The more people talk about golf’s current spike in participation, the more it pains them to recall the “Tiger boom” of the 1990s—the one that never got traction. “What’s the difference,” industry veteran Cathy Harbin recently asked, “between 1997, when we had a lot of people who entered the game and didn’t stay, and what is happening now, with all the stickiness we’re seeing?”
In the boom times for golf that were kindled by the Tiger Woods phenomenon, it seemed that everyone wanted to play the game. The demand for golf dovetailed with the housing boom, leading to an explosion of upscale daily fee courses that were the centerpiece for residential communities. Seemingly overnight, residential construction became the driving force in the golf industry.
You don’t know what to expect until you step on the property. Then it hits you like a blinding light from the sky. Spend 10 minutes at The Hay, the par-3 facility just up the hill from the Inn at Pebble Beach, and you realize you are witnessing the future of the game.
It’s the first edition of the NEWEST member to the Golf Business LIVE family: Golf Business LIVE - Tech Talks, hosted by Golf Business columnist and longtime NGCOA contributor Harvey Silverman. The emergence of technology across all corners of the golf industry is unmistakable. Each episode, Harvey Silverman will welcome experts and leaders to explore how this tech is advancing, streamlining, and propelling golf businesses from coast to coast.
Members of the National Golf Course Owners Association receive free access to the Golf Business archive and other exclusive material. To login, please enter your NGCOA username and password below.
Forget your password?
Non-members: to learn more about joining the NGCOA, visit www.ngcoa.org/membership/join or contact us directly.
Brought to you by YamahaVisit the Owner’s Manual library within the GB Archive for practical, small business insights and know-how for your golf operation.