GIR

As our cohost, Rob Hofmann points out, If you are in the golf industry you have been living under a rock if you don’t know the impact that women in golf have had on the industry as a whole . To explore this topic and discuss some emerging trends, we welcome to the roundtable Elisa Gaudet.  Elisa is the leading spokesperson and business analyst of women in golf and the founder of the worldwide phenomenon Women's Golf Day.  In short, Women's Golf Day (WGD) is a global movement that strives to Engage, Empower, and Support women and girls through golf. The one-day, four-hour event, has now taken place at more than 900 locations in 68 countries since its inception in 2016 and has introduced thousands of new golfers to the sport. WGD is the fastest-growing female golf development initiative.

On June 1, 2021, women and venues around the world will where possible take to the fairways to celebrate the 6thannual Women's Golf Day.

In response to the continued growth of its global network, Women's Golf Day (WGD) has recently unveiled 3 new language versions of its website to reflect the diverse nature of the WGD community and WGD's commitment to diversity and inclusion. The site is now available in French, Spanish and Japanese the primary languages spoken by its users and foreign language content will be also integrated into WGD's social media activity in preparation for the June 1, 2021 event day.

In 2020, WGD's primary hashtag, #WomensGolfDay, received more than 59 million global impressions to nearly 37 million people viewing WGD content.

Titleist and FootJoy have joined the Women's Golf Day sponsor family as the Official Golf Ball and Official Footwear Sponsors, respectively.

PGA Tour Superstore and Women's Golf Day (WGD) have signed a multi-year agreement that will result in the two companies working together to support, engage and empower female golfers around the world year-round.  As well as participating in the WGD 2021 by hosting in-store events Superstore will develop a WGD branded capsule collection to be available in-store and online.

In addition to the above, the list of companies supporting the initiative includes: Ahead, All Square, Annika Foundation, ASIAN GOLF, Callaway Golf, The California Alliance for Golf, Chronogolf, ClubCorp, EGCOA, European Tour, European Tour Properties, PGA of America, FootJoy, The First Tee, Gallus Golf, The Golf Channel, GolfNow, International Golf Federation, LET, LPGA, LPGA Amateur, Modest Golf Management, NGCOA, NGCOA Canada, PGA TOUR, The R&A, Sky Sports, Titleist, TopGolf, TPC Properties, Troon Golf, Troon International, USGA, WE ARE GOLF, Women & Golf, The World Golf Foundation and more.

Locations wishing to host a Women's Golf Day event on June 1, 2021, can register at WomenGolfDay.com/register.   Men and women who wish to join the VIP Membership network are welcome to learn more at womensgolfday.com.

REGISTER

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About our guests:

Some interesting facts about Native American golf:

Proof that these Native American golf courses are exceptional can be found in the fact both properties host Symetra Road to the LPGA Tour events. Sweetgrass has done so for many years. This year will be Circling Raven's first, hosting the Circling Raven Championship in August-21.

Finally, many traveling golfers love the fact that Native American owned courses and resorts integrate their culture and décor throughout their properties and amenities from rooms, suites, and spas, to golf courses, restaurants, and casinos.

Take for example how Coeur d'Alene Tribe has integrated Native American cultural activities and amenities that allow guests and visitors to enjoy authentic experiences like cultural food dishes, Battlefield Tour, basket weaving, beadwork,  viewing incredible artwork, and themed merchandise.

Owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Circling Raven is in the scenic Idaho panhandle approximately 55 minutes from Spokane International Airport (GEG). Measuring 7,189 yards from the rear tees, the 18-hole layout sprawls magnificently through 620 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and Palouse grasses. Its gleaming white sand bunkers are large and strategically placed and its hole variety ingenious. The course will host the Circling Raven Championship for three years beginning in August 2021 a Symetra Road to the LPGA Tour event.

Other Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenities and activities include the full-service Spa Ssakwa'q'n (pronounced Sock-wock-en); 300 hotel rooms; bars, restaurants, lounges, and eateries; cultural immersion options; and more. The casino completed a $15 million renovation of its gaming floor and Events Center in 2019.  Circling Raven has garnered numerous best-in-kind honors since opening, including being rated a Top 100 Resort Course, Best in State, and a Top U.S. Casino Course. Its golf shop has won national and regional awards for its excellence and its variety of products, displays, and performance.

