The frequent rains of May 2019 sent rounds played in the Cleveland metro area down -7.6% vs. the amount of golf played in May 2018, according to the latest report from Golf Datatech.
But overall, rounds played for the year through May are still up 10.2% overall for the Cleveland area, thanks to big play numbers counted in January, March and April vs 2018.
Regionally, Cleveland is considered East North Central. For that region, rounds played were down -11.3% for May and -0.5% for the year. So Cleveland is actually a bright spot for its region.
The South Atlantic region (states along the east coast from DC through Florida) is the only section of the country with big gains, as rainfall has been down for the year offering many more playable days. For the year, the South Atlantic region is up 10.3%.
But the rest of the country has seen plenty of rain, so nationally overall rounds played were down -5.4% for May vs 2018, and down -1.3% year-to-date.
June 2019 has brought plenty of rainy days to Northeast Ohio, so next month’s report may put Cleveland in the red YTD…