Hello golf stakeholders:
It’s time for the pre-GBC/PGA Merchandising Show issue of the Perspective as everyone packs their bags, sticks and suntan lotion for the annual pilgrimage to Orlando. For Stuart and I, that means hunkering down to sort through all the figures and events of the preceding year to craft our State of the Industry presentation. This year will mark our 20th consecutive review of the good, the bad and the ugly and it promises to be more upbeat than most. If you’re reading this, you should have gotten an invite email to register for the presentation either in-person or the livestream and we hope to “see” a number of you in one of those venues. We’re also scheduled to give a preview for the Golf Business Conference earlier in the week; if you’re signed up you can get the “first look” at the Rosen Centre on Tuesday.
Publisher Jim K has the lead this month and touches on the ’22 weather impact carnage before teasing the ’23 forecast and what our AccuWeather-based product, Foresight, is telling us about the ’23 full year forecast for Golf Playable Hours (GPH) compared to the 10-yr norm and ’22 (happy days!). Stuart Lindsay also looks ahead to ’23 but takes the more qualitative path on the voices, opinions and topics that he thinks will shape the narrative around golf’s health in the “endemic” Yr 3 of COVID. Jim K. got it over the Christmas holiday; no fun but far from life-threatening.
See below for the headlines to each of our recurring sections from By-the-Numbers to Comings & Goings (always entertaining commentary). We’ve already compiled the December rounds “preview”, courtesy of our GMRC subscribers, and it suggests that we’ll again get a slight “up” on Utilization via a double-digit decline that is “shallower” than the -30% GPH trainwreck outlined in By-the-Numbers. If you want to know those numbers on a regular basis, you can either participate in GMRC (course operators) or sign up for a Publications Membership (everyone else).
INDUSTRY ’23 CRYSTAL BALL: QUANTITATIVE
2 Are you ready for the ’23 weather rebound?
By Jim Koppenhaver
INDUSTRY ’23 CRYSTAL BALL: QUALITATIVE
8 What attitudes and voices will influence golf ? By Stuart Lindsay
COMINGS & GOINGS
10 13 Activities; Golf-to-graveyard is one of them
WEATHER IMPACT
12 Dec GPH declines -30% (wow!), Year-to-Date finishes -7% (double-wow!)
BY-THE-NUMBERS
14 Nov Utilization jumps despite rounds double-digit down, Year-to-Date still logging upper 60%!
MARKET FOCUS
