LAKE MARY, FL – Perhaps the highlight of the 20th Anniversary ING Spring Conference first full day Monday was the opening panel discussion including Sean Toulon, executive vice president, product and brand creation for TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Roger Pride, director of marketing of Visit Wales & the Welsh Assembly Government, Jim Dunlap, editor/reporter for Pellucid and Kyle Phillips of Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design.
That panel kicked off the educational portion of this annual gathering of golf media and industry leaders, taking place at Pinehurst Resort. The International Network of Golf has attracted its largest attendance in three years for the conference, which continues through Wednesday.
These four leaders of the golf industry provided ING members with candid opinions about where the industry stands now and where it is headed over the next five years. While the industry has been at the mercy of the troubled economy, the panel felt, that like the economy, there is a cause for guarded optimism provided the correct path is taken.
“Three or four years ago, we were near 30 million golfers,” offered Dunlap, “but we lost a million in 2008 and it appears we may have done it again in 2009. This trend is unlikely to change over the next five years. However, rounds have increased by one percent. While this is positive, it’s the same people who are playing these rounds. and we have to do something to attract new golfers.”
Dunlap sees an entirely different golf landscape on the horizon.
“Clubs that have been private will be forced to change to semi-private or daily fee,” he said. “The increased competition for the golf dollar will result in more discounting and there will be more consolidation of golf equipment companies. Right now we have the Baby Boomers playing more golf, but the generation behind them hasn’t followed suit. If golf is going to progress we’re going to have to find a way to increase not only the frequency of play, but retain the people who are playing while attracting newcomers to the game.”
The four panel members agreed that the obstacles that must be overcome include the time factor as well as the difficulty of the game. As to the latter point, Toulon spoke about what started as a creative exercise in the TaylorMade R&D department and may blossom into a program that could go a long way in putting the game in a more favorable light.
“We had our people design what we called the MOAD, the mother of all drivers,” he explained. “It had about a 900cc head and looked like it was a part of a space shuttle. We programmed it with Sergio Garcia’s swing and the ball carried 350 yards. We just wanted to see what we could do and then we scaled it back to conform to the USGA and R&A regulations. The more you think about it though, the day may come when there are two sets of rules. One for the professionals and one for the rest of us.”
Another aspect of the future of the game to be considered is the global growth. While the industry may have problems here in the US, it’s not necessarily the same around the world.
“In 1999 – 2000, 60 percent of our business was here in the US,” said Toulon. “Today, our business has grown four-fold and just 45 percent of it is in the US.”Ì¢?å¬Phillips, who has done extensive design work overseas, feels that the industry is in a boom era–just not here in the US.
“The golf industry has never been better globally,” he said. “If you look in certain markets like Asia and India, the growth is there and it’s where the wealth has shifted. What we have to work on in the US is sustainability. We have to build and manage facilities that make sense from a financial standpoint. We’ve built facilities that aren’t sustainable because the truth is, it was never considered. It made sense on that day, but the future wasn’t considered. We need to focus on growing the game today and in the future.”
Pride sees the industry from an international viewpoint. He sees the 2010 Ryder Cup to be held in Wales as more than a boost to its reputation as a golf destination. It’s a tool to be used in growing the game for the future.
“Golf travel is going to face challenges over the next five years,” he said. “Cost of air travel is definitely going to increase and we’re going to have to be well aware of exactly where our market is. We know that most of our business is drive in from England. We also know that there is a need to build our business from within Wales. There is now an effort being made to expose youngsters to the game through building pitch and putt facilities where they can learn the game without the difficulties of trying to learn on a full-sized course. In five years, we’re hopeful that these youngsters will develop into golfers.”
Other highlights from Monday at ING:
Certified Speaking Professional Chip Eichelberger rocked the crowd with an interactive motivational session that sent the audience away with new life-changing ideas.
Social Media expert Georgina Lewis gave the audience strategies for a thorough and consistent Internet presence.
The ING Spring Conference continues Tuesday with the One-On-One Appointment Show, the Demo Lab and the conference banquet.
For more information about ING, visit www.inggolf.com.
Contact:
Mike Jamison
407-28-0500, ext. 1
mike@jamisongolf.com
