Author: bennett

Harnessing the Power of Strategic Intelligence

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When a club undergoes a strategic planning event, they do so by assessing a number of key data sets: member preferences, club operations, finances and market forces.  All of these come together to help inform strategy and the action plan moving forward.

The fundamental challenge I see clubs struggle with all too often is keeping the information that informed their strategy up to date.

The intention is right, but the execution falls short.  Let me tell you why.

Most clubs are stretched for resources.  This typically necessitates a focus on immediate challenges, which tend to be operationally driven with solutions that are tactical in nature.  It is not surprising that most business intelligence utilized by clubs focuses on revenues, expenses and certain utilization statistics.

The research and insight required to monitor and adjust strategy on an ongoing basis goes beyond revenues and expenses.  It must provide club leaders with a 360-degree view of all forces impacting their club: from member attitudes and preferences to finances, capital sources and uses, from competitors to the economy, from real estate to a wide assortment of market conditions, the list goes on.

There is a tendency to assume many of these things do not change quickly, certainly not as quickly as daily operations; however, changes do occur significantly from year to year.  For clubs today, sustained competitive advantage is critical.  An off year in membership recruitment can hurt the club.  A few off years over a five-year period will hurt the club and can be significant.

This is where strategic intelligence is so important.  One of the biggest obstacles clubs encounter in their quest for better and current strategy is the sourcing, analyzing and visualizing of important strategic intelligence.  An effective strategic intelligence process requires careful planning and resources, and this is the obstacle GGA’s Strategic Intelligence program has been designed to help club managers overcome.

The strategic jigsaw puzzle

The key to harnessing the power of strategic intelligence is this: piecing the right data together in a cohesive way and creating a culture of staying in tune with current trends.

This is something that clubs have, historically, struggled with. However, by enabling clubs to stay connected to all of the factors impacting their long-term success, this is an area GGA can really make a difference.

One thing is clear: clubs who actively engage with current strategic intelligence to inform their decision-making perform better in the short, medium and long-term.

 

To discover how to leverage Strategic Intelligence for your club,
connect with Derek Johnston

Strategic Intelligence at Work

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Guest author – Lonnie Lister, General Manager, Portland Golf Club

Lonnie Lister attended the University of Arizona for a degree in music education.  He worked on the wait staff at private clubs during his college summers and found that he was drawn more to club management than to a music career. Prior to joining PGC as its GM in January 2017, Lonnie was the GM at Skyline Country Club in Tucson, AZ where he spent 23 years working in various areas of the Club. Lonnie is active in CMAA and has served on the board of the Greater Southwest Chapter.

Portland Golf Club has a rich history, but like other private clubs it faces ongoing challenges.

The city of Portland has grown tremendously over the last decade, leading to dramatic shifts in both the market and demographics.

While this growth brings opportunity, it also brings about change.  For us that change impacts a number of areas – specifically around membership recruitment and retention; staff hiring and retention, and being able to control operating costs without compromising the service we provide to members.

With this in mind, the board of Portland Golf Club voted last year to adopt GGA’s Strategic Intelligence (“SI”) platform, which features several components: a Market Scan, a Member Survey, and an assessment of the Club’s “Operational Vital Signs” which compares our performance to clubs of similar stature both within our market and in other markets.

Selective targeting

The initial Market Scan, which revealed potential member households within a two to five-mile radius of the Club, was fascinating.  We learned that within a five-mile radius of Portland Golf Club there are more than double the number of golfing households than is typical for private clubs nationally.  That was a welcome surprise.

Though our Club is still very selective, the Market Scan revealed that there was much more potential for outreach than we’d been aware of before.

As membership recruitment and retention was our number one issue, what we learned inspired us to send a “welcome letter” from the Club to home buyers in our prime market neighborhoods.  This was not a recruitment package, but rather a gently informational welcome note – letting people who might be new to Portland know that this wonderful club exists nearby.

