The golf industry is pleading with Congress to keep Daylight Saving Time and not revert back to permanent Standard Time — warning it could cost it billions of dollars.

Polls have shown the twice-a-year time change is unpopular but there is not a consensus on which option is better.

The CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association, Jay Karen, told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Thursday that moving back to permanently Standard Time could “devastate” the industry. 

“Golf facilities depend on what we call ‘Recreational Daylight’ — the overlap of sunlight and people’s availability to be outdoors,” Mr. Karen said. “Historically, Americans overwhelmingly prefer pursuing recreation and outdoor activities in “after-dinner” hours rather than ‘before-breakfast’ daylight.”

Mr. Karen says that golf revenue is approximately 40 percent higher in the afternoon and evening versus before-lunch hours for the average golf facility. He says going back to Standard Time permanently would cost at least $1.6 billion annually in lost green fees alone.

Around 64 percent of golf industry members surveyed support making Daylight Saving Time permanent, while 27 percent support keeping the current system in place, and only seven percent support making Standard Time permanent.

Mr. Karen estimates that making Daylight Saving Time permanent could boost revenue in the golf industry by up to five percent a year.

Right now, federal law only gives states the option to switch back and forth at the start and end of Daylight Saving Time or stay on Standard Time permanently. Several states — including California — want Congress to give state permission to stay on Daylight Saving Time permanently.

An associate professor of accounting at the University of Kentucky, Tyler Kleppe, says making Daylight Saving Time permanent would have the potential to bring more revenue into retail, restaurant and recreation industries. 

President Trump — who owns several golf courses — has urged Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent but Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked quick passage of such legislation last month.

“If permanent Daylight Saving Time becomes the law of the land, it will again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans,” Mr. Cotton said on the Senate floor. Mr. Cotton cited a 1974 experimental switch to permanent Daylight Saving Time.

“In January of 1974, millions of Americans traveled to work and school in darkness,” Mr. Cotton said. “Commuter trains were delayed. Schoolchildren carried flashlights. Tragically, some of these kids were struck by cars and killed while walking to school in the dark.”

The experiment turned out to be so unpopular that it ended after less than a year.

Mr. Kleppe also warned the House committee that studies have shown that it would be more beneficial for the agriculture industry to stay on Standard Time. He also cited research that shows permanent Standard Time aligns closely with the body’s internal clock, which is tied to better health.