GGA - Nextgengolf
Millennial Golfers
Infographic
This initiative was
spearheaded by
Nextgengolf (Kris
Hart, CEO, and Matt
Weinberger, COO) and
Global Golf Advisors
(Michael Gregory,
Senior Manager, and
Bennett DeLozier, Senior
Associate).
Global Golf Advisors recently
teamed up with Kris Hart and Matt
Weinberger of Nextgengolf in North
America to gauge just how many
‘degrees of separation’ there are
between Millennials and private clubs.
Nextgengolf is the leading entity
for 18 to 34 year old golfers in
the United States. Nextgengolf
is an inclusive organisation with
the mission to provide golfing
opportunities and make the game
of golf more relevant for college
students and young adults.
A fusion of GGA’s 25-year
history of private club research
and Nextgengolf’s profound
relationship with young golfers
afforded a survey of more than
1,000 avid Millennial golfers who
were asked about their golfing
habits and stance on private club
memberships. Research revealed
the following high-level trends
about Millennial golfers:
1. Flexibility and customisation
is key
2. Referrals are very important
3. Non-golf amenities matter
4. Primary target audience –
low-handicap Millennials
5. Opportunities exist to better
capture Millennials at private
clubs
6. There are barriers which
private clubs must consider
Find out more survey findings in the
infographic.
While this survey and report is
from the United States and based
on American golfers, it highlights
a number of opportunities to
better engage with this group by
understanding their needs and
expectations. The tolerance for
membership subscriptions or
entrance fees is higher in North
America as the cost of membership
in general is higher than the
Australian market.
Currently in Australia the 18-34
age group represents 12.2% of
the national golf club membership
base (Source: Golf Australia - 2016
Golf Club Participation Report).
With the population growing due
to immigration and ethnic diversity
increasing, opportunities exist to
tap into new membership markets.
Up until recently Europe was the
number one country of origin for
overseas born residents. The flow
from Europe has been superseded
by the flow from Asia. For the first
time the 2016 Census shows that
in New South Wales, China has
become number one for overseas
born residents while in Victoria
India has taken over from England.
The census reveals that nearly half
(49%) of Australians had either been
born overseas (first generation
Australians) or one or both parents
(second generation Australians)
were born overseas.
It is obvious that the needs and
expectations of future golf club
members will continue to evolve. A
combination of long working hours,
family commitments and financial
pressures are some of the obstacles
impacting millennials committing
to the traditional membership
options. Clubs that embrace the
opportunity by developing a greater
understanding of their internal
market (their members and future
members expectations and needs),
their external market (club’s
competitive position in the market)
and a deeper understanding of the
financial drivers of their business
will be ideally positioned to make
well considered strategic decisions.
They will also be well prepared
to manage the expectations and
any tensions between the existing
membership base and future
members.
At Global Golf Advisors, we
understand the value of an annual
survey to a club. While the concept
is relatively new in the Asia Pacific
market, annual surveys will record
trends over time in changing
attitudes and expectations, helping
a club remain in tune with all
demographic profiles particularly
those groups such as millennials
who do not historically sway
decision making.
For further information or
assistance with Strategic Planning,
Member Surveys or Strategic
Intelligence please contact
Paul Hinton, Director at Global
Golf Advisors on phinton@
globalgolfadvisors.com or 0415 222
607.
WWW.GMA.ORG.AU
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