Should Courses Be Building The Next Generation Of Customers?
In response to a recent blog: “Set Your Course Apart From The Competition: Enhance The Golfing Experience,” one reader wrote that golf pros are lamenting that not enough of the next generation is playing the game and all the advertised specials are tailored towards senior citizens. Further, by making the course more affordable to juniors, courses will be “building the next generation of customers.”
Is there any truth to what this reader said?
According to the National Golf Foundations’s most recent Golf Industry Report, junior golfers (between the ages of 6 and 17) make up only 9 percent of the golfing population. The overall number of golfers last year, counting anyone in this age group who played at least one round of golf during the year, is estimated at 28.7 million, down 2 percent from the prior year.
Those same golfers are spending 13 hours (per capita) on average per week watching television or movies, 9 hours playing video games, 5 hours surfing the Internet for fun, and only 1 hour playing golf. Out of the preceding list, which activity would you rather have your child engaging in?
So, here are some thoughts:
Golf courses could provide free group lessons to youth. For example, you could have lessons in golf course etiquette and rules of the game. I am sure some youngsters, although interested in the game, are apprehensive because a course can be intimidating to beginners. With the exception of the ranger’s role, golf is played without supervision and players are expected to conduct themselves in a specific manner. But, how does one automatically know not to walk in the line of another player’s putt or that a collared shirt may be required on the green?
How about offering elementary schools in the area package deals such as a “Day Off to Golf” which provide lessons in course protocol and general rules of the game. Coupled with something relative to the teacher’s lesson, such as math or logic, (i.e. if you shoot five double bogeys, how many birdies would you have to shoot to make ten over par of 72?) They can tee off in groups for a certain amount of holes while incorporating an educational lesson. Such a day followed by a picnic box lunch outside the clubhouse could round out an interest sparking and pleasurable day of golf.
Courses could also consider blocking out a group of tee times that have little demand and sell them to children accompanied by a parent for a discounted rate. Sure, avid course goers are not going to want to have their favorite golf course invaded by a bunch of preteens, but by choosing days or times with low demand to fill those unwanted tee times, the larger goal of teaching them how to perform on the course and experience the pleasures of the game first hand can be achieved without disrupting a busy Saturday morning tee sheet.
Maybe even a junior singles league that would educate people new to the game in a fun setting. Promoting such a league would offer young singles a healthy place to meet peers having the same interests.
According to Golf Research Group, 80 percent of customers are within a 20 minute drive of the course. Managers could look around the neighborhood and offer discounts to kids in the vicinity accompanied by a parent or adult. Maybe a once free coupon or half-off tee time to beginners?
It’s true that many parents don’t have money to spend on their children to play golf when sometimes they don’t even have the money to play themselves. And, it takes money to play golf as we all know that tee times are certainly not free. Many golfers are now online trying to take advantage of all the discounted tee times that are sometimes available through registering to a perspective site, such as the many websites powered by Cypress Golf Solutions.
The fact remains that golf is addicting. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend their day walking across a breathtaking green under a warm sun with friends and family, combined with all the mental, physical and personal challenges of the game? We can choose to limit this great game or we can take measures to expand it and watch and see if the next Nicklaus, Palmer or Woods arises because better athletes get better instruction at an earlier age. Expanding the “next generation of golfers” would be a bonus that would turn into a loyal and profitable return as customers in the future.
Is there any truth to what this reader said?
According to the National Golf Foundations’s most recent Golf Industry Report, junior golfers (between the ages of 6 and 17) make up only 9 percent of the golfing population. The overall number of golfers last year, counting anyone in this age group who played at least one round of golf during the year, is estimated at 28.7 million, down 2 percent from the prior year.
Those same golfers are spending 13 hours (per capita) on average per week watching television or movies, 9 hours playing video games, 5 hours surfing the Internet for fun, and only 1 hour playing golf. Out of the preceding list, which activity would you rather have your child engaging in?
So, here are some thoughts:
Golf courses could provide free group lessons to youth. For example, you could have lessons in golf course etiquette and rules of the game. I am sure some youngsters, although interested in the game, are apprehensive because a course can be intimidating to beginners. With the exception of the ranger’s role, golf is played without supervision and players are expected to conduct themselves in a specific manner. But, how does one automatically know not to walk in the line of another player’s putt or that a collared shirt may be required on the green?
How about offering elementary schools in the area package deals such as a “Day Off to Golf” which provide lessons in course protocol and general rules of the game. Coupled with something relative to the teacher’s lesson, such as math or logic, (i.e. if you shoot five double bogeys, how many birdies would you have to shoot to make ten over par of 72?) They can tee off in groups for a certain amount of holes while incorporating an educational lesson. Such a day followed by a picnic box lunch outside the clubhouse could round out an interest sparking and pleasurable day of golf.
Courses could also consider blocking out a group of tee times that have little demand and sell them to children accompanied by a parent for a discounted rate. Sure, avid course goers are not going to want to have their favorite golf course invaded by a bunch of preteens, but by choosing days or times with low demand to fill those unwanted tee times, the larger goal of teaching them how to perform on the course and experience the pleasures of the game first hand can be achieved without disrupting a busy Saturday morning tee sheet.
Maybe even a junior singles league that would educate people new to the game in a fun setting. Promoting such a league would offer young singles a healthy place to meet peers having the same interests.
According to Golf Research Group, 80 percent of customers are within a 20 minute drive of the course. Managers could look around the neighborhood and offer discounts to kids in the vicinity accompanied by a parent or adult. Maybe a once free coupon or half-off tee time to beginners?
It’s true that many parents don’t have money to spend on their children to play golf when sometimes they don’t even have the money to play themselves. And, it takes money to play golf as we all know that tee times are certainly not free. Many golfers are now online trying to take advantage of all the discounted tee times that are sometimes available through registering to a perspective site, such as the many websites powered by Cypress Golf Solutions.
The fact remains that golf is addicting. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend their day walking across a breathtaking green under a warm sun with friends and family, combined with all the mental, physical and personal challenges of the game? We can choose to limit this great game or we can take measures to expand it and watch and see if the next Nicklaus, Palmer or Woods arises because better athletes get better instruction at an earlier age. Expanding the “next generation of golfers” would be a bonus that would turn into a loyal and profitable return as customers in the future.
posted by Angi @ 4:15 PM
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