tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73869775557351280692019-01-06T07:27:13.786-08:00Golf EntrepreneurThis blog exists to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit surrounding golf by looking at game-changing ideas and issues facing the entrepreneurs with these ideas.Steve Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06609893251565456569noreply@blogger.comBlogger7713tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386977555735128069.post-88433849163435533892014-04-22T23:31:00.001-07:002014-04-22T23:37:22.966-07:00How to navigate an FDD + the link between "Junior Golf" & "Entrepreneurs"One of our rituals at TGA is that we do internal trainings every quarter where each staff member trains the rest of the team on a core function of his/her job.<br /><br />We're scheduling our Q2 training which has me thinking about the last one I did, which was to attempt to make sense of our 240+ page Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) in a simple, "Cliffs Notes" format. This is particularly relevant for us as we are currently in the middle of filing our new annual FDD's so I'm shoulder-deep in this information right now.<br /><br />You can find a lot of FDD guides on the Internet but all the ones I saw looked almost as cumbersome as the FDD itself. Therefore, I wanted to share my presentation in the hopes that it would be a helpful guide to anyone out there looking into a franchise system.<br /><br /><br /><iframe height="320" src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3VRdvpK0ASFOFdRVTVqR05DbzQ/preview" width="520"></iframe><br /><br />In separate but related news, TGA is fortunate to be featured in the current edition of Golf Range Magazine, a publication operated by the same group as PGA Magazine.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci-yE71Zmso/U1KGAnnqNHI/AAAAAAAAAbk/d-ujLQsVANA/s1600/GRA.TGA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci-yE71Zmso/U1KGAnnqNHI/AAAAAAAAAbk/d-ujLQsVANA/s1600/GRA.TGA.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The title of the article is: "<a href="http://www.golfrangemagazinedigital.com/i/294000" target="_blank">Junior Golf the TGA Way: Entrepreneurs Go Where the Kids Are - School</a>. <br /><br />I share this because it's a cool thing to see the words "junior golf" and "entrepreneurs" side by side. 11 years ago when we started TGA, it felt like taboo at times within the golf industry to be a for-profit junior golf company. It's nice to see that perception has developed to the degree that our entrepreneurial approach is now being recognized and complimented. This is an important development as I believe that entrepreneurs will need to be the heart-and-soul of industry growth and innovation moving forward. <br /><br />Thanks to Golf Range Magazine for their kind words and kudos to the 52 entrepreneurs who comprise the TGA family for making TGA part of this important conversation.<br /><br />Have a great week and happy entrepreneuring...Steve Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06609893251565456569noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386977555735128069.post-18834872805627988722014-04-09T11:42:00.000-07:002014-04-09T11:42:22.654-07:00The Junior Golf "Dream" Has ArrivedLast Sunday was the <a href="http://www.drivechipandputt.com/" target="_blank">Drive Chip & Putt Championship</a> at Augusta National and it was the most important moment we've had in junior golf in a long time. <br /><br />Leading up to it, I wasn't sure what to expect. On one hand, the old version of DC&P never really got traction and I was suspicious of whether something like this would "grow the game" as the participants would already be part of the golfing population. On the other hand, there was the "wow" factor of Augusta and the intrigue of an event for children as young as 7 that focused on specific skills as opposed to the ability to navigate a lengthy golf course.<br /><br />It turns out that the event <a href="http://golfweek.com/news/2014/apr/06/drive-chip-putt-masters-augusta-national-finals/" target="_blank">was spectacular</a> and all the <a href="http://www.drivechipandputt.com/partners/" target="_blank">organizations behind it </a>- Augusta National, the PGA of America and the USGA - deserve a standing ovation. So does the Golf Channel for their masterful production job.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ja3WilwgsM/U0WQgPEjVjI/AAAAAAAAAa4/MjJqXP5i_4Y/s1600/Drive+Chip+Putt+Championship+Lacy+t96YnfJfkZml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ja3WilwgsM/U0WQgPEjVjI/AAAAAAAAAa4/MjJqXP5i_4Y/s1600/Drive+Chip+Putt+Championship+Lacy+t96YnfJfkZml.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div><br />What struck me about DC&P during and after the championship was that its value is much bigger than the event itself. It fills a void we've long struggled with in the world of junior golf.<br /><br />The best companies and organizations in youth sports are masters at selling "the dream." Children learn, practice and play in pursuit of the dream. In baseball it's making the all star team. In karate, it's the awesome prestige that comes with being a black belt. In basketball and soccer, it's making the traveling club team. And so forth.<br /><br />In golf, the "dream" starts with tournament play and ends on the PGA TOUR.