Golf is big business in Connecticut responsible for more than $635 million to the economy and nearly 12,000 jobs, according to the most recent Golf Economic Impact Study.
But, a new National Golf Foundation report that concluded 400,000 golfers left the game last year has raised questions about the sport’s health in Connecticut and across the country. Of those hanging up their clubs, nearly half were under the age of 35.
Many golfers who stopped playing, or aren’t hitting the greens as regularly, cite cost, time, and work and family demands as some of the main reasons.
But, is golf really experiencing a mass exodus in Connecticut?
Tom Hantke, executive director of the Connecticut Section PGA, says the industry does face its challenges, including rebounding from a harsh winter that cut into the profits of many local golf courses. Many clubs have also experienced membership declines, but the notion the industry is losing hordes of golfers may be overblown.
“Golf has no shortage of people coming to the game,” Hantke said. “In each of the past five years golf has had between 3.5 million and 3.7 million people either try the game or return to the game. The reference to ‘mass exodus’ appears to be out of context when you consider that 400,000 out of 25 million have left the game in a particular year, or 1.6 percent of existing players.”
In Connecticut, private golf courses saw their average memberships drop from 260 in 2010, to 226 in 2011 and up slightly to 231 in 2012, according to recent PGA Annual Operations Surveys. Hantke said he expects to see a membership increase from 2012 to 2013 when the new data is released.
Public course memberships, however, have continued to drop off in recent years, Hantke says.
Men’s and women’s club memberships at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain, for example, have fallen about 25 percent over the last few years with total rounds played also taking a hit. Kyle Hedstrom, head PGA professional at Stanley, agrees that cost and the amount of time it takes to play — often 4-5 hours per round — are contributing to the decline.
“I feel the economy has been the strongest influence on the state of the game,” Hedstrom said. “People are watching their disposable income and their leisure activities that cost money are the first to go. Time is also a contributing factor as people just don’t have the time anymore.”
Hedstrom added that the increasing popularity of youth sports such as soccer and baseball are taking up more parents’ time during the week — time they might be out on the golf course.
Often hearing the complaint that golf costs too much, Hedstrom is quick to point out that the game in Connecticut is quite affordable by comparison.
“Pricing is a very sensitive issue,” Hedstrom said. “The biggest problem is courses devaluing golf by lowering their prices to extreme amounts. I think golf in Connecticut is fairly priced. Go to Florida in the winter and you are paying over $100 for 18 and a cart. We are just over $50 for 18 and a cart.”
Not surprisingly, Connecticut’s severe winter weather — including the ninth coldest March in the last 120 years — wreaked havoc on revenues and rounds played through the first quarter of 2014. The state’s golf courses reported an average of 2.5 days open through March, compared to 9 in 2011, 16 in 2012 and 19 in 2010. Additionally, the days when golf facilities did open earlier this year were colder and wetter than normal resulting in fewer rounds played.
The bottom-line impact was substantial: Median golf fee revenues in Connecticut were down 41 percent year-to-date through April compared to a year ago, while median merchandise sales were down 13 percent, Hantke said.
Innovative programs
To adjust to the industry pressures, golf clubs are being forced to adapt their business.
“Club membership is transforming with clubs making better assessments of their value proposition, their amenities, and how they cannot only better engage their current members, but also how they can meet the needs and demands of the prospective members,” Hantke said.
The Connecticut State Golf Association (CSGA) is doing its part to address the cost issue by offering the $40 Connecticut Golf Playbook. In addition to other perks, the book gives golfers access to premier facilities throughout Connecticut at a discounted rate of up to 60 percent off and helps member clubs generate additional revenue, said Brent Paladino, CSGA’s director of competitions and communications.
Meantime, many courses and organizations are taking the initiative to not only encourage current golfers to get out on the course, but to appeal to new golfers, particularly younger players through programs such as The First Tee and the PGA Junior Golf League, introduced in the last couple of years to address the team aspect of golf similar to a baseball little league program.
Innovative and alternative offerings like footgolf, baseball golf, and disc golf — activities that mirror team sports such as baseball and soccer, but do so with a golf-themed experience — are showing great appeal to younger players, experts say.
“These are examples of how younger people can be attracted to golf,” Hantke said. “The First Tee of Connecticut is arguably one of the most successful First Tee chapters in the country. We have seen their penetration in golf in schools and on-course programming, introducing a golf experience to those that never had one, making a positive impact.”
Joe Cordani Jr., head PGA professional at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury, said he supports such programming because it attracts new players and also makes what is a difficult sport more enjoyable.
“The game could be a little easier to play, courses made shorter and rounds would be faster than they are now,” Cordani said. “Young people are used to quick and timely information and using things in same manner in life and in recreation.”
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