Millennials breathing new life into the stodgy game of golf

This year’s report from the The National Golf Foundation’s (NGF) on golf participation in the United States has revealed that millennial golfers are breathing new life into the sport.

The study found that 36 percent of the nearly 24 million golfers in the United States are young adults aged 18 to 39, with over 15 million expressing interest in taking up the game, making the millenial group close to overtake other age groups as the largest market share in the sport.

However, according to CNBC millennials don’t want to spend several hours on a golf course playing the sport the traditional way. The number completing a traditional 18-hole round is down over 1 percent in the past year, the NGF said.

Instead, the off-course facilities are drawing the young. Over 4 million young adults have only experienced the sport at an off-course facility such as a driving range.  That has boosted the popularity of places like Topgolf.

“Millennials want a parallel experience, and Topgolf is built on four things everyone loves – play, food and drinks, music and community” Erik Anderson, co-chairman and CEO of Topgolf Entertainment Group told CNBC.

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