Millions of new golfers are embracing a technology boom and the social aspects of the sport, driving new consumer spending trends, according to a recent report.
The 2026 Golf Gear Marketplace Report by Buffalo Groupe, a Charleston, South Carolina-based marketing firm, analyzed shopping habits, purchase drivers and brand preferences of 504 members of its Players Panel, an opt-in group of avid golfers who shared their behavior and opinions this spring.
The findings revealed that a growing number of millennials entering golf’s inner spending circles — including clothing, equipment, shoes and technology — are beginning to drive market spending on numerous fronts.
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Millennials are currently between 30 and 45 years old, and golf statistics show that roughly 5 million new on-course players — many in that age bracket — joined the sport between 2019 and 2025.
“All these young golfers who have come into the game the last five years are completely changing the dynamics,” says Sara Killeen, the managing director of research at Buffalo Groupe, who has studied spending trends in the golf industry for three decades. “You can really feel the energy in golf that has changed so much with this new generation.
"Many of these new golfers are in their 30s, and they want to play well, but they also care about style, culture, and the social experience. As people move on from marathons, cycling, and other team sports, golf has become their next passion. That shift, accelerated by COVID, has transformed both the soft goods and hard goods markets in remarkable ways."
The survey’s highlights show that:
- Today’s golfer is motivated by performance over brand loyalty. While wear and tear plays a role in purchase motivations, the primary trigger for replacing gear, like a major club, is the pursuit of better results. Brands need to prove that their gear will have a direct impact on performance, which is why 8 in 10 respondents mix and match club brands.
- Consumers are drawn toward online purchases to save time and gain access to a wide variety of brands and products. However, physical brick-and-mortar locations remain vital for products that require testing, trying on or custom fitting, or when a golfer needs an item immediately, such as balls or tees.
- When researching golf gear, respondents trusted their own experience above all else. In fact, 1 in 2 said testing a product themselves is their No. 1 trusted information source. When it comes to clubs, two-thirds say getting a custom fit ranks as “very important,” further reinforcing the need for products that drive personalized performance.
“It’s really cool that the consumer feels empowered to trust themselves with what works, getting fitted — and then picking out for their bag what’s going to help them play their very best,” Killeen says.
Killeen noted that many of the new golfers coming to the game are embracing the sophisticated use of technology.
“If a millennial happened to buy a box set of clubs in 2021, it takes many of them only 12 to 18 months before they go and get fitted and buy their second set of clubs,” she says. “So, that education process has happened. Golf products have to start saying, ‘What's next?’ Remember, this is the generation that grew up with all this technology; this would be the generation that got iPhones when they were in high school, so that's just the life that they've grown up in. It'll be really interesting to see how that continues between golf and emerging technology and how golfers are going to put it into place to help them play better.”
On the clothing and shoe side of the game, numerous boutique brands have risen dramatically in familiarity and favorability among consumers — in particular, Holderness & Bourne in performance apparel and Payntr in footwear.
“Payntr’s positioning is about style,” Killeen says. “And in addition to comfort, style means a lot to millennials.”
Killeen said some of the larger, better-known brands that do not concentrate exclusively on golf must compete harder for golfing dollars.
“There are a lot of great products and there's a lot of great storytelling that resonates with these new consumers,” she says. “And consumers are rewarding brands that actually are carving out a different position in the game.”
Killeen noted there is a clear line in the sand for consumers regarding apparel spending and style preferences. For example, Peter Millar and FootJoy tied for the top apparel preference among those surveyed at 75% — though a stark contrast exists between the two brands.
"FootJoy has built its success by focusing on the broad base of golfers who are the backbone of the game,” Killeen says. “Their apparel reflects that philosophy with classic styling and traditional fits. Peter Millar has taken a different path, emphasizing premium fabrics, elevated styling, and a country club lifestyle that appeals to golfers seeking a more fashion-forward look."
The average household income of those participating in the survey was $201,524, with an annual spend on golf apparel and equipment of $2,192.
Killeen said her research continually returned to the same key takeaway — that modern golfers prefer to evaluate equipment on their own terms rather than relying on endorsements from tour pros like Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy.
“They really know what they want, and that’s because of the way the golf industry has adopted technology over the last 20 years. It has educated consumers to the point where they like to make their own decision,” Killeen says. “It’s very empowering to them because they have everything right there either in their pocket or in their hands. Just imagine what's going to happen in the next five to six years with all these tech-savvy golfers.”
