Monthly Archives: January 2026
Golf Participation Boomed in 2025, 82 Million Rounds Played
The USGA today unveiled the 2025 Golf Scorecard, an annual data report that uses information from scores posted under the World Handicap System™ (WHS™) to highlight golf participation trends. 3.68 million golfers with a Handicap Index® posted a record 82 million scores domestically in 2025, providing a unique macro snapshot of how the game was played last year.
New to the 2025 Scorecard is America’s Golfiest State, which considers the total number of scores posted by golfers in the state with a Handicap Index, as well as days in the active posting season window, to provide a look at which state truly plays the most golf. With one of the shortest active posting seasons in the country, Maine takes home the title of America’s Golfiest State in 2025, with the most golf played when taking each factor into account. Across the country, Florida leads the Southeast based on these metrics, Wisconsin paces the Midwest, Colorado heads up the Central and Arizona carries the torch for the West.
Comparing the 82 million-plus scores posted in 2025 to data going back to 2020, notable trends and stats include:
- Continued growth in 9-hole score posting: For the fifth consecutive year, there was a record number of 9-hole rounds played with 14,998,824 scores posted in 2025 – a 5% increase over 2024 and up over 46% since 2020.
- More golfers with a Handicap Index®: 3.68 million golfers in the U.S. maintained a Handicap Index in 2025 – up more than 8.2% year over year and up over 46% since 2020.
- New golfers posting more 9-hole rounds: Those who established a Handicap Index in 2025 were more likely to play and post 9-hole rounds. Among these golfers, 50.2% of scores posted by females and 26.7% of scores posted by males were 9-hole scores.
- Short-course posting trend continues: Building on the success of score posting at short courses in 2024, over 290,000 scores were posted at more than 470 short courses nationwide.
- Most rounds posted are recreational: A widely held notion that a Handicap Index is only for golfers who are playing in elite competitions continues to be dispelled by the data, as 94.4% of the 82 million rounds posted were recreational, and over 75% of all golfers with a Handicap Index were playing and posting purely for fun.
- Number of yards played spans the country: There are over 4.4 million yards from the site of the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally, Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to 2026 U.S. Open venue Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., which means it would take 98,723 trips from Riviera to Shinnecock to equal the number of yards played in 2025.
“We were thrilled at the positive response to last year’s inaugural snapshot of the recreational game and enjoy using World Handicap System data to help tell these compelling stories about golf in the U.S.,” said Steve Edmondson, USGA managing director of Handicapping and Course Rating. “Alongside our Allied Golf Associations, we have seen another record year of score posting and golfer engagement and are all excited to see trends continue to evolve.”
2025 GHIN Rewind
Those with a Handicap Index can access their own personal golf recap via GHIN Rewind, which was deployed for the fourth year in mid-December. The 2025 GHIN Rewind added a spotlight for users who posted their scores hole-by-hole, detailing their scoring distribution (birdie or better, par, bogey, etc.) and scoring average by hole type (par 3, par, 4, par 5).
GHIN Rewind’s personalized year-in-review includes comprehensive data highlights including Handicap Index changes, average score, total rounds played, lowest and highest scores, courses played, days and months played, hardest and easiest courses, and most-played courses. The engaging, story-style format is designed to be easily shared on social media.
“It’s been so rewarding to see GHIN Rewind become a staple on the recreational golf calendar, and we are continually energized by the enthusiasm we see for the initiative each year,” said Tom Padula, USGA senior director of GHIN. “We know golfers want more insight into their scoring and performance data, and our users can look forward to new features and experiences related to stats and insights this coming year.”
Those who accessed their personal golf recap in mid-December can now revisit their GHIN Rewind and see their full year of posting activity, which has been updated to account for any rounds played in December. Players must have posted at least three 18-hole rounds to see their GHIN Rewind. The feature is available on the GHIN app for iOS and Android.
Download the GHIN app presented by Sentry now on iOS or Android, and for more information about the app and its features, please visit GHIN.com.
PGA Tour Announces 2026 Tournament Schedule
The full schedule is available here: https://www.pgatour.com/schedule
USGA Honors Individuals Who Have Shaped Golf Through Service, Innovation and Literature
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. – The USGA today announced the recipients of its Annual Awards, honoring three individuals for their significant contributions for the good of the game in the areas of volunteerism, turfgrass advancement and golf literature.
The Joe Dey Award, presented annually since 1996, recognizes exemplary volunteer service and leadership within the game. The Green Section Award is the longest standing award, established in 1961, and honors distinguished service to golf through turfgrass management and innovation. The Herbert Warren Wind Award was established in 1987 and honors outstanding contributions to golf literature that broaden the public’s interest in and knowledge of the game. Together, the awards reflect the USGA’s commitment to supporting the people and ideas that strengthen golf at all levels and deserve recognition across the game.
