RETAIN/STRENGTHEN THE CORE
ENGAGE “LAPSED” GOLFERS
RECOGNIZE WOMEN’S INFLUENCE
DRIVE NEW PLAYERS
REACH “OTHER 84 PERCENT”
BETTER KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS
Golf, PGA Professionals and golf facilities need
to better know who our customers are - not just
rounds played but total customers and how to
segment them. Delivering different experiences to
each segment and best practice customer service
will protect this group from further erosion and
give us time to grow new customers. This will be
accomplished primarily through Member and
Employer Education.
Golf must recognize women as the most influential
member of American families - women control 73%
of household spending - and create an integrated
marketing strategy to grow our participation rate
among women. Growing the number of women
professionals and alliances with the LPGA and
other women sports organizations will be important to reach “Generation W.”
Reaching families who are in the 84 percent of
American non-golf households is key as they
represent the “building blocks” of our future. As
we believe that golf is a game that can and should
be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere, we must
employ tactics successfully used by soccer and
other team sports to reach these households. For
instance, alliances with major youth organizations
such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America are a
key part of this strategy.
NURTURE CURRENT CUSTOMERS
Golf facilities must nurture our current customers
and guide them to be our most loyal customers
through the use of customer service techniques
and affinity marketing. These “power customers”
drive the majority of our facility revenue, and it
may take 10 beginners to make up for the loss of
one of these people.
TARGET 90 MILLION LAPSED
It is critical that we target various segments of the
90 million Americans who describe themselves as
lapsed golfers, many of whom aspire to play again.
How golf welcomes these former customers back
is key, as it will set the stage for future initiatives to
introduce brand new players to the sport. The current Get Golf Ready effort is ready-made to address
this initiative.
ENGAGE ENTIRE FAMILY
With Generations X and Y exhibiting a more familycentric lifestyle than Boomers, golf must look at the
entire family, not just Dad. Without an engagement
of the family, Americans will look elsewhere to
spend leisure time (and money).
TARGET LAPSED SENIORS
An aging Boomer population presents an opportunity to target lapsed senior golfers who have time
and money and like the networking aspect that golf
provides.
ENGAGE MINORITIES
The nation’s growing minority population represents both a unique opportunity and a unique
challenge. Overturning the under-representation of
African-Americans and Latinos in golf will require
a concerted effort employing refined strategies.
Access to demographic information and “knowing
your customer” will be integral to success.
I’M READY TO PLAY
“I’m ready to play”... a simple phrase from a brand
new customer that can create chaos on a busy
day must be turned into an opportunity. How golf
courses accommodat these new players with facilities and staff will be vital to growing beyond the
current 16% of U.S. households playing golf.
ENGAGE ELECTRONIC USES
Not all golfers of the future begin in junior clinics
and we need to engage with X Box, EA Sports and
TopGolf, and the fun, technology-driven, interactive
experiences they provide. Determining a role for
PGA Professionals is key and finding gateways from
these non-traditional experiences to green grass
golf is just as important.
FUNDAMENTALS FOR ALL STRATEGIES
HIGHLIGHT VALUE OF GOLF
PGA MEMBER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
PGA Professionals and golf courses should highlight the tremendous value of golf.
Golf must overcome a misconception of the high cost of equipment and fees,
especially among families. Focus groups and quantitative surveys showed that
former golfers and people who don’t play the game viewed the cost of golf 2-3
times higher