Taking the time to listen

As a club manager, one can often find themselves guilty of favoring (or at least focusing on) one ‘R’ over the other – namely, recruitment over retention.

But retention can fuel recruitment.

A Member Survey can inform what changes are necessary based on the actual needs that current members identify, which is vastly more effective.  And the satisfaction and sense of positivity this can create reverberates beyond the four walls of the clubhouse.

What was critical for us was surveying our membership in a way that was specific to the Club, not just a broad-brush approach.  This meant we could directly address concerns of our membership and maximize the effectiveness and insights of the survey.  Already this has delivered responses that are candid and honest, and provided a robust foundation to inform strategic decisions.

Reassuring the Board

The SI platform has also been incredibly helpful in reassuring the Board that the Club is operating efficiently.

We can see in the Operational Vital Signs report that in almost every measure Portland Golf Club is performing well.  Where we find anomalies, we can take a closer look to understand what these are, and we can then decide if they are something we need to act upon or factor into our strategic decisions.

One such anomaly we found at Portland Golf Club was that most golfers prefer to walk, explaining why our cart revenue is below national benchmarks.  This is not a trend we see changing, so rather than acquire more carts or attempt to upsell them at every opportunity, we decided to focus our efforts in other, more fertile areas for business development.

Going deeper

There’s no doubt Portland Golf Club has embarked on a journey which places strategic intelligence at the forefront of the decisions we make.

Now we are in the second year of our SI subscription and have engaged in a Market Analysis to take a deeper look into what we learned from the original Market Scan.

As analysis looks at trends, rather than simply a snapshot of the market, this will allow us to plan better in what is clearly a fast-changing region.

Portland’s metro region now numbers more than 2.4 million people.  Almost 50% of the adult population has a college degree, and in Portland Golf Club’s primary market areas that percentage is even higher.

Armed with this knowledge, we can embark on our membership recruitment and retention activity with a clear sense of who our prospective customers are and where they are situated in relation to the Club.

Empowering the manager

Given my history working in a number of different roles in the club environment, I have always felt very comfortable on the operational side of the business.  However, the three most important issues we face at Portland Golf Club are all byproducts of local market growth outside of our Club’s operations.

Strategic research is providing us with data and insights we need to address each of these issues and is helping the Club in both the short and long-term.

This journey is changing the way I think and the way our team strategizes.  It provides me with more data than I have ever had available to me at other clubs and is full of relevant information that we depend on daily.  Our management team and committees routinely refer to the intelligence reports, our budgeting process benefits from the availability of current data to support assumptions, and our Board meetings are more productive and efficient.

I now feel that there is a greater connection between the service we deliver on the ground to the level and breadth of service prospective members are looking for – because we are armed with the data and knowledge to have confidence to be more aware of market needs.

Moving forward

So, where do we go from here?  Whereas before we were a Club reacting to changes and adjusting plans for the following year, now we are a club looking 2, 3, 4, even 10 years into the future.

For a time, it felt as though the city of Portland’s growth was getting away from us.  Now, we are ready for how it will develop and who will move here, giving us the ability to refine the value proposition that this Club offers them both now and well into the future.

Learn more about Strategic Intelligence here. 

Averting Surprises

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On the west coast of Scotland, between the islands of Jura and Scarba, lurks a monstrous whirlpool so menacing that it even has its own name. Fed by a tidal surge that picks up speed as it races through the narrow strait separating the islands, Corryvrekan is a devilish surprise awaiting ill-prepared sailors, taking unsuspecting ships to a watery grave.

Though not quite so devilish, it’s often the unknown that sinks a good year and an otherwise solid strategic plan in the golf business. But rather than chalking up performance setbacks to something out of your control, consider five planning suggestions that will help avert those ever-lurking surprises.

Align Your Core Values

Know what you stand for and what you mean to accomplish. Ask yourself:

What’s most important to me? Your work and interactions with others demonstrate your value system, whether you are a hard-nosed money manager or a touchy-feely departmental manager. See that your actions are consistent with your core values.

