Page 44 - GBC winter issue ENG 2019

Capitalize on
Golf’s Resurgence
As 2019 winds to a close, I hope you are looking back on a successful season and making preliminary plans on what you want to change or improve for 2020. Hopefully, you are reading this magazine at the Golf Business Canada Conference & Trade Show which is designed to help you Conquer 2020.
It has been a very exciting and productive year for me as president of the NGCOA Canada. We have made great strides with the planning of the Canadian Golf Industry Show which will see the NGCOA Canada, the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association and the PGA of Canada host their individual conferences all at the same time, while combining their trade shows into one Super Show. In my opinion, it’s a great move for the golf industry in Canada, but not an easy feat to accomplish. It requires a tremendous amount of coordination and venue space but we are getting there and I’m very excited about this event.
The NGCOA Canada always has many projects on the go and I applaud the hard work of our volunteer boards and our staff for
44 Golf Business Canada
continuing to grow this association and helping us be successful in our operations.
The feature article of this magazine focuses on why golf is cool again. In my mind, golf has always been “cool” but I am, of course, biased. What has changed? Why now?
The resurgence of golf into popular culture is a huge opportunity for the industry, if we are conscious of what caused the resurgence and how to keep it going. The last recession resulted in a decline in rounds and pressured operators to be creative and go after non-traditional markets to keep growing our customer base.
One of the reasons golf is cool again is because of the growth in the millennial demographic. Better use of social media and other channels has helped get the attention of millennials and other younger demographics. Millennials are taking more and more interest in the game and savvy operators are re-inventing themselves to make sure the new market is happy with the product. Creatively detouring from some of the traditional aspects of the game like dress codes and adding elements like craft beer samplings,
music on the course, and unique event formats for example, can attract a new youthful market.
I remember attending an HR session at the conference years ago and participants were complaining that it was hard to motivate the new generation of staff. Without skipping a beat, the presenter said, “You have to change the way you approach motivating staff, the way you have always done isn’t going to work anymore.” Similarly, for decades the golf industry had the luxury of putting forward a traditional product and expecting the customer to accept what we offered. Those days are all but gone, and we must listen to our customers and create the experience that they are asking for. In my opinion, owners and operators who adapt according to this ‘new’ clientele will be successful and this makes me very optimistic about where our industry is heading.
All the best as you wind down the 2019 season.
Sincerely,
Lesley McMahon
Owner, Balmoral Golf Course, AB President, NGCOA Canada lesley@balmoralgolf.ca
The Parting Shot
Message From The NGCOA Canada President – Lesley McMahon