7th

EGCOA Conference

Recreating the golf

business

Overview

What is unique about sport and the golf business?

Factors affecting golf consumption

Implications for golf management

What is ‘unique’ about sport?

Sport has inherent social, educational and cultural functions that should be respected and nurtured...in order that the code of ethics and solidarity essential to its social role be preserved (Nice Declaration on Sport, 2000)

Balancing sports social role and governance and protecting economic activity (European Commission, 2007)

What is ‘unique’ about golf?

Who owns golf? How is golf produced?

Golf as economic, social and cultural forms of capital (Bourdieu, 1986)

Golf culture: a collection of values and beliefs that are common to members of a group and which affect behaviour – Society, organisation’s, group’s and individuals – Rituals, practices, rules, stories, environment and

language

Golf’s place in society and culture?

Price

High

Perceived value

Low High

Golf’s economic, social and cultural value?

The golf offering

• beliefs

• values

• Exercise

• Physical health

• Well being • Hospitality

• Community

• Friendship

Social Nature

Culture Sport

FACTORS AFFECTING GOLF CONSUMPTION

Recreating the golf business

Trends: sport entertainment

Convergence of factors: – Changing leisure – Media and communications – Legal media rights – Corporate sponsorship

What will European

consumption of sport look like in 10 yrs? (Havas Sport and Entertainment, 2011) – 2,264 sport fans – Germany, UK, France, Spain

and Italy – Core consumer group: 12 – 35

years old – Online competing with TV

Rio 2016: Golf...in the Olympics?

70% of world population watched Beijing (Neilson, 2008)

Olympic brand: humanity, world peace, global, goodwill, inspiration and friendship

A lesson in marketing: USA presidential elections

Golf and your business? – Your brand, your markets? – Your purpose, beliefs and values? – Demographics? – Technology?

Consumer

groups

Social media

Brand / Org.

Trends in sport participation

Growing demand for sports that are accessible, offers opportunities for self expression, freedom and autonomy, experimentation and are free of time constraints and long term commitments (Coakley, 2004)

Motivation to participate in sport: – Retaining health (male) – Fun and social interaction (retired) – Fun and participation (female) – Enjoyment and participation (youth)

What are the implications for golf and golf clubs?

Why do people play golf?

Connection with nature

Physical challenge Well being Health

Business and social

functions? Why do people join

golf clubs?

Source: Frankly Consulting, 2005

Innovation: New experiences

IMPLICATIONS FOR GOLF MANAGEMENT

Recreating the golf business

Management practice

Organisations fail because they do what they want to do rather than fulfil the wants and needs of others (Principles of Marketing, 2008:7)

Survival depends on identifying new market opportunities - innovate or go bust!

Compete and perform

Where to position your golf business?

Modern liberal

Traditional conservative

Play and participate

View of golf in sport context

View of golf in social – cultural context

Target group or groups

Golf, club and operation

culture

people

Aligning your golf business

Se

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practices

Managing golf culture

How do you view your golf business? – Business are economically

bound and consumers rational?

– Business is culturally bound and consumers emotional?

The balanced scorecard: a performance and learning system aligning quantitative outputs with qualitative processes

Source: Kaplan and Norton (1996)

What is your handicap?

Social?

Cultural?

Economic?

-5 0 +5

THANK YOU

Recreating the golf business