How does my work serve others? In management, one is often a servant leader who must place the needs and expectations of others ahead of his or her own. Study your course or club and understand what values are most important to your customers, members and staff. Organize your work to fulfill their priorities and your desire to serve others.

What legacy do I wish to leave? Most people do not consider the lasting impact of their countless hours of dedicated work. But they should because the best way to serve the interests of your facility and the environment is to make sure your work is building the reputation you want to leave for your successor and generations to come.

Understand Your Market

What do you know about your market? Is it primarily golfers? Families? Non-golfers seeking socialization? You should know. Are your golfers mid-level managers or high-flying wheeler-dealers? Are the women of your club working professionals or those who do not work outside the home?

Three ways to know more about your market:

  1. Understand the demographic profile of the most current member survey.
  2. Obtain the demographic profile for the local area that you serve (www.census.gov).
  3. Host discussion groups or roundtables so that your market segments can tell you about themselves and what they want from you.

Establish Clear Goals

Be specific in what you expect of yourself and your staff. Set goals that align with your long-term vision, then confirm that they align with those of management and board of directors.

Your goals for next year should be set by now. If they’re not, have a conversation with your manager and make sure you’re both on the same page. While you’re at it, set up regular meetings during the year when you both can sit down to review progress and make adjustments.

Develop a Realistic Action Plan

Convert your core values, goals and objectives into an action plan that is sized appropriately to your resources, including staff and budget. Then align authority and accountability to make sure everyone knows their roles, responsibilities and deadlines. reckoning as certain as the Corryvrekan.

Refer to the action plan and chart of accountability every week, month and quarter to ensure that you are on-course. Good or bad, report your progress up the organization. Transparency builds and sustains trust.

Re-evaluate Constantly

Few plans are perfect and most goals and objectives requires adjustment from time to time. Be flexible. Stay current and measure everything accurately and without bias.

Similarly, ask your staff to evaluate their own work and yours. Ask members and regulars for feedback. Listen to the most frequent critics … they often know what they’re talking about! Hold yourself and your plan accountable for the results being achieved.

Sometimes, as was the case with ships encountering the vagaries of the Corryvrekan, surprises are out of our control. Often, though, some careful planning will give us the opportunity to steer clear of turbulence that lurks ahead.

This article was authored by GGA Partner Henry DeLozier for Golf Course Industry.

Strategic Intelligence Overview: Part 2 of 3

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Clubs are beginning to discover the power of utilizing data to operate more strategically (see “Strategic Intelligence Part One,” September 2018). While enterprise grade analytics platforms that help to consistently track and analyze data may still be out of reach for many clubs, Derek Johnston of Global Golf Advisors says there are steps clubs can take now to lead to better decision making. He recommends club managers start with straight forward objectives for using and analyzing data:

  1. Inform key decision makers at your club with customized, accurate, timely and actionable intelligence about your club’s membership, market, operations and finances.
  2. Improve productivity and effectiveness of board and management meetings with sophisticated and reliable business intelligence.
  3. Help club executives efficiently and effectively evaluate, develop and adjust strategy on an on-going basis.

In order to effectively collect, analyze and present the right information to the right audiences, Johnston suggests you look at your club’s strategic plan and overall club goals to identify the key questions you need to answer first. For example: If your goal is to increase intermediate membership conversion rates and build a larger pipeline, some of the things you would likely want to know are:

  • Conversion rates of intermediate membership over the past five years.
  • Number of prospects in your pipeline in the past five years and how many are in it currently.
  • Reasons intermediate members have and have not converted in the past.
  • Preferences and attitudes toward the club of those who have converted to full membership in the past.
  • The size and make-up of their personal networks and their willingness to recommend the club.

“If you could gather all of this information, track it and trend it over time, you could come up with a pretty good action plan to achieve your goal,” explained Johnston. “Work through this exercise for each of the most important categories of strategic intelligence: governance, membership, market, utilization and participation, employees, operations, capital and finance.”

