Five Trends and Predictions for the Upcoming Golf Season and Beyond

Our favorite time of the year is just around the corner. You guessed it: golf season. And with the PGA Show in our recent rearview mirror, we are fully fired up for all that 2025 has in store. Chatting with our in-house team of research experts on the golf lifestyle audience and our plethora of golf enthusiasts with a true passion for and pulse on the industry, we’ve pulled together our top predictions, trends, and expectations for the year, the future of the game, and the brands that surround it. 

Trend 1: The End of Dominance by Apparel Legacy Brands

Golf fashion is in the midst of a seismic shift, driven by a new wave of players and influencers who are redefining the sport’s aesthetic. Buffalo Groupe Research has been tracking a dramatic transformation in golf apparel over the last few years—one fueled by the rise of streaming culture, social media, and a fresh generation of style-conscious golfers.

For over two decades, golf apparel was ruled by industry heavyweights and global sports brands. Nike, Adidas, Puma, Under Armour, and FootJoy dominated the market—with Nike holding the coveted title of “golfers’ favorite shirt” for nearly 30 years (a reign about as long as Tiger Woods’ professional career). None of these brands ever captured more than 10% of the market individually, but together, they were the undisputed leaders.

Fast forward to today, and that era is coming to an abrupt end.

A Buffalo Groupe study from late 2024 found that the combined market share of these legacy brands has plummeted by more than 50%. While FootJoy has managed to retain a presence—thanks to its deep ties with green grass or on-course golf retailers—the other major players have ceded ground to a flood of independent, style-driven brands.

Trend 2: Influencer-Led and Eccentric-Style Surges

The explosion of golf apparel options over the last four years has been driven by both established insiders pushing boundaries and a new generation of golf influencers bringing their unique style to the game. Golfing YouTubers like Good Good have launched apparel brands that mix performance with personality, offering prints that feature everything from martini glasses to tropical fish. Modern fabrications prioritize comfort, durability, and wrinkle resistance—while also ensuring that golfers can express themselves like never before.

At the same time, established premium brands like Polo, Peter Millar, Travis Mathew, and J.Lindeberg are working hard to balance performance, style, and modern aesthetics in order to stay relevant amid the indie brand takeover.

Trend 3: A Generational Divide in Preference

Buffalo Groupe’s Fall 2024 survey of 450 golfers revealed a fascinating generational divide. When asked, “What’s your favorite golf shirt?” nearly 25% of respondents named a brand outside the traditional giants, highlighting the growing influence of newer players in the space.

This shift has introduced a fresh roster of brands capturing the attention of younger golfers. Among the most frequently mentioned brands in the write-in responses were Johnnie-O, Malbon, Bogey Boys, Callaway, Greg Norman, G/Fore, Greyson, Stitch, Levelwear, Lululemon, RLX, and Barstool Sports.

With indie brands thriving, influencer-driven fashion continuing to gain momentum, and traditional golf apparel powerhouses struggling to keep pace, it’s clear: the fragmentation of golf apparel is far from over. In fact, we may just be getting started.

Trend 4: A Continued Renaissance for Muni Golf 

There are just under 3,000 municipal golf courses in the U.S. While there was a tough stretch of recent closures, 2024 saw the fewest number of golf courses shutter their doors in the States in close to two decades. 

With major support from organizations like the USGA and Augusta National Golf Club making it a priority to invest in municipal golf, the outlook for improved golf experiences at these locations is exciting. 

Access is critical, and the convenient locations of municipal golf courses allow organizations like Youth On Course to flourish. The organization has seen record growth in municipal member courses (now at about 900) engaging with its membership by providing $5 rounds but still receiving subsidies to offset operational costs. 

We’re glad to see muni golf making a swing in the positive direction as it only further helps round out the accessibility and approachability of the game. 

Trend 5: The Future of Golf is Virtually Limitless

In June 2022, our Executive VP Glenn Gray was having dinner in Boston ahead of the U.S. Open at The Country Club with a prominent player agent. During the meal, the agent leaned over and showed Glenn a rendering of an indoor golf stadium with a huge screen and a rotating green complex. This was his first introduction to TGL. Immediately, Glenn’s mind began racing: What does this mean for traditional golf? Will it be a distraction or, alternatively, help to grow interest and awareness in the game? 

Now with the inaugural season underway, TGL has been a great way to keep the game top of mind with sports fans during this year’s brutally cold winter. It even motivated Glenn to join a local simulator venue about five minutes from his home. He had pondered it in the past, but the combination of TGL and the frigid temperatures finally moved him to action. 

Initial focus on TGL has been on the ratings, the players and the in-venue experience. Perhaps there are opportunities for improvement in all three, whether it’s bringing in entertainers or content creators to make play feel more realistic to most of our own golf capabilities or possibly combining LPGA players with TOUR players to create more interest and intrigue.  

Nevertheless, the outlook ahead looks incredibly exciting as brand equity continues to grow in the league and its teams. Congrats to all of our Buffalo partners and industry friends involved in the inaugural season!

If all of that doesn’t get you excited to get back out on the green, we don’t know what will. We can’t wait to see what drama the upcoming golf season brings. And we’re always keeping our eyes on the pulse of what’s happening in and around the golf industry.

Looking for deeper golf data and research? Buffalo Groupe Research just released our 2024 Golf Travel Study, filled with rich insight on how golf travelers are planning their 2025 trips, their research and booking habits in 2024, and key seasonal trends. Available for purchase and download here.