Michigan Golf Alliance News

LANSING – “Let’s do lunch at the turn Michigan Legislators!”

  The Michigan golf industry will share its impactful messages and results from a new National Golf Foundation (NGF) study with each state legislator on Thursday by presenting the popular Michigan Legislative Golf Day at the Capitol event.

The Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA), the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA), the Michigan Section PGA, the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF), the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) and the Greater Michigan Club Management Association (GMCMA), which form the Michigan Golf Alliance, will convene on the lawn of the state Capitol, and visit with each legislator.

  For 16 years, course owners, operators and superintendents have gathered each spring to voice a cooperative message. This year the leaders of Michigan golf have again created a dynamic day of activity to promote the game and the golf business.

  To mark the day, the Governor’s office is expected to proclaim that “June is Michigan Golf Month.”

  The executive directors, presidents and members of the organizations in the Michigan Golf Alliance will be under the big tent between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to meet with media and guests and discuss the wide range of topics regarding the golf industry, including and not limited to the effect on business, the impact on tourism and employment in the state, and the industry’s positive effect on the environment.

  Making this year’s message even more impactful are results from a new NGF Michigan Golf Impact Report   that revealed remarkable numbers, including:

• The Michigan golf industry contributes $6.1 billion to the state’s economy, supports 61,000 jobs with $1.795 billion of wage and benefits income and more than $821 million in state and local taxes, and has a charitable impact of $104.3 million annually.
• Michigan has 859 golf courses that are part of 709 facilities, almost all of which are classified as small businesses. Our state is 10th in the U.S. in size and 11th in population but ranks third in the total number of golf courses and fourth in volume of annual rounds played (16.42 million in 2023).
• Michigan golf provides 92,200 professionally managed acres of green space in Michigan serving as wildlife sanctuaries, and the facilities practice several environmental impact programs.

  “The Michigan Golf Alliance created this event to facilitate golf industry representatives introducing themselves and informing the legislators and their staff members on who we are and what our industry brings to the State of Michigan,” Jada Paisley, executive director of the MGCA said. “I can't overstate the importance of this day in delivering the message to our government leaders.”

  The schedule will include Senate and House office visits and “lunch on the turn” with traditional golfers’ fare. All legislators will be invited to lunch with their constituents.

ATTENTION MEDIA: Contact Jada Paisley of the MGCA at 800-860-8575 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information, and if you plan on attending and bringing the great stories of the Michigan golf industry to your audience. See more about the study at michigangolfalliance.com.

LANSING – The Michigan golf industry’s total economic impact is $6.1 billion, yes billion, in part because the state is home to 859 courses, including the most public golf courses in the nation, stands as the top winter-interrupted golf tourism destination in the country and provides 61,000 jobs according to a recently completed study by the National Golf Foundation (NGF).

  The study, commissioned by the Michigan Golf Alliance, a collection of the leading golf organizations in the state, confirmed the message the state’s golf industry leaders plan to share with state legislators when the 17th Michigan Golf Day at the Capitol event is presented Thursday, June 6, on the state capitol lawn.

  “Speaking on behalf of the Michigan Golf Alliance, we are excited to have the latest data to share with our state legislators and media outlets, and are thrilled that it reflects and confirms what we see Michigan golf courses working so hard at providing each and every day,” Jada Paisley, the executive director of the Michigan Golf Course Association, said of the first NGF study of Michigan golf since 2006.

   Among the NGF study’s notable findings:

• The Michigan golf industry contributed almost $6.1 billion to the state’s economy in 2023 and supports 61,000 jobs with $1.795 billion of wage and benefits income and more than $821 million in state and local taxes.
• Michigan has 859 golf courses that are part of 709 facilities, almost all of which are classified as small businesses. Of those 709 facilities, 604 are public and 105 are private.
• The NGF said outside of the coastal, warm weather states of Florida and California, it can be argued that no U.S. state has a more substantial footprint in the world of recreational golf. Michigan is 10th in the U.S. in size and 11th in population but ranks third in the total number of golf courses.
• More than 1.85 million golfers travel to Michigan for golf and spend more than $1 billion annually with non-residents playing about three of every 10 rounds in the state each year. Only a handful of states have a larger proportion of annual rounds played by visitors like the Sunbelt states of Arizona, Florida, and South Carolina and the world-wide tourist destination Hawaii.
• Only Florida, California and Texas with golf facilities open the year around have a higher volume of annual rounds played than Michigan, which had approximately 16.42 million rounds played in 2023.
• Approximately 896,700 residents play traditional, green-grass golf. Only seven U.S. states have more golfers.
• Michigan golf provides 92,200 professionally managed acres of green space in Michigan serving as wildlife sanctuaries and the facilities practice environmental impact programs like expanding natural areas, reduction of water usage, using natural algae controls and providing garden beds and bee and bird houses.
• Golf facilities in Michigan had a charitable impact of $104.3 million in 2023 by hosting an estimated 4,880 dedicated charity events with 467,400 participants.

  The Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA), the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA), the Michigan Section PGA, the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF), the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) and the Greater Michigan Club Management Association (GMCMA) form the Michigan Golf Alliance.

  Paisley said the data provides welcome updated information to each of the Alliance associations that serve and impact the industry in diverse ways.

  “The data reinforces not only golf’s economic impact, but the role in outdoor tourism, golf as a group of small businesses that provides community impact with jobs, tax revenue, greenspace for environmental impact, quality of life and more,” she said. “Michigan is an incredible state with an incredible golf industry and this study reinforces that completely.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Jada Paisley of the MGCA at 517-482-4312. See more about the study at michigangolfalliance.com

"Michigan Legislators Learn About Golf’s Impact and Concerns"

LANSING – State Rep. John Roth has a grassroots understanding of the golf industry and its impact in Michigan.

