When you think about golf and professional golf in Germany, names such as Bernhard Langer, Sophia Popov, Sandra Gal, Martin Kaymer and Marcel Siem usually spring to mind…

Having produced a long list of players to have reached the upper echelons of the game, Germany can certainly boast a history of consistently shaping the very nature of European golf at the elite level. But as we see in each and every successful golfing nation, producing great players requires solid structures and foundations to have been constructed and managed by the organisations responsible for the game’s governance. Germany is no different. What interconnects the above-mentioned players is that a PGA of Germany Professional has in some way, shape and form, influenced every stage of their games.

So, if German golf is thriving, the PGA of Germany must remain as strong and as influential as possible. To find out more about the ways in which it is doing this and about the wider German market, we spoke to PGA of Germany Professional, Stefan Quirmbach, who has played a central role within the PGA of Germany as its President for over 20 years. Throughout his sit-down conversation with CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell, he shared his insight into the German golf industry and some of the most significant contributions he and the PGA of Germany have made to its growth.

Here are just three.

The organisation was not always the ‘PGA of Germany’

“When I started my apprenticeship in 1984, the organisation was actually called the ‘German Golf Teachers Federation’. This placed the members at a disadvantage because to a certain extent it limited them to experts in coaching and nothing else. At the end of the day, PGA of Germany Professionals are just that, Professionals” Stefan recalled.

“At the time, it was an association of good, collegial friends, and you had the feeling: ‘yes, they all understand each other very well’. But what I felt was that colleagues did not really talk honestly and openly about their profession. When they talked, everyone said at first that their shop was running well and that the hour book was full – but when you talked to the individual a bit more intensively, that was not always the case. The Professionals in the clubs at that time perceived themselves as golf instructors, and the situation was simple: the PGA Professional was there on the driving range giving lessons and usually he ran the shop. At that time, I had the feeling that the actual situation of golf Professionals in the clubs did not match the role we were supposed to have been playing. I did not feel comfortable with that.”

So In 1997, the organisation reorganised and became the PGA of Germany, enabling a new internal structure to be brought in, driven by Stefan himself, whilst also enabling them to utilise the PGA brand – something that Stefan places an incredible amount of value on: “We reformed the organisation into the PGA of Germany. Everybody in golf knows the three biggest letters are PGA. It is a highly marketable asset and attachment to have. It was clear back then that we needed to have this label.” This has meant the standards of the PGA of Germany Professional have increased and the German golf industry is becoming more and more reliant on their skills and expertise: “I feel now we have one of the best PGAs in the world. We have a reliable structure and the organisation has the respect it deserves in Germany. It is highly reputable and influential across the industry. It is enabling us to represent our members wholeheartedly. There is now a sense of pride amongst our PGA of Germany Professionals to wear the badge on their shirt.”

PGA of Germany members are more crucial than ever to the game’s commercial growth, and perceptions have changed

Throughout Stefan’s early career, industry attitudes to PGA Professionals were very different to present day. There were only 17,000 golfers playing the game in 1966 and the sport was, like most countries in the mid-twentieth century, considered very elitist. For Professionals, their reputations were not fully recognised by clubs: “When I started my training with Henning Strüver at the Frankfurt Golf Club in 1984, he told me that two years before he was only allowed on the terrace of the clubhouse – but not in the clubhouse. And when I chose this profession, my mother said to me: ‘You are going down to the lowest social level I know!’.

Not one to sit on his laurels, Stefan was spearheading change within the industry, through careful planning and a radical change in structure and educational delivery. PGA of Germany Professionals began to receive internationally recognised standards of education and training, meaning they could better meet the demands of the industry. “We really believe in education here in Germany. If you work on the education of your members, you improve their skills and in turn, professionalise the profession. This increases respect, trust and reliance on each of our members. We do continuously review and adapt our education to ensure we stay relevant and the workforce maintains its suitably for the demands of the market.

“The role of the golf Professional has changed radically in the last 40 years, thank God: we are all commercially minded and educated now. The profession of golf Professionals is now recognised as a business, and therefore the Professional himself is valued much more. That is also one reason why I do not want to be called a golf teacher. We are the basis of the game, but beyond that, we are also the ones who are highly competent in many other areas of the golf market. That is why I was also very happy when we changed our name from the German Golf Teachers Association to the Professional Golfers Association of Germany in 1995, because this reflects what we do much better.”

This rise in standards has also meant that the quantity of highly-trained professionals is increasing too: “When I first started, we had roughly 30 apprentices each year on the apprenticeship. Now, this number is more like 65-80 apprentices. This means we are able to satisfy the market with more highly skilled and knowledgeable PGA Professionals.”

So how does this reflect for the commercials in German golf? Well, the maths is quite simple: a highly-skilled workforce that is, as Stefan puts it: “incredibly engaged and wants to drive the game forward” means that golf clubs are far more commercially driven as they are now managed by PGA members and the connectivity between organisation and professional is as strong as it has ever been. “I wanted the association to be recognised in the golf world as a highly attractive business partner and that a partnership with us professionals is desirable for companies. Ultimately, this helps the association to be in a better financial position. There is definitely still room for improvement. I envisaged an association whose members proudly show their students and customers that they are PGA golf professionals. Because such a self-image then also radiates to the association’s partners. This is significantly better but we must continue to engage across our membership.”

