Golf ball sales have surged upward this spring with a boost from healthier inventory levels and the return of promotions to help offset some weakening across golf club categories, according to the latest data from Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation. Growth across most equipment categories remains well ahead of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

U.S. data from Golf Datatech for both on and off-course retail for the year-to-date period through April found golf equipment sales down 4 percent in dollars. Double-digit growth in balls, as well as growth in golf gloves, wasn’t able to offset year-to-date declines across club categories as well as in golf bags and shoes.

Overall sales of golf equipment are running ahead 35.6 percent against the pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Golf Datatech noted that early in 2022, major golf ball brands were still struggling to produce and ship enough golf balls to meet consumer demand, and as such, the industry eliminated their annual promotional period. In 2023, the supply of golf balls has improved, ball prices are up, and promotional activities are back in place. This confluence of events is driving ball sales to significantly higher levels and compensating for weaker demand in other equipment products, ultimately keeping total equipment close to 2022 levels to 2022.

Excluding golf balls, total golf equipment sales are down over 8 percent for the first four months of the year.

Golf Datatech co-founder John Krzynowek commented, “In total, sales remain within striking distance of 2022 levels thru April, however deeper diagnostics suggests golf balls and gloves are the underpinnings currently holding up the business, and those substantial gains are unlikely to hold up throughout the golf season.  For equipment to remain healthy for the entire year, as balls and gloves slow, clubs, shoes and bags will need to pick up the pace.”

Overall, U.S. retail sales across key golf equipment categories in the four months through April, according to Golf Datatech, showed:

  • Golf ball sales grew 16.6 percent in dollars (+11.5 percent in units) against 2022 and gained 61.7 percent in dollars (+36.2 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Irons sales were down 9.2 percent in dollars (-12.7 percent in units) against 2022 and gained 33.0 percent in dollars (+6.8 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Woods sales declined 7.0 percent in dollars (-9.2 in units) against 2022 and gained 25.7 percent in dollars (+9.6 percent in units) against 2019.
  • Wedge sales were down 4.1 percent in dollars (-4.2 percent in units) compared with 2022 while advancing 47.9 percent in dollars (+21.0 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Putter sales declined 9.2 percent in dollars (-10.7 percent in units) against 2022 and gained 35.3 percent in dollars (+7.0 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Golf bag sales fell 9.0 percent in dollars (-9.0 percent in units) compared with 2022 and grew 51.1 percent in dollars (+16.7 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Distance device sales were down 15.2 percent in dollars (-13.0 percent in units) versus 2022 and increased 16.4 percent in dollars (+11.7 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Golf glove sales inched up 1.8 percent in dollars (-1.8 percent in units) versus 2022 and climbed 40.4 percent in dollars (+17.7 percent in units) versus 2019.
  • Golf shoe sales were down 7.7 percent in dollars (-9.7 percent in units) versus 2022 and gained 18.1 percent in dollars (-3.5 percent in units) versus 2019.

The overall trend seems to be largely similar through May with the National Golf Foundation (NGF) reporting golf ball all and club sales grew 2 percent in the year-to-date period through May versus a year ago comparable period and are running 51 percent above pre-pandemic levels, according to their data.

NGF found shipments of dollar shipment of golf balls expanded almost 18 percent year-over-year, offsetting a decline of about 4 percent in golf clubs.

Joe Beditz, NGF’s president and CEO, wrote in a blog entry, “While some of that is attributable to pricing increases, a byproduct of demand and rising costs (materials, research & development, shipping, labor, etc.), it speaks more to the sustainability of golf’s post-pandemic lift.”

Beditz said some moderation was expected given the macroeconomy. He pointed to a recent report from McKinsey & Co. that noted that high-income consumers’ spending growth was negative for the first time in more than two years in the first three months of the year with households with incomes over $100,000 reducing their spending more aggressively than lower-income groups.

Beditz said, “Retailers we’ve spoken to indicate that while club sales are flat or lagging just behind the same time a year ago, they continue to trend ahead of recent pre-pandemic years. And having ball sales ahead of, or on par with, last year’s pace is an indicator of continued elevated play levels.”