Once you know the information that you need to frame your decisions, then you can begin to source the information from both internal (POS, member database, P&L) and external sources (population demographics and psychographics, real estate data, social media, web traffic, etc.). When you have the necessary data, you can analyze it in a way that considers your club’s unique circumstances, visualize the information in a manner that provides historical context and trends, and then determine the best approach for presenting the information to the various decision makers at your club.

Stay tuned for Strategic Intelligence Part Three in the next issue which will address examples and the key results of clubs that have leveraged data to achieve a desirable outcome.

This article was authored by GGA Partner Derek Johnston for the Private Club Advisor.

GGA and Bigwin Realty Announce Transaction Advisory Partnership

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TORONTO, ONTARIO – October 1, 2018

Global Golf Advisors Inc. (“GGA”) and Bigwin Realty Inc. (“Bigwin Realty”) are pleased to announce the formation of a new partnership focused on providing industry-leading advisory services around the purchase and sale of golf course properties in Canada.

Craig Johnston, Director – Transaction Advisory of GGA said, “We believe our partnership with Bigwin Realty will provide golf course owners and investors with a go-to resource for the purchase and sale of golf course properties in Canada. From assisting owners with their exit strategy, to understanding the fair value of their property, to sourcing buyers and brokering transactions, we will truly be a one-stop shop.”

David Smith, President of Bigwin Realty said, “With the changing business environment for golf course owners in Canada, the combined service offerings of GGA and Bigwin Realty will provide our clients with unparalleled support to maximize the value of their investment.”

The partnership’s service offerings will include the following:

  • Exit Strategy Review/Development: Help owners understand the exit opportunities which will provide the greatest after-tax value.
  • Business Valuation Services: Provide independent and objective estimate of value of the business and underlying property; and provide recommendations for value enhancement.
  • Brokerage Services: Broker the purchase and/or sale of golf course properties.
  • Transaction Structuring and Evaluation: Assist owners in evaluating solicited and unsolicited offers and provide direction on the most advantageous deal structuring.
  • Purchase and Sale Negotiations: Support owners or investors in purchase and sale negotiations.

For more details on the partnership and properties currently available, click here.

About Global Golf Advisors
Global Golf Advisors is the largest consulting firm in the world dedicated to the golf and club industry.  GGA serves a global roster of clients from its four offices in Toronto, Phoenix, Dublin and Sydney.  The firm was founded in 1992 as a specialty consulting practice within KPMG Canada, KPMG’s Golf Industry Practice.  Since inception, the firm has provided industry-leading advisory services to over 3,000 clients worldwide.

About Bigwin Realty
Bigwin Realty is a full-service real estate brokerage, whose founder has spent over 30 years working in the golf, recreation and resort industries.  Bigwin Realty firmly believes that a real estate company should offer more than typical brokerage services, providing clients with a more focused knowledge of the industry it serves.

Board Self-Assessment

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Following board room performance standards now in use at most corporations, enables private club boards to improve their performance and the job satisfaction from their board service.  One business-like staple from the big companies is a board self-assessment.

Usually a board self-assessment is divided into four segments: structure, information, dynamics and individual board member self-evaluation.  Following are some examples of such a board assessment tool, which quantifies the qualitative elements into five parts ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” (with disagree, neutral and agree in the mid-range).  Questions about the board structure include:

Structure

  1. The board members have the appropriate talent, experience, diversity, independence, character and judgment.
  2. Board meetings are well organized and planned to ensure an effective use of time.
  3. The annual board retreat is effective in focusing the board on key strategic issues.
  4. The board has the right number of committees, and
  5. Committee meetings are timely, when-needed and purposeful.

Information

  1. The responsibilities and expectations of board members are clearly communicated and understood.
  2. The board receives adequate pre-reading materials – including budget, financial and committee reports – in advance of meetings.
  3. Board minutes are appropriate for the club, accurate, and timely available for member review.
  4. The board has adequate access to internal and external advisors, such as independent auditor and legal counsel, and
  5. Presentations by officers and staff at board meetings are accurate and unbiased.

