USGA Custom Brand Intelligence Report
Concept Brief: Integrating GHIN Behavioral Data with NGF Consumer Research
Prepared for: USGA Partnership Discussion
Prepared by: NGF Business Intelligence
Date: January 2026
Classification: Internal Strategy Document
Executive Summary
This concept brief outlines a recurring Custom Brand Intelligence Report (BIR) that combines USGA's proprietary GHIN behavioral data with NGF's consumer research assets. The result is an intelligence product neither organization could produce alone -- giving USGA the "why" behind the "what" of handicap holder behavior, and giving NGF a validation layer for its consumer research.
Core Value Proposition: Attitudinal data tells you what people say they want. Behavioral data tells you what they actually do. A combined BIR delivers both.
The Integration Opportunity
What USGA Brings
| Data Asset |
Description |
Refresh Cycle |
| GHIN Handicap Holders |
3.68M active holders with demographic profiles |
Annual (Scorecard) |
| Score Posting Behavior |
82.25M scores, posting frequency, 9-hole %, hole-by-hole % |
Annual |
| Acquisition Channels |
Source attribution (B2C, club, AGA, etc.) |
Annual |
| Growth Composition |
Public vs. private, new vs. retained |
Annual |
| Competition Participation |
873K competition score posters (24% of base) |
Annual |
| Mobile Engagement |
89% mobile posting rate, app usage patterns |
Annual |
| Geographic Distribution |
State-level handicap penetration and posting activity |
Annual |
| GPA Gamification Data |
80%+ using in-app games |
Ongoing |
What NGF Brings
| Data Asset |
Description |
Refresh Cycle |
| Brand Intelligence Reports (BIR) |
Automated brand monitoring across golf app competitive set |
Ongoing |
| Sentiment Engine |
AI-powered sentiment analysis from reviews, social, forums |
Continuous |
| Golfer Segmentation |
6 psychographic segments across 120M interested Americans |
3-5 years |
| Play-Focused App Research |
Awareness, usage, satisfaction, switching across competitive set |
Annual |
| Handicap Segment Profiling |
Barriers to adoption, social proof drivers, keeper vs. non-keeper behavior |
Biennial |
| Graffis Report |
29.1M on-course golfers, participation trends |
Annual |
| Core Golfer App Behavior |
75%+ have golf apps, 95% of non-keepers on non-GHIN apps |
Annual |
| Fusionist Segment |
16.4M lifestyle-oriented golf consumers |
3-5 years |
Combined Insights Only This BIR Could Produce
Example 1: The Competition Score Paradox
- USGA data: Only 24% of handicap holders posted a competition score in 2025
- NGF data: 30% of golfers say they'd get a handicap if their friends had one (social motivation)
- Combined insight: The social motivation for handicaps isn't about formal competition -- it's about informal social play. GHIN's competition infrastructure misses the actual use case. Recommendation: Build social features (leaderboards, group challenges) that don't require formal tournament registration.
Example 2: The 9-Hole Growth Signal
- USGA data: 9-hole scores up 47% since 2020, now 18.2% of all posts; first-time HI golfers play 9-holes even more frequently (26.7% male, 50.2% female)
- NGF data: Casual golfers cite "don't play enough rounds" as barrier to handicap (42%)
- Combined insight: The perception barrier is dissolving in practice -- new handicap holders ARE the casual, time-constrained golfers. The 9-hole surge validates that GHIN is reaching beyond the avid core. Recommendation: Market handicap enrollment explicitly to 9-hole players.
Example 3: The Public Golf Growth Engine
- USGA data: 62% of holders from public facilities; 90%+ of 2024-2025 growth from public golfers
- NGF data: 87% of golfers have no handicap; 95% of non-keepers use non-GHIN apps
- Combined insight: The B2C handicap offering is tapping a different golfer than the traditional club channel. Public golfers are the growth engine -- but they're choosing competing apps for on-course features. Recommendation: Freemium GHIN app with GPS/tracking unlocked would capture this segment at scale.
