Michigan Golf Summit V, held November 10, 1997 at Eagle Crest
Conference Resort in Ypsilanti, brought together people from all
facets of Michigan's golf industry. With the theme "Promoting
Golf Leadership," golf industry professionals gathered to network,
to learn, and to plan for the future of golf in the state.
Michigan Golf Research Results
Dave Morris, State of Michigan (Travel Michigan and Michigan Jobs
Commission)
Dr. Robert Dodge and Dr. Sam Fullerton, Eastern Michigan University
Through a golf task force, golf industry professionals worked
with the Michigan Travel Bureau to conduct a study of golf in
Michigan. Dave Morris said the reasons for the study are to (1)
demonstrate the economic impact of golf, and (2) add to our knowledge
of the market and how we should effectively market golf.
The Michigan Jobs Commission uses golf as part of the economic
development message. Golf contributes to the quality of life in
the state and could be a potential draw for businesses considering
locating in Michigan.
Michigan is primarily a regional destination-only 15-20% of trips
to Michigan are taken by people who live outside the Great Lakes
region. "We need to differentiate Michigan from surrounding states-golf
could set us apart," Morris said.
The state currently has a $400,000 annual budget to promote golf
through tools such as: television and magazine advertising; attendance
at golf shows in other states; Golfing the Great Lakes television show; partnership with golf professional Rick Smith
as "Michigan's Official Golf Pro," and a comprehensive website
www.michigan.org.
Marketing professors Robert Dodge and Sam Fullerton are golf researchers
and have conducted extensive research on golf in Michigan. Results
of their most recent study are posted on the Great Lakes Sports
Publications website www.glsp.com.
Developing a Marketing Action Plan
Workshop presenters: Dave Richards and Kevin Frisch, Golf Marketing Services
According to Dave Richards, "The biggest successes in marketing
are through personal relationships and networking with people
in the golf industry."
Public relations and marketing efforts need to start while a course
is under construction. Everyone needs to be aware of the deadlines
for various publications that could feature articles about your
course. Many publications only do one special golf issue a year
and the deadline could be in December.
Hire a good golf photographer to take photos of your course. Most
magazines and newspapers will not be able to send a photographer,
so "give it to them on a silver platter" suggests Richards, himself
a respected golf photographer.
Panel: Growing the Game
Panelists: Ken Devine, Michigan PGA; Martha MacIntosh, Golf Association of Michigan (GAM); Andi Bullock, USGA intern at GAM; Inez Bridges, LPGA Urban Youth Golf Program; Rolla
Frisinger, Powerbilt Michigan PGA Junior Golf Tour; Moderator: Frank Guastella, PGA master professional
Ken Devine discussed the Learn to Golf Program, which began in
1996 as a cooperative effort between the Michigan PGA and Bavarian
Village. Participants signed up at a greatly reduced price for
a series of three lessons with a PGA professional. In the two
years of the program's existence. more than 20,000 people have
been exposed to the game of golf. A follow-up study is underway
that will provide data on how many of the participants still play
golf.
Devine said the number one complaint of people who quit playing
golf is: "Golf is no fun!" New courses are so difficult to play
that the average golfer cannot have fun. We need forward tees
that truly accommodate different ability levels. Devine believes
the growth of the game will come from baby boomers who began turning
fifty this year. As this generation ages, more will take up golf.
Inez Bridges said that kids involved in the LPGA Junior Golf Program
learn the "basic building blocks" of golf and of life: honesty,
integrity, courtesy and respect for others.
According to Rolla Frisinger, 1,000 juniors were involved in the
Powerbilt PGA Junior Golf Tour in Michigan in 1997. The tour will
feature 26 events in 1998, up from seven events in 1994, the first
year of the tour. Thanks to corporate sponsor-ship, the tour has
awarded more than $22,000 in scholarships.
Martha MacIntosh said, "Junior golf is the foundation of the golf
industry's future, but remember the number of women playing is
also growing." One third of Michigan's women golfers belong to
a league. This is an opportunity for courses to offer clinics
and lessons to help women improve their games and keep them coming
back.
Panel: Collaboration vs. Competition
Panelists: Dave Honeycutt, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday; Mike Jamison, Greater
Orlando Golf Destination Inc.; Paul Beachnau, Gaylord Golf Mecca;
Michael Choinere, America's Summer Golf Capital; Audrey Disabato,Greater
Jackson Golf Association; Moderator: Terry Schieber, Shanty Creek-Schuss Mountain
"Cooperation is the lifeblood of golf tourism," said Dave Honeycutt.
