Clubhouse Notes

from Club + Resort Business September 2022

Golf Operations

Crafting A Long-Term Vision For Golf

WHAT WILL COUNTRY CLUB golf courses look like and off er in 2040? What about 2050?

Country club and golf club general managers should examine middle-age and younger golfers’ behaviors and habits surrounding the game as they formulate long-term plans.

In June, GGA Partners, The Nati onal Collegiate Club Golf Associati on (NCGA), and The City Tour released a study called, “Beyond Millennials: New Generati ons and the Infl uence of Family,” that gives some insight into golfers’ preferences and interests.

The study gathered data on the golfi ng habits and behaviors of more than 1,500 players who are members of Generati on X (born between 1965 and 1980), Generati on Y (bett er known as Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996) and Generati on Z (born aft er 1996). The average age of the respondents was 30, and 66% of the respondents were under the age of 35.

The 2022 Millennial Golf Industry Survey was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 through a link distributed by NCCGA and The City Tour to their nati onwide email and player network.

Here is a look at some of the fi ndings: • The research on how oft en the groups play golf was intriguing, with the study noti ng Millennials (32.3 rounds per year) “play signifi cantly less golf than” Gen X (37.9) or Gen Z (37.6). • The survey asked golfers to identi fy their top barrier to playing. Gen X most oft en cited weather (46%), Millennials pointed to ti me required to play (59%) and Gen Z said cost (55%) was the top dealbreaker. Time required to play was in each group’s top three barriers. As a Gen Xer who lives in Northeast Ohio, I can confi rm that the ever-changing weather here can prevent golfers from playing as much as they wish. • More than 60% of respondents said they play golf most oft en at a public course, with Millennials being the most likely to do so (67%). Meanwhile, anywhere from 33% (Millennials) to 38% (Gen Z) of respondents said they played the most at either a private or semiprivate club. A large number of Gen Zers are teenagers who are likely playing at a club under a membership that their parents have. • When asked what ameniti es they would like to see at a private course, each group’s top choice was diff erent: Gen X, dining facility (54%); Millennials, nightti me use, (63%); Gen Z, simulators (58%), but nightti me use (57%) was a close second. All three groups had simulators and nightti me use in their top three most desired ameniti es. Nightti me use refers to having lighti ng on the driving range and practi ce green. It’s also worth noti ng that an outdoor bar was the third most desired amenity among Millennials. These fi ndings refl ect approaches to the game that I think diff er from previous generati ons. There’s an interest among Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z in making golf a social acti vity that is centered on a more casual and fun atmosphere. While simulators add a fun dimension to the experience, they also serve a practi cal functi on by allowing clubs in colder climates to off er services during the slower winter months. • On private club membership, Gen X is willing to pay the most for an entrance fee ($6,759) and annual dues ($4,347), compared with Millennials ($6,006 & $4,088) and Gen Z ($6,066 & $3,973). • The study also looked at what types of social and environmental factors infl uenced where golfers chose to play. On the social component, youth golf programming and diversity of golfers was important to all three groups, while course maintenance practi ces and off ering electric carts were the most commonly cited environmental issues.

Based on this study, golfers who will be on the links for the next 30 years are looking to experience the game in new ways and want to play on courses with sound environmental practi ces, diversity among its players, and instructi on for children. The COVID-19 pandemic gave golf a much needed boost. Whether the momentum from that bump can be sustained will depend, in part, on clubs’ willingness to respond to the needs of current and prospecti ve members. This study provides a nice overview of those needs, and club leaders would be wise to heed many of its fi ndings.