As we approach the end of 2023, the golf industry is in a period of considerable change.

As we approach the end of 2023, the golf industry is in a period of considerable change. This interesting phase for those operating golf facilities comes post Covid, after most facilities have seen the huge rise in participation falling back slightly, but still considerably beyond participation levels of 2019. There are factors that affect the operation of golf facilities, as well as the changes going on with the governance of the global game along with a period of fascinating change with the elite professional game.

Golf ranges have been enjoying a surge in business, as most of the major ranges are now employing high tech equipment within the bays to give additional feedback to their customers. Toptracer, Trackman, Inrange, Awesome Golf, Flight Scope and several others are now providing excellent feedback onto in-bay screens, giving golfers the opportunity to learn more about their shots, improve their swings, and play all sorts of games, bringing far more appeal to golf ranges up and down the country.

The technology varies, both in quality and cost, but it has been a remarkable game changer for those running golf ranges. All of the technologies track the ball and produce a very pleasing image on a screen to the side of the bay, complete with the statistics for height, deviation and distance, and apex. The better systems also track the clubface with all its variances prior to, during and after impact. Once this clubface data is married to ball flight data, it provides the golfer with the ultimate feedback and it is clearly the best type of system available. Some range operators may not be bothered by providing the very best feedback for their customers, but I personally think it is important. Not all of the companies mentioned above provide clubface and ball flight data. 

Most ranges have seen a considerable uplift in their turnovers, with more customers paying more for their sessions. Most ranges are able to charge over 50% more, with some ranges showing increases of up to 300% on their turnovers.  It is the biggest change for the golf range industry in the last 50 years. For those range operators that have not yet added high technology to their golf ranges, talk to range operators and find out what is their best experience. The deals vary and some systems you can buy outright and some are available to lease. 

Either way, most ranges will enjoy a great benefit from adding this radical excitement to the customer offering. The technology has also changed the dynamic and customer profile. Golf ranges used to be populated by avid golfers, wanting quiet and considered practice, but now several players can enjoy each bay and fun and entertainment are the predominant theme.  Can you imagine 30 years ago, food and drink served into a golf bay full of happy young people dressed to their liking, not ancient formal rules, enjoying a night out, complete with rock music and laughter. TopGolf paved the way over twenty years ago. Now all ranges have the opportunity to reach a wider audience. 

Golf ranges and centres are also continuing to add adventure putting golf courses to their mix. The investment required is considerable, but the returns are excellent for the well-positioned golf centre. If you are considering investing in such a putting course, do plenty of research, don’t skimp and ask fellow operators what their experience of introducing the new facilities has been.

During the Covid period, golf was one of the only sports that could be played and enjoyed by people in the country. Not surprisingly, participation levels rose to new highs and thousands of golfers started playing and rekindled their enthusiasm for golf. Whilst levels of participation have fallen back quite a bit since Covid restrictions were relaxed, participation levels are still very healthy and golf looks set for a long, lasting, golden period.

Retail sales, whilst being hit heavily by inflation, are nevertheless up overall as the latest figures from Datatech confirm (see article later in this edition). The real guide for a busy golf course environment are ball sales, which are only down just over 1% this year since the much higher figures post Covid, with plenty of people purchasing new hardware, despite the economic outlook over the last 12 months seeming to be bleak. 

Many golf centres are now also offering Costa Coffee (or similar) cafes, with quality fast food options to make more sense of the catering side of the businesses, which has historically been a difficult area in which to remain profitable. With a 10% increase in the minimum wage once again on the horizon, businesses need to be creative in order to maintain their profitability. 

So the protracted battle with the PGA Tour and the PIF (Saudi public investment vehicle) is continuing. The much heralded framework agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF still has not materialised with just a couple of weeks to go before the deadline. Jon Rahm has joined LIV (also hugely backed by Saudi money). Rahm’s decision to join the LIV tour for a multi million pound payout has struck a different chord with many of the PGA tour faithful. Rory McIlroy has publicly stated that he definitely wants Jon Rahm in the Ryder Cup when it is next played at Bethpage in two years time. This is a marked contrast to his antagonism towards many of the European players who joined LIV in the early days. 

Much of the ill feeling between LIV and the PGA tour is focused around Official World Golf Ranking points. OWGR is the mechanism for grading the finest players in the world across many events and determines the invitations to major championships and other important events. Despite the fact that Peter Dawson, who chairs the OWGR, recently stated that the reason for LIV golf not been granted