Page 32 - GBC English Fall 2020

COVID-19 IMPACTS THE START OF THE GOLF SEASON
Although the 2020 golf season opened in May, COVID-19 mandated closures continued to affect many regions across the country with opening dates ranging from as early as May 1st (PEI) to May 20th (Quebec).
Given the circumstances surrounding staggered opening dates, it is not surprising that most of the country saw a decline in rounds, however despite the delayed opening to the golf season, all regions are reporting positive news. In May, for example, national rounds played were only down 11% from 2019. With only BC and PEI allowed to open for the full month, and the staggered opening dates of all the other provinces, the decrease in rounds could easily have been over 40% nationally.
Ontario, for example, was only open for half of May, but total rounds declined just 26% rather than 50%. Alberta, with their May 2nd opening, experienced an increase in rounds played over May 2019 of 12%. Nice weather and golfers anxious to get out from being cooped up are the likely reasons for that solid increase. The Atlantic region also experienced an increase over May 2019 of 21%, likely as a result of the reopening date coinciding with the typical start of the season in that region as well as much better May weather as compared to May 2019.
Results for Total Revenues were even better than rounds played, reflecting the high demand for golf and enabling golf courses to achieve higher average rates per round. With the month
of April being a write-off for golf operators due to COVID-19 closures, May delivered some impressive revenue gains for most of the country, even though many regions did not open for business until the mid-month mark. For example, Alberta experienced a 28% increase, and Quebec, which was the last region to open for golf in May, experienced a 32% increase.
These increases can likely be attributed to a couple of key factors including public health measures in many regions requiring prepayment of tee-times and/or contactless payment requirements. Therefore, golf courses were accepting fewer cash transactions than in a normal season.
Although MTD revenues increased for most of the country, the National YTD revenues remain lower than 2019, down 16.5% and is most likely a result of the uncertainty in British Columbia over whether golf was permitted to open or not as well as the mandated closures across the country.
Members are participating and utilizing these reports more than ever. Thank you to all participating members for their efforts! Your Rounds Played and Weather Report information and data requests will be delivered to your inbox the first week of each month during the golf season, or you can view them online at www.ngcoa.ca.
For more information or to participate in the Revenue Tracker, Rounds Played and Weather Reports, contact Al Helmer at ahelmer@ngcoa.ca or 866-626-4262, ext 17.
WEATHER REPORT May 2020
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