For more information about the casino resort or golf club, call 1-800-523-2464, or visit www.cdacasino.com.

Located in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula 13 miles west of Escanaba, Island Resort & Casino is one of the Midwest's largest golf, casino and entertainment resort destinations spanning over 408,000 square feet. The resort features 36-holes of golf along with over 300 guest rooms including elegant suites and a 42 site RV Park. The casino offers an all-new sportsbook, as well as a poker room, craps, blackjack, Spanish 21, three card poker, let-it-ride, roulette and bingo.

The resort amenities also include the luxurious Drift Spa offering a variety of high-end spa services with access to the resort's saltwater pool, steam rooms and sauna.  Multiple dining options include the signature 5 Bridges Steak and Seafood House, 5 Bridges Pub, Firekeepers Restaurant, T. McC's Sports Bar, Coral Reef Grille, Signature Subs & Pizza and The Coffee & Custard Shop featuring items from The Bakery. The Island regularly hosts headline entertainment in the intimate 1315 seat Showroom as well as weekly bands and comedy entertainers in Club 41. The Island Convention Center provides the perfect venue for special events, business meetings and weddings. The destination is easily accessible via a pair of regional airports in Escanaba and Marquette connecting through Detroit, Saginaw, Lansing or Grand Rapids.

For more information, visit www.islandresortgolf.com.

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In 2020, Golf reversed the negative trend of decreasing rounds played. What was the size and shape of the COVIdend in ’20, and will the momentum continue through 2021 and beyond?

To answer these questions, we dig into the data with industry analyst Jim Koppenhaver. Jim's firm Pellucid Corp is the recognized golf industry thought leader for key issue identification, intelligent analysis and actionable insight.

We discuss what courses are doing to ensure the gains stick.  Jim introduces use to Pellucid's newest initiative Golf Market Research Center (GMRC) pilot program.

Interested in participating in the free pilot program?  Send an email to Jim Koppenhaver at [email protected].  Include in the email subject line Golf Market Research Center with your name, facility, city & state and the email of their designated administrator.

Pellucid is a small, virtual organization collaborating with founder Jim Koppenhaver to bridge the golf industry’s current approaches and information and Jim’s 20+ years of multi-industry, non-golf experience. As Pellucid matures, our combination of increasing golf industry knowledge and unsurpassed non-golf industry experience has fueled growth and created (begrudging) respect among industry veterans.

The post MAINTAIN HALF THE GAIN IN ’21 appeared first on The Golf Wire.

In this episode of the GIR we discuss with an industry panel specific growth strategies, marketing opportunities, technology in golf, and specifically the drastic changes that have taken place industry-wide amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Collaborators from 121 Marketing, Gallus Golf and Clup Prophet Systems have come together for what they are calling a first in a binge-worthy series of webinars. The group shares an insiders analysis of what just occurred in 2020 with the extreme bump in golf interest, and culminate in aiding courses of all types to prepare for how to engage these new audiences and drive the deepest level of loyalty possible.

The first in the series of webinars recently kicked off with more to come. This series comprises a quick 30 minute webinar sharing metrics and exact tips they are deploying for golf clients around the country. The 6 Each episode will feature metrics and takeaways that will enlighten and engage the audience, and give everyone practical steps they can take back to their facilities to improve their business.

Future webinars to include How The Customer Changed Overnight , The New Golfer Funnel , Discounted Barter is Covid's Next Victim , Dynamic Pricing Has Officially Arrived , and How to Succeed and Win in 2021 .

THURSDAY, December 10th at 1:00 PM ET

Hosted by Kent Ashby, Rob Hoffman, Scott Merchant and Jim Koppenhaver

REGISTER HERE

The post GOLF INDUSTRY GURUS SET THE STAGE FOR 2021 – GIR #15 appeared first on The Golf Wire.

In this week’s episode of the GIR podcast, we polish our Crystal ball and peer into the future of golf with Colin Weston. Colin is a true golf innovator, entrepreneur and community builder. He is a regular speaker/moderator at the PGA Show and is perhaps best known as a blue ocean strategist in the world of golf where he explores out of the box thinkers from the business of golf in his own podcast, The ModGolf Podcast.

Throughtout our discussion we discuss COVID’s continuing impact on golf, the infusion of E-Sports into golf and the games slow embrace of emerging technologies like AI/VR.

