NGF president Joe Beditz was a featured speaker at the China International Golf Conference in Beijing, China, on May 20. The conference was organized by Golf Magazine China and ChinaLinks Golf Consulting, a company created by former Golf Magazine editor-in-chief George Peper. The purpose of the conference, which was supported by the China Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, was to educate Chinese developers and operators about building and running golf facilities. There were 300 attendees.
China currently has over 300 courses, virtually all of them in resort areas, and is in the midst of a construction boom. In fact, China will see the building of as many courses as the U.S. over the next several years. The Chinese golf market may not be very important to the industry at large today (with the exception of architects and builders), however it has great long-term potential.
Conference speakers included NGF board member and former PGA of America president Gary Schall. Other speakers included: Deane Beman, former PGA Tour commissioner; Peter Dawson, R&A chief executive; and Mel Pyatt, CEO of Volvo Event Management.
Dr. Beditz’s speech was entitled “Growing the Game – Lessons Learned from Around the World.” Following are the key points from the speech.
Development Patterns
While golf is played all over the world, the game has developed in different ways in different countries. There are three development patterns: private, resort and public. In Germany, for example, where 98% of 650 facilities are private, golf participation is very low (under 1%). In Portugal, which follows the resort pattern, participation is likewise very low because resort golf doesn’t engage the local populace. However, in Canada, where 90% of courses are public, participation is very high (30% household participation).
How Golf Grew in the U.S.
The U.S. transitioned over the past 100 years from the private pattern to primarily public (see graph). The growth of golf in the U.S. can be seen in three stages:
Stage 1 (1900-1950) Courses primarily private; low participation.
Stage 2 (1950-1980) Affordable public golf supply drives up participation. Forty-four percent of all municipal and stand-alone 9-hole courses are built during this stage.
Stage 3 (1980-present) Demand created in Stage 2 influenced the building of more high-end daily fee courses.
The Iowa Example
Iowa is a rural farming state with a low population density and below average incomes – not a place one would expect to be a hotbed for golf. Nevertheless, Iowa has over 400 facilities and one of the highest household participation rates in the country (24%). What is Iowa’s secret? The “Three A’s” – Accessibility, Affordability and Availability of golf (see map).
Six Lessons Learned
1. People play for different reasons – from pure recreation to serious competition, and everywhere in between.
2. Managed Introductions Boost Retention – Programs such as Link Up 2 Golf and Executive Women’s Golf Association do better at retaining golfers because they get people out on the course several times in a non-embarrassing environment.
3. Junior golf programs pay long-term dividends – By the time they reach adulthood, people introduced at a young age…play more rounds, spend more, are more likely to stick with it, are more likely to become avid golfers and play at a higher level of ability.
4. “Shot Euphoria” is a big motivator – The satisfaction that comes from hitting a good shot (if only few times per round) contributes greatly to golfers’ enjoyment of the game. In fact, ball-striking is much more influential than score, course conditions, competition and exercise.
5. Public golf facility development is positively correlated with golf participation - For example, in the upper Midwest, where there is a lot of public golf supply, the household participation rates are about 25%. In the Southeast, where there is less public supply, participation rates are about 16%.
6. Facility development must match demand - There should be a relatively small number of high-end challenging courses to match the relatively smaller number of avid, skilled players. Likewise, there should be a larger number of courses to fit the larger number of medium players and medium budgets. Finally, there should be an appropriate amount of short courses/ranges for player development.
