2009
There were 28.6 million golfers above the age of 6 in the United States, according to study by the National Golf Foundation published in 2009.
Historical Data
According to the National Golf Foundation, there were 28.8 million golfers in the U.S. in 2000, 30 million in 2005 and 29.5 million in 2007.
Decreasing Numbers
The number of golfers from 2007 to 2008 dropped by about 3 percent due to a struggling economy. Most of the decrease can be attributed to those golfers who were playing less or not at all.
Newcomers
The National Golf Foundation found that there were 1.7 million new golfers in 2008 and another 2.3 million started playing again after not playing the year before.
Other Numbers
According to Golf20/20, golfers and golf enthusiasts spent $76 billion dollars on the game in 2008.
About The Author
Brendan O'Brien is a professional journalist in Milwaukee, Wis. He has worked for several news organizations, newspapers such as the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" and trade magazines during his 15-year career. He is currently a freelance writer who works for several publications.