Keep Pace With Trends in Round Times

As the northern season wraps up, the most recent data from the NGF shows that US rounds played in 2026 are still pacing slightly ahead of last year’s record-setting totals.

Measuring volume is just one part of the equation, though. Knowing how your course’s pace compares to other facilities in your region is crucial to driving repeat play, along with being a powerful marketing tool – resulting in significant revenue gains.

Each region’s 2026 season average round time is calculated using all completed 18-hole rounds during the year. These averages are indicative of courses that benefit from tech-driven proactive pace management and will skew lower than courses that are not utilizing technology.

According to Tagmarshal’s data, the Southeast at 3:57 and the South have the quickest yearly round time, averaging 3h58m. The Midwest has come through at 4h04, the Northeast at 4h05m, and the West averages 4h16m for the 2026 season. The top 10% of performers in each region average between 20 and 30 minutes quicker.

The difference in 2026 average round times by course type shows how tough the task of effectively managing pace and flow of play can be at high-volume public and resort courses.

An average 18-hole resort round took almost 40 minutes longer than the average private round, although it’s often the case that destination resort courses like Erin Hills, Whistling Straits, Bandon Dunes and Pinehurst are set up to really test players, driving up these averages.

Looking specifically at the Northeast region, Tagmarshal’s data shows that for the peak three-month period spanning June through August, average round times by course type were slightly higher than the national averages, with the exception of resort courses.

At Woodway CC in Darien, CT, PGA Head Golf Professional Michael Crawford and his team rely on the course oversight that technology provides to effectively manage pace. By analyzing data that highlights average pace by day, by time of day, or even hole-by-hole, Woodway has reduced round times from around 4h25m pre-technology down to 3h53m across 2026.
“Our improved pace has made a tremendous impact on member sentiment,” Crawford said, “and having the ability to see the whole course and where members are has really changed how we manage things, making staffing so much more effective.”

Craig McLaughlin, PGA, the Director of Golf at Candia Woods Golf Links, a daily fee facility in Candia, NH, has implemented variable goal times at the facility. By setting realistic goals for busy league days, and then adjusting down on busy weekend mornings, his team gets groups through quicker when needed, and allows more leeway for periods when the tee sheet is full. Across 2026, Candia Woods averages 4h18m.

“We really like looking at the data of time spent on tee boxes, fairways and greens, which helps us to know where we can position on-course staff to improve flow,” McLaughlin said. “To have the ability to really help the golfer understand their pace, and having data to show them, helps these conversations be smoother, friendlier, and easier to manage.”

This article was originally published by PGA Magazine with the title ‘Keep Pace With Trends in Round Times’ – read it here.

74% of players rate pace of play as a key experience factor and use it to decide where they play. Tagmarshal’s Benchmarking tool makes it easy for you to compare your course’s performance against similar facilities. With the ability to filter by state, date range and course type, you can see average and median round times for your selection.

These averages reflect courses that are already using Tagmarshal’s system to optimize pace, which typically leads to a reduction of 15 minutes or more.

How to use the Benchmarking tool:

• Select your state or multiple states (default setting: all states)
• Select your date range (data up to the end of September 2026)
• Select your course type or types (default setting: all types)

THE BENCHMARKING TOOL IS BEST VIEWED ON A DESKTOP OR TABLET DEVICE, RATHER THAN MOBILE