It’s been two weeks since the PGA Show and
the feedback from folks around the industry has been generally positive. It should be.
TaylorMade kicked things off in grand fashion with some provocative
statements and the introduction of HackGolf.
From there, everyone I encountered seemed to have a good understanding and acceptance of the challenges we're facing and an upbeat disposition about our ability to overcome them.
The Show for us (TGA) was excellent. We’re starting, slowly but surely, to see the
industry embrace our model and impact.
The Southern California PGA’s acquisition of two of our franchises has
played a big role in that.
The Show for me personally was also very
good. In addition to my TGA commitments,
I had the pleasure of meeting several readers of this blog and learning about some
of the awesome things this community is working on.
Since leaving Orlando, however, I’ve found myself with
this nagging and growing discomfort about the Show’s central theme – the concept
of “growing the game.”
What bothered me this year was how loosely
this phrase was being thrown around.
Countless people were wearing pins on their badges that proclaimed: “I’m
growing the game.” Everyone from
equipment companies to PGA Professionals to industry associations to teaching
aid companies to basically everyone else was touting how they grow golf.
They’re not wrong. What’s the definition of “growing the game”
anyway? Is it making golf easier? More enjoyable? Faster?
Cheaper? More accessible? Yes yes and yes. By this vague description, basically everyone
in the industry is in some way shape or form trying to “grow the game.” That’s a good thing from a 100k foot level.
My issue is that the phrase is becoming shallow. It’s used more in
self-aggrandizing ways than in meaningful ones.
What does “growing the game” actually mean? Is it our goal as an industry to increase the
number of overall players? Overall
rounds? Annual spending? Enjoyment?
TV viewership? What? In the tennis industry, they measure success by ball sales. What's that metric (or metrics) for golf?
And that’s where my discomfort resides. When everyone believes they’re growing the
game through countless different ways without a clear
overarching strategy or collective objectives, we’re accomplishing
everything but accomplishing nothing.
It’s important to note that the lens I view
the golf industry through is almost entirely influenced by player development. I have a deep personal relationship with the
concept of “growing the game” as my entire career has been dedicated to
bringing new players into the sport. Within
this context, here’s how I’d create an industry-wide framework and strategy for
growing golf:
Step 1 – Identify the three categories
of players:
Group 1 – Core golfers
Group 2 – Occasional golfers
Group 3 – Non-golfers
Note that I do not differentiate between
lapsed golfers and those who have never played the sport as BCG and Golf 2.0 do. My view is that, either way, the reasons why they stopped playing or never started are very similar.
Step 2 – Define what “growing the
game” means in each category:
Core golfers – increased annual spending
Occasional golfers – increased rounds and memberships
Non-golfers – increased overall participation
Step 3 – Identify the key drivers
of Step 2 goals:
Core golfers – equipment/apparel, lessons, training aids, tournaments, travel
Occasional golfers – time, cost, course
availability
Non-golfers – knowledge, availability, time,
cost, difficulty
Step 4 – Identify strategies for
each driver (only some of many listed below):
Core golfers – equipment/apparel advancements,
cost-effective lesson packages, regional tournaments and social outings
Occasional golfers – increase pace of play,
decrease costs, define/promote other ways to play and enjoy “golf”
Non-golfers – target youth and millennials,
embrace alternate forms of “golf,” create simple and cost-effective
introductory programs
Step 5 – Partner with key stakeholders for each driver (only some of many listed below):
Core golfers – TMAG/Callaway/etc., PGA of
America, PGA Professionals
Occasional golfers – Tee it Forward, TopGolf,
TMAG’s 15” cup, PGA Junior League Golf, Speedgolf, more customizable holes/courses
Non-golfers – Get Golf Ready, TGA, FootGolf
Conclusion:
Not only would a concise and straight-forward
outline like this give the industry a framework within which
to operate, but it would help identify for all stakeholders where their
value proposition lies compared to others and what their focus should be. Imagine the collaboration, idea-sharing, acceptance,
resource-sharing, etc. that could come from this. How great would it be for the dialogue to shift from buttons that state “I’m growing the game” to real conversations where someone could say - “I’m growing the game by focusing on group 2 with the incorporation of Speedgolf
during twilight hours.” - and everyone involved understood what was just said and how it aligned with their own strategies?
I understand that the common counter-argument to my view is “golf
is a niche sport and we should accept that” but I disagree. That, to me, is a
deferral of responsibility for declining participation. Every day I see people pick up a club for
the first time and have an amazing experience who aren’t part of the
“niche.” That is why I believe golf has
tremendous room to grow through both traditional and non-traditional ways. But we need to start with a plan. And there needs to be objectives we all buy into.
Thank you for reading this far along in my
post and taking the time to hear my thoughts on how we should frame the
conversation and craft the strategy to accomplish “growing the game.” I welcome your thoughts and feedback.
Have a great weekend and Happy Entrepreneuring…
