Page 8 - GBC fall 2015

Message From The President • Gilles Debut
In The Fairway
We live in global times where borders don’t really exist. The world is one great village that, in my opinion, is no different than our golf industry. Who I perceived as my greatest competition 15 years ago, has now become my colleague, my friend, and greatest ally.
A Global Industry...You’re Not Alone Anymore
Golf is growing throughout the world and all of these new entrepreneurs, be they Chinese, Russian, or Moroccan, are all part of this growing, global golf industry. Let’s embrace them, befriend them, and make sure we are learning from each other.
The world has changed! Gone are the days when we operated our courses in our own little silo where government regulations and competition were concerns for other industries. Customers were loyal and time wasn’t an issue.
Today’s world consists of 24/7 global communication and because of this, everything is changing so quickly, whether in our personal lives or at our courses. Golf is still the #1 participation sport in Canada, however today’s golfers
have so many more distractions. They travel more, they are surfing the Web, Facebook and Twitter. So, if we don’t do a good job at communicating our messages to them via these and other platforms, someone else will.
The ‘new normal’ is CHANGE and in order to succeed as golf course owners and operators, we must move just as quickly and adapt to the constant changes around us.
We must manage more smartly, spend intelligently, and expand our messaging to a wider distribution. We must also take advantage of our Association, the NGCOA Canada, because it is a major conduit to our business success. The NGCOA Canada has the programs and initiatives that help minimize our expenses, increase traffic at our courses, and provide regional, provincial, and national platforms that help bring us together as the key stakeholders in this industry to discuss the ‘today’ and ‘tomorrow’ of golf in Canada.
On the topic of bringing together industry stakeholders, I would like to invite YOU and your staff to join me at the Hilton Meadowvale Conference Centre from November 18-20 for the Golf Business Canada Conference & Trade Show. This is your opportunity to step up to the first tee, get the business knowledge required to adapt, and tweak your game so that you can aim for an eagle next season!
Let’s embrace this changing world together to ensure that golf in Canada remains the #1 participation sport in the country for years to come. All the best for the remainder of the season.
Respectfully,
Gilles Debut
Owner, Club de Golf les Quatre Domaines, QC President, NGCOA Canada GDebut@golf4d.ca
8 Golf Business Canada