TORONTO, Ontario (Oct. 4, 2012) – Assimilation is key to the success of U.S. course designers and builders who want to capitalize on golf’s global growth, according to Henry DeLozier, who led a discussion earlier this week among development experts at the Crittenden Golf Conference in Dallas.
“Global development continues to outpace the domestic market as U.S. course designers and builders continue to understand the importance of learning and respecting the customs and business practices of the local market,” said DeLozier, principal of Global Golf Advisors, the golf industry’s leading authority on successful course ownership and management practices.
“Blending into the local market’s customs and practices is critical to the success of companies that want to expand to overseas markets,” added panelist Kurt Huseman, president of Landscapes Unlimited, a Lincoln, Neb.-based construction and project development firm active in a number of international markets.
Chile, Argentina and Peru and countries that border the Mediterranean, including Turkey, Morocco and France, will capture the lion’s share of international development in the near term, predicted Patrick DeLozier, general manager of Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. “Brazil will be the focus of the world’s attention with the upcoming combination of the World Cup and the Olympics, but, historically, up-market growth in South America occurs in the western most countries,” said DeLozier, a native of Bolivia and a close observer of golf’s surging international popularity.
Dr. Kun Li, chief representative of China’s Forward Management Group, noted that course construction has slowed recently as China’s central government weighed the country’s supply/demand balance. Dr. Li encouraged U.S. course designers and builders to “allow time to build relationships with the host nation. Establishing strong partnerships can decrease risk and accelerate success,” he said.
While overseas markets offer hope for U.S. course developers who have seen their business suffer during the recession, a number of international projects are “recalibrating” to get back on track, Henry DeLozier said. “Many projects that were developed between 1995 and 2005 are being re-planned after realizing the need for a more precise strategic plan to guide performance results and investment returns.”
About Global Golf Advisors
Global Golf Advisors is an international consulting practice that helps golf course owners, financial institutions and real estate developers solve problems related to course management and operations. The Toronto-based firm takes a 360-degree view of management and operational issues before developing a strategic plan that establishes benchmarks for success and identifies potential outcomes of recommended actions. In its 20-year history, GGA has consulted on more than 2,000 golf-related projects worldwide. For more information, please visit www.globalgolfadvisors.com or call 888-432-9494.
Contact:
Bill Bryant, Bryant Marketing Communications
bbryant@bryantmarcomm.com
678-366-3232
Henry DeLozier, Global Golf Advisors
hdelozier@globalgolfadvisors.com
602-739-0488
