CBS News On Renewed Interest In Golf And Late Nine-Hole Rounds

CBS Moneywatch’s Megan Cerullo doesn’t tell us much we haven’t already read about golf in the pandemic. Still, after years of stories about the decline of the sport’s participation numbers, it’s worth noting pieces like this one, if nothing else to highlight that a resurgence in the game had nothing to do with the opportunity to spend $600 for ten more yards off the tee.

In August, consumers spent a record $331 million on clubs, balls, gloves and other gear — that was up 32% over the year-ago period and topped the previous sales record for that month in 2006, according to Golf Datatech. 

For the first 10 months of 2020, golf equipment sales were up nearly 30% compared to the same period last year, Matt Powell, an analyst with market research firm NPD Group, told CBS MoneyWatch. Training tools, such as hitting screens, swing aids and putting matts are up 75% as enthusiasts practice their technique away from the golf course.

And this is a nice reminder that all that well-intentioned capital devoted to nine-hole ad campaigns could never be as effective as having more people work from home.

The millions of Americans now working from home because of the virus is also boosting golf, with more people sneaking away from their desks to play a quick nine holes. 

The number of so-called short loops as a percentage of complete rounds played is up more than 15% in 2020, according to the National Golf Foundation. 

"This challenges the assumption that golf is an 18-hole sport. People are starting to see the beauty of carving out two hours for nine holes instead of three or four," said Lorentz of the National Golf Foundation. "That could be a real positive for the industry coming out of the pandemic.