The Pellucid Perspective - September 2011 - (Page 6)

other short-term uncontrollable factors of weather and supply dilution (actually LA is one of the healthier markets as it relates to supply dilution). The best-case scenario is illustrated in the table by the Los Angeles counties of San Bernardino and Riverside. In these counties, while there is potentially a lost opportunity cost in golfers and rounds due to the growth of the Hispanic population vs. a commensurate gain in NHW group, the healthy gains in Hispanics coupled with a relatively stable NHW population should be creating between 4-25K golfers over the decade and between 68-481K rounds. Ventura County completes the In Golf, it’s important to choose your partner carefully. picture as a market which, on paper, shouldn’t be seeing any significant detrimental impact to their golfer and rounds base due to the shift in ethnicity of its population between the two decennial census counts. So, what to do about this long-term and inevitable change in the face of America, especially as it relates to a number of our key golf markets? I stated in a recent Outside the Ropes newsletter column that I was abandoning the challenge of trying to recommend the best “way out” for the golf industry for some of these macro challenges. Our job as researchers is to uncover, assemble and present the facts to accurately portray the problem and its potential effect. It is up to the industry stakeholders, both individually (i.e. the operators in the Los Angeles market) and collectively (i.e. trade associations and national organizations charged with advancing the health of the business of golf ) to come up with and implement solutions which can deflect potential negative trends such as the shifting face of the US population. I know that the PGA of America’s Golf 2.0 program has a Hispanic component, which means they at least see this one on the radar (although I don’t rank it quite as high in priority and likelihood of success as they do). All I know is that, in order to protect the current baseline of golfers and rounds from #11 at The Glen Club, operated by KemperSports At KemperSports, we have a real passion for what we do. Every day, we help people enjoy what we consider to be one of life’s most rewarding endeavors: the game of golf. With more than 90 facilities under management, our turn-key services range from program development, toto construction management, to operations. And what really sets develepement, construction management, to operations. And what really sets us apart are the partnerships we we enjoy course owners and developers who who our our us apart are the partnerships enjoy withwith course owners and developers sharesharepassion for for game and who understand our simple management philosophy: run run every passion the the game and who understand our simple management philosophy: every golf course as we we the the ones to play it. golf courseifas ifwerewere nextnext ones to play it. So, what to do about this long-term and inevitable change in the face of America, especially as it relates to a number of our key golf markets? the impact of the increasing importance of Hispanics in the US recreational picture, we’re going to have to come up with something that makes our sport a better fit for their current economic means, better delivers the benefit they seek from sports and gets them introduced to the game at an earlier stage in life. The only alternative I can think of is trying to grow golf among non-Hispanics at a rate faster than the attrition rate outlined in the table above due to the demographic shifts that are now fully in motion. What I do know however, is that the current pat industry response of “Golf in the Olympics” is probably not the right answer. n sePTember 2011 500 Skokie Blvd., Suite 444, Northbrook, IL 60062 847.850.1818 | www.kempersports.com True to the game. 6 The Pellucid PersPecTive http://www.kempersports.com http://www.kempersports.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Pellucid Perspective - September 2011

The Pellucid Perspective - September 2011
Contents
The China syndrome
Shift happens: The impact of Hispanic growth on local golf markets
Promoting rounds at rate card — a novel concept?
Promoting rounds at rate card — a novel concept?
There’s golf in them thar’ (sand) hills
August weather impact, July utilization
Seattle, WA Core Business Statistical Area (CBSA)
Seattle, WA Core Business Statistical Area (CBSA)
The long and the short of it

The Pellucid Perspective - September 2011