Dynamics

  1. Board devotes sufficient time to understand and appropriately influence the club’s mission and strategic direction.
  2. Board clearly communicates goals, expectations, and concerns about tactical solutions the club’s strategic plan.
  3. Board maintains current, accurate and complete understanding of the club’s financial performance and capabilities.
  4. Board monitors legal and ethical compliance consistently, and
  5. Board balances the assignment of authority with accountability for results.

Board Member Self-Assessment (rate your own performance)

  1. Full understanding of the club’s strategic plan.
  2. Able to make critical and informed decisions in a constructive manner.
  3. Focus on key strategic, financial and governance matters.
  4. Actively engaged in the work of the board, and
  5. Advocates in support of the club.

The consolidated – not individual – results of the board self-assessment should be published for member review with an invitation for comment and feedback.  This step engages members and enables individual board members to separate random member comments from quantified data.  Members favor the notion that the board is holding itself accountable to the club’s members and openly sharing the results with fellow members.  Although your club may not be a Fortune 500 company, it can certainly adopt useful standards of board accountability.

GGA’s Henry DeLozier penned this article for BoardRoom Magazine’s BoardRoom Briefs.

Hard Times

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In his award-winning description of the Dust Bowl years, author Timothy Egan tells the story of a land without adequate water for crops and the soul-suffocating consequences of extreme drought. “The Worst Hard Time” recreates the 10,000-foot high dust storms that whipped across a delicate dryland ecosystem, choking animals and people eking out an existence most of us cannot imagine.

It’s hard to read the author’s account of their epic struggle and not relate it to the importance of intentional water management programs for anyone in the golf business today. Water management is one of the great responsibilities for all who draw water from the land, and superintendents are rightfully praised for their careful and attentive water consumption practices. They are diligent and careful users of water – whether from the ground or recycled effluent. Yet, many fear we are not doing enough to safeguard the long-term health of our most valuable assets.

Fortunately, and in contrast to the Dust Bowl years, when charlatans and conmen preyed on fearful farmers, there are now a number of progressive superintendents developing and sharing solutions for the common good. We’ve highlighted a few of them here, some of which fall into the category of plain old common sense and others that are quite innovative.

Common-Sense Solutions

Rick Tegtmeier, the superintendent at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, which hosted the 2017 Solheim Cup, often employs the wisdom of experience.

“If there is a rainfall event in our immediate future, we turn off the well (that fills the irrigation lake) in anticipation of filling the lakes with runoff water,” he says. “That saves the club money by not pumping the water out of our deep well. All our lakes on property can be drained into one of the lakes that we draw out of. In the event of a water shortage or drought, we have 21 days of water on property to keep our greens and tees alive.”

Many superintendents monitor water consumption with technology systems that constantly monitor the efficient performance of irrigation systems. “If a head is not turning or a nozzle is clogged, I can assure you water is being wasted,” Tegtmeier says.

Innovative Solutions

Tegtmeier is also known for his innovative approach to water management.

“Over the four months of summer, we utilize wetting agents on greens, approaches, tees and fairways. These surfactants make the water wetter and help to evenly distribute moisture throughout the soil profile.”

There are many types of surfactants available to turf professionals. “Using the right ones to either retain water in the profile or penetrate the soil is key,” Tegtmeier adds.

Bill Cygan, superintendent at Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield, Conn., considers water management a “blend of art and science.” Using moisture meters, Cygan and his team seek optimum moisture content for their course to produce firmer and healthier playing surfaces. “Many factors, including season, weather, soil types, microclimates and membership expectations, must be considered,” he notes.

Both Tegtmeier and Cygan also carefully monitor evapotranspiration (ET) levels on their courses. Cygan uses deficit irrigation for replacing only the least amount of water lost through ET that is needed to keep the plant healthy.