“This year, we are honored to recognize three outstanding individuals whose influence on the game is felt in many ways,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. “Through their service and expertise, each award winner has made a lasting impact on golf, reflecting the very values these awards were created to honor.”
The USGA will recognize the award recipients at its Annual Awards Dinner in New York City, on Saturday, Feb. 28, during the organization’s Annual Meeting along with the Ellen Port, who was announced by the USGA as the 2026 Bob Jones Award recipient last month.
Joe Dey Award – Jerry Lemieux, of Toledo, Ohio
Jerry Lemieux has served as a USGA Committee member for 19 years, exemplifying the highest standards of leadership, volunteerism, integrity and passion. One of the organization’s most respected rules officials, he has worked at premier championships including U.S. Opens and the Walker Cup, while serving as a trusted mentor to new volunteers. Known for his exceptional reliability and responsiveness, Lemieux is always willing to step in when needed and can be counted on to support the USGA and its championships at the highest level.
Beyond championship play, he is the most active Rules Queue Volunteer, resolving thousands of golfer inquiries and providing daily support to the Rules team. A past president of the Northern Ohio Golf Association, he led the successful merger with the Toledo District Golf Association and is a member of Inverness Club, where he will also serve as general chair of the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally.
“I’m humbled to receive this year’s Joe Dey Award,” said Lemieux. “The opportunity to work with the amazing rules and championships staff at the USGA has been a privilege and a pleasure. It’s an honor to support the USGA and its deep commitment to the game, its traditions and its future.”
USGA Green Section Award – Paul Latshaw, Sr., of Stroudsburg, Pa.
Paul R. Latshaw, Sr., has been selected as the recipient of the USGA’s 2026 Green Section Award in recognition of a career that helped redefine championship golf course preparation and set new standards for the superintendent profession. One of the most accomplished figures in golf course maintenance history, Latshaw is the only superintendent to have hosted all three U.S. men’s majors, overseeing two U.S. Opens, four Masters Tournaments and a PGA Championship during his career that spanned from 1964 to 2001. His leadership shaped some of the game’s most iconic venues, including Oakmont Country Club, Augusta National Golf Club, Winged Foot Golf Club, Congressional Country Club, The Riviera Country Club and others.
Beyond championships, Latshaw’s influence is measured by the people and practices he helped develop. A respected mentor, over 100 former members of his staff have gone on to become superintendents, turfgrass scientists and industry leaders. He has played a key role in advancing modern course-maintenance practices, including innovations in putting-green performance, environmental management and bunker construction that remain widely used today. A 58-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Latshaw continues to impact the profession through mentorship, consulting and a lifelong commitment to excellence in turfgrass management.
“This recognition means a great deal to me,” said Paul Latshaw, Sr. “Turfgrass work is often behind the scenes, but it plays a critical role in the golfer’s experience and the long-term health of the game. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with superintendents, researchers and industry partners who are passionate about improving how we care for golf courses, and the USGA’s recognition of our work means the world.”
Herbert Warren Wind Award – Matchless: Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the Rise of Women’s Golf by Stephen Proctor
Stephen Proctor is a golf writer and historian who, in addition to Matchless: Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the Rise of Women’s Golf, has written several books on early golf history, including Monarch of the Green (2021) and The Long Golden Afternoon (2022). He previously worked as an editor at the Baltimore Sun, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Houston Chronicle, and has spent the past decade studying the history of the game.
In Matchless: Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the Rise of Women’s Golf, Proctor explores the historic rivalry between English golfer Joyce Wethered and American golfer Glenna Collett. Through extensive research and vivid storytelling, Proctor details how Wethered and Collett’s exceptional skill and international rivalry brought unprecedented attention to women’s golf, helping elevate the game during its formative years. Readers are taken on a journey from their first meeting at Troon in 1925 to their remarkable match at St. Andrews, set against the broader historical context of the era.
The book offers a glimpse into an often-forgotten chapter of golf history, illustrating how Wethered and Collett paved the way for the emergence of women’s professional golf tours and shaped the broader perceptions of the women’s game. Proctor’s book will be on display at the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, N.J., home to the world’s largest collection of golf books and periodicals, with more than 100,000 individual volumes.
“I am deeply honored to be given an award named for one of my literary idols, but it is especially gratifying to receive this recognition for Matchless, as so few stories have been written about heroines of the women’s game,” said Proctor. “Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the women upon whose shoulders they stood deserve to be celebrated as long as golf is played, and I hope this book and this award contribute to preserving the memory of their trailblazing accomplishments.”