Some links discussed in today’s show:

Blue Ocean Strategy – https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/

The post MAKING GOLF MORE WELCOMING, INVITING AND MORE FUN WITH COLIN WESTON appeared first on The Golf Wire.

As COVID19 rages on, golf industry trade groups, event venues and annual meeting hosts have been forced to transition upcoming conventions and trade shows to a virtual format. The virtual meeting format presents a number of issues for participants… both for the exhibiting vendor, the buyer and industry professionals.

Early attendance trends from some recent shows predicts promise for the upcoming convention season.As you’ll hear, many of the upcoming meetings have done an excellent job in creating opportunities to engage with new products through a dynamic virtual showrooms, continuing education sessions and even one-to-one meetings.

On today’s episode we explore the pros and cons of the virtual format, discuss platforms that show hosts may be using to facilitate training and exhibition opportunities. We hear how some brand manufacturers are embracing new technologies to help bridge the gap of limited touch and feel experiences missed in the face-to-face meeting. And we close with a the optimistic view that we all can’t wait to get back to the days of a tradition meeting environment.

See our Calendar section here for more information and a complete listing of upcoming industry shows and conventions.

Special thanks to today’s Roundtable Participants:

The post VIRTUAL INDUSTRY TRADE SHOWS – GIR #13 appeared first on The Golf Wire.

In this week’s episode of GIR, we offer a seat at the roundtable to the somewhat infamous, mostly legendary PGA Tour Professional John Daly.  John gets a lot of press for a lot of different reasons, but an often overlooked aspect of John’s career are his philanthropy and charity efforts.

Dating back to his first Major victory in the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick, Daly gave $30,000 to the family of a man who died during the tournament due to lightning strike. Since then, Daly has been a proud supporter of a number of organizations including St. Jude Childern’s Hospital and several Veterans organizations.

Most recently, Daly has focused fund raising efforts on his newly formed Heart of A Lion Charity (HOAL). HOAL’s first major donation will be the construction of a new Boys & Girls Club in Dardanelle, Arkansas, where Daly lives and holds his annual golf tournament in support of that club. The new group is also building a home for a veteran in Oklahoma.

The primary focus of our interview centers on John’s involvement in the launch of a new semi pro tour called MoBetta Golf Tour. John joins a team of industry veteran including Mick Weber, Robert Nunn, and Maury Tate in launching MoBetta.

As you’ll hear, the Mobetta premise is this…. The MoBetta Golf Tour is designed to give the everyday golf enthusiast the chance to compete for Cash. Our tournaments are set up to have low entry fees and high payouts. The number of players in each tournament will determine how many players get paid. Our goal of 72 players per tournament will pay out the top 10 places.

In addition we cover John’s recent cancer diagnosis, playing on the Champions Tour and his son’s aspirations in collegiate golf and much much more.  Enjoy the show!

The Mobetta Golf Tour is designed to give the everyday golf enthusiast the chance to compete for Cash. Our tournaments are set up to have low entry fees and high payouts. The number of players in each tournament will determine how many players get paid. Our goal of 72 players per tournament will pay out the top 10 places.

All golfers will be required to purchase a yearly membership Card for $500 per year and can play in all sanctioned events including the Mobetta Golf US Championship in Las Vegas. Players will also pay a fee for each tournament they enter.All membership and tournament fees will be taken online through our website. Once entered into a tournament, we will send you the course pairings and each individual golf club will manage the tournament. The hosting club will have a Mobetta assigned representative on-site to verify all rules and regulations. It is our utmost priority to keep the integrity of play at the highest level.

We believe competition supports more time on the course and more time at the driving range. Our two main goals are to grow the sport of golf and grow the prize money for each event.

We are the only National Tour to use Handicap Divisions!

Open division .9 or better

Join The Tour

It starts from the Heart. The Lion representing JD and his passion for helping others and the Purple reflecting the sacrifices Major Ed has made for this great Country. The outline of the flag creates A Heart of a Lion in never letting down and always helping our Children, Veterans, and those in need.