The PGA owns and manages the Pro Golf Tour

The PGA of Germany owns and manages a number of different assets, which has enabled the organisation to grow and deliver a successful commercial programme consisting of revered brands such as Allianz, BMW, T-Mobile and Titleist all choosing to collaborate and partner with the association: “We first published our own golf magazine – pro!golf – which highlighted the association and our activities and was very important for our perception in the market.”

Another of these key assets if the German Pro Golf Tour: “At the time, the Pro Golf Tour was actually called the EPD Tour. Taking ownership of the tour was important for the organisation. With the purchase of the then EPD Tour, now the Pro Golf Tour, in 2005, we clearly committed ourselves to the promotion of professional tournaments.” But the work did not stop at the acquisition phase. Stefan and his board changed the way the tour was managed, primarily to ensure it enhanced the reputation of its players: “Whilst we wanted to increase playing opportunities for our members, reducing the bureaucracy that surrounded it and placing ownership into the hands of the Professionals was important too. For example, we stopped having referees on the tournaments. It meant that the players had to self-police their rounds, become more open and honest and really, this helped to increased and drive the reputation and credibility of all our members playing on the Pro Golf Tour.

“Every time we have stood for election in the past 21 years, we have brought new projects forward, sometimes internally and sometimes externally oriented, which were close to our hearts and which we ultimately successfully implemented together with the managing directors.”

Final Thoughts…

Through Stefan Quirmbach’s leadership and contributions, the PGA of Germany has shaped and developed its business significantly to ensure its PGA Members receive the highest possible standards of education and support services, whilst also enabling the organisation to further its role as a leading and influential voice for German golf. This has meant both organisation and member has increased its influence and reach to the amateur golfer and ensured that the game grows in both relative and absolute ways. German golf is thriving and with the structures and foundations that have been set by the PGA of Germany, the future looks bright for golf in the country.

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This article is available in The Insider by CPG magazine, click here to download your digital copy.

Brands are acutely aware of the need to give back to society in a variety of different ways and as a socially responsible business, there has never been a better opportunity to support a cause in golf than the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.

What is the RCEDT?

The RCEDT is a registered charity that supports the development and progression of golf throughout Europe by assisting and guiding various projects, initiatives and programmes in the sport.

It was formed as part of a three-way partnership within Ryder Cup Europe, comprising the European Tour as its managing partner, the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland as its founding partner, and the CPG through the vehicle of the Trust. It continues to ensure that the Ryder Cup invests back into the game and plays a significant role in the ongoing development of golf across the continent.

As sole partner of the Trust, the CPG, which has over 30 years’ expertise in the provision of golf development expertise and delivery on a global basis, is responsible for the control and management of the RCEDT.

Why was the RCEDT set up?

The RCEDT was created in order to allow the Ryder Cup to put even more back into grass roots golf across Europe. The idea of the Trust is to get more people starting to play golf, continuing to play and ultimately succeeding in the game.

Samuel Ryder started the Ryder Cup in 1927, and after some 65 years of the competition being under the ownership of the PGA of GB&I, the event was then run as a joint venture with The European Tour. In 2004, a new Ryder Cup agreement was drawn up to involve the CPG as sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, with the European Tour becoming the managing partner.

How does the RCEDT support golf development?

The RCEDT maintains a core focus on 10 pillars of activity, through which its support sees benefit: Participation, Education, Coaching, Junior and Youth, Elite and High Performance, Inclusivity, Improving and Enhancing Lives, Promotion of Golf, Insights, and Sustainability.

The Trust has supported a wide range of projects across Europe, including free lessons at European Tour events, junior golf programmes, disabled golf, educational programmes and more. In all cases, whether large or small, money from the Ryder Cup European Development Trust is being used for the development and growth of the game from grassroots right through to elite levels.

As a result, the Trust’s impact has been considerable and far reaching for golf in Europe. Just recently, Team Europe’s victory in the Solheim Cup – delivered by a team with international representation from no less than eight European nations – was testament to the support provided by the Trust over the years, as well as to the work of many European Federations and PGAs who have contributed to the development and success of each player.

The RCEDT: support your CSR goals.

As a registered charity that supports grassroots golf programmes and golf development projects, your businesses’ support of the Trust will create significant social development opportunities through golf and provide thousands of people from across a diverse range of backgrounds with the chance to participate throughout Europe. The legacy of the RCEDT is unwavering; the impact its support has is far-reaching; the mutual benefit of your involvement will be profound.

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2018 was a monumental moment for golf in France. By bringing the biennial Ryder Cup matches to Paris meant that the French economy benefitted with sums in the region of €235 million, achieved through ticket sales, international consumer spending, business investment and other commercial activity. Through that Ryder Cup, the contributions have unquestionably raised the profile of golf in France enormously and brought about significant economic value to wider French society.