Tegtmeier says tracking ET helps determine how much to water back that evening. “We also have six TDR meters we utilize throughout the day to see if the soil needs water. Thirty years ago, we used a soil probe or a cup cutter to determine if water was needed. Now, TDR measurements are an essential part of what we do every day.”

Wetting agents are also an important part of the superintendent’s arsenal. “Wetting agents aren’t a replacement for good drainage or an irrigation system,” Cygan says. “But they will aid either process, depending on which product is chosen.”

We’ve come a long way from the Dust Bowl years, when wet sheets were hung in windows and doors were taped and stuffed cracks with rags to ward off the elements. But despite their good intentions, homespun remedies didn’t work. Poor soil management practices and the lack of water were to blame. The toll was paid by the people who lived to tell the tale.

Fortunately, progressive superintendents have developed common-sense practices and innovative solutions to help ensure that the worst hard time is not repeated on our golf courses.

GGA’s Henry DeLozier penned this article for Golf Course Industry Magazine.

Strategic Intelligence Overview: Part 1 of 3

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As the world becomes more data centric, the club industry is beginning to discover the power of utilizing data, research and analysis to operate more intelligently and strategically. According to Derek Johnston of Global Golf Advisors, informed intelligence planning increases the likelihood of current and future success.

The biggest challenges clubs face in their quest for better strategy is how to source and analyze the data and then apply that intelligence to determine future action. Comprehensive business intelligence is extremely important for clubs, especially those where boards are comprised of volunteer members with varying backgrounds and professional experience. “Everyone must be working from the same set of facts when discussing and ultimately setting strategy,” Johnston said.

Business intelligence is often new to clubs and tends to be misunderstood. “Simply put, you want to use information to help determine what has happened and why,” he explained. Using data to derive insight that helps with decision making is most impactful when 1) internal and external data from multiple sources is synthesized, 2) combined with experience and key business assumptions and 3) enabled by technology in order to identify unique insight.

“This means that relying on financial information or data from your club’s information system is not enough. It will not provide the specifics needed to develop the most successful strategy for your club,” Johnston warned.

Global Golf Advisors believes business intelligence requires a 360-degree view of all the factors impacting a club’s success from competitive market forces to member perceptions to operational and financial performance evaluations. It should also be defined based on who will be using it and the reason for which they will be using the information. Global Golf Advisors warns that anecdotal information in a board room is distracting and disastrous.

“Develop a strategy that supports both operational and strategic decision making that goes beyond typical financial data and key performance indicators. The top performing clubs around the world are consistently tracking, analyzing and reporting data to leverage intelligence and create competitive advantages,” Johnston concluded.

Stay tuned for Strategic Intelligence Part Two in our next issue which will address how to implement key practices to establish a strategic intelligence process at your club.

This article was authored by GGA Partner Derek Johnston for the Private Club Advisor.

Common Change Challenges

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“As you ask about common change challenges that most clubs are facing, it is that they are ill-prepared for change in the first place … they are not prepared to process change in a sequential manner.”

In this interview, GGA Partner Henry DeLozier shares his view on how club leaders can create and prepare for change – referencing the need for a clear-cut set of intentions that describe the club’s plan for change and how the club’s leaders will go about implementing it.

What Millennials Want

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Earlier this year Global Golf Advisors, in conjunction with Nextgengolf, released a follow up report to its ground-breaking 2017 study entitled ‘The Truth About Millennial Golfers’. GGA’s Michael Gregory, backed by the findings of the research, gives a Millennial’s take on what clubs need to do next to realize the clear opportunity this group presents…

We run the risk of a two-tier club membership model emerging. One where the long-held expectations and perceptions of existing, ageing members are at odds with the entirely different needs and expectations of a new wave of younger, more casual members.

The challenge for clubs? To create an environment which not only appeals to the new wave, but where members, of all types, can co-exist. For some club decision-makers this may be a source of discomfort, because enacting a change that leans one way or the other could potentially upset or alienate the other group.

