$1 Billion Swing: PGA Tour Lobbies Trump to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

The PGA Tour is aggressively supporting the passage of the Sunshine Protection Act, a bipartisan bill that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent throughout the year.In a letter thanking President Trump for his attendance at the recent Presidents Cup, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp expressed support of the bill currently stalled in the Senate.Only two states – Hawaii and most of Arizona – do not observe the switch between Standard and Daylight Saving Time, the practice of setting clocks back one hour in the fall and one hour forward in the spring. If the bill becomes law, the permanent time in the United States would be on the traditional summer schedule, creating later sunrises and later sunsets in the winter months.The appeal for the PGA Tour and amateur golfers is more time to play golf even though the amount of daylight doesn’t necessarily change.“Permanent daylight saving time would expand access to golf at a time when the game is more popular than ever,” Mr. Rolapp said in his letter to Mr. Trump. “Most golfers do not play full-time and fit the game into the margins of a busy life: reps on the range after work, taking their kids to the course after school, or trying to fit in nine holes before dark. That window is already tight, but when the clocks fall back, it closes entirely.”The Sunshine Protection Act has been proposed in several sessions of Congress, dating back to 2018 when it was first introduced by then-Senator Marco Rubio. It died in committee then. In 2021, the Senate passed the bill only for it to be ignored by the House. In 2025, the House passed a reintroduced version, 308-117, and awaits attention by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas has previously opposed the bill, saying it would push winter sunrises to a late hour, “depriving Americans of morning sunshine that is essential to our safety and well-being.” He also argued it would be “especially harmful for school children and working Americans.” The American Academy of Sleep Medicine also opposes the bill, saying a permanent Standard Time is a better option “for our health, mood and well-being.”During testimony before a Senate committee in the spring of 2025, the CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association, Jay Karen, said that permanent Daylight Saving Time would generate 23 million additional rounds per year and $1 billion in potential new direct revenue for the golf industry or $250,000 average annual benefit per golf facility. The course owners association also reported that afternoon and evening tee times generate roughly 40 percent more revenue than morning play.“An extra hour of evening light sounds simple, but everyday Americans, it can be the difference between getting on the course or not,” Mr. Rolapp said in his letter to Mr. Trump.The PGA Tour also sees benefits to permanent Daylight Saving Time, especially during the fall and late winter months. The added daylight “would give our broadcast partners flexibility to extend live coverage of finishing holes, avoid awkward lighting situations in late rounds, and deliver a better overall product for the millions of fans who tune in each week,” Mr. Rolapp wrote.Mr. Trump, an avid golfer, is said to support the bill. He is also a firm supporter of the PGA Tour. U.S. Presidents Cup captain Brian Snedeker credited a fiery pre-match speech delivered by Mr. Trump for inspiring the Americans to rally from a three-point deficit to defeat the International team, 17-13, at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago last month. The PGA Tour has also designated the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral as one of the Championship Series events next year.“Few people have done more to grow the game of golf than you have, Mr. President, and we are grateful for your leadership on this issue. It will make a real difference for a lot of people who love golf the same way you do.”

$1 Billion Swing: PGA Tour Lobbies Trump to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

$1 Billion Swing: PGA Tour Lobbies Trump to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

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