But the impact it has had goes further than just the economics. The French bid for the matches contained legacy-focused activities such as building 100 ‘petites structures’ (or urban courses) closer to the population and the ‘Mon Carnet de Golf’ schools programme that introduced golf and the Ryder Cup to French schoolchildren. After 10 years of work, that short course project has had a significant impact on French golf by developing 17,000 new players, creating over 250 jobs and generating economic benefits such as increased investment into golf and contribution to the national GDP through an average of €220,000 of revenue and 3000 green fees per course.

So, there is no wonder that excitement about the opportunities and the possibilities that the Ryder Cup can have is growing each day within Italy – the host country of the 2023 matches. For the first time, the event will be staged by the country best known for the Molinari brothers, exquisite food and gastronomy, and the roar of a Ferrari supercar.

That excitement is shared by Head of Education for the Italian Golf Federation and President of the PGA of Italy, Filippo Barbé: “The Ryder Cup is a great opportunity. We will need to think outside the box and do something different for 2023 but I am excited.”

Joining the conversation from his home in the North-Italian hub of Milan, Filippo is gently spoken throughout. He is one of the most influential figures in Italian golf and will no doubt be playing his own part in making the matches a huge success for golfers across the country. Whilst he is not directly involved in the matches themselves, he is aware of the opportunities it will bring to the two governing organisations and the domestic game: “With a Ryder Cup coming up in 2023, the Federation and the PGA of Italy will be stepping up our cooperation. It makes total sense to do so. It is not often a Ryder Cup comes about. By doing so, we can have a significant influence on the game on so many levels going into that event. Historically, our cooperation has ensured that participation levels have remained high and in fact, higher than many other countries, so I do not think there is a reason to change course because of the Ryder Cup.”

Whilst participation may be high, golf in Italy can only thrive with solid foundations and that comes from a self-sustainable and financially strong PGA. Filippo was keen to stress this fact throughout the conversation: “We cooperate closely to ensure we run on strong foundations. Becoming more sustainable as a PGA is our goal. With the focus now switching to Italy for 2023, commercial sponsors will be looking for new opportunities to target golfers and activate across the country. I believe we have a part to play on this front. The challenge for the PGAI and the Federation now is to ensure that we reaffirm our position as the two leading organisations for golf in the country. That is key. By maintaining our influence and presence, I feel this will help revenue and sponsorship to flow long after the event has been staged. This money helps to move our organisations forward and provide better services to our members.”

There is no doubt that the 2018 Ryder Cup, the French Open and many other major golf events have helped to place France in an attractive position for commercial investors over the years. Investment and profits from the event itself – which is channelled through and administered by the Ryder Cup European Development Trust (RCEDT) – has helped support projects such as the 100 Petites Structures and other developmental initiatives that are growing the game in France. It is that sort of legacy that the PGA of Italy is aiming to replicate heading into the 2023 edition: “I am convinced it will be a great event but we must focus on what we are good at and what our strengths are. Our unique position for golf in Italy will help to attract sponsors, tourists, golfers and businesses – all of which are key to supporting golf’s development in the country”.

Keen to stress that actions speak louder than words however, Filippo cited recent examples of how and why the PGA of Italy is keen to be involved in international golf events as much as possible: “During the recent Italian Open, we had a dedicated area to host a series of coaching clinics and zones. We invited some of our most experienced PGAI Professionals to be stationed throughout the week and deliver lessons to the general public. This is a very small and simple example but it was very effective. Our highly educated PGA Members are the experts in the game. We think having them present at the Ryder Cup and during events like the Italian Open is valuable. They are able to engage with golfers and help them to improve and a lot of these amateurs are ones who we would not normally see at golf clubs and driving ranges on a day-to-day basis. They have come to watch golf for the first time.”

“That is the power of golf events such as the Italian Open and the Ryder Cup. They enable us to reach new audiences. We can do a great job in 2023. There are some tremendous opportunities for the PGA of Italy and the Italian Golf Federation to take advantage of. We just want to showcase our PGA Professionals and help drive the numbers of people playing golf here in Italy. The Ryder Cup is perfect for this.”

The Power of Sponsorships in Golf

To hear Filippo speak so passionately about golf in Italy and the PGA for which he has presided as President for over three years was quite eye-opening. He is a man who cares deeply about the sport in his country, with a strong and vested interest in providing greater and further opportunity for his members: “Having better educated Professionals, supported by a strong PGA both financially and operationally, ensures they are able to engage with golfers in new and better ways, and ultimately grow the game across all levels.”

It is clear that large-scale golf events play an integral part in driving domestic participation and in supporting national golf organisations. The Ryder Cup has a history for providing increased opportunity and exposure for countries to benefit and in turn, for golf to thrive in the respective host countries. By staging the matches in Rome in 2023, it will be immense for Italian golf – not just because of the anticipated three day spectacle that we have all grown to love but also because of the effect it will have on the wider game in Italy and on the institutions that are responsible for its development. For the many passionate individuals that administer the Italian game, such as Filippo Barbé, the Ryder Cup’s impact will be profound.

