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GOLF:The mission statements of clubs are focused on the right factors: providing quality golf and value for money . . . with survival as the bottom line, PHILIP REIDreports
THE OTHER night in Augusta, a reception was held in one of those old colonial manors that are located along Walton Way, one of the grander roads in the Georgia town. As you entered the hallway two large marketing drop-downs featured fabulous shots of Ireland’s links and parkland courses with, on one, a photo of Graeme McDowell clutching the US Open Trophy and, on the other, a picture of Pádraig Harrington’s friendly face welcoming golfing tourists to these shores.
The basic message being sent out to those in attendance, who numbered media from throughout the world – mainly from the United States, but also from Europe, Britain, and Australia – was that Ireland was very much open for business. And, indeed, the golf tourism market is one that is important to Irish golf courses, especially with regards to green fee revenue on links courses.
Based on the latest available figures, for 2009, an estimated 150,000 tourists come to Ireland with golf as their primary reason and the spend is put at contributing €110 million to the economy. Of those, the main markets are Britain (38 per cent), North America (US and Canada) 30 per cent, and continental Europe (26). The remainder is made up of visitors from Japan and Australia etc, with a strong Tourism Ireland international campaign – fronted by Harrington, who is a global ambassador – aimed at keeping up the market share.
The aggressive promotion of golf tourism is one aspect where clubs are at least getting some outside help in their efforts to survive in difficult economic times, but the main revenue streams for clubs continue to be from memberships – and, in our representative survey of clubs around Ireland, it is interesting to note the different attitudes that are adopted towards encouraging junior memberships which, down the line, will provide the lifeblood for clubs.
Two of the more pro-active approaches come from Fintona Golf Club in Co Tyrone and from Ballyliffin Golf Club in Co Donegal, where there is actually a waiting list of almost 100 juniors so successful has been their recruitment campaign among children in the area.
In Fintona, for instance, the club has been using the “First Tees” programme – a worldwide initiative – as its template for encouraging junior membership. This is promoted through the local schools and also offers facilities to the schools so that golf can be included as part of the Physical Education classes.
In the main, the mission statements of clubs are focused on the right factors: providing quality golf and value for money . . . with survival as the bottom line! It should, perhaps, be pointed out that Irish golf clubs are not alone in battling the current economic woes and ensuring that they keep their head above the water. Last month, a conference in Budapest, Hungary, heard how less than 50 per cent of golf courses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were profitable in 2010.
The biggest concern from the KPMG survey was that the UK and Ireland – which is golf’s biggest market in Europe – showed slower signs of recovery than other regions, with pessimism expressed about the ability to return to growth until the back end of next year.
Yet, the underlying message from respondents in our survey would seem to back up the point put forward by businessman Dermot Desmond to the “Road to Recovery” Golf Conference held in Dublin last November where he encouraged clubs and those involved in the golf industry to, “play to our strengths.” He concluded, “I would ask you all to consider the fact that it doesn’t get dark at 5pm every day which is always good news for golfers and economists alike!”
