Page 36 - GBC summer ENG 2023

Jordan Vizena
Jordan is the Membership and Grow the Game Manager with NGCOA Canada. He has managed the Take A Kid To The Course program for the last 4 years and is the program lead for the association’s newest program, Welcome to Golf. Contact Jordan at jvizena@ngcoa.ca or 1-866-626-4262 ext. 32.
Introducing
NGCOA Canada’s new member program focuses on fun to help you attract and retain new adult golfers
Golf is hard. We have seen this phrase used repeatedly by golfers as a simple way to describe our beloved sport. But, what if we all worked together to make golf synonymous with fun instead of hard? Granted, the initial stages of learning the golf swing are often awkward, filled with whiffs and unintentional divots, but learning the game in any sort of public setting involves setting aside the fear of looking less than graceful in front of others. Often, this is easier said, than done.
However, golf’s off-course participation trend, in particular Topgolf’s meteoric rise in the United States, tells a different story. Beginners are happy to display their “work in progress” golf swings in public, as long as they feel comfortable.
THE LATENT DEMAND FOR GOLF
This is not a small group either. Golf’s “latent demand” is higher than ever. In 2020 and 2021, we experienced a participation surge not seen since the Tiger boom. Golf
courses across Canada welcomed new golfers with open arms. However, as people return to their normal routines, can we realistically expect it to continue?
National rounds played data in 2022 indicates that the COVID surge is slowing, with rounds played down 6.5% nationally compared to 2021. Although not an immediate cause for concern, with rounds played still up 21% over 2019’s pre pandemic numbers, it is certainly a possible sign of things to come.
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Golf Business Canada
MAY 22-28, 2023