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Centurion Club is a CPG Business Partner and member of the Business Club by CPG – Find out more here

The CPG were delighted to host the inaugural CPG Centurion Club Invitational at its international headquarters, Centurion Club, on Tuesday 5^th October. Aimed at providing an exclusive opportunity for CPG Commercial Partners, PGA Professionals and invited guests to enjoy an outstanding golfing experience with first class hospitality and entertainment, staged just after the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, the event stayed true to its promise throughout.

Attending teams were as diverse as they were significant – from global golf and technology brands such as Trackman and Pitchfix; to cybersecurity and malware protection provider ESET; to club, apparel and accessory manufacturer PING Europe. It was a golf event where CPG Partners, Supporters and those with close ties to the organisation could finally come together for the first time in over 18 months to share in a unique golf and networking experience.

The event started off with a range of product and service demonstrations for guests including from the golf swing biomechanics company, Dragonfly 3D, as well as from youth education programmes and golf clubs provider, GolPhin, followed by practice and business networking – the latter being made possible by a dedicated Business Club Lounge Sponsored by ESET. Before a golf shot had even been hit, the opportunities for developing meaningful relationships, creating business and brand exposure and experiencing the exquisite facilities at Centurion Club were aplenty.

Situated to the west of St. Albans, Centurion Club is the international headquarters of the CPG, whose name reflects the historical associations the area has with the Roman era. As a host venue for one of the recently staged Aramco Team Series events on the Ladies European Tour, the course explores a mix of pine tree-lined and dramatically shaped holes to offer an aesthetically beautiful golf course. The venue was befitting of such an event and delivered above and beyond guest’s expectations.

The golf event provided the perfect opportunity to pilot European Doubles Golf, which will see its international rollout in 2021 and 2022. Co-founded by Jack Nicklaus and 2PG and already proving to be a massive success in the USA, Doubles Golf was launched as an innovative form of recreational and competitive golf, played as a series of two-person team, ‘scramble format’ events. For the CPG Centurion Club Invitational, this format provided the perfect opportunity for teams to interact with one another more closely, discuss strategies (about their golf games, but also about business!) and work together to produce an accumulated team points total across two sets of 9-hole tournaments.

In the end, 85 points was enough to claim first place for Centurion Club’s Andy Stubbs, PGA Professional Lee Scarbrow, PING Europe’s former Managing Director, John Clark, and CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell. Ian placed most of the praise on Stubbs: “Andy made that front nine look easy – he must have contributed 7 birdies to the overall team total, it was incredible to watch.”

The CPG Centurion Club Invitational was not just about the golf and demonstrations in the morning however. For Old Tom Gin 1821, who recently announced their partnership as the Official Gin of the CPG, the day provided the platform to officially launch their brand-new gin products. Attended by Founder and CEO, Giorgio Cozzolino, guests were treated to gin tasting at an Old Tom Gin-hosted drinks reception. Giorgio was delighted with the response: “Following many years of hard work in perfecting the taste, the quality and even the packaging, it was incredible to see my vision come to life at our own launch event, in partnership with the CPG.”

Centurion Club prides itself on quality. The golf course, service and experience that it provides its members has created a unique and reputable experience that very few venues can rival. This premise held true right the way through to the very end of the day, as guests were rewarded for their tremendous golfing efforts with a fine dining experience; a panel session with Old Tom Gin Brand Champions, Carly Booth and Gary Evans, around their playing careers and PGA Professional influences; and a short Q&A between Ian Randell and John Clark, who both focused on the recent staging’s of the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup and their own involvements with the two biennial events.

Throughout the pandemic, events such as this have been few and far between – safety restrictions and regulations have reduced the ability to mix and interact through golf. These principles of social interaction across a level-playing field for a full day of golf are the very cornerstones of why golf is termed ‘The Sport of Business’. Having the opportunity to finally bring a range of partners, guests and golfers together for a one-day experience like no other was valuable for all involved. In fact, the day was nicely summarised by Pitchfix Marketing Director, Russell Coulston: “Yesterday was immensely enjoyable, even for a novice golfer like me. The event was extremely well-coordinated, held at a wonderful venue and had great company and connections for me to talk to about our respective businesses. Well done and massive thanks to the teams from both the CPG and Centurion Club.”

“My lesson bookings have never been busier – how do I keep these customers moving forwards?”

“With long-term prospects and consumer confidence looking fairly low, we are not sure this high will last.”

It is an interesting conundrum, and one that most PGA Professionals and facility owners find themselves in right now. Golf courses, ranges, simulators and clubs are busier than ever with existing and new players to the game. So how can you manage this uptick in participation properly, whilst engaging, enticing and retaining their custom?

First I think we need to answer the question of: Is this going to last?

