A New Way To Spark The Golf Economy

I don't feel like getting into the mathematics or science of it, but lets just say the golf industry is continuing to struggle.

According to the last Rounds Played Report from the NGF (2009-2010, because 2011 is obviously not over yet and therefore cannot yet be analyzed), the number of rounds played in the U.S., including both public and private courses, dropped by 2.3% - the largest drop since 01-02 (3%). This marks the fourth consecutive year, as well as the seventh of the past eight, that rounds played has dropped.

Again, I'm not going to attempt to explain the math, but according to the numbers I've looked up, these drops in rounds have worked out to an average loss per course throughout the country of $48,000 per year. All total, you're looking at a loss of roughly $117 million dollars per year being spent on rounds of golf. With numbers like that, it's no wonder private courses are going public and publics are going under.

So what can be done? Well what if there were more opportunities to play? What if you just had a little more time to play? Take for instance the Thanksgiving holiday. Many people had a four-day weekend (not me, but many). Now, a four-day weekend is pretty rare. But even the occasional three-day weekend provides ample opportunity to gain an extra day of golf during the year. Problem with Thanksgiving is, it's usually too cold here in the northeast to get out and play at all.

It seems what's needed is a new three-day weekend. One to take place during golf season. And being that the state of the game is what it is, the USGA may want to lobby for this as well. Personally, my vote would be for August. I know June doesn't have any three day weeknds either, but with Memorial Day occuring late in May and Independence Day falling at the beginning of July, I can make it through June. But with the gap between the 4th of July and Labor Day, that's a much longer period of time to go without a day off.

So, now that we've established August, what exactly are we going to celebrate? Well, there are several birthdays which occur in August that are worthy of some notoriety. Francis Scott Key for instance was born on August 1st. Three former presidents (Benjamin Harrison, Hoover and LBJ) were all born in August as well. Mother Teresa for cryin' out loud! Surely Mother Teresa deserves a holiday in her name!

But I think there are two people who's August birthday's could be celebrated together. Two important Americans whom we all learned about while we were children in elementary school. Two people who's names have become synonomous with searching for lost golf balls in the woods. Who are they you ask? None other than William Clark and Meriwether Lewis AKA Lewis & Clark.

Think about it. How many times have you seen your golfing buddies, or some people from another group ahead of you wandering the woods searching for their ball - "We'd probably have teed off by now if it wasn't for Lewis & Clark searching for their balls in the woods." Or "Check out Lewis & Clark mapping a trail to the green."

Surely two great American pioneers together are deserving of one day to celebrate their accomplishments. After all, if not for Lewis & Clark, we may still not have discovered Omaha! And consequently, we may have never tasted those fantastic steaks! Culinarily speaking, where would we be then?!

Being that their birthdays fall on August 1st (Clark) and August 18th (Lewis), it seems to me like a good day to celebrate would be somewhere in the area of August 9th or 10th, with the actual observed holiday falling on the Monday or Friday closest. And just like that, we've given golfers an extra day of golf every summer.

So look what we've done here. We've gained an extra day off for our hard-working Americans, some recognition for two great pioneers, and an instant spark to the golf economy. What more could you ask for?

OK, we'll work on June as soon as we get the one in August.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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A New Approach At The Golf Course Level

I'm driving home from work the other day when, on the radio, comes something I'm just not used to hearing. No, I don't mean a DJ to whom I can tolerate listening. I mean a commercial.

What's unusual about a commercial on the radio you ask? Well, it wasn't just any commercial. It was a commercial for a golf course. Actually, it was a commercial for multiple golf courses.

Maybe this doesn't sound so strange to some of you. But me? I honestly can't remember hearing a commercial on the radio for a golf course...ever! So why now? With the golf industry struggling, rounds declining every year and overall interest in the game sinking, is spending money on advertising the way to go? Are some courses looking to expand their clientele? Or for others, is it simply a last resort?

When you have a product to sell, and you want people to know about it, what do you do? You advertise your product. So why has it been different for golf courses? Why has radio advertising been a no-no in the past? But now, when they need people to come to the course, they are figuring out that it's a good idea. I mean, golf has been on the decline for a decade now. But it took them that long to figure out advertising?

Even more strange I thought, but a good idea in my opinion, is where they are advertising. I heard these commercials on a hard rock radio station! Not an easy listening station. Not the oldies station. Not the adult contemporary station. Not the news station. Not even the classic rock station. But the modern/hard rock station!

Now I haven't looked up the audience, but one would have to imagine most of the listeners of this particular station would be on the younger side. So are these golf courses killing two birds with one stone? Sure! By advertising here, they are reaching out via new media for them, as well as reaching out to a demographic that the game of golf needs.

It remains to be seen if this new form of advertising works for these courses. But whether it does or not, it's good to see that the courses themselves are taking a hands-on approach to addressing the problems with the sport. Because we all know that it sure isn't taking place at a higher level.

As the golf industry powers that be continue to market the game mostly to the scratch and low-handicappers, and consequently the industry continues to suffer, I feel these courses are taking the game in the right direction. They are doing what they can to get their name, as well as the sport itself, out there. And they are doing so in the direction of a new audience...a younger audience. And to that I say, good luck! This sport needs a new attitude and some new blood!

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Need Some Time Off From Work? Get A Golf Job!

Why do people become teachers? Is it because the work is fulfilling? You know...shaping young minds, helping to strengthen the foundation of the future. Yeah, that's the standard, almost scripted answer you're likely to get if you ask a teacher. But they're not fooling anyone. We all know that's not the "real" reason. We all know the real reason is simply...the time off.

