Hello golf stakeholders:
We’ve now made the daylight savings switch and, up here in the north (and the high country in CA), winter refuses to let go with late-season low temps, snow and some ice thrown in for good measure. Our Foresight 60-day Capacity Rounds forecasting tool suggests that a number of northern climates will get a slightly-delayed start this season (10-14 days on average) but we’ll more than make up for it in the balance of the season given last year’s abnormally poor weather as a baseline.
On the topic of Daylight Savings Time, Stuart Lindsay headlines again this month with a well-reasoned and fact-supported assessment of what the impact on golf operations nationally for the season would be if Congress manages to agree on something and pass the Sunshine Protection Act (too funny, Congress is going to “protect” sunlight; does that count as a “green” accomplishment?). Publisher Jim K. meanwhile makes an uncharacteristically bold statement that he believes we’ll see some form of better performance measurement, monthly industry metrics and benchmarking in his lifetime. Given his advanced age, we’re going to have to hustle to get there but he outlines 4 developments in the tools, service providers and potentially industry association support that are changing the odds in a positive way.
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 February rounds “preview”, courtesy of our GMRC subscribers, and it suggests that we’ll likely lose a few points in Utilization not due to a lack of rounds but rather rounds not keeping pace with the healthy gain in Golf Playable Hours (GPH). 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).
