Prepared for: USGA Meeting, January 2026 Prepared by: NGF Business Intelligence Classification: Internal Strategy Document
GHIN's 3.68 million handicap holders represent only ~13% of the 29.1 million on-course golfers in the US (Graffis Report, 2025; USGA Golf Scorecard, 2025). Handicap enrollment grew 8.2% YoY -- 62% of holders come from public facilities, and critically, over 90% of that growth is coming from public golfers (USGA, Jan 2026) -- yet the other 87% of golfers still have no handicap and they aren't disengaged. Over 75% of the 14.9M Core golfers already have at least one golf-specific app on their phone (NGF, Oct 2025), and among non-handicap keepers who do use play-focused apps, 95% use something other than GHIN (R24007, p.26). These golfers are already digitally engaged with a variety of golf apps, with many already tracking their games -- they're just doing it entirely outside the USGA ecosystem.
Beyond the current golfer base, NGF's 2025 Segmentation Study (conducted in partnership with Hearts + Mind Strategies) identifies 16.4 million "Fusionists" -- Americans drawn to golf as a cultural and lifestyle identity. Only 14% are regular golfers today, but this segment represents the long-term golfer conversion pipeline. Reaching them will require the same app-first, experience-led approach that would capture today's active golfers.
Three specific market gaps stand between GHIN and both audiences.
The problem: 89% of all GHIN scores are now posted via the mobile app (USGA, 2025) -- yet 6 in 10 GHIN app users use it solely for posting scores, not during play. The app is already the primary interface; golfers just leave immediately after posting. The #1 feature golfers want from a play-focused app is GPS distance and course mapping, followed by shot tracking and performance stats. GHIN offers some of these capabilities through its Premium tier, but they sit behind a paywall -- while competitors like 18Birdies (2M+ monthly active users), The Grint, and Garmin offer them free or ad-supported. The result: golfers who won't pay for Premium default to competing apps, and GHIN's satisfaction with new feature rollouts (43%) is the lowest of any major golf app.
The fix: Make GHIN's on-course GPS and tracking features free -- shifting to a freemium model where the core on-course experience is open to all. The USGA has already signaled this direction -- announcing plans for "a new look and feel, improved statistics, and insights" -- but the competitive window is narrowing as 18Birdies and the Golf Genius portfolio (Golfshot + SwingU, 16M+ combined users) continue to consolidate the market. 80% of app users prefer free or basic-price tiers -- meeting golfers where they are is the fastest path to expanding the GHIN ecosystem.
The problem: Among non-handicap keepers, 64% say they "only play casually and don't need one" and 42% say they "don't play enough rounds." These are perception barriers, not real ones. Only 5% of non-keepers use the GHIN app -- the other 95% use competing apps where handicap enrollment never enters the picture.
The fix: Lead with what golfers want (GPS, shot tracking, stats, gamification, and wagering) and let GHIN enrollment happen as a byproduct, not a prerequisite. A freemium GHIN app that delivers best-in-class on-course tools at no cost -- then auto-generates a Handicap Index after a golfer's first few posted rounds -- removes every friction point. The golfer gets a GPS rangefinder; the USGA gets a new handicap holder.
The problem: The #1 motivator for getting a handicap isn't functional -- it's social. 30% of all golfers (and 43% of 18-39 year-olds) say they'd get a handicap if their friends had one. Yet GHIN has no social features: no friend connections, no shared rounds, no group challenges, no leaderboards. The data bears this out: 3 in 4 handicap holders never posted a single competition score in 2025 -- only 873K of 3.68M did (USGA Golf Scorecard, 2025). The apps dominating retention -- 18Birdies (97% continue using) and The Grint (91%) -- lead in exactly these social and community categories.
The fix: Build social mechanics into GHIN that make handicap status visible and shareable within playing groups. USGA's own data validates the demand: at least 80% of GPA participants already use some form of game within their app (USGA, Jan 2026). When a golfer's friends can see their Handicap Index, compete on leaderboards, share stats and pictures, the social proof loop activates. NGF research shows this single lever could be the most powerful driver of new handicap adoption, particularly among the younger demographic USGA needs for long-term growth.
The near-term opportunity: 87% of the 29.1M on-course golfers -- roughly 25.4M people -- do not maintain a GHIN Handicap Index. The vast majority already use smartphones on-course, and three-quarters carry golf apps. Among non-keepers who use apps, 95% are on platforms other than GHIN. Converting even a fraction of these active, digitally engaged golfers would transform the GHIN base:
| Scenario | New Handicap Holders | Impact on Current Base (3.68M) |
|---|---|---|
| 2% of non-keeper golfers | ~510,000 | +14% growth |
| 5% of non-keeper golfers | ~1,270,000 | +35% growth |
| 10% of non-keeper golfers | ~2,540,000 | +69% growth |
The downstream value is significant. NGF research shows handicap keepers vs. non-keepers (R24007, 2024): - Spend 1.9x more on golf annually ($3,518 vs. $1,831) - Play 2.1x more rounds per year (53 vs. 25) - Visit the range 2.4x more often (31.5 vs. 12.9 visits)
The long-term "stretch" opportunity: The 16.4M Fusionists identified in NGF's 2025 Segmentation Study represent a second, larger wave. As golf's cultural footprint expands -- driven by entertainment venues, social media, and lifestyle branding -- a GHIN app that leads with experience rather than administration becomes the natural on-ramp from cultural interest to active participation to handicap enrollment.
Sources: NGF Play-Focused Golf App Research (2025); NGF x USGA Handicap Segment Profiling (R24007, 2024); NGF Golf World Segmentation Study (Hearts + Mind Strategies, 2025); USGA Golf Scorecard 2025; Graffis Report (2025); USGA/GHIN team correspondence (Jan 2026).