This time a year ago, COVID-19 was already taking lives, decimating businesses and taxing health care systems. Golf, it was assumed, would not escape unscathed.
And it hasn’t, but first the good news. Thanks in part to the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada’s (NGCOA) extensive lobbying with provincial governments, golf was one of the few activities given the green light last May to carry on.
“We were able to find common ground on what the rules should be,” says Harry Brotchie, president of Lakeland Golf Management Group of Companies, and currently president of the NGCOA. “Going forward it’s important for the industry and governments to work together.”
It didn’t take long for the floodgates to open. Golfers of all stripes, from newcomers to seasoned diehards, flocked to courses. White space on tee sheets became a precious commodity. Online booking systems were flooded, membership sales skyrocketed, and private club waiting lists blossomed.
The bad news? Most courses were ill-prepared for the pent-up demand, and the unprecedented challenge of having to comply government restrictions that would allow them to stay open. Special no-touch pins. Plastic dividers in carts. No clubhouse access or food and beverage services. No rakes in bunkers. And so on. What’s more, fewer available services would likely mean staff cuts.
Fast forward to another season, one that Brotchie and the industry are approaching with cautious optimism. Some restrictions have been relaxed —we can now touch pins and rakes —and most clubs are expecting another banner year for number of rounds played.
“I see the same traffic levels as last year,” says Justin O’Leary, head professional at Cedar Brae Golf Club in Toronto, Ont. “I am predicting that we will do close to 40,000 rounds if the weather cooperates.”
It’s a similar story at Carry Place Golf & Country Club in King, Ont. According to Rich Morel, the club’s general manager, rounds were up 60 per cent last year, and even more importantly, the intermediate membership category (ages 18-35) —a key measuring stick of a club’s health — grew to 125 in 2020 from 62 in 2019. Factor in another 65 intermediates on the waiting list, and Carrying Place’s immediate future is bright.
Yes, the good times are rolling in the golf business, even as the pandemic looms and most clubs are nowhere near operating as usual. But even as tee sheets fill up and membership sales grow, could we be headed toward a classic example of “careful what you wish for.”
Many questions will need to be addressed once COVID-19 is under control. As restrictions relax and clubs become more accessible for restaurant traffic, outside tournaments, etc., will they be able to provide the necessary service? How comfortable will some people be returning to a previously off-limits environment?
On the flipside, what if golf’s current wave of popularity calms once competing activities are up and running again? Will pros, managers and industry bodies be ready to roll up their sleeves and keep the current momentum going?
Consider the issue of booking times, perhaps the number one aggravation among members at clubs.
Says O’Leary: “Having to get up at 7 a.m. to make a time a week in advance hasn’t been the norm for members. Those that aren’t adapting to the new reality are upset that they can’t get the time they’ve had for the past 30 years.
“Maintaining the current level may not be possible, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We have to be careful, too, that juniors aren’t the ones having their tee times bumped. We can’t push our future members away from the game by moving their tee times to six o’clock every day.”
Rich Morel foresees a bit of bit of a pullback, which would certainly alleviate the feeding frenzy for times. As would a reduction in tee-time intervals, such going to eight minutes from 10 minutes.
A worst-case scenario, of course, would be a return to trying to fill the dreaded white space on tee sheets. While third-party tee providers are hoping for just that, it’s the last thing clubs want.
So, powers that be, what’s the plan going forward?
Kevin Thistle, PGA of Canada CEO, long an advocate of service comes first, knows as well as anyone that any level of complacency could spoil the party.
“Kill them with kindness,” Thistle says. “We can’t get caught up in the dollars rolling in. We have to make golf fun, quick and affordable. To keep and attract new players, we need to look at having fun nights and relaxing dress codes and rules. Anything to keep them connected to the game.”
With price gouging a concern among a few pay-as-you-play golfers I spoke to this spring, that approach will backfire. Spending too much for five-plus hours on the course will have neophytes running for another pastime.
Making sure everything from price points and speed of play to in-house service provide for a pleasant experience is the focus of the of the NGCOA.
“At least we’re starting with protocols in place, which we didn’t have last year,” Brotchie says. We can’t get caught up in only looking at rounds played. We need to get food and beverage up and running, meet staffing challenges, and bring in new staff.”
At Golf Canada, the battle cry is Golf Is Calling, a golf retention campaign launched in March to clubs across Canada via social media. It was developed with input from industry experts including the NGCOA, general managers, PGA of Canada professionals and executives from equipment, apparel and footwear industries.
“The idea is to inspire more play and sustain golf through the pandemic and beyond,” says Dan Pino, Golf Canada’s senior director, communications.”
Golf Is Calling is essentially a suite of marketing tools — “we’re marketers, not operational experts,” Pino says —specifically targeted to the 18-34 and 35+ age groups, with 18-34 being a priority because, as Pino adds, “this is who we want connected to golf.” The campaign will be rolled out in phases and includes 700 assets that clubs can customize as they see fit to reach their customers.
And how will Golf Canada measure its impact? “We’re not promoting a product or something that improves our bottom line,” Pino says. “We’re about inspiring people to play. We’ll see the effects in rounds posted.”
At this point, golf’s call is sort of like preaching to the converted. Demand is high, and will likely remain high for the foreseeable future. What’s next will depend on when we can get COVID-19 under control.
Stay tuned.
