Lighted Golf in America

When we ask golfers about night golf or lighted golf, they typically have a similar question. "You mean golf with glow balls?" It's tough for Americans to picture golf with stadium lights. The same lights you'd see at a high school football game or a major league baseball stadium. Most Americans haven't been exposed to night golf. In fact, there are only 20 lighted golf courses in America.

Golf Link - "Night Golf Under The Lights" 

Links Magazine - "America's Top Lighted Golf Courses"

Lighted golf isn't a novelty elsewhere in the world. South Korea, the third largest golf market, has 117 lighted golf courses. 83 of which are public. According to The New York Times, "Night Golf Is Taking Over South Korea". According to statista.com, over 50 million people played golf in South Korea on a golf course in 2022. According to Front Office Sports, 40 million people did the same here in American in 2022. While night golf has taken off in South Korea, so has their presence on professional golf tours especially the LPGA. 17 women golfers from South Korea have won a total of 35 major championships in women's golf since 1998. They also won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics when golf was reintroduced after a 100 year hiatus from the Olympic Games. Their presence has been nothing short of dominant. 

Now we can speculate on what has catapulted the country into the golfing spotlight, but what isn't debatable is the added hours allotted to Korean golfers. 

Growing up we were always told about the golfing greats pulling their cars up onto driving ranges to hit after hours. We anticipate golf will undergo a similar "night golf boom" as it has in South Korea.