price of $20 to $49 that includes the round is a different product from a $5 prize fee. Decide which you are, then see how much golf league dues should be.
- Say what the dues cover. The widest gaps in the table come from what is inside the fee: handicap fees, banquets, prize money returned in full. Write that on the sign-up page.
- League growth is a reason to start one. The NGF reports 68% league participation growth since 2019. How to start a golf league covers first-season setup.
- Nine holes is a normal format. 7 of the 18 sample pages are marked 9 holes, and the 2020 NGF figure is 33% of core golfers' rounds. See how to run a 9-hole golf league.
- Track the money in a sheet or an app. Dues, prize pots and skins are three separate ledgers. The free golf league spreadsheet is a starting point, and a commissioner can also start a league free on Gimme, with the first 3 league rounds free and no card.