Pro Shop magazine has duly recorded a game that is constantly in transition
We’ve all heard the blessing, “may you live in interesting times”.
In 2020, that blessing became a curse.
Randy McDonald, founder and publisher of Pro Shop Magazine, said he’d settle for uninteresting times – a little peace and tranquility, no economic meltdown, and definitely no world-wide pandemic.
“This past year has been interesting, but it has left all of us in a world of hurt. It has been a wake-up call for all of us, and we now recognize there is no going back to normal.”
2020 was supposed to be a celebration of Pro Shop’s 25th anniversary celebration as the voice of the golf industry in Canada. That was muted by the coronavirus, which eliminated its spring and summer issues. But the magazine is back with its Fall Buying Show issue and growing, as is the game of golf.
After a delayed start, golf returned with a fury in mid-spring, and carried its new-found momentum into the summer and fall. Participation numbers are still incomplete, but stats released by Golf Canada and the National Golf Club Owners Association saw a double-digit explosion in play by late summer. One club near Hamilton, Ontario, reported a 100 per cent jump. It had to turn away as many golfers as teed it up.
This rippled out through the entire industry.
Two elements put a new shine on a game that reaches back into the foggy past: the fact it’s played outdoors, and that it always had a built-in social distancing model. This has helped it survive, and now flourish. Those who jammed onto courses, or lined up over an hour to hit balls on driving ranges, are younger, more diverse, and have changed the composite drawing of the average player. Once old, white, and male, it’s now multi-generational, multicultural, and embraced by both sexes.
“The golf industry has for years tried to find that sweet spot to draw new golfers to the game,” said McDonald. “It’s incredible to think that provincial officials ordering us to shelter-in-place, seem to have been the catalyst for growth, driving us outside, and leading so many to discover or re-discover golf.”
The core business is in good shape, and if tee sheets continue filling up next year, it will more than make up for lost revenues in other areas. “The participation numbers are a stirring starting point to build the game back better,” said McDonald.
Pro Shop’s brand has evolved over 25 years but remains true to its core mission: to feed the industry with much-needed information. That means compelling and educational editorial.
“Our award-winning content is something we truly want to celebrate this year,” said McDonald.
The idea that a golf trade/industry business magazine could succeed was very much in doubt when Pro Shop debuted in 1995. The industry footprint was much smaller, estimated at about $5 billion. Every industry sector then had a trade or industry magazine, except golf. McDonald saw a business opportunity, filled it with this new-look magazine, and gathered together a talented team of writers, salespeople and graphic designers. A supportive group of advertisers came aboard, a virtual who’s who of the manufacturing sector, and their support helped drive its initial and long-term success.
“We wouldn’t have made one year, let alone 25 if it wasn’t for all those who supported our mission,” he said.
The editorial line up was designed to help owners, club pros, managers, superintendents, and industry associations grow their business. Pro Shop added three key elements: the golfindustrynetwork.ca (an innovative website featuring industry news), The Press Room (a weekly industry e-newsletter), and partnered with the PGA of Ontario to develop a provincial buying show called The Golf Industry Expo.
Twenty-five years later, the golf industry is a whopping $19.7 billion business. The game and the magazine and media continue to evolve. With physical tradeshows shut down, the Golf Industry Expo has now shifted into a virtual national buying show called The Golf Industry Marketplace. This virtual buying show will run for an entire year, 24/7.
McDonald said they “have collected a variety of golf companies and suppliers from across Canada and brought them together for the industry, so they have one convenient online location to view and shop most of the brands available in Canada. Now the industry can shop all year-long and the site never closes.”
Expect an onrush of new business this off-season as the lag between the sound of this summer’s growth and its answering echo, will reverberate for years to come, both on-course and off.
In essence, the game never stops evolving. The business model has survived economic downturns, a troubling loss of participants, course closures, and now a pandemic. It has proven as resilient as the magazine that has been around for 25 years to cover it.
Said McDonald: “I think Pro Shop magazine has made a difference and we have always remained true to the core mission. Twenty-five amazing years later we are still producing informative, educational, and award-winning content in every issue and online. That is truly something to celebrate.”
To sum up, he stated: “It’s been quite a journey. I am proud to have been a member of the team and proud to have created the #1 golf industry magazine in Canada.”
