2024 Perfect Putt Yearly Review

Dec 17, 2024

Every Monday, I write a newsletter breaking down the business in golf. Welcome to the new Perfect Putt members who have joined us since our last newsletter. Join 10,000+ intelligent and curious golfers by subscribing below.

Read Time: 5 minutes.

Today’s newsletter is powered by Tee Time Golf Pass.

TeeTime Golf Pass is your ticket to incredible golf savings. With access to 1,000+ courses and up to 50% off green fees, it’s the perfect gift for golfers.
Perfect Putt readers get 20% off any pass, including the Super Pass app. Use code PERFECTPUTT20 at checkout by Dec 31, 2024.

Plus, for a limited time, save up to $50 on Holiday Bundles: a TeeTime Golf Pass, T-Shirt, Golf Glove, and 2025 Calendar - the perfect gift for any golf lover.

Shop Holiday Bundles Now

Hey Golfers —

Thank you.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read Perfect Putt every week. It’s been a good year — writing the newsletter has also been interesting this year.

We added a little over 2,500 subscribers to the newsletter this year. And to be honest, I am not thrilled with the job I have done in the last six months. Writing has been average, and the content topics haven’t been stellar.

(Shout out to Substack for the less-than-stellar chart.)

The golf industry has generally been quieter in the fall with business-related topics. In the past, we have done some original content and interviews. We didn’t do that this year.

I completely underestimated how difficult starting Hanna Golf would be. It now takes up a significant portion of my time. And I am beyond grateful for the early support of my putter company.

Outside of the writing and content issues, we haven’t posted a single piece to social in the last several months. Social media is our main funnel for getting new readers. Not a good strategy.

I started Perfect Putt a little over three years ago. I had never written a blog or newsletter, never worked in the golf industry, and had no following. But I was very curious about the business side of golf.

To have over 10,000 newsletter subscribers (even though it is still relatively small) blows my mind. It has been an incredible journey so far.

We will get back to the basics with the newsletter in 2025. We are going to focus on quality over quantity. Our next newsletter will be Tuesday, January 21st. I am pumped up for 2025.

I always enjoy looking at this chart at the end of the year. It is crazy that Perfect Putt is read in all 50 states and 84 countries. Here is a breakdown of where Perfect Putt is being read.

One of the most interesting exercises I do at the end of the year is looking back at the most viewed pieces. It helps me understand what readers want to consume — as well as possible trends in the industry.

The Demographic In Golf Is Shifting — 15,700 views
Topgolf’s Issues — 14,500 views
The Arms Race in College Golf — 13,900 views
The Multi-Million Dollar Impact of Tee Time Cancellations — 13,200 views
Golf’s Problem: Tee Time Supply — 12,600 views

Here is what I am looking at in 2025.

Golf rounds played (the holy grail metric in golf)
Off-course golf (where are the trends, will we see a decline?)

Golf rounds continue to signal strength in the golf industry. With great weather, October saw an increase of 11.5%, and through October, rounds are up 2.6% on the year.

The golf round metric is incredibly positive for the industry.

Off-course golf had an interesting year. Callaway announced that it will essentially spin off Topgolf in 2025. I am in the camp that Topgolf’s issues aren’t an indicator of the golf industry. I’m not even sure they are an indicator of off-course golf.

Off-course golf plays an important role in the golf ecosystem. And several organizations are doing well in this space. Golf needs a bridge from off-course golf to green grass golf. The organization that will most effectively solve this problem will win.

I believe a big piece of this puzzle is par 3 golf courses and, more specifically, lighted par 3 golf courses. What Grass Clippings is doing in Tempe, Arizona, is a tremendous example of bridging the gap. Playing golf under the lights is a whole new experience — it is the most fun I had on the golf course in 2024.

I thought we would see more of these pop up in 2024 — but we didn’t. 3’s announced they are opening a new golf course in Charlotte in 2025 — it will be the company’s second lighted par 3 location.

Have a great Tuesday. The next Perfect Putt newsletter will be on Tuesday, January 21st. Have a safe and healthy Holiday Season. Thank you for your continued support!

Your feedback helps improve Perfect Putt. How did you like this week's newsletter?

Great - Meh - Bad

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please share it with your friends!