From my experience, however, it’s clubs who resist change entirely that do themselves a disservice; sub-consciously siding with a diminishing number of older members, which, over time, makes their membership product less appealing to younger prospects.

Now, being a Millennial, it would be natural or somewhat biased having conducted this research to declare that clubs need to change their value proposition for a younger audience, and that their survival depends on it. But while there is truth in this, clubs can and should choose to see this as an opportunity – it’s real, it’s there to be seized, and at some point (whether now or in the future) everyone will need to appeal to this new wave.

Seeing things from a Millennial’s perspective

To help you on this journey, I’d like you to see the following as an insight into what Millennials think and feel about the prospect of joining your club. Each of the findings can provide the fuel for you to create a genuinely appealing product to this (potentially) lucrative group.

Millennials want flexible, scalable membership aligned to how they will utilize the club

Think about what’s important in the life of a Millennial: work, health and fitness, family, friends – all of which impact on free leisure time.

With such time and (in some cases) financial commitments already in place, a high-ticket membership subscription and entrance fee will not only be unappealing, it won’t even be on the radar.

51% of Millennial survey respondents stated their preference is a flexible membership with a low social fee that provides full access, with golf on a pay-per-use basis. Understandable when you look outside the four walls and find other leisure amenities and gyms offering ‘Build Your Membership’ options.

So, rightly or wrongly, Millennials prefer to customize and take an ‘á la carte’ approach, experience the product first (do you offer a membership trial?) and have confidence in the commitment they are about to make.

While this might sound like a ‘cake and eat it’ mentality, think about the lifetime value of these customers; if you can be flexible and deliver an outstanding experience from the outset, the likelihood is they will stay with you for years to come.

Millennials would prefer to pay a higher annual fee over an entrance fee

Not only is the financial impact of an entrance fee off-putting, no matter how many years it can be spaced over, but Millennials also aren’t keen to commit or have a sense of being ‘tied-in’. Especially in cases where they are uncertain how much they will get to access the club (because of time constraints and family/work commitments).

This doesn’t mean to say Millennials will be looking to leave or switch clubs shortly after they join. They would simply rather not outlay a large financial sum at a time of life when, away from the golf course, they often have other life events and variable expenses (home-buying, weddings, children) to keep in mind.

The upshot – Millennials are receptive to a higher subscription fee, appreciating that greater flexibility should come at some cost to them.

Millennials want more than just golf

From the research, we learned that 33 was the mostly likely age for Millennials to join – the ‘sweetspot’. A time at which Millennials, when considering membership, are also looking for fitness (71% of respondents), family access (65%) and a swimming pool (62%). Whether these facilities carry an additional, pay-per-use fee is at a club’s discretion, but simply the provision of such amenities can be a significant draw for a Millennial audience.

Something to bear in mind here: the provision of these amenities will help to boost the dwell time of Millennial members. So, when paired with our other findings in relation to how new Millennials join a club (83% through recommendations from friends, family or colleagues) it stands to reason that the more a club becomes a part of someone’s routine or lifestyle, the more chance of them recommending membership to others.

A watershed moment

When we embarked on this research with Nextgengolf, we did so with the ambition to grow the game and give the gift of golf. What’s clear from working with club managers globally is that, actually, this is an ambition we all share.

Whether this is a watershed moment which helps you to rethink and act on how to connect with a Millennial audience is up to you. But from my, perhaps somewhat biased opinion, the ability for your club to shift gear and develop a genuinely compelling product offering to this group could help unlock those long-term members you are looking for – the ones who will form the future nucleus of your club.

Read the 2018 ‘Truth About Millennial Golfers’ Report

Note: The survey sample for the Truth About Millennial Golfers study focused exclusively on a sample audience of active, avid Millennial golfers with prior golf interest and experience in tournaments of golf events.

This article was authored by GGA Senior Manager and Market Intelligence expert Michael Gregory.

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