I find it concerning one of the leaders of the Golf Business World is giving up on promoting golf as their featured product.
A while back, Dave Pillsbury the CEO of Club Corp, the largest owner of country clubs, told the world they are going to take the emphasis off promoting golf and turn its focus toward promoting “lifestyle”.
I can agree with Mr Pillsbury, widening a business’s focus to expose consumers to other features they offer is a smart move. Especially, during these economic uncertainties.
However, a business that owns private country clubs and owns hundreds of acres of land covered with a golf course should obviously stay focused on highlighting their greatest investment which is Golf.
Golf IS A Family Thing
Sure, golfers have families, and for a century now country clubs have accommodated golfing families through much more difficult times than what they have waded through these past 9 months or even over the past 12 years.
Granted, over the past 40 years, family lifestyle dynamics have broadened to include more activities than golf. Fortunately, Country Clubs have always been accommodative to those families and still keep the focus on quality golf.
Why change now?
Golf is also going through changes and yes, the interest in golf is stumbling through its natural 10-year cycle of the public’s waning interest in golf.
During this time, the powers of being for golf, which included private country clubs, have kept the fires burning promoting golf’s virtues to the tens of millions of golfers around the world.
Still, Golf is struggling. But it is not struggling with lacking a family lifestyle.
Wrong Direction
For the largest owner of private country clubs, whose main product is Golf, to say they are changing their focus away from golf is telling the world they are giving up on Golf.
Does this help Golf?
The members of the golf industry, which, like it or not, include private country clubs, need to keep together if Golf, as a business, is to remain strong. Golf as a game will always be strong for those people interested in or demanding a challenge in their life.
Maybe private country clubs should look inward to find how they can better serve the families of their golfing membership instead of pulling away from the focus of their core business which is providing the best golf experience in their community.
If private country clubs remaining focused on golf should help the golfer, or golfers, of the family, find more reason to be a member of the country club which would accomplish that focus on promoting a golfing lifestyle.
Maybe Mr. Pillsbury’s message was not thought thru and was Club Corp’s way to appease the wives sho are standing around the club impatiently tapping their foot waiting for their husband to get off the golf course so they could go do something else. Maybe what that something else is she wants to do is what Club Corp should offer.
Let me know how I can help.