<br /><br />The challenge is that tournament play isn't available until the age of 12 for most tours. Golf courses are too long and challenging for children younger than that to walk and play, especially the 10 and under crowd. Golf doesn't have a dream for these players that is immediately achievable in the way that making an all star team or earning a black belt are. And, we know that the time to capture a child into any activity is before the age of 10.<br /><br />At TGA, we've replicated Karate and many other activities by having a multi-level program that culminates with a black level, but the "prestige" element of it is still a work in progress as prestige takes time to build.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmgduYHx-qQ/U0WQlu_XOOI/AAAAAAAAAbA/jocFZ_TMBOg/s1600/Boys+DCP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmgduYHx-qQ/U0WQlu_XOOI/AAAAAAAAAbA/jocFZ_TMBOg/s1600/Boys+DCP.jpg" /></a>The true value of what DC&P accomplishes is that it gives the thousands of junior golf organizations and instructors this missing "dream" that we can sell to our young players.<br /><br />We're already talking at TGA about how we can promote the upcoming DC&P qualifiers to our families and incorporate preparatory activities/events into our programming model. Incidentally, two of Sunday's winners have ties to TGA as former students. It's a very real thing to be able to tell our current students that if they practice hard now during our spring session programs, they'll be ready for the DC&P qualifiers in June/July and they could be on TV next year. It's a goal that is available, viable, immediate and awesome. That's the best kind of dream there is. We're going to sell it at TGA and I think every other junior golf organization/instructor should as well.<br /><br />Thank you to golf's governing bodies for the impressive accomplishment of creating a "dream" that is inclusive of all junior players and available to the entire industry. It is exactly what the junior golf ecosystem needed.Steve Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06609893251565456569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386977555735128069.post-48352826235376518892014-03-20T16:02:00.001-07:002014-03-20T16:02:17.498-07:00The new PGA Task Force - another meeting about a meeting? Here's what I'd do if I ran the PGA of America:The PGA of America announced the formation of a 'Growth of Game Task Force' last week and I can't help but sigh.<br /><br />Here is the announcement from PGA President Ted Bishop on Morning Drive:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/m193WZ75VWs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0' /></div><br /><br />The task force is described as having three focal points:<br /><br />1. Redefine what the golf experience is.<br />2. Explore innovative alternative methods to playing golf.<br />3. Develop an alternative set of guidelines that will allow recreational players to enjoy the game with more relaxed rules.<br /><br />This has the feeling to me of planning a meeting to schedule a meeting. <br /><br />Three years ago there was the <a href="http://golfweek.com/news/2012/feb/20/pga-america-touts-golf-20-means-grow-golf/" target="_blank">Boston Consulting Group report</a> that identified the challenges faced by the sport (time, cost, difficulty) and growth opportunities (lapsed golfers, baby boomers, minorities, women, children). <br /><br /><a href="http://www.golfentrepreneur.com/2011/09/pga-fall-expo-golf-20.html" target="_blank">Golf 2.0 was then created</a> to develop player development strategies that targeted the consumer segments identified above.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hackgolf.org/hackathons/golf/orientation" target="_blank">HackGolf</a> was then created to crowdsource ideas.<br /><br />And now we have <a href="http://www.pga.com/pga-america/pga-information/growth-game-task-force-developed" target="_blank">a task force</a> to discuss these ideas.<br /><br />There are a few issues with all of this. <br /><br />The first is the vast spectrum of definitions people have for "golf." Is "golf" hitting a ball with a club? Is it getting a ball in a hole? Is it both? Here's what Merriam-Webster has to say about it:<br /><br /><h2 style="background-image: none; display: inline; font-family: georgia, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 7px 0px 0px;">golf</h2><input class="au" style="background-image: url(http://www.merriam-webster.com/styles/default/images/reference/audio-pron-hw.gif); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; height: 17px; margin: 0px 10px 4px 4px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 18px;" title="Listen to the pronunciation of golf" type="button" /><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="main-fl" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><em style="color: #717274; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">noun</em>,</span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="usg" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><em style="color: #717274; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">often attributive</em></span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="pr" style="color: #717274; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-left: 10px;">\<span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˈ</span>gälf, <span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˈ</span>g<span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ȯ</span>lf, <span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˈ</span>gäf, <span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˈ</span>g<span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ȯ</span>f<em style="font-weight: bold;">sometimes</em> <span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˈ</span>gəlf\</span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><div class="ld_on_collegiate" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 19px; width: 405px;"><div class="bottom_entry" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 3px; padding: 0px;">: an outdoor game in which players use special clubs (called golf clubs) to try to hit a small ball with as few strokes as possible into each of 9 or 18 holes</div></div><br />I've posed the question about golf's definition to many people within the industry and received many different responses. If we cannot define what golf is, how can we "redefine" it?