The answer to that, to a large extent, depends on our actions. If as an industry, we play this situation well by utilising resource effectively, managing our time and creating innovative solutions to meet the excess demand, I don’t see why this pent-up consumption can’t be turned into real and sustainable consumer spending in the years to come.

There is that key comment of “people have been unable to do other things and golf was there first…it won’t last” to deal with. For sure, a large proportion of this increased demand is made up of consumers who have been unable to fulfil their normal spending habits, such as watching their local sports teams (football, cricket, rugby, tennis etc.) and have therefore been on the prowl for something else to fill their time. During this search, golf has provided that short-term solution to satisfy a need but what happens once their usual spending habits reemerge? Most believe golf will be cast aside once more.

However, this isn’t and shouldn’t be a certainty whatsoever.

If we can focus on converting just a small percentage of those people into consuming golf as a more regular habit, say once a month for the next year, it can yield worthwhile returns. Here is an example taken from a local course, who have seen an average increase of 40 visitor green fees per day since lockdown restrictions were lifted.

1. Average green fee charged: €20.00
2. Average number of surplus visitors (using pre-lockdown figures as a baseline): 40
3. Additional revenue per day: €800.00
4. Additional revenue per month: €24,000

Notice how the last figure was calculated for monthly, rather than annually. This is so that you can take into consideration that 40 extra golfers, like with your existing customers, will drop off significantly during the off-peak, winter months. However, it paints a picture of the potential increases golf courses can (and have) seen recently. Just converting 10% of these golfers permanently (4 players!) is worth a significant amount of revenue to your business.

01 BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SEGMENT

Perhaps you already collect consumer data of your visitors, perhaps you don’t. Understanding this segment to a degree is going to be important in order to effectively manage and exceed their expectations and retain their custom.

First you need to set up a system of data collection. This doesn’t even have to be a fancy, state-of-the-art cash register that requires an input mechanism for every player. It can be as simple as staff observations and reporting. Whatever it is, create a procedure or system that your team works with and can work well to, and gain an understanding of a number of things:

1. How often does this consumer play?
2. What points in the day do they play? (AM, PM, Twilight etc.)
3. Do they consume additional services aside from green fees? (golf carts, range, bar, restaurant etc.)
4. Simple demographic breakdowns (Age, gender, occupation, proximity to course)
5. Contact details and GDPR conformity!

02 TARGETING

This really should be with point 01 but it is easier to explain separately. This is because you can’t have a targeted campaign without the previous stage of data collection. The two go hand-in-hand. How you go about creating a targeted campaign is dependent on the data that you have about your consumer, and generating the data that you need is dependant on the campaign you want to create.

First identify a business goal of the campaign. Is this to acquire a set number of additional members? Is this to sell a block number of lesson vouchers? Is this to drive green fee revenue? Golf cart revenue? We will continue to use the example of increasing visitor green fee revenue.

Now that we have a goal, we can begin to narrow down our focus for data collection. We don’t need to find out more about our members as these are not visitors. We also don’t need to focus on our existing pool of regular pay-and-players (assuming you have a database for these golfers already as they will have booked countless of times already).

We need to focus our efforts on those new visitors that we have no data for. Utilising point one, begin to collate data (and therefore understanding) of this consumer, so that you have the information and direction you need on what needs to change or be focused on to increase this golfer’s experience moving forwards.

*As a side point, also ensure they provide GDPR consent to receive marketing information from yourselves when doing so*

Now you better understand them as people, you can provide these new ‘Post-COVID’ golfers with tailored products, services and offerings to entice and engage them for further consumption. Be creative with how you do this, you don’t need to just offer them heavily discounted green fees, mostly because they’ve been paying stated prices already with no complaints, haven’t they? Ask yourselves: why are these people enjoying golf? What is it about their consumption of golf that differs to our existing consumers?

You might find that they enjoy the social benefits of golf such as having a drink after playing, or that they want to try a new sport, or that simply enough their Saturday’s are now free and they need something to do. Well, how about streaming live sport in the clubhouse after? With some heavy promotion and communication to them about this, they will realise that they can now play golf and watch their favourite teams play at the same time…

This is not a magic bullet but the premise of the point is that tailoring your services to each individual better will improve their experience and encourage their future custom.

03 COMBATTING A CULTURE CLASH

A separate point, but nonetheless crucial to maximising your returns.

So often, we hear about the barriers to entry faced by many new golfers. This includes attitudes of existing members and players, strict club regulations and enforced rules on etiquette and behaviour. I am not for one minute suggesting these all need to be disbanded, in fact I would be extremely surprised if they could anyway – golf has been trying to remove them for decades and for various reasons, has failed.

However you view these points (Whilst I personally appreciate the etiquette of the game and standards of behaviour, I cannot understand why wearing a jacket and tie and not using your mobile phone in a clubhouse is still even a rule in 2020), the fact remains that these will no doubt dismay and dissuade the consumers you are trying to target here to continue playing. They are accustomed to freedom of choice, the ability to go where they want and when they want and quite frankly, golf doesn’t – it remains bogged down and unable to offer the same sort of atmosphere because of its traditional nuances.

