The Muni Golf Economy

Community Golf Fan,

Last month in our March RTG newsletter, we noted how 20 years ago Tiger Woods positively impacted thousands of youth golfers in a single day, at the now closed Palmer Park Golf Course in Detroit. Flash forward to last week; Tiger won his 5th Masters and there is already rekindled excitement in the game of golf. There’s no question about it, when Tiger is hot... golf gets way more interesting!

There’s been a lot written about the economy of golf, particularly how *course interest and customer experience* affect revenue. This is one of municipal golf's biggest issues! Having recently been introduced to the idea of the "Experience Economy," which perfectly addresses the above sentiment, I was reaffirmed in my belief that "going big" isn't something to fear.

As we all know, many of muni golf facilities are seemingly in a race to the bottom. Round averages are still down compared to averages 10 years ago, all the while municipal decision-makers are dropping their rates to remain competitive.

If we take a look at an alternative approach, what’s been done at Winter Park Golf Course in Florida would be a good example. Having fallen victim to the all too common issues facing municipal golf, City of Winter Park decision-makers felt it was time to get serious. Within 36 months of decisive action, their community-focused course was re-envisioned into an example of this new “experience economy” in golf. Quite honestly, there are many more community courses across the country where this story is just waiting to be told.

Despite the harsh realities the municipal golf sector faces, we strongly believe golf courses like yours are actually in a position today to offer new, unique, and exciting experiences that result in something memorable. It's this bolder approach that should be your "value-add" to reversing declining revenue, not the approach of trying to out-price competitors.

If you're curious about this paradigm-shifting idea, you can watch a brief seminar presentation on the topic by clicking here.

Here's what you need to know:

• For any business owner or operator, the Experience Economy should be understood
• Golf is still in recovery mode, but now is a good time to make a move
• Developing excitement and enthusiasm should be a part of your course’s vision
• Rockwind Community Links and Winter Park Golf Course are two great models to consider

Please remember, we’re around to answer any questions you might have on this topic, or anything else regarding your community golf course! You can send us an email by clicking here, or feel free to give us a ring at the number below.

Until next time,

Andy Staples, ASGCA