Weather Affects Golf Rounds in Minnesota in 2022
December 23, 2022 | 3 min.
By Warren P Ryan
EDINA, Minn. (Dec. 23, 2022) – On behalf of its allied golf associations and its member golf clubs across the state, the Minnesota Golf Association has completed an annual facility rounds study to more accurately track golf participation in the state.
For the first time in four consecutive years of golf participation growth, golf facilities across all categories in Minnesota report a decrease in golf rounds over the previous year, by an average of 5.4 percent. Unfavorable weather, and not an absolute decline in golfer participation, is considered the most influential factor.
For 2022, the decrease in average rounds over the previous record year correlates highly with fewer playable weather days. According to Mike Malone, owner and operator of the Ridges at Sand Creek, playable weather days at the 18-hole public daily fee course in Jordan, Minn., were down 8.8 percent from 2021.
The MGA surveyed 358 golf facilities around the state, with 106 facilities reporting rounds over the last four years in the following categories: municipal, (43.0 percent reporting); private, (55.8 percent); public daily fee, (31.3 percent); and resort, (40.9 percent). †
“As we discovered during the pandemic, golf was one of the few sports or activities that all Minnesotans could safely participate in throughout the summer,” said Tom Ryan, MGA executive director and COO, adding, “even though rounds played were down this year compared to last, they are very close to 2020 numbers. This is an indicator that interest and enthusiasm in the game remains very high.”
Avg. Rounds/Facility
19,660
25,904
25,648
24,802
Total Rounds
570,151
828,914
846,390
892,857
% Change YOY
0.1%
31.8%
-1.0%
-3.3%
Avg. Rounds/Facility
26,430
33,376
34,672
33,257
Total Rounds
898,631
1,168,173
1,282,881
1,230,521
% Change YOY
2.8%
26.3%
3.9%
-4.1%
Avg. Rounds/Facility
16,388
22,991
25,057
23,040
Total Rounds
344,157
505,794
576,320
552,968
% Change YOY
-6.9%
40.3%
9.0%
-8.1%
Avg. Rounds/Facility
15,830
17,558
19,764
18,403
Total Rounds
142,474
158,023
158,114
165,626
% Change YOY
1.6%
10.9%
12.6%
-6.9%
Avg. Rounds/Facility
1,955,413
2,660,904
2,863,705
2,841,972
Total Rounds
21,026
27,152
28,354
26,811
% Change YOY
0.2%
29.1%
4.4%
-5.4%
Avg. Rounds/Facility
200,686
271,806
308,445
290,392
Total Rounds
18,244
24,710
25,704
24,199
% Change YOY
3.1%
35.4%
13.5%
-5.9%
MGA members – approximately 83,000 golfers who play at public and private golf clubs around the state – posted about 101,000 fewer rounds in 2022, down 6.2 percent from 2021. While wetter-than-normal weather in April and May attributed to the slow start of the season, MGA members posted more rounds in the summer months than the same period last year, up nearly 3.9 percent for June, July and August of 2022. Likewise, MGA membership overall saw a slight increase over the previous year, up 0.5 percent. ††
“This year’s numbers during the heart of the season are an indicator that playing golf continues to check all the boxes: it’s played outdoors, and represents both a physically and mentally healthful activity that thousands of kids and their families can participate in together,” explained Ryan.
† 106 MGA golf facilities reported rounds for 2022, 8 percent more facilities reporting data in 2021.
†† There are 83,340 youth and adult MGA members for the period ending Oct. 31, 2022; MGA members posted 909,689 rounds for June, July and August of 2022, up 3.89 percent over the same period in 2021. The MGA score posting season for handicap purposes begins April 1 and runs through October.
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Warren P Ryan
W.P. Ryan is the MGA’s communications director and editor of Minnesota Golfer magazine. Prior to his communications career, he has worked at several golf clubs in Florida, Maryland and Minnesota "guarding the Titleists" and teaching the game to junior golfers.
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