Golf Datatech (GDT) reported that July 2023 retail sales for golf equipment at on- and off-course specialty shops in the U.S. that saw flattish sales year-over-year versus the year-ago July period. Total retail sales were said to be “dead even” for the month at $393 million, with five categories down and four showing increases.
For July 2023 versus the pre-pandemic July 2019 period, golf equipment sales were up 50.9 percent, measured in U.S. dollars.
“Golf equipment sales continue to hold serve in what one would expect to be a very challenging environment economically,” noted Golf Datatech Co-Founder John Krzynowek. “For most of 2023, the weather provided a tailwind for rounds played, bolstering consumable sales, but July suffered through a severe negative weather hit in a wide swath of the country. However, golf ball and glove sales remained positive for the month”.
Year-to-date (YTD), golf equipment retail sales were down 2.2 percent through July at on- and off-course specialty shops in the U.S. and up 37.3 percent versus the 2019 YTD period through July.
GDT said golf balls, which had been flying high with double-digit growth for the past few months, finally slowed down in July but still eked out small gains for the month. YTD golf ball sales are still up over 10 percent and continued to show healthy average selling price increases versus 2022.
After 16 consecutive months of sales declines, woods turned positive in June and followed that up with another month of gains in July (+4.1 percent)
Iron sales were said to be lower for the 12th month in a row, but the 3 percent decline in July is the closest the category has been to turning the corner and moving back into positive territory.
Putters were the largest growth category in golf equipment in July, up 14 percent in dollars and 11 percent in units.
To read Golf Datatech’s latest analysis of golf equipment, apparel and accessory sales, go here.
Photo courtesy Scotty Cameron