This last point I am trying to focus on is about engagement – engaging both the new consumers you are targeting and engaging the existing members that you have to work with you in doing so. If you can encourage and create an atmosphere that furthers inclusion, reduces stigmatisation and promotes friendliness, one can be confident that new golfers and visitors will be far less likely to play, dislike the experience and the unwelcoming atmosphere and never come back.

One simple idea could be to create a ‘mentor system’ between guests and members, or have themed nights in the clubhouse that focus on socialising and fun. Even something as simple as how you arrange your clubhouse seating (COVID-19 complying of course) might encourage increased dialogue between different groups, rather than having uninteractive, unsociable bubbles.

By combing a renewed and refreshed atmosphere, with better understanding and targeting, the ‘COVID-19’ golfer might just realise that golf is for them, that it isn’t a sport for the affluent and that in fact they can have as much enjoyment from golf that they would have from other sports and pastimes…

Let us seize this opportunity, whilst we still have it.

Despite the obvious and well-documented challenges this has posed to industries, in particular golf, PGA Professionals have adapted to an incredibly difficult situation admirably. You only have to spend a few minutes on social media to see their drive and determination across the world to maintain both their golf games and enthusiasm, conducted under a cloud of doubt and uncertainty as to when they will return to work and the course.

Your clients and customers will no doubt also be itching to get back onto the course, back to playing in weekly club competitions, back to hitting balls on the range and back to having lessons with you. So how, despite having limited ability to interact directly with them, can you continue to build and maintain a rapport? How can you use this time to increase your relevance and prepare your business for when the play button on society is hit?

Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool and something you or your employers will have been possibly engaging with or utilising in some form already. Established mainstream channels such as Facebook and Twitter provide solid bases to create exposure and generate valuable conversations with your existing clients and potential customers, providing it is done in the right way for you and your business.

Don’t stick to just Facebook and Twitter however. LinkedIn provides a professional platform to collaborate with other businesses. Instagram is a fantastic channel for golf clubs to visually present their business – clubs are utilising closed courses to generate fantastic on-the-ground and aerial drone footage, undisturbed, that can be uploaded across instagram, websites and for future content purposes.

There is no doubt other channels such as TikTok [a video streaming site that’s use has surged very recently] will continue to be popularised as tastes and trends change. Keeping an eye on these, learning how to use them and applying them correctly might help you to digitally converse with new audiences and develop your social reach.

Vlogging

At face value, vlogging [creating video content around topics and instructional areas] seems complex. This previous article helps to simplify and break down first of all what video blogging is, how to actually create a great vlog, and then how to effectively deliver it to your audience.

In essence, it requires a small space to be able to explain and demonstrate a shot [if it is a coaching vlog], a camera or smartphone to record yourself and ultimately, oodles of energy and enthusiasm. For sure, it can be daunting to even the most confident of people to film themselves talking but remember that it is you and your knowledge that customers come for week-in, week-out. The only difference is that you are creating that conversation with them through a screen now instead.

Email Marketing and Weekly Check-ups

Remaining relevant is a constant battle we as PGA Professionals face in even more certain trading conditions. Ever-growing competition from clubs, teaching academies and driving ranges keep each and every one of us on our toes to ensure we innovate and improve, so that our clients continue to demand the products and services we offer.

Therefore, in the absence of clubs, teaching academies and facilities, and in fact any form of consumer demand during this crisis, relevancy is ironically, almost irrelevant to a degree.

Front page headlines, news articles and press conferences around the world thoroughly document the challenges and threats of COVID-19, and are obsessively occupying the front of everybody’s minds right now – for good and obvious reasons. So how do you replace, or at the very least, remind people that there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to their golf games, their golf club and their favourite past time?

First, you need a client database to be able to activate and engage with.

Second, you need an hour or two each week to set aside and create some engaging forms of online communication. This can be as basic as a generic text message such as the one below, or a multispread newsletter that covers what you, a PGA Professional who is eager to maintain their own golf games has been up to, simple step-by-step coaching tips or generic thoughts on the game’s current trends, and why you are looking forward to making this summer the best yet for everyone. You will find people have more time on their hands right now, so engaging them with longer pieces of content should be really useful and effective!

…”Hi [first name]!

How are you? Have you managed to get any form of golf practice in on the garden? 

If you are limited for space and time, try setting up some simple putting drills in your front living room, or a chipping net with some foam balls to keep the your game ticking over. It won’t be long before we are through these current difficulties and back out onto the golf course and I am really looking forward to seeing you back!

If you would like some more tips and drills to practice at home, or anything else, I am here to help.

[Your name]”…

Thirdly, you need to deliver the content. If you have a large database of text messages to send, you could generalise the message to apply to a large group. You could then create a themed WhatsApp group that includes various sections of your client base, such as parents of respective golf classes to send info through and maintain their engagement.

