Ottawa, Ont. – The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) will host its Hill Day in Ottawa on May 26th, to coincide with National Golf Day. NAGA delegates will be meeting with Members of Parliament and Senators to highlight the Canadian golf industry’s unprecedented economic and social momentum.

As a coalition of Canada’s five major golf associations – Golf Canada; National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada; the Club Management Association of Canada (CMAC); Professional Golfers Association of Canada (PGA of Canada); and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) – NAGA advocates for the sector with a single, unified voice.

Golf serves as a key pillar of the Canadian economy, generating more than $23 billion in total economic impact and $4.7 billion in tax revenues. The industry supports 239,000 jobs, including employment for 45,000 students annually, and helps to raise over $382 million for charitable causes.

“The sector has undergone a historic transformation since 2020. Today, golf is much more than a seasonal pastime; it has evolved into a year-round cultural force, an economic engine, and an accessible, mainstream platform for community connection enjoyed by over 6 million players,” said Kathryn Wood, Chair of NAGA. “Alongside these economic and social benefits, the industry is deeply committed to protecting and enhancing our role as stewards for the environment.”

Through sustainable turf management practices across 2,100 golf courses in Canada—90% of which are publicly accessible—the industry acts as stewards for almost 250,000 acres of greenspace, playing a leading role in wildlife conservation and carbon sequestration.

“As an accessible, outdoor activity for Canadians of all ages and abilities, golf serves as a primary vehicle for preventative health and social connection, particularly within rural and remote communities where local courses often act as the primary hubs for social infrastructure,” said Wood.

NAGA welcomes the opportunity to work with parliamentarians, senators and the public service to capitalize on the sport’s momentum by expanding accessibility for all Canadians, fostering industry-wide innovation, and bolstering the sector’s contribution to healthy communities, responsible resource management, and environmental stewards from the grassroots to the international stage.

The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada has released its latest research insights revealing a strong month for Canada’s golf industry.

Rounds Played Up Year-to-Date

For the third month in a row, rounds played nationally have risen compared to 2023, now up 4.8% year-to-date, demonstrating continued enthusiasm for golf across Canada. Atlantic Canada contributed significantly to this growth, with New Brunswick’s exceptional September rounds exceeding the national average by 12%. This boost helped Atlantic Canada surpass the national rounds average in September for the first time in five years. In Quebec, rounds played increased by a modest 1.8%, led by the Eastern Townships region, with a notable year-over-year jump of 46.8%, beating the national average by 24%.

 Improved September Weather Reduces Closures

September weather showed significant improvement over previous months in 2024, allowing operators to achieve higher weather impact scores and reducing the number of course closures. Year-to-date, coastal regions recorded the fewest closures, with slightly over a week of play lost. In contrast, Alberta faced 23 closures, equating to over three weeks of lost play. Central regions such as Ontario and the Prairies were close behind, reporting an average of 21 and 19 closures, respectively.

If you have any questions or would like more insights into the September 2024 Rounds Played and Weather Reports, please contact Al Helmer at ahelmer@ngcoa.ca.

OTTAWA, Canada – The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) is an industry coalition consisting of the five national golf associations in Canada – Golf Canada; National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada; the Club Management Association of Canada (CMAC); Professional Golfers Association of Canada (PGA of Canada); and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA).

Each association represents a unique sector of the golf industry – its purpose is to advocate as a single voice about issues that affect golfers and golf businesses, and subsequently their employee groups, and related stakeholders. Since 2011, NAGA has executed an annual lobby day, referred to as National Golf Day, as an event to highlight the positive virtues of Canadian golf and build relationships with key legislative decision-makers both federally and provincially.

NAGA is delighted to advise that after a four-year pause due to COVID-19, we will again be conducting the annual National Golf Day initiative on May 22-23, 2024, with a press conference on Parliament Hill, followed by targeted advocacy meetings with MPs and Senators in Ottawa.

Golf: Many Benefits

Golf flourished during the pandemic as the nature of the sport easily allowed for social distancing while delivering a social recreation experience for both avid and new players . Several clubs now have waitlists due to the increased interest in golf as more people took up the sport when travel or other recreational activities were adversely impacted. Post-COVID, golf enthusiasts have continued their renewed (or new) interest in the sport because of its many benefits, whether health, mental, or social.

Current data suggests that hundreds of thousands of participants have entered the sport in recent years, totaling nearly six million golfers in Canada, just under 20% of the entire Canadian population. New golfers are increasingly likely to be female with active women golfers growing by 6% in 2023 vs 2022. New golfers are also ever more likely to be BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) as evidenced by a 33% lift in BIPOC active golfers in 2023 vs 2022.

Economic Impact Study

Complementary to the advocacy work of NAGA, the coalition conducts an economic impact study every five years to measure the financial, employment, charitable, tourism and environmental impact that the sport and the business of golf contributes to communities across Canada. The survey was executed in February 2024 and the results will be released just prior to National Golf Day 2024. The study will highlight economic insights for each of the 10 provinces and three territories from coast-to-coast.

Given that this study will be the first since COVID and the interest spike that followed, NAGA anticipates the results to be dramatically different than prior years.

Call to Action

In the lead-up to National Golf Day 2024, NAGA invites its association members to encourage your networks to get involved in the sport, whether that be playing a round of golf, experience family time at your local course, introducing a new player to the game, taking a lesson, or enjoying a meal at your local course clubhouse.

NAGA stakeholders are encouraged to consider running a special National Golf Day promotion to support the day and join in the wonderful momentum that golf is currently experiencing.

Sincerely,

National Allied Golf Associations

National Golf Course Owners Association Canada

Daniel Pilon, President
Jeff Calderwood, CEO + Chair, NAGA

The Club Management Association of Canada

Jana-Lyn Fairbairn, CCM, President
Suzanne Godbehere, CEO

Golf Canada

David McCarthy, President
Laurence Applebaum, CEO

Canadian Golf Superintendents Association

John McLinden, AGS, President
Kathryn Wood, CEO

Professional Golfers Association of Canada

Scott Kolb, PGA, President
Kevin Thistle, CEO