<br /><br />The second issue is that a task force is more talk and less action. For all the discussion around BCG, Golf 2.0, HackGolf - has anything tangible come from them? Not that I'm aware of.<br /><br />This focus on being unfocused is a liability. HackGolf will not succeed for a simple reason - people who have "cutting edge ideas" aren't going to just hand them over to a website. They're going to want credit, upside, ownership.<br /><br />So the flavor of this week is <a href="http://www.footgolf.net/" target="_blank">FootGolf</a>. Last week it was Mark King of Taylor Made <a href="http://golfweek.com/news/2014/jan/22/hackgolf-bigger-cup-larger-ball-golf-pace-of-play/" target="_blank">proposing larger holes</a>. The week before that it was <a href="http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/hotlist365/2013/02/usga-president-stands-ground-o.html" target="_blank">bifurcation</a>. Next week it sounds like it could be pay-by-the-minute timecards (which is a concept with numerous issues). So many ideas, so many opportunities, so little execution. <br /><br />The most successful companies, products and organizations succeed through long-term commitment to a few causes based around a central strategy. That's what we need to do here.<br /><br />The final issue is that none of this really matters without serious industry collaboration and we have a large hill to climb in this regard. The PGA of America can do everything Bishop describes, but would it matter? The USGA made their stance on recreational golf clear last year when they told tens of thousands of weekend warriors that they had to switch the most important club in their bag or be labelled a cheater. Is the PGA ready to assert itself as the all-encompassing authority on golf in the same way that the USTA has for tennis?<br /><br />If I were in charge of the PGA, here's what I'd do:<br /><br />Step 1 - I'd establish that the definition of golf is the way Webster has it, except I'd eliminate the last clause about "9 or 18 holes."<br /><br />Step 2 - I'd establish a central strategy that focuses on three product elements - 1) the golf course experience, 2) the golf facility experience, 3) the mobile golf experience.<br /><br />Step 3a - For the golf course experience, I'd create a set of recreational rules. Key elements would include playing all penalties as hazards and having looser guidelines on equipment. This would preserve the core tradition of the game (i.e. no "redefining" needed) while speeding up play and making the game more enjoyable.<br /><br />Step 3b - For the golf facility experience, I'd find a way to partner with TopGolf and <a href="http://www.golfentrepreneur.com/2012/09/will-topgolf-make-or-break-driving.html" target="_blank">replicate their core value of turning the driving range a social and recreational hub</a> for avid players and beginning golfers alike, just like a bowling alley.<br /><br />Step 3c - For the mobile golf experience, I'd partner with <a href="http://www.snaggolf.com/" target="_blank">SNAG</a> on the equipment side and my company <a href="http://www.playtga.com/" target="_blank">TGA</a> on the delivery model side to bring golf out into the community through programs at schools, parks, senior centers and elsewhere.<br /><br />Step 4 - Before rolling out this plan, I'd go to golf's other governing bodies to get their support so we could operate as one cohesive unit. If they didn't provide it, I'd move forward anyways with confidence that my plan was the best for long-term sustainable growth. <br /><br />Step 5 - Finally, I'd sell the plan to PGA members. Many won't agree with something like this so I'd prepare for the backlash. But all it takes is a few early adopters and some early successes to change the political tides.<br /><br />Step 6 - This would be the one and only plan for the next three years. All focus and resources would be dedicated to executing it at the highest level possible.<br /><br />Hopefully something like this is being developed within the PGA's walls. From what I know, it is. But the hard part is not the talking or planning. It's the doing. Historically, bold ideas stall out because people and organizations in the golf industry don't want to rock the boat. Well, the data clearly tells us that the boat needs a rocking.<br /><br />I support the Task Force in the same way that I do anything that is trying to move the needle forward within our industry, but I support with trepidation as I worry that it's more of the same.<br /><br />I'd prefer more of a proactive approach. An entrepreneurial approach.<br /><br />Steve Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06609893251565456569noreply@blogger.com2