Published on February 1, 2017

St Augustine, United States: GOLF 20/20 – a collaboration of leading organisations representing all segments of the United States golf industry – has announced details about the game’s US$3.9 billion annual charitable impact.
According to a study conducted by the National Golf Foundation (NGF), more golf facilities than ever (12,700) hosted an event in 2016.
The NGF said that golf as a fund-raising vehicle includes an estimated:
• 12,700 golf facilities (84 per cent of the United States total, an eight per cent increase from 2011)
• 143,000 events
• 12 million participants
• US$26,400 average per function
• One per cent of all US charitable giving (totalled US$373 billion in 2015)

“Charity is at the heart of the US golf industry,” said Steve Mona, Chief Executive Officer of the World Golf Foundation, administrator of GOLF 20/20.
“Golf is a key driver for charitable giving and takes pride in hosting charitable events to improve millions of lives through causes that are mostly unrelated to golf.”
Most common charitable golf event beneficiaries include health, youth, education and cultural groups nationally, regionally and locally.
More than 85 per cent of organisations conducting golf events find them important because, in addition to raising significant funds, they provide exposure and networking opportunities among supporters.
Additionally, golf’s charitable impact is greater than Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Basketball League and the National Hockey League combined.
The findings are based on qualitative calls and data collection from a coast-to-coast sampling of public and private golf facilities, and non-profit organisations producing golf events, conducted on behalf of GOLF 20/20 by the NGF.