What is it about golf keeping business people from playing the game?
Is it the expense? Because playing golf can get expensive.
Is it the learning curve? Because it does take more than a day or two to learn how to play Golf.
Is it the lack of time? Granted, golf can take a few minutes to play.
Or is it all of the above and more? There probably is much more to the reason business people are not playing golf and using a round of golf as a business tool.
Some of those reasons probably have to do with the few who tried using golf to develop business leads or play golf with prospective clients and failing to get any results.
Other reasons could be with many people in business not having a sound enough operation that will allow them to leave the office.
Whatever the reason the solution to getting more business people to playing golf lies with the golf industry. There are millions of business people searching for opportunities to network their business and development sound business leads. Business Golf has played a huge part in helping business people become successful which leads to them playing even more golf. Now it is up to the golf industry to take notice and make some changes to help more people play golf.
Reduction in Cost of Golf is Needed
Some of the reasons golf is so expensive obviously are in part due to the price golf equipment manufacturers charge.
Naturally, people are in business to make a profit and with today’s weakened economy makes it a VERY competitive marketplace.
However, most golf equipment manufacturers have dug a huge hole filled with huge annual investments in design technology and marketing for which they quickly pass all that cost on to the golfers. If the golf manufacturers were to scale back the investments in redesigning golf clubs, golf balls, golf shoes, golf apparel to every other year there would quickly be a reduction of some costs to playing golf.
Golf courses and country clubs pricing of memberships and green fees are not helping to attract business golfers. Some golf facilities are trying by offering Off-Prime Time pricing on green fees. Some have even taken a smarter approach and lower the green fees if a certain level of food and beverage is pre-purchased. There are signs that there is room for golf courses and country clubs to reduce the cost of golf. Let’s hope they see the advantages of offering business golfers a special pricing to encourage them to play at their club.
Standard Teaching is Needed
Learning to play golf has always been a challenge. Vanity has always played a part in why so many business people who start the process of learning to hit a golf ball and suddenly stop. Learning to swing a golf club does not come natural anyone. For the person overly concerned with how awkward a beginner’s golf swings make them look contributes to many of them to quit learning to play golf.
Overall, the time it takes to learn golf is the killer for business people wanting to enter playing the game of golf for business purposes. Today, people do not want to take the years it takes to learn to hit the golf ball.
Other reasons for the long learning curve for golf has to do with the other problems with golf:
- High price for golf lessons
- Lack of time to take lessons.
Finding a solution to the long learning curve for golf is a major challenge. Standardize teaching has been tossed around for years. Having everyone entering the golf world go through a standardized training seems to have some value, but getting the general public to do anything that is required is something the golf industry has not been willing to try.
Finding one solution will probably not be possible. However, something has to be done before the time it takes to learn to play golf is shortened.
Managed Pace of Play is Needed
Time is always going to be a factor in anything related to doing business and will be the largest challenge facing the golf industry. Golf by nature takes a lot of time to play.
The fact is, even if a business golfer has the money, the talent to play the game, but does not have the time to play, the lack of time will kill any effort made in reducing the cost and learning curve of golf.
6 hours to play 18 holes of golf is killing golf. Unfortunately, new initiatives of offering 6 holes and 9 hole alternatives are not being welcomed by may golf courses due to the reduced revenue not covering the overhead needed to take care of the remaining holes not played using those plans.
Alternative Golf programs featuring high tech driving ranges and even indoor simulation programs are not offering the privacy required by business golfers.
The solution will come from Managed Tee Times, Managed Starting Tees and Managed Golf Courses. This means tee times have to be scheduled at the pace of the golf course and not scheduled to the bank deposits. Player’s ability tests could be required to validate what set of tees a player is qualified to play. And …golf courses are either going to have to place a caddie with every group that represents the club’s management team and is there to keep the group moving. Or, the golf course is going to have to place Course Managers…not Marshalls…on the course to roam the course watching over the pace of play and provide assistance to groups falling behind or do the tough job of moving slow groups and players up a hole so the golfers behind them can enjoy their round.
The world is getting crowded an so is the business marketplace.. Changes in golf and business need to be made to survive in a crowded world. It appears business people are making the changes needed and are looking at Golf as helping them develop a competitive edge. Unfortunately, it appears Golf Is Not? Hopefully this will be the year of change for Golf.
Let me know how I can help.
