Page 6 - Summer eng 2017

Message From The Publisher • Jeff Calderwood
The First Tee
In business, it’s great to keep your finger on the pulse of the marketplace that you are operating within. So, most business sectors produce state of the industry reports that quantify the current status of various key indicators and forecast how such indicators are expected to evolve for the year ahead. Banks, Conference Board of Canada, trade associations, and business media are among the common publishers of these reports.
Keep Your Finger On The Pulse!
This is part science and part art. The analytics derived from numerous data sources are compiled to become the scientific part, the report itself. The interpretation of how to leverage those insights into effective business strategies is, at least partly, an artful skill.
Golf course owners and operators are accustomed to blending the available data into their judgment calls, but the Canadian golf industry has never had a concise report that summarizes the macro-indicators that impact your operational decisions.
To address this need, the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada has introduced the 2017 NGCOA Canada Pulse Report, the next evolution in providing valuable market research to its Canadian stakeholders. Moving forward, it will become an annual Report and further developed into a robust set of analytics as the content expands.
In this issue of Golf Business Canada, we profile some of the highlights of that NGCOA Canada Pulse Report. Trends in rounds played, revenues, golf course supply, weather impact, operating expenses, economic data, technology, tourism, and a few intangible factors are pulled from the Report for commentary. Most of these metrics are presented as 2016 results combined with expectations for the 2017 golf season, and many are segmented by province.
Of special note, the Pulse Report includes findings from a current 32-question survey of Canadian golf course operators. Our feature story pulls several noteworthy results from those new benchmarks. Perhaps a comparison of your labour cost, pricing, or F&B trends, to the benchmarks identified from all of these operators will provide valuable insights. Or, maybe the leading economists’ forecasts for critical business indicators, or Environment Canada’s predictive weather trends, will influence some of your marketing strategy.
In addition to our feature story, this issue of Golf Business Canada provides additional content focusing on social media, mobile apps, clubhouse acoustics, case studies on liability claims, attracting new golfers, and matching player ability to course length. Also featured, is an article on the truth about golf and pesticides, where Dr. Lyons addresses the recent and misleading David Suzuki documentary, Dad and the Dandelions, with scientific facts.
So, between the 2017 NGCOA Canada Pulse Report quantifying some of golf’s vital signs, and the knowledge of our experienced group of contributing writers, this issue should provide you and your team with a great read once again.
From all of us at Golf Business Canada and the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada, we wish you all the best for a successful 2017 as you head into peak season!
Jeff Calderwood, CEO NGCOA Canada jcalderwood@ngcoa.ca
6 Golf Business Canada