However you do it and whatever you write, if you maintain the thought of ‘I am here and available for when we return to normal life’ at the front of your mind, your message will remain relevant, be well received and at the very least, replace a negative with a positive for your clients.

Final Thoughts

We are all involved in a current national and international effort to defeat this virus, and I first and foremost wish you all and your loved ones good health throughout this challenging period.

Right now we have a duty to follow and enact upon the strict social measures delivered by our respective governing authorities. The quicker we do this, the quicker we get through it and the quicker we can walk back out onto the golf course.

However, I urge you to use this enforced downtime to engage and re-engage with your customers and clients as much as possible. The optimist in me believes a booming feel-good factor of festivities and consumer spending is an inevitability once our lives and liberties are re-instilled. By using this time effectively, you can position yourselves effectively to take advantage of expected surges in demand and make up for any bump your business is currently experiencing.

As we begin the new decade and a new year, it seems pretty difficult to argue how the new year can possibly better the last. However, here are three reasons why 2020 will be Golf’s best year yet.

1 – THE 2020 RYDER CUP

2020 marks another Ryder Cup year, as the biennial matches head over to Whistling Straits, north of Chicago for what is no doubt set to be another stellar week for the biggest golf event in the world.

What sticks out for me away from the keenly contested rivalry between the Europeans and the Americans is the stage itself – the golf course. Whistling Straits has huge towering dunes, great big green complexes and a closing stretch of holes that will excite and stir drama left right and centre. Remind you of something? It’s almost a parallel to the 2018 venue, Le Golf National.

I feel a precedent has been set with the style and nature of courses that are selected for the Ryder Cup, that can never be erased. I attended the Ryder Cup for the first time last year, and having experienced a truly unforgettable week, the biggest memory I took away from Paris wasn’t the support, nor Molinari’s winning match, not even that monster putt drained by Noren on the 18th! For me, it was how easy and incredible the spectator experience was made by the golf course and its setup.

I was as excited as the next person when I took the journey to Paris, but I doubted as to how much golf I would actually get to see. For so many previous Ryder Cups, crowds piled in but it seemed only the lucky few would find themselves at the front of the ropes; you almost had more chance of winning the lottery! This was far from the case in 2018 and it is definitely a trend that the 2020 matches will be certain to repeat once again.

2 – THE WORLD HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

2020 also welcomes the first introduction and implementation of The R&A’s ‘World Handicapping System’, aimed at providing a unique, level playing field across the world with a standardised handicapping method.

The R&A’s Assistant Director – Handicapping, Kevin Weir, attended our recent Annual Congress at Penina Hotel & Golf Resort, giving insight to all delegates on the ins and outs of how the new system will work, when it will be implemented across which locations, and how it will impact the game on various fronts.

The 2020 CPG Tournament schedule is already underway with this year’s 7th AESGC International Pro-Am and 2020 Abu Dhabi Pro-Am, and so it has been a radical change that has impacted the CPG quite immediately. However, thanks to our Corporate Partner, GolfBox, [who have been heavily involved with the system and have already implemented into their tournament software], this has been so simple and easy to adhere to.

For more information about GolfBox and why they really are the industry leaders in tournament software solutions and PGA Professional software Solutions, such as ProPlanner, click here.

3 – BREAKING THE BOUNDARIES IN NEW MARKETS

A big trend I think you will also see this year is the breaking and entering of new markets previously untouched [or virtually untouched] by various organisations and bodies within golf.

The Middle East is a real high-growth region for golf and has been for decades, with the European Tour making their presence felt through the Dubai Desert Classic, Abu Dhabi Championship and World Tour Championship being staged in the United Arab Emirates [UAE].

However, other countries outside the UAE are having to play catch up – no doubt because of the lack of facilities available to host such tournaments – but the newly announced Ladies European Tour [LET] event in Saudi Arabia is a welcome sight to get things rolling.

Here at the CPG, this is a trend we are very keen to remain at the forefront of. We have already announced a new tournament to our 2020 CPG Tournament schedule in the 2020 Marriott Marquis Qatar Pro-Am, and we are currently engaging in various golf development and education initiatives with the Jordanian Golf Federation on behalf of The R&A.

This is just the Middle East remember. Vietnam, Korea, Northern areas of Africa and lesser-known regions in South America such as Chile, Columbia and Ecuador are all relatively immature markets but possess oodles of potential. Golf cannot ignore them forever and I think 2020 will be the year they start to stake a claim in the golfing world…

Watch this space, the year is set to be a big one.

However, the keenest of the keen guests and members will still turn up over the weekends and when any opportunity arises, and the show must go on as events and competitions are still an ongoing activity for golf clubs and facilities, whatever the weather.

Perhaps less serious than the annual Club Championships or your Mixed Am-Am, but winter ‘series’ events do provide an opportunity for you to reinvent yourself, trial some new tricks and get ready for when these main competitions come back around in 2020.

In this blog, Communications Manager for the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG], Tom Bentley, discusses some simple keys and ideas you may not have considered, and delves into how you can make your calendar season in 2020 the best yet.

