TRENDS The chart below illustrates the trend in rounds played at each course since 2011. The large drop in rounds in 2022 and 2023 at Springbrook was due to the planned closure of the course for renovations in 2022, and the delayed reopening of the course after renovations in late spring/early summer 2023. For 2024, with both courses open for the entire golf season, rounds are projected to return to pre-renovation levels.
30,000 20,000 38,000 36,000 34,000 32,000 40,000 50,000 48,000 46,000 44,000 42,000
YEAR SPRINGBROOK NAPERBROOK 2011 36,933 35,088 2012 41,154 37,024 2013 37,816 34,154 2014 36,043 33,971 2015 38,597 37,832 2016 36,291 37,362 2017 36,267 36,527 2018 33,797 31,260 2019 34,314 32,459 2020 42,603 38,800 2021 42,139 42,721 2022 21,287 42,761 2023 23,458 45,458 *2024 40,250 41,100 *Projected Rounds
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020
2021 2022
20232024
While golf’s participation numbers following the 2008 recession dropped from the levels seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they have stabilized significantly over the last decade on both a local and national level. The National Golf Foundation’s market research revealed that while golf has weathered some issues related to participation trends over last decade or so, particularly as it relates to young adults, it remains a very important part of the local lifestyle, and an attraction for suburban residents of Naperville and across the DuPage and Will County markets. Despite the drop in participation from the levels
seen during the “golf boom,” NGF research shows that the game remains popular and is fortunate to have a deep well of interested prospects to sustain it into the future. The 2020-2023 golf seasons have provided evidence of golf’s continued importance for recreational opportunities on both a local and national scale. Golf rounds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to levels seen in the early 2000s. Growth in the game has been seen with increases in private and group lesson programs, especially junior programming, which has added to the increased optimism for
the current increase in golf interest to continue. Driving range use saw significant increases, and concession revenues improved as both new and returning golfers helped push those revenues higher. Despite rounds increases resulting from the pandemic, golf still has potential threats to its future revenues. Most notable is the weather, and its positive or negative influence on rounds. In 2018 and 2019, the weather was a negative factor during significant stretches, and higher than normal precipitation reduced the number of playable days and rounds totals at each course. In 2022, we saw significant weather impacts
2024 BUDGET 73
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