Food and beverage packages
are a big draw for corporate
and social events.
So what are these places, really? The
industry refers to them as “golfertain-
ment.” One analyst, Stuart Lindsay, likes
the term “digital golf.” Either way the
concept has a growing footprint and audi-
ence. And the National Golf Foundation
(NGF) has fully embraced the movement
and includes the resulting foot traffic in
its statistical database.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Phil White, assistant manager of oper-
ations at Richmond’s Golf Galaxy, pin-
points the fun quotient. “To me it’s more a
social scene for people. I’ve been to both;
they’re great, and the impact on our busi-
ness whether people are buying gloves,
apparel or starter sets has been nothing
but positive.”
Traditional green grass facilities have
their own take. Ryan Carmen, general
manager at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lor-
ton, observes that when Topgolf started,
“they were very energetic and positive
that their customers would ‘graduate’
from TopGolf ranks and move on to golf
courses. I view it two ways:
“1. It’s great for the game. I think any
golf industry professional would say that.
Golfertainment facilities like Topgolf and
Drive Shack are growing the game, but in
their own way. From a golf course opera-
tor perspective, specifically to Laurel Hill,
I’m not sure if we are seeing a negative
or positive impact from having a Topgolf
close by. If Topgolf is prospering by intro-
ducing golf to new people, then Laurel
Hill isn’t seeing those golfers mainly
because we are a high-end, aggressively
priced, public golf course.
vsga.org
“2. While it’s great for the game, Topgolf
and Drive Shack are negatively impacting
the golf course-specific business because
of the entertainment and instant grati-
fication factor. On a golf course, it’s four
friends or fewer playing. At Topgolf, it’s
a large group, which makes it more fun.
Pace of play on a golf course is not accept-
able anymore. Four-to-five hours is way
too long for most golfers, particularly
the millennial demographic. Because
of that, Topgolf now satisfies their golf
‘lifestyle’ and/or need to swing a club in a
competitive setting. Basically everything
that Topgolf does is kind of opposite of
what to expect at a golf course, i.e. dress
codes, cell phones silenced, a bit ‘stuffy’
and traditional at times, a very scheduled
and ‘on the clock’ mentality.
“As golf course operators, we need to
find a way to compete, but also embrace
what they are accomplishing. Their
presence will only strengthen the golf
course business because it will force us
all to rethink how we need to adapt to the
changing environment and what it will
take to keep the doors open. Technology
will, and already does, play a huge role in
capturing new golfers, particularly the
18–34 year-olds. Everything needs to be
at the click of a button on a cell phone. If
a phone call needs to be made to reserve
a tee time, they won’t do it. We’ve gotten
to a point where green fees can be paid
for on a phone as a golfer pulls into the
parking lot. Golf course operators need to
embrace the change. It’s scary; it’s not tra-
ditional, it’s not the norm, but to survive
we need to adapt,” says Carmen.
One green grass facility long ago recog-
nized the need to emphasize the fun fac-
tor. For Farmington Country Club head
golf professional Rob McNamara, PGA,
the arrival of golfertainment establish-
ments has only reinforced that belief. “A
There are now three Topgolf
facilities in Virginia.
M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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