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday exists to promote the destination. Individual
courses still compete for the tourists once they're in Myrtle
Beach. As Honeycutt put it: "The rising tide will raise all boats
in the area."
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has an annual budget of $8 million and
the mission is to promote the economic development of the community.
Honeycutt said much of the success of marketing Myrtle Beach can
be attributed to partnerships that have been developed. He offered
suggestions such as bartering with mailing lists, tee times, etc.
For example, they worked out a mailing list trade with GOLF magazine and were able to obtain a list of 570,000 former subscribers
at no cost.
"Leave your logo and your ego at the door," is the advice from
Mike Jamison. Fifteen courses in the Orlando area formed a private
company in 1996 solely to market Orlando as a golf destination.
Marketing efforts should begin in force in
1998 once an electronic reservations system is in place.
Gaylord is celebrating ten years as a golf destination. Paul Beachnau
explained that golf vacations are critical to the economy of Gaylord
and Otsego County. The Gaylord Golf Mecca is now looking into
electronic tee time systems because the tee time is "driving the
vacation." Beachnau wants to give tourists the option of booking
tee times and hotel rooms on the Internet.
The goal of America's Summer Golf Capital is to make northern
Michigan one
of the premier golf destinations in the United States. Mike Choinere
said: "A true spirit of cooperation exists among members."
The situation in Jackson is different, explained Audrey Disabato.
The Greater Jackson Golf Association was formed as a means of
marketing an "overabundance" of golf courses. Disabato's inspiration
for the association came from attending an earlier Michigan Golf
Summit and learning about the efforts of others. She said, "Collaboration
had a permanent place in the golf industry in Jackson-even though
individual courses must continue to compete with one another."
Workshop: Course/Club Management Issues
Panelists: Bill Fountain, The Majestic; Jim Jeltema, owner/general manager, Clearbrook GC and The Ravines GC; Karen Peek, regional manager, American Golf Corporation; Moderator: Art McCafferty, Great Lakes Sports Publications
This panel discussed the importance of personnel to the success
of a golf course. Karen Peek said it's essential to promote a
fun atmosphere.
Jim Jeltema said that every staff person is important in carrying
out the course's mission: "to delight and provide a transforming
experience to every guest."
Bill Fountain recommended the book, Positively Outrageous Service by T. Scott Gross. He talked about the importance of publicly
recognizing unsung heroes, for example, the maintenance staff.
The Majestic has boosted employee morale and obtained publicity
for special events such as "Banana Weekend" when the entire staff
dressed in yellow and gave bananas out on the first tee.
Panel: Leading Michigan Golf into the 21st Century
Panelists: Jim Dewling, Michigan PGA; Brett Marshall, GAM; Sara Wold, Michigan Women's Publinx Golf Association and USGA; John Dodge, Michigan Course Owners Association; Patti Butcher, LPGA; Terry Schieber, Michigan Golf Task Force; Moderator: Jack Berry, Golf Writers Association of America
Terry Schieber said that the state is concentrating on promoting
golf along with tourism. Current target markets are Chicago, Cleveland,
Detroit and Minneapolis. Future markets include Cincinnati, Milwaukee
and Ontario.
PGA presence at every facility in Michigan is Jim Dewling's goal.
Dewling said there are many issues that industry professionals
must address, including: personnel shortages; operating costs;
access/price; real or perceived environmental issues; the length
of time it takes to play a round of golf; the perception of golf
as an elitist sport; and industry consolidation.
Brett Marshall reported that 75% of GAM's member clubs are public.
This is a tremendous change from the days when the membership
was exclusively private clubs. Marshall said, "There's no question
that the growth comes from the public sector."
GAM will continue to offer new championships. For example, 1997
marked the first year for the Women's Senior Amateur. GAM is also
moving ahead by publishing a new quarterly magazine beginning
in 1998. GAM already has a website and will continue to provide
information to its members in a variety of ways.
In planning for the future, Sara Wold sees herself as an "eternal
optimist."
She thinks that associations will increase the number of learning
leagues to accommodate those new to the game. "I see problems
as opportunities," Wold remarked.
Other workshops featured information on golf courses and the environment;
maintaining country club standards within a public style budget;
and, the mental game of golf (lunch speaker Deborah Graham-see
Women's Summit III report). In addition, representatives from
AT&T presented sessions on the Internet and golf marketing. They
discussed the importance of "mega-websites" such as Travel Michigan's
site www.michigan.org, which individual courses can link up with.
The latest advances in technology will undoubtedly come up again
at Golf Summit VI in 1999.
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