Welcome

It doesn’t matter what kind of golf course you run, NGCOA is for you. 

Owners and operators of golf courses throughout the U.S.—from those who run 9-hole facilities in rural locations to owners of the largest golf course portfolios in the most popular golf destinations—look to the National Golf Course Owners Association for business-critical information, relevant and timely education, professional and meaningful networking, and crucial advocacy for advancing their business interests.

The NGCOA is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to golf course owners and operators. NGCOA members include owners, operators and general managers of daily-fee, semi-private, private and resort courses of all sizes. While diverse in its makeup, the association offers information and inspiration on how to operate golf facilities as efficiently and profitably as possible.


NGCOA's History

In 1971, Don Rossi (then president of the National Golf Foundation) assembled a group of owners of public-access golf courses to form an association to represent golf course owners' interests. Today, the NGCOA is recognized as one of the most important and influential organizations in golf. The association was a founding member of Golf 20/20, the industry’s comprehensive grow-the-game initiative, and CEO Jay Karen serves on the consortium’s executive board.

The NGCOA was also a founding partner of the Golf Industry Show, which attracts thousands of golf course superintendents, club managers, golf course architects and builders, as well as owners, to the industry’s second-largest trade show each year. In 2019, the NGCOA formed a strategic alliance with the PGA of America and Reed Exhibitions to co-locate the association's annual Golf Business Conference with the PGA Show through 2025.