HAVE AN EVENT MISSION

True in just about everything we do at work, at home and in any other task completed: have a goal to your event. So often events are delivered by a facility without a general guiding principle or goal, no matter how small it is.

Not having a goal is similar to delivering a marketing campaign without an underlying strategy – the content you produce for that campaign would then be inconsistent, contain mixed messages and ultimately means the impact you want does not materialise.

Determining a goal for your event, whilst at face value appears to be common-sense, is easier said than done. The obvious one is to make a financial return but ultimately that is a focus of pretty much 99% of golf events – without making a profit then the justification for that event diminishes and the chances of it continuing the next year become very slim.

So, what else should the event focus on? Well that is entirely up to you and you can be pretty creative or think outside the box with this. For example, during University I managed and delivered the brief for an ‘Olympic Themed Golf Event’ at a local golf club. We actually had two goals for this event:

1. Make as much money as possible for charity (Birmingham Children’s Hospital) – in other words, generate a profit or surplus to donate.
2. Create an irregular, ‘outside-the-box’ golf event experience that most importantly, entertained each and every paying guest.

What we found before the event, during and in the post-event feedback was that guests’ eyes opened at the event because it was completely different and something that they had never done before.

They also liked that the event had greater meaning behind it and was not commercially driven to simply make a profit for the facility, but in fact to deliver funds to a local cause that they genuinely cared about. As a result, we had created a huge buzz around the event that became oversubscribed quickly and in turn, delivered a successful, profitable tournament that was a resounding success.

Creating new competitive experiences for your membership (new formats, order-of-merits, team competitions, etc.), driving female numbers to your club, raising your club’s profile in the local community or celebrating a special occasion are all examples of varying goals and missions that could guide your event in the future.

Focus less on your return and more on the event and the finances should take better care of themselves.

EMPLOY SOME STARDUST TO IMPRESS

This is not a necessity to your event, but merely the icing on the cake to delivering an exceptional experience. Generally, having an event that delivers a round of golf with some form of catering before or afterwards is the blueprint to every golf event that ever existed.

So how can you add that extra spice to the day that makes it that little bit more memorable? Well, try considering some of these options:

1. Event gifts
2. Live scoring systems/ televised leaderboard
3. Photography

Event gifts do not have to be expensive and can range from a simple sleeve of golf balls from your Pro Shop to a fully-fledged handmade gift.

Our Official Suppliers, Thomas Lyte, recently provided the CPG with some branded leather notepads to present to all our attendees during our official brand launch event.

This premium gift not only struck an instant impression with every person, but it also gave something practical and useful for them to take away and remember the day with. It also promoted the organisation and its brand and offered a substantial intangible benefit that will last a very long time.

A live scoring system is another fantastic chance to really stand out. Creating an event that makes guests feel special and that they are ‘just like the pros on TV’ is a great way of making a memorable event and one that they would all return back to again and again.

Using a leaderboard system is often challenging with the associated costs, tech-savviness required, and time spent that could be used more effectively elsewhere.

The CPG uses a system called GolfBox Tournament across all our events for one main reason – it is so simple to use, without compromising on features and capabilities. Developed in Denmark and utilised by many of our Member Country PGAs for their own tournaments, GolfBox is becoming the market leading system for scoring globally (and is also ready for the World Handicap System changes as well).

Its live scoring capability is as easy as emailing links to each participant, which they open in web browsers on their phone and they are ready to go. We are able to embed and display it across various multimedia channels around the event venue and on our website, which makes the communication of the event that much easier.

The final point is the use of photography, which leads onto the final section…

CAPITALISE ON PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

This is often a side thought on the day of the event, and understandably – there are bigger priorities to focus on such as registration and scoring and the number of hands you have (only two!) are limited. However, effectively managing your time and getting a helping hand with this can pay dividends.

A simple way is having the starter on the first tee take group and individual photographs of each and every competitor as they tee off. You could also have somebody drive around the course taking photographs and videos.

Whichever way you do it, having some visual assets of the day is important, as they can be utilised in various ways:

1. Posting live updates of the event across your facility’s social media channels and website, for followers to engage with as it happens
2. Create marketing materials / collateral to be used for future event advertising
3. Help to showcase the golf course, club and all of its facilities, alongside the event itself

You could get very savvy and distribute photos to each competitor by email using their contact details provided, so that they can then post on their own social media to show how great of a day they have had at your facility and event (simple, and free, word-of-mouth promotion).

You can even include some details and prompts for them such as an event hashtag or your facility’s social media usernames etc. in this distribution.  Do not underestimate how powerful external user posting can be for your business, especially when done right!

CONCLUSION

Improving and enhancing your next golf event is never going to be an easy endeavour, but taking the time to step back and look at the day as a whole, where it can be enhanced and what you need to do to maximise its benefit will go a long way to delivering a successful event.

Following some of these simple guidelines should help put you and your team on the right path to success and ultimately, help you continue to reengage audiences in future events, whilst also helping to attract new customers that are becoming increasingly difficult to come by and entice.