Page 44 - LVGL Summer 2019

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Business of Nevada Golf

Part I

There are 1.9 billion ($) reasons that the game is much more than just chasing
a little white ball on the emerald green tee boxes, fairways and greens of Nevada

STORY BY BRIAN HURLBURT, @LVGOLFINSIDER

lot of people mistake golf as solely a game. Golf is an Member driven golf associations supported a variety of playing op-
industry, and an industry that makes a remarkable and portunities and tournaments, education and workshops, and meetings.
A indelible impact on the economy of Las Vegas, the state of Looking beyond the green, Golf Tourism and Golf Real Estate, were
Nevada, America and the world. A recent study funded and organized strengths. In 2018, the state’s largest golf industry sectors were:
by the Nevada Golf Alliance and its allied associations revealed that the
direct and indirect economic impact the “game” creates in Nevada is a • Golf Tourism ($744.3)
staggering $1.907 billion. • Golf Facility Operations ($301.0M)
• Golf Real Estate ($196.9M)
The report was crafted by researchers TEConomy Partners, LLC in • Golf-Related Supplies ($42.0M)
agreement with GOLF 20/20, the Southern Nevada Golf Association,
the Northern Nevada Golf Association, the Nevada State Golf Asso- More positive news is that Nevada industry leaders, including Jason
ciation, the Nevada Golf Course Owners Association, the Southern Cheney, Southern Highlands general manager and a Nevada Golf
Nevada Chapter of the Southwest Section of The PGA of America, the Alliance board member, believe the industry continues to be on an
Northern Nevada Chapter of the Northern California Section of The upswing. “Golf in Las Vegas on the private side is as good as I’ve seen it
PGA of America, and the Southern Nevada Golf Course Superinten- in 20 years,” Cheney said in Golfweek recently. “The city is on fire.”
dents Association of America.
Cheney added the following after viewing the recent impact study:
T HE E XE CU T I V E SUMM AR Y “The economic impact study completed this year provides the golf
R E V E ALED HO W W ELL NE V AD A industry a platform to validate the game’s significance as an econom-
T AK E S AD V AN T A GE OF GOLF
T HE INDU S T R Y, N O T T HE G AME: ic driver within our state. With significant contributions in jobs, tax
revenue, charitable affiliations, tourism and real estate, it means the
Nevada is a small state of 3 million people that hits above its weight industry should be viewed as more than simply a game.”
in golf facility operations due to its large number of golf resorts and
golf rounds generated by visitors. Nevada facilities (e.g., privates, Nationwide, the golf industry brings more than $84 billion of eco-
resorts, and daily fees/semi-privates) reported higher average revenue nomic impact to the country. A recent World Golf Foundation report
than the national average. Nevadan retailers earned $16.7M on an showed an increase of 22 percent from 2011 and the $68.8 billion
estimated $42.0M of sales of golf equipment and apparel. impact at that time. The WGF and We Are Golf released the findings
on National Golf Day, April 24, in Washington D.C.

42 LVG&L SUMMER 2019 W W W.L ASVEGASGOLFANDLEISURE.COM