AAG Partners
The game of golf is not only one of Arizona’s defining characteristics, but also is a significant economic driver in the state, creating thousands of jobs, driving tourism, positively affecting real estate values and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. It’s clear the impact of golf reaches far beyond individual golf courses to support all industries and organizations benefitting from tourism and hospitality.
Golf attracts millions of travelers to Arizona every year and a large portion of golf participation comes from out-of-state visitors. Based on estimates from the Arizona Office of Tourism, approximately 2.4 million visitors came to Arizona to play or watch golf. This attraction props up hundreds of hotels and resorts in Arizona.
RESTAURANTS, CLUBS & RETAIL
Golf visitors generate significant revenues outside of golf facilities at Arizona’s restaurants, bars, retail shops and various other businesses. On average, golf travelers spend 2.9 times more than Arizona’s general tourists or roughly $1.2 billion (not including money spent on playing golf) in 2019 alone.
TOURISM ORGANIZATIONS
Overall, in 2019, golf tourism supported 24,100 local jobs here in Arizona while golf tourism generated approximately $840 million in personal income for the state’s tourism industry workers. In total, golf tourism contributed an estimated $2.2 billion to Arizona’s economy and is responsible for more than 50,000 jobs.
