Inaugural Golf Datatech Study Reveals Serious Golfers’ Preferences in Destinations
April 18, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The state of South Carolina and the Myrtle Beach, S.C. area were selected as the most desired golf vacation sites in the "Serious Golfer Travel & Resort Study" by Golf Datatech, LLC, one of the world’s leading golf consumer research groups. With a database of 35,000 avid golfers who play more than 60 rounds per year, Golf Datatech conducts more than one dozen studies each year with the focus on equipment purchases, equipment usage, golf apparel preferences and golf destination travel. The objective of Golf Datatech’s annual "Serious Golfer" survey is to develop an understanding of serious golfers’ travel habits, particularly when they are booking "golf specific" travel and vacations.
"The avid golfers drive the golf travel business," said Tom Stine, partner, Golf Datatech LLC. "They tend to be more knowledge about golf travel destinations and in particular, the quality courses, and that’s why we polled this group of avid golfers in our study. Personally, it doesn’t surprise me that South Carolina and Myrtle Beach were chosen by the golfers because of the larger number of great courses in the state, and in particular, the Myrtle Beach area."
The "Serious Golfer Travel & Resort Study" was conducted via the Internet in the summer of 2006 with responses received from more than 3,000 avid golfers from across the U.S. Among the questions asked on the survey:
"If you were interested in a ‘golf specific’ vacation, where would be the TOP state destination in the United States that you’d like to visit?" With all 50 states listed on the survey, South Carolina was the most popular state selected with 21 percent of the votes. Florida was second at 16 percent.
"Which of the three cities in South Carolina would you most like to visit?" Myrtle Beach received 75 percent of the votes, followed by Hilton Head at 19 percent and Charleston, finishing third with 6 percent of the ballots.
Of the survey respondents who selected South Carolina for their vacation, 27 percent reside in the North Mid-Central (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin), 25 percent are from the Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont) while 24 percent hail from the Southeast (Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia).
"The Golf Datatech Study validates our belief that the Myrtle Beach area offers the world’s best golf experience," said Bill Golden, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday’s vice president and director of marketing. "Golfers know that when they visit Myrtle Beach, they have more than 100 courses to choose from, have the opportunity to play "Top 100" courses, can bring their families with a diverse list of activities or come with friends and enjoy the camaraderie. When you combine the quality and quantity of Myrtle Beach golf with the new non-stop flights into the area, there’s never been a better time to visit the Grand Strand."
About Golf Datatech
Established in 1995, Golf Datatech conducts national consumer surveys that provide golf marketers with an in-depth understanding of the attitude and usage preferences of serious golfers throughout the country. Respondents to the survey were randomly selected from the Golf Datatech Database of Serious Golfers and represent the views of the "hardcore" golf enthusiast. Golf Datatech defines a "hardcore" golfer as one who plays more than 60 rounds per year. The average Golf Datatech study respondent played more than 62 rounds of golf per year, has a handicap of 15, an annual income just over $100k, with 69% having played golf for more than 10 years.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the "Stay and Play Package" and the "Ultimate Buddy Trip," Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world’s largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
Contact:
Cheryl Harden or Erin Barrett, Brandon Advertising and Public Relations, (843) 916-2000
charden@brandonadvertising.com; ebarrett@brandonadvertising.com;
or visit brandonpr.com
