Page 11 - GBC Summer ENG 2021

As Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is the closest thing to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.”
The business of golf has certainly been dealing with the realities of that kind of uncertainty from uncontrollable external forces. In addition to the normal fluctua- tions in our opportunities and challenges, COVID-19 has imposed the most disruptive influence on life in general, including major implications on the golf industry itself. Some of it good. Some of it bad. The unexpected shutdown of golf in Ontario on April 17th is a prime example. But regardless, we must play it where it lies.
Understanding those impacts, and anticipating how best to manage our businesses through the uncertainties ahead, is no easy task for golf course operators. Nobody has the ultimate crystal ball to predict how it will all play out. But there are some leading indicators available to draw from as we analyze what we now know and where golf is likely heading in the near future.
The NGCOA Canada’s annual Pulse Report presented by Deluxe Payroll compiles various 2020 golf
season data, surveys Canadian golf course budgets for 2021, and adds some macro-economic and intangi- ble factors that are likely to affect golf. This data allows for some forecast- ing of the business outlook for 2021 and Golf Business Canada reviews that pulse of the industry here.
2020 RECAP: GOOD BREAK OR BAD BREAK?
There is nothing good about a pandemic. It is a “bad break” in the game of life, no question. The health of Canadians is the top priority, followed by the health of our economy overall. Both took serious hits in 2020, but a few silver linings did emerge from all the chaos, and golf was one of those that experi- enced a “good break”.
The year ended with Canadian rounds played up 18% over the 5-year average, despite being down 38% year-to-date as of June 1 due to delayed openings. From that point onward, golf became a significant part of the solution to society’s woes caused by COVID-19. It was a safe and enjoyable activity that provided healthy outdoor recreation, mental stimulation and social engagement. Those fundamentals became essential to society and were scarcely available elsewhere during the various lockdown strategies.
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