The mission of the John Daly and Major Ed’s Heart of a Lion Foundation is to provide mental, physical, and wellness support to our nation's children and America's Veterans. Heart of a Lion supports St. Judes Children's Hospital and Boys and Girls of America by providing financial support to them from events where John Daly participates. We support our active service members, Veterans and their families by providing information, referral services, VA compensation, education and benefits support. We provide funding to Veterans organizations and connect Veterans to those organizations. Go to https://www.jdme.org/ to take on the Heart of a Lion challenge and help support our nation's Children and American Veterans.

The post GIR EPISODE 12 – PGA PROFESSIONAL GOLFER JOHN DALY INTRODUCES THE MOBETTA GOLF TOUR appeared first on The Golf Wire.

The future of golf is of course going to be built on the success of junior golf.  However, youth golf has often been criticized for little organization, poor public access and no clear developmental pathways.

Compare that to other youth sports like baseball, soccer, football where there exists a clear map of progression for access and development.  Think T-ball to Little League, after school club soccer, AAU basketball, travel league lacrosse and high school football.

The case for growing the sport of junior golf got a shot in arm when Golf returned to the Olympics.  The IOC requires participating countries to have a sports development model to support youth access and development.  To answer the call, a mix of formal and informal partnerships have stitched together an ecosystem of touchpoint to fill and address a number of issues that have historically handicapped youth development programs:

Somoe of the key players in Junior Golf Development Programs include, but are not limited to:  Operation 36, The First Tee, AJGA, Future Champions League, Girls Golf, Project Play, and many more.  In today's episode of The GIR, we make room at the table for three key players in the Junior Golf ecosystem:

PGA Jr. League is a game-changing program that brings family and friends together around fun, team golf experiences with expert coaching from PGA and LPGA Professionals. Boys and girls of all backgrounds and skill levels wear numbered jerseys and play on co-ed teams with their friends, competing in a two-person scramble format that builds confidence and encourages sportsmanship. The program has the support of some of the biggest names in sports Official Ambassadors include Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson, who were recently joined by three-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry and Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA Women's World Cup Champion Alex Morgan. PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America's 501 (c)(3) foundation, PGA REACH, with the goal of making the program accessible to all interested kids in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit PGAJrLeague.com.

TGA Premier Sports (TGA) is a leading introductory and recreational youth sports program delivery system for Golf, Tennis, Cheerleading, Flag Football, Floor Hockey, Lacrosse, Ultimate, and Volleyball). Through an innovative franchise business model, TGA empowers passionate entrepreneurs to impact the lives of youth and families by bringing youth sports enrichment programs into their communities. TGA is the first youth sports franchise company to align with the American Development Model (ADM) created by the U.S. Olympic Committee, which stress the importance of age-appropriate activities that emphasize motor and foundational skill development, multi-sport participation, as well as a progressively challenging atmosphere.  For more information about TGA Premier Sports, visit www.playtga.com or follow @TGA_Sports on Twitter.

The core purpose of Youth on Course is to help young people grow and succeed both on and off the course by providing opportunities to play, learn, grow relationships and provide affordable, inclusive access to play. More than 100,000 members play thousands of courses for $5 or less, benefit from employment through the caddie and internship program and receive college scholarships. Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, more than one million rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and nearly $2 million has been raised for college scholarships. Across North America, Youth on Course serves Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and parts of Canada.  YouthOnCourse.org | Facebook | Instagram

The post THE JUNIOR GOLF ECOSYSTEM appeared first on The Golf Wire.

On this week’s episode of the Golf Industry Roundtable, we interview Chris Jones and Joshua Kelley of Marriott Golf to discuss the project in depth.  We take a deep dive into what necessitated a course redesign, evaluating the agronomy and grasses used throughout the course and construction of the island green.

As a result of the changes to the course, the USGA has rerated the course which now plays as a par 70 at 6,300 yards.

The post THE MAKING OF AN ISLAND GREEN appeared first on The Golf Wire.

Whether you are a recreational player or a World Long Drive athlete, the ball you play needs to match your game.  In this episode of the Golf Industry Roundtable, we discuss Volvik USA’s unique approach to golf ball design and marketing.  We explore the tremendous success of the Marvel Comic series, their involvement with the World Long Drive Championship, and what really to look for in a ball.  We geek out on ball velocity, clubhead speeds, RPM spin rates, and launch angles to help you uncover the ball that matches your game.

The post THE MAKING OF A SUPER HERO GOLF BALL appeared first on The Golf Wire.