PGA NEWS
THE VALUE OF A PGA
PROFESSIONAL TO
GOLF CLUBS
Developing and maintaining the
relationship between a golfer
and their club is vital to the
success of both the individual
facility and the overall golf
industry, and PGA Professionals
play an important role in
cultivating this connection within
the club.
Ian James, CEO of Retail Tribe,
who successfully presented
on the topic of member and
golfer engagement at the 2017
PGA Golf Expo describes PGA
Professionals as the golf industry
employees best suited to the
role of “Rainmaker” for golf
clubs – a person who brings
new business to an operation
through their skills and
expertise. Ian also noted, when
provided with the appropriate
role and responsibilities, PGA
Professionals can care for your
current membership base, get
more business from current
members, reward devoted
members with more value,
recover lapsed members and
find new members.
more coaching. In addition,
there will be less need to
discount memberships and
goods and services, with the
golfer seeing greater value in
their membership and link to the
club. An improved connection
between the golfer and the
golf club will also facilitate the
evolution of the club into a true
community hub, where a diverse
range of individuals gather
regularly for sport, recreation,
socialisation and exercise.
Conversely, a golfer who is
not connected with their club
through playing, coaching or
engagement events is an at-risk
member - at-risk of cancelling
their membership and being lost
to the sport of golf.
When you improve the
relationship between a golfer
and their club, golfers will play
more golf, purchase more
equipment, spend more on food
and beverage and undertake The 2016 Golf Australia Golf Club
Participation Report outlined
data that requires golf clubs to
take immediate and appropriate
action in the area of club
membership. Since 1998, there
has been a 27% reduction in the
number of golfers holding a golf
club membership, representing
an annual loss of slightly more
than 1.2%. Alarmingly, there
has also been a 34% loss in
female golf club members in the
same period. When reviewed
in isolation, golf clubs are doing
a reasonable job of attracting
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AUTUMN EDITION 2018
new members, with a 7.7%
attraction rate for new members
in 2016, but this attraction rate
was offset by an attrition rate
of 8.8% in the same period.
However, the aforementioned
figures obviously present golf
clubs and the overall industry
with an excellent and realistic
opportunity; increase attraction
rate by 1% and reduce attrition
rate by 1% and the current
membership decline can be
immediately reversed.
The next generation want to
be inspired to play the sport,
fully engaged by their club
and converted to keen and
enthusiastic golfers, thereby
realising and recognising
the value in the retention
of club membership for an
extended period. Through
engagement with new golfers
via engagement-oriented events,
coaching programs, playing with
golfers and community-based
events, PGA Professionals are
best positioned to promote the
cycle of attraction, inspi