Looking Ahead to the State of the Golf Industry in 2025

As we head into 2025, the golf industry is set to transform how the game is played and enjoyed, bridging traditional play with new evolutions of the game.

With tech innovations, a growing player base, and a focus on sustainability, the sport is evolving to attract more players and offer new experiences.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming in 2025.

Tech Takeover

Tech has increasingly made its way into the sport over the last few decades, and there’s no sign of slowing down. With even more innovation and fine-tuning, tech has transformed the game of golf for players at all levels.

Smart Wearables

One of the major advancements in the sport is smart wearables. Smart gloves and wristbands equipped with sensors capture data on your swing speed, club angle, grip pressure, and more, allowing players to improve their performance and track their progress.

Players are also taking advantage of phone apps to track their training and progress, with some apps even helping players read the greens better before they make their shot.

Clubhouse Management Apps & Systems

Clubhouses are also taking advantage of apps for course navigation and switching to online booking systems for a more seamless and convenient experience, which younger golfers prefer.

In the future, courses also expect to see the development of autonomous mowers that cut grass, rake bunkers, and fix ball marks, reducing their maintenance and labor costs.

Golf Ranges

Tech has also changed how players hit a round or two at the range. Looking ahead to 2025, more golf ranges will implement tracking tech to make hitting balls more fun, engaging, and instructive.

Players will have the opportunity to compete in different games, virtually play a famous course, or simply dial in their swing, using the collected data analytics. 

Breaking In New Traditions

One of the next evolutions of golf courses in the coming future will be a transformation from a singular-purpose space into a multi-faceted facility, providing options to host non-golf events and activities like weddings, baby showers, retirements, and business meetings.

These expanded offerings will allow courses to earn additional revenue, especially those in colder climates that cannot offer outdoor golf year-round. 

We’ll see courses, even those in warmer climates, working to move to a year-round model with indoor offerings like virtual golf simulators so players can keep training and playing no matter the weather conditions.

Short Courses

Another new trend to watch out for includes shorter courses, giving players a less expensive and less time-consuming option.

Great short courses, like a 9-hole or 13-hole course, take less than 90 minutes to play, encouraging beginners and families to play together while providing enough challenge and fun for more advanced players.

Night Golf

Night golf is another twist on tradition that has seen a surge in popularity and will likely continue to grow. Two major golf exhibitions, Capital One’s The Match and the Good Good Desert Open, were played under the lights at night.

Within the past year alone, three new night-lit golf courses made their debut:

• The Wedge at Cabot Citrus Farms in Brooksville, Florida
• The Lit 9 at The Park West Palm in West Palm Beach, Florida
• The Swing at Omni PGA Frisco Resort in Texas.

Night golf offers a more casual, fun vibe, usually with music and drinks, making it a great way to wind down at the end of the day.

Going Green

Focusing on sustainability isn’t a new trend, but 2025 will see more courses adopting eco-friendly practices, including:

• Minimizing water usage
• Reducing chemical inputs
• Environmentally-friendly course designs
• Native landscaping
• Solar-powered equipment
• Water recycling systems

For example, the PGA Tour 2025 is at the forefront, promoting eco-conscious tournaments by installing smart irrigation systems to monitor soil moisture levels, adjusting watering accordingly, and using organic fertilizers and environmentally safe pesticides.

Golf’s Growing Appeal

Women and girls continue to make up a growing number of golfers, with girls accounting for more than one-third of junior players.

According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), from 2020 to 2022, 800,000 women participated in the sport, an increase of 15% compared to only a 2% rise in male golfers during the same time. 

Junior golfers are also a growing group, with a 36% increase over the last three years, making it a growth of nearly 1,000,000 new junior golfers who are eager to keep playing.

As we head into 2025, we’ll see the popularity of golf continue to expand globally.

With streaming, social engagement, and shows like Netflix’s documentary series Full Swing, the game is growing, and we’re seeing a surge of interest in the sport in countries like India, China, and Brazil.

A Healthier Game

Many have begun recognizing golf’s many health benefits for both the mind and body. With golfers like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth implementing holistic training programs, amateur golfers are following suit and adding in the following:

• Strength training
• Physical conditioning
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Nutrition to help improve their overall performance

Following this trend, this opens opportunities for clubhouses to offer more nutritional and healthy options and programs that focus on conditioning and injury prevention. 

From new tech and expanded clubhouse offerings to a focus on health and sustainability, 2025 promises to blend tradition with innovation, bringing exciting new experiences for players of all levels and growing the love of the game.