USGA Strategic Partnership Briefing

NGF + USGA: Transforming Golfer Acquisition

Meeting Date: Week of January 27, 2026 Prepared by: National Golf Foundation Citation Status: Key statistics sourced from R24007, Best Tees Update, NGF Segmentation 2025 Prepared: January 2026

Executive Summary

This briefing synthesizes three strategic threads into a transformational partnership opportunity:

1. Best Tees Initiative - USGA's tee selection program seeking industry partners (USGA Best Tees Industry Update, Jan 2026)
2. Segmentation Research - NGF's 16M+ active golfers not posting to GHIN (NGF Segmentation Study, 2025, p.35)
3. Handicap System Research - NGF's deep understanding of GHIN barriers and motivations (R24007 Handicap Segment Profiling, Sept 2024)

The Opportunity: An AI-powered mobile platform that combines GPS, shot tracking, intelligent tee recommendations, and automatic GHIN enrollment - creating the largest golfer acquisition channel in USGA history.

Part 1: The Best Tees Opportunity

Core Concept

Help golfers select the right tees based on 7-iron distance to improve experience and retention.

(USGA Best Tees Industry Update, Jan 2026, slides 3-7)

USGA's Explicit Ask (Slide 18):

"Continue to be 'opportunistic' to grow the program" "Partner with industry associations?" (highlighted in blue)

(USGA Best Tees Industry Update, Jan 2026, slide 18)

Best Tees Results to Date

The Burning Platform

Pierce explicitly cited NGF data (Best Tees Update, slide 5): - U.S. annual golfer inflow: ~6 million (NGF Golfer Participation Data) - Net growth: only ~1 million (NGF Golfer Participation Data) - "The yield is low" (Best Tees Update, slide 5)

Of the 5M who leave annually, approximately half leave for health/mortality and financial pressures - unavoidable attrition. The other ~2.5M leave for addressable reasons (bad experience, wrong tees, feeling unwelcome).

Strategic Implication: Best Tees and NGF's accessibility work target the same ~2.5M addressable leavers.

Part 2: NGF Handicap Research Insights

The Handicap Keeper Profile (n=3,114 survey)

(R24007 = NGF x USGA Handicap Segment Profiling, Sept 2024; n=3,114)

Key Finding: Handicap keepers are significantly more engaged and valuable customers.

Why Golfers DON'T Have a Handicap

Critical Insight: The top barriers are perception-based, not real. Golfers think handicaps are "for serious golfers" - not them.

What Would Motivate Adoption?

Note: Multi-select question - percentages do not sum to 100%. Demographic breakouts shown only where notably different from overall.

The #1 driver is SOCIAL - not functional. If friends have handicaps, people want them.

The Enjoyment Gap Problem

Problem: GHIN is seen as a "commitment badge" - not a fun enhancement.

Current App Usage (Non-Handicap Keepers)

Opportunity: 95% of non-handicap keepers use apps OTHER than GHIN. They're already tracking - just not in the USGA ecosystem.

(Calculated from R24007 data: 100% - 5% GHIN usage among non-keepers = 95%)

Part 3: The Transformational Vision

Concept: AI-Powered Freemium Golf App

An AI-powered freemium GPS app that:

1. Tracks every shot - not just scores, but actual distances hit with each club
2. Learns your game - AI builds a complete profile of your playing characteristics
3. Recommends the right tees - personalized Best Tees guidance for every course, every hole
4. Auto-enrolls users in GHIN Lite - frictionless entry into USGA ecosystem
5. Creates social connections - friends see each other's progress, encouraging adoption

Why This Works (Research-Backed)

Product Tier Concept

The Funnel Vision

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  FREEMIUM GPS APP DOWNLOAD                                  │
│  (16M+ active golfers already playing but not posting)      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  SHOT TRACKING / GPS USAGE                                  │
│  AI learns your distances automatically                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  GHIN LITE AUTO-ENROLLMENT                                  │
│  "Your first 3 rounds = your first handicap"                │
│  No friction, no signup - just happens                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  AI TEE RECOMMENDATIONS                                     │
│  "Based on your actual distances, play from Yellow today"   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  BETTER EXPERIENCE → RETENTION → GHIN STANDARD UPGRADE      │
│  Premium subscription + full handicap + committed golfer    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Part 4: NGF's Unique Value Proposition

What NGF Brings

(NGF organizational capabilities; Welcome2Golf Initiative Brief, 2025)

Part 5: Strategic Pathways

Recommended Approach: Partnership models (Pathway 3 or 4) that leverage NGF's research expertise and existing app platforms' technology, while keeping USGA focused on governance and standards.

Part 6: Connection to Segmentation Research

The 16M Fusionist Opportunity

Primary Target: 16.4M "Fusionists" - active golfers who play regularly but don't maintain a GHIN handicap.

Why They Don't Post to GHIN

From Handicap Research (n=3,114): - 64% think handicaps are only for "serious" golfers - not them (R24007, p.19) - 42% say "I don't play enough rounds to justify having one" (R24007, p.19) - 26% never got proper information about how to start (R24007, p.19) - 24% perceive it as too expensive (R24007, p.19)

Critical Insight: These are perception barriers, not real ones. These golfers are already playing, already tracking, already engaged - they just don't see GHIN as "for them."

What Would Convert Them

The AI app solves this: It's frictionless (freemium, no commitment), auto-enrolls them without asking, creates social connections with friends who also use it, and delivers immediate value through GPS and tee recommendations - converting passive tracking into active GHIN participation.

Part 7: Financial Framework

Value Creation Potential

[ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECTIONS - Scenarios for discussion]

Competitive Pressure

If USGA doesn't act: - 18Birdies already has 32% of non-handicap keepers (R24007, p.26) - Arccos has 17% and is building AI recommendations (R24007, p.26) - Golf apps will create parallel handicap systems outside USGA control

Part 8: Key Statistics Reference

From Best Tees Research (USGA Best Tees Industry Update, Jan 2026)

• Erin Hills: 1,600 golfers moved forward over 2 years (slides 8-9)
• Template fits >95% of golfers (slide 7)
• 7-iron distance is the key metric (slides 3-7)

From Handicap Research (R24007 NGF x USGA Handicap Study, Sept 2024)

• 64% say handicaps are "only for casual players" (p.19)
• 89% commitment badge vs 16% enjoyment (p.16)
• 30% would adopt if friends had handicaps (p.24)
• 13% "very interested" in starting a handicap (p.22)
• 26% lack proper information (p.19)

From Segmentation Research (NGF Segmentation Study & Capstone Report, 2025)

• 16.4M Fusionists: active golfers not posting to GHIN (Study, p.35)
• 14% of Fusionists are regular golfers (8+ rounds/year) (Study, p.35)
• 95% of non-handicap keepers use apps OTHER than GHIN (R24007, p.26)

From NGF Data

• ~6M annual golfer inflow (NGF Golfer Participation Data, cited in Best Tees Update slide 5)
• ~5M annual attrition (NGF Golfer Participation Data)
• 29.1M on-course golfers (2025) (NGF Golf Industry Report, 2025)

Contact

Drew Collar Project Manager, NGF Research dcollar@ngf.org

Reid Gorman SVP Business Intelligence & Operations rgorman@ngf.org

Prepared by the National Golf Foundation January 2026