Look back. If I stopped to think about it when I was younger, I would have thought a bit differently about my future. When I was busy enjoying a few weeks off throughout the year, a bunch of half-days, countless three-day weekends and...oh yeah....TWO AND A HALF MONTHS OFF IN THE SUMMER!!...I would have become a teacher. All I ever thought about was how great my school schedule was, never stopping to think that my teachers schedule almost mirrors mine! Rather than busting my hump all week throughout the entire year with some time off here and there, I too could be sleeping late in the summer, golfing on a Wednesday morning in July and fishing on a Thursday afternoon in August. Now that's the life.

But it seems I've found another line of work which allows for a fair amount of time off also - a job in the golf industry. Due to my knowledge of the golf industry being almost non-existent off the course, I never considered what, exactly, many employees in the industry do during the off-season (in the northern half of the country anyway).

Now that my wife has been working in the industry for the past several months, I've become somewhat clued in. When the winter begins to rear its head, golfers stop golfing. So there's no need for so many employees. My wife found that out when the total number of employees in her office dropped to three (luckily, she is included in that group). Everyone else? Seasonal lay-off. When do they come back? April. Ladies and gentlemen....that is a five month vacation!

I know what some of you are saying, and you're right. It's a bit of a vacation, but what do you do for money? It can't be that great if you're broke for half the year! Well, like the teacher job, that's something you have to plan for. Sure, unemployment covers 60% of your paycheck, but a 40% pay cut for five months is something to be concerned about. But if you're prepared for it, then hey, how can you beat it?! Maybe you have a little something lined up to help supplement the loss, such as a little part time gig, under the table possibly (not that I condone that of course...). Or maybe you've rationed your money well enough throughout the season that you can just enjoy the time off without having to worry about searching for any temporary employment.

My point is, if this is handled right, then this could be a dream job. Say you're an employee at the golf course. Maybe you make a decent salary and you stash away a good portion of your money in order to prepare for your winter lay-off. You spend your spring, summer and half of your autumn at a golf course! You lose your job in the late fall but still make 60% of your paycheck! So what do you do with all that time off? Take golf trips! In January, go down south (because who the hell wants to travel to Florida in the summer anyway) and play some of the courses down there! Maybe in February you head to the southwest. Because once again.., who wants to go to Vegas in the middle of the summer? That phrase "but it's a dry heat" only goes so far. Been there in July, yeah it's cheaper that time of year, but there's a reason for that. It's 100 degrees in the middle of the night! But if you're winter schedule is pretty wide open? That's the time to go!

What I'm saying is, if I knew then what I knew now (yeah, how many times have we all said that to ourselves). I'm sure it has its downsides, but if you're lucky enough to have a relatively well-paid position in the industry, this can't be all that bad. I don't know about you, but no matter what the weather is like or what time of year it is, it sure beats sitting behind my desk all day.

I mentioned once before that I would encourage my kids to take up golf for the purpose of a college education. However, I may also add to that reasoning my thoughts mentioned above. Something tells me that if I mention all of the potential time off, it will ring louder in my kids ears then if I was to take the education route. Although, encouraging them to become teachers is not a bad alternative.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Working In The Golf Industry

My wife and I have both recently started new jobs. Starting a new job is always exciting, more so when both you and your spouse are doing so at the same time! A new company, new position, new responsibilities...there's much to look forward to especially considering we are both moving into industries completely foreign to both of us. One of us is taking a position in, for lack of a better way to explain it, the "relocation" business. The other in the golf industry. Any guesses which of us is taking which position?

Yup, you guessed it. My wife, who couldn't possibly be less interested in the sport, is now working in the golf industry. That's right, while I'm worried about coordinating delivery of furniture into an apartment complex, my wife, who is an accountant, is heading for work at the golf course management company she is now employed by. Am I jealous? Yes and no.

I'm not jealous of the actual job. Even though it is with a golf course management company, it's still accounting. My wife enjoys it, but to me it's just addition and subtraction all day. I can think of some other jobs I would rather do. So I'm not jealous of the job she has. However, I am very much jealous of one of her co-workers.

I don't know the guy and I have no idea what the position entails. All I know is, my wife was telling me a "today, at work" story that went something like this:

Blah blah blah...and...blah blah blah...and then...blah blah blah...when all of a sudden, the Director of Golf...blah blah blah.....

What?! Director of Golf?! Is that an actual position?! An actual job?! What does he do? Make sure people are golfing? Who cares what he does...how do I get that job? Where do I apply? I play golf...I can certainly direct it!!

OK, I'm sure there's more to the position than what I believe there to be. But I'm still jealous of the title.

Even though I don't have the position in the golf industry, that doesn't mean I don't somehow benefit from it. I've already been notified that I can play any of the eight or nine courses managed by the company at a discounted rate. That's great news enough...but it gets better! In order to make up some time for a day she'll need off later in the week, my wife went into work for a few hours on Memorial Day. Her boss being there also, rewarded her with some gift certificates to some of the golf courses! Since she doesn't play, guess where those rewards will be headed. That's right...directly into my golf bag!

So I'd like to take this moment to say thank you. Thank you to my wife for always being able to find the cool jobs. Thank you for always finding the jobs that somehow benefit me. I may never hold a position as cool as Director of Golf, but that doesn't mean my wife can't direct me to the golf course.

Thanks again honey!!

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