House passes bill to make daylight saving permanent. What it could mean for golf?

It could be time to “lock the clock.”

On July 14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a major bipartisan bill — H.R. 139, the reintroduced Sunshine Protection Act — to establish permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST) nationwide. The legislation, which passed 308-117, now moves to the Senate for approval before President Trump can sign off.

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DST – putting the clocks forward one hour during the summer half of the year to make the most of the longer evenings – has been in place since the 1960s. If enacted, permanent DST would end the annual fall-back and spring-forward clock changes and would deliver more evening daylight, boosting outdoor recreation, tourism, small businesses and local economies. One clear winner is the golf industry.

Golfweek has been following this story since last year. A change in the law could increase the number of golf playable hours by aligning the sun better with the hours that people like to play golf. In Spring 2025, National Golf Course Owners Association CEO Jay Karen testified before a Senate committee on the value of ‘recreational daylight,’ or the post-work hours ideal for outdoor activity. He highlighted compelling data for golf:

• +23 Million additional annual rounds

• +$1.0 Billion in potential annual direct revenue

• +$250,000 average annual benefit per golf facility

Karen also advised that afternoon and evening tee times generate roughly 40 percent more revenue than morning play. While golf stands to gain significantly, many other sectors would benefit as well.

“More evening daylight means more opportunities for Americans to play, exercise, connect with family and friends, and enjoy the outdoors,” Karen said. “The NCGA welcomes additional evening daylight that will expand recreational opportunities, strengthen small businesses and support the more than one million Americans employed throughout the golf economy.”

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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: House passes bill to make daylight saving permanent. What it could mean for golf?