  “It is very special to me because I worked on golf courses for several years – at Crystal Mountain Resort for a while and then Traverse City Golf and Country Club for 21 years,” said Roth, R-Interlochen, a former grounds spray technician turned legislator. “The golf industry to me is very, very special.”

  Roth enjoyed a homecoming of sorts, meeting up with former co-workers and friends from the industry as the state’s allied associations presented the annual Michigan Golf Day at the Capitol event Thursday.

  The Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA), the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA), the Michigan Section PGA, the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MGF), the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) and the Greater Michigan Club Management Association, which form the Michigan Golf Alliance, convened with legislators and staff members for lunch on the lawn of the state Capitol, and also visited the offices of each legislator.

  For 15 years course owners, operators and superintendents have gathered each spring to voice a cooperative message. To mark the day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed that “June is Michigan Golf Month,” via a proclamation delivered and read into record by Sen. Mallory McMorrow.

   The executive directors, presidents and members of the allied organizations presented multiple areas of impact to the legislators in tourism, economic impact, employment and the industry’s positive effect on the environment, but also informed them of concerns with developing legislation that would impact the industry and shared their new workforce development initiatives that now include the Michigan Career & Technical Institute and Michigan Rehabilitation Services.

    “The Michigan Golf Alliance created this event to facilitate golf industry representatives introducing themselves and informing the legislators and their staff on who we are and what our industry brings to the state, as well as how the work they do impacts our industry,” Jada Paisley, executive director of the MGCA said. “I can't overstate the importance of this day in delivering those messages to our government leaders.”

  The message imparted included industry facts like $4.2 billion in annual economic impact in Michigan, over 60,000 people employed by golf courses in the state, $1.4 billion in wages paid and over 150,000 acres of managed green space and wetlands that provide wildlife habitats.

  Roth said he is fully aware that the golf industry is mostly small businesses that have a large impact on communities.

Rep. John Roth, right, with a former co-worker Doug Hoeh, the director of recreation at Treetops Resort in Gaylord and the president of the Michigan Golf Course Superintendent’s Association.

“Their businesses are big parts of a lot of communities and they are seasonal, and they never know what the weather is going to do and that can make it a good or bad year,” he said. “I understand that and some of the other legislators know that. A lot of them do play golf. Do they understand the business impact golf makes in communities? I’m not so sure. That makes this day very important. The industry is sharing its message in a very effective way.”

 Important Golf Industry Talking Points

• Promote, Protect and Preserve the Game and Business of Golf
• Workforce Development Initiatives
• HB 4035 “Predictive Scheduling” Would HARM $4.2B Michigan Golf Industry
• Make Golf Your Career
• Midnight Golf Program
• USGA Sustainability Study
• USGA Green Section Record Research
• 2023 American Golf Industry Coalition Report

 MORE INFORMATION: Contact Jada Paisley of the MGCA at 800-860-8575 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LANSING – State Rep. Paulene Wendzel said she had no idea of the impact of the golf industry in Michigan before she started her career in politics.

In fact, she didn’t play the game until it was suggested to her that it was a great way to get to know people in politics. 

“Honestly, it’s where you can spend four or five hours with a person and really get to know them, so golf has helped me politically, and I found out I loved it,” Wendzel, R-Watervliet, said. “Then I learned about the Senior PGA (Championship) which we just had in our district at Harbor Shores Golf Club and I found out what just that one tournament alone does for the community.”

Wendzel expanded her golf education Tuesday as the Michigan golf industry presented the Michigan Golf Day at the Capitol event.

The Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA), the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA), the Michigan Section PGA, the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) and the Greater Michigan Club Management Association, which form the Michigan Golf Alliance, convened with legislators and staff members on the lawn of the state Capitol, and also visited the offices of each legislator.

For almost 15 years course owners, operators and superintendents have gathered each spring to voice a cooperative message. To mark the day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed that “June is Michigan Golf Month,” and Wendzel presented the proclamation Tuesday.

“The Senior PGA had great impact,” Wendzel said. “The restaurants when I talked to them last week, sold out of food, the bars were out of alcohol and you couldn’t get a hotel room for miles. Big crowds came and it was great.”

The executive directors, presidents and members of the allied organizations in the Michigan Golf Alliance presented other areas of impact to Wendzel and other legislators including the impact on tourism, employment in the state, and the industry’s positive effect on the environment.

“The Michigan Golf Alliance created this event to facilitate golf industry representatives introducing themselves and informing the legislators and their staff on who we are and what our industry brings to the state,” Jada Paisley, executive director of the MGCA said. “I can't overstate the importance of this day in delivering the message to our government leaders.”

The message from the Michigan Golf Alliance includes industry facts like $4.2 billion in annual economic impact in Michigan, over 60,000 people employed by golf courses in the state. $1.4 billion in wages paid and over 150,000 acres of managed green space and wetlands that provide wildlife habitats.

Wendzel said she has involved her family members in playing the game, too.

“My brothers-in-law, my dad, we are getting the whole family playing the game,” she said. “It’s great and it does some great things for the community, too. Whenever I tell people in Lansing where I’m from (southwest Michigan) they’re like, ‘oh, you’re the area with all the good golf courses,’ and I say I definitely am.”

• Promote, Protect and Preserve the Game and Business of Golf
• 2022 American Golf Industry Coalition Report
• USGA Sustainability Study 
• USGA Green Section Record Research
• MI Golf Alliance 2021 Promotional Vid from CR Marketing on Vimeo.

MORE INFORMATION: Contact Jada Paisley of the MGCA at 800-860-8575 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.