The moderation in club sales was evident in the recent earnings results of Topgolf Callaway Brands, which reported equipment sales on a global basis were down 5.2 percent (-1.5 percent on a currency-neutral basis) in the first quarter ended March 31, to $443.7 million. Its equipment brands include Callaway clubs, Odyssey putters and Ogio bags.

Topgolf Callaway’s management attributed the dollar sales decline primarily due to the inventory catch-up at retail in Q1 2022 that did not recur in Q1 2023 as well as the foreign currency headwinds versus last year.

“The market started the year a little behind our initial expectations of flat to slightly down for the full year,” said Chip Brewer, president and CEO, Topgolf Callaway Brands on an analyst call, when discussing overall equipment sales in the marketplace. “But we view this as totally understandable given the economic climate and how many entry-level sets were purchased over the last few years. Fortunately, our product performance is at or slightly ahead of our expectations.”

A highlight was the February launch of Callaway’s Paradym line of clubs that’s “doing extremely well and delivering rave reviews from consumers,” according to Brewer. The golf equipment segment’s operating income slightly exceeded company expectations due to the successful Paradym launch.

Looking ahead, Brewer said he feels “good about the health of our core golf consumer,” citing golf rounds played remaining “significantly up versus 2019 levels” as well as over 2022 levels. Golf Datatech reported golf rounds played on a national level were up 3.1 percent for the first four months of 2023.

“Despite macroeconomic uncertainty, we don’t see meaningful risk given both our brand heat and how passionate the consumer is about both us and golf in general,” said Brewer.  “As previously mentioned, based on past data, golf has not been particularly sensitive to mild recessions. And for those out there that have been looking for a post-COVID reversion in golf participation, I think that we would all have to agree that there is no sign of one in the current data as the game continues to be top of mind for what appears to be a sustainably larger audience with the resulting play levels remaining elevated. And as we look into the future, we have to keep in mind the positive long-term impact of the new structural growth now embedded in the modern golf ecosystem where our new [Topgolf] venues alone should add 3 million to 4 million new off-course golf participants each year.”

At Acushnet Holdings Corp., Titleist golf balls on a global basis jumped 17.2 percent (+20.6 percent currency-neutral)in the first quarter, to $192.0 million, led by the successful launch of new Pro V1 and Pro V1x in all regions and boosted by inventories steadily building back to normalized levels. David Maher, president and CEO, said on an analyst call, “Our global golf ball inventories are at their healthiest levels since 2019 although  we do anticipate that Pro V1 and AVX models will remain in tight supply through the summer months.”

Titleist golf club sales globally climbed 12.4 percent (+16.3 percent currency-neutral) in the period to $180.8 million, helped by new TSR driver and fairway momentum as the product entered its first spring season. Maher said, “We are especially pleased with TSRs performance in light of so many competitive launches in the quarter.”

Acushnet’s overall sales in the U.S. were up 25.0 percent in the quarter to $369.9 million despite flattish play in rounds during the period with rainfall leading to declines in western states.

Mayer likewise remained upbeat about prospects for the rest of the year. He said, “Interest in the sport is in great shape, the professional game is healthy as reflected by strong ratings, and golf courses are financially sound with many making meaningful capital investments to enhance their long-term value proposition and appeal. Acushnet’s retail inventories are very healthy and total channel inventories have returned to normal levels and golf shops are well-stocked for this time of year.”

Asked how the company would hold up should a recession arrive, Maher said that during the recession between 2007 to 2009, Acushnet’s sales were down, but at about half the rate of the overall decline in consumer spending. Maher said the core golfer Acushnet reaches “tends to be more resilient than most and that speaks to their passionate ability for the game and it also speaks to their relatively strong demographic profile.”

The May numbers for Golf Datatech will be out next week so the market will get a read on the impact from recent happenings in the golf market, including The Masters and the recent announcement of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger.