Page 22 - GBC Spring 2022 ENG

James Cronk
James is a frequent contributor to this magazine and one of the highest rated speakers at our annual conference. In addition to his consulting company Cronk Group, he and his partner Scott Masse operate Golf Industry Guru, an online training platform for owners, managers and front- line employees. Visit www.cronkgroup.com | www.golfindustryguru.com.
Ah, the good old days. A few annual members teeing off in the morning. A coffee with the rep from GolfNow at 11AM. And then home by 5PM because all that remained on the course were a few juniors playing the course backwards. The lazy, hazy days of 2019!
What?!? Yes, ladies and gentle- men, that’s right, it was only two seasons ago that our strategic planning sessions were focused on creating a break-even event calendar,
finding a used sand-pro, and, sadly, which discount program we would use to fill our tee sheets. And today? Well.... it’s a whole new ‘golf’ball game!
Tee sheets are full(er)! Pass- holders are now being capped at 100 rounds (Yikes!) Banquet halls have been replaced by food trucks! And mostly... golf is cool again!
No doubt COVID had (and still has) some terrible impacts on society and there is no shortage of
articles to explain the ‘how and why’. BUT, and it’s a big but, if we try really hard, we can also find some positives, and not just a busier tee sheet.
Studies show that COVID has given people a reason to reassess their priorities, including how they spend their leisure time. The sense of community and the desire to connect with others has never been stronger. Not surprisingly, there is a new perspective on personal
22 Golf Business Canada