Example 4: The Mobile-First Reality
- USGA data: 89% of scores posted via mobile app; 65% posted same day; 38.6% hole-by-hole
- NGF data: 6 in 10 GHIN users only open app to post scores, not during play
- Combined insight: Golfers ARE using GHIN mobile -- but only as a post-round transaction. The 38.6% hole-by-hole posting shows growing on-course engagement, but the app isn't sticky because it lacks GPS/tracking. Recommendation: On-course feature expansion would convert post-round users to during-round users.
Proposed Report Structure
Section 1: Market Overview
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| Graffis Report (29.1M golfers) |
GHIN holder count (3.68M) |
Handicap penetration rate by segment |
| Segment sizes (Core, Casual, Fusionists) |
Public/private split, growth composition |
Segment-level GHIN adoption rates |
Section 2: Handicap Holder Profile
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| Golfer demographics, income, frequency |
Avg handicap (14.0 M / 28.8 F), posting frequency |
Behavioral validation of survey-stated frequency |
| Keeper vs. non-keeper spending ($3,518 vs. $1,831) |
Avid cohort (20+, 50+, 100+ scores) |
Economic value of high-engagement holders |
Section 3: Acquisition & Retention
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| Barriers to handicap adoption (64% "casual", 42% "not enough rounds") |
Acquisition channels (USGA/AGA GC = 185K) |
Channel effectiveness vs. barrier profile |
| Social proof motivation (30% overall, 43% under 40) |
First-time HI profile (537K, higher handicaps) |
New enrollee psychographic mapping |
Section 4: Engagement & Behavior
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| App usage research (time share, feature satisfaction) |
Mobile posting rate (89%), hole-by-hole (38.6%) |
On-course vs. post-round engagement comparison |
| Feature demand (GPS #1, shot tracking #2) |
Competition participation (24%) |
Feature gap quantification |
Section 5: Competitive Landscape
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| App awareness, usage, retention by competitor |
GHIN time share (29%) |
GHIN position vs. feature-rich competitors |
| Switching behavior, satisfaction scores |
GPA gamification (80% use games) |
Competitive threat assessment |
Section 6: Growth Opportunities
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| Non-keeper app usage (95% on non-GHIN) |
Growth composition (90%+ from public) |
Freemium conversion opportunity sizing |
| Fusionist segment (16.4M) |
N/A |
Long-term pipeline quantification |
Section 7: Trend Watch
| NGF Input |
USGA Input |
Combined Output |
| Emerging consumer trends |
9-hole surge (18.2%), female growth patterns |
Trend validation and projection |
Cadence & Refresh Cycle
| Component |
Frequency |
Timing |
| Full Report |
Annual |
Q1 (post-Scorecard release, typically January) |
| Mid-Year Update |
Semi-annual |
Q3 (if significant new NGF research available) |
| Ad Hoc Supplements |
As needed |
When either party has relevant new data |
Alignment: The annual full report would be timed to the USGA Golf Scorecard release (January), ensuring the freshest behavioral data is integrated with NGF's most recent consumer research.
Data Sharing Framework
From USGA to NGF
- Annual Scorecard data (as published)
- Supplemental data tables (growth composition, acquisition channels, etc.)
- GPA/app engagement metrics (as available)
From NGF to USGA
- Segment-level analysis and sizing
- App research findings (competitive positioning)
- Handicap research updates (R24007 and successors)
Confidentiality
- Combined report is jointly owned
- Neither party shares underlying raw data externally
- Published insights require mutual approval
Success Metrics
- Insight Uniqueness: % of findings that neither party could produce independently
- Decision Impact: # of strategic decisions informed by combined insights
- Data Utilization: % of available data assets actively integrated
- Stakeholder Adoption: Usage/citation of report across USGA departments
Next Steps
- Confirm scope for pilot edition (recommended: GHIN App Growth Opportunity)
- Establish data sharing protocol (format, timing, confidentiality)
- Align on timeline (Q1 2026 pilot delivery?)
- Identify stakeholders on both sides who will consume the report
This concept brief is intended to frame the opportunity for discussion. Specific scope, timeline, and investment to be determined through partnership dialogue.
