…longing for golf remains our annual ‘rite’

The euphoria of spring sets in just after the Masters in this part of the world, at least partially driven by the manicured fairways of Augusta – as does Canadian golfers longing for the game.

This past winter was particularly nasty and it wasn’t just because of the wind, snow or cold temperatures, although those conditions added to the chill that gripped us when we opened the newspaper or clicked on the internet to headlines about the economy.

What better therapy is there for anxiety than that first tee shot, especially if it stays in the fairway? Even if it doesn’t, hunting for your ball in the woods is more desirable than listening to the endless supply of jobless figures and retail
sales numbers that you’ve been hearing about all winter.

There is, however, a business side to this idyllic and pastoral setting that has been in your head since you shoveled the driveway for the first time. Golf course operators are counting on this passion that Canadians have for golf to carry them through this recession.

The common opinion among those who work in the game is that golfers continued playing through past recessions and will continue to do so in the current economic downturn, one in which the proliferation of golf courses in Southern Ontario should end due to the exit of major players from the golf financing game.

The high participation rate in this country represents something positive to hold on to as golf course operators go forward into an uncertain 2009. In discussions with several golf proprietors, one thing is clear. A road they definitely do not want to go down is deep discounting out of fear that it will cheapen their products and set a bad precedent for when times get better.

Of course, several golf courses will be part of coupon books offering one-off cheap rates, but the focus for many owners this year is creating loyalty among their patrons by putting emphasis on value instead of price.

The idea is to make patrons feel at home, almost like a private golf club in a public setting even if there are no initiation fees or monthly minimums. The idea for those of this mindset is to encourage loyalty by making their golf courses like a home club for regular patrons.

Instead of just cutting prices across the board and catering to the masses who come in looking for cheap rates in tough times and then move on to another course, these operators prefer to save special prices for the people who make their businesses tick – the regulars.

Loyal patrons are a foundation of any successful business in good times and even more valuable in tough times. Rewarding customers for their regular patronage makes more sense for a golf course than treating regulars the same as everyone else who wanders in looking for a deal.

IS GOLF GOING SILENT?

Being the back page columnist in GolfScene means the higher the page number, the longer I have a job, which is a precious commodity nowadays, especially in the media. A higher number of pages means more advertising which, hopefully, translates into more revenue coming into a publication for such things as printing, distribution, design and, most importantly, my exorbitant fee for writing this column.

My number here has not decreased and these days, news like that is like hearing that you’ve won the lottery in the media game, a business that has been hit hard by a perfect storm of declining ad revenues and readership, the impact of the internet and the ravages of the recession.

Heavyweight golf publications such as Golf for Women and Travel & Leisure have closed their doors and big name newspapers across North America are in the process of shutting down or being sold. As a result, some well-known golf writers / columnists are either being bought out or let go.

In Southern Ontario, some golf publications have reduced their number of issues this year and there has been speculation that some will fold in 2009. One publication that normally publishes in December didn’t see the light of day until late January this year, I suspect because it needed more advertising.
It’s been said the media is too preoccupied with itself, and that’s often correct, but on a personal note, many fine golf writers and people in other positions could be looking for alternative work in a time of shrinking media while the voice of golf gets reduced to a whisper.