Drive To A Million

Ken Klavon reports that the USGA Members Program turned 30 on Dec. 18 and stands some 900,000 "advocates" tall.

That's over ten years since Reg Murphy set a goal of reaching 1 million. Almost there!

I reported in The Future of Golf that the total was just over 700,000 members only two years ago. That number was confirmed by the USGA.  The uh, "growth," is likely thanks to the USGA's push to sign up free members from state and regional groups. After a year of free newsletters and Christmas card offers, the USGA hopes they'll sign up paying members from this group (imagine how easy that be if they had Golf Journal still around.)

So at this stunning growth rate, they may get 4% of the U.S. golfing population on their side. 

Which reminds me, this story is reporting that the National Golf Foundation pegs the number of U.S. golfers at 30.1 million, yet rounds played are flat.

We're up 3 million golfers, but no increase in play?  When did we go from 27 million to 30 million? Did I miss a meeting?