By Rachel Carter | Sr. Director of Membership | National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA)
This issue marks the mid-year point of 2026, and as it almost always does, the calendar has moved faster than any of us expected. We blinked and January became June.
It’s been a year of genuine uneasiness. Volatility in the equity markets. Shifting geopolitical headwinds. Fuel prices that keep operators recalculating. Consumer confidence that vacillates week to week based on whatever headline cycle we happen to be in. For golf facility owners and operators, this translates into a familiar tension: the rounds are there, the demand is real, but there’s a persistent undercurrent of “will this hold?”
One thing I’ve noticed is that NGCOA Members are not “resting on their laurels”. While demand outlook remains high and green fee prices are expected to hold, members are pushing themselves to be curious, to stay open-minded, to explore things like autonomous equipment, flexible labor models, and new technology across both the front and back of the house. And increasingly, they’re turning to the NGCOA to find business solutions.
Accelerate continues to serve as a primary portal for connectivity within our member community. Every day members post questions, testimonials, and experiences. With each post, I am reminded of the depth of expertise that exists within the NGCOA membership. Operators are remarkably willing to share successes, lessons learned, and even mistakes that can help others avoid costly missteps. The conversations also provide something equally important: perspective. While every facility is unique, many of the business challenges facing golf course owners and operators are remarkably similar. Hearing how peers are approaching these issues often provides clarity, confidence, and new ideas that members can immediately apply to their own operations.
A newer offering – introduced in the last three years – is our NGCOA Virtual Member Roundtable. Hosted monthly, the meetings have become an increasingly valuable tool for delivering operator insights.
This year’s sessions have been particularly rich. We’ve unpacked how artificial intelligence is reshaping operational efficiency at the facility level — not theoretical AI, but practical applications members are deploying today. We’ve had candid conversations about the importance of building relationships with local and state elected officials, and heard directly from members who have learned how to leverage those relationships strategically. We’ve explored the growing world of robotics and autonomous fleet technology, hearing firsthand from operators who have made both modest and significant investments — and what they’ve actually experienced, the good and the complicated.
In July, we turn our attention to culture – one of the most misunderstood and underinvested assets in any operation. We’ll explore how to assess whether your culture is driving performance or quietly undermining it, and what it actually takes to course-correct. The result is a level of practical insight that simply cannot be replicated through articles or presentations alone.
If you haven’t attended a Virtual Member Roundtable yet, I’d ask you simply: what are you waiting for? These sessions are one of the most distinctive benefits of your NGCOA membership, and each one is an opportunity to walk away with something you can use the following week.
I am very proud of what this offering has become and for the support that our NGCOA Education Advisory Committee, and NGCOA Staff lend to make this happen. I encourage you to register for an upcoming session and make a standing commitment on your calendar going forward.
One of the responsibilities I take most seriously at NGCOA is ensuring that our members receive value that extends far beyond a membership card. If there is a problem you’re facing, need a recommendation or just want to learn how to get more out of your NGCOA Membership, please reach out directly at rcarter@ngcoa.org.
I look forward to connecting with you.
Rachel Carter
Senior Director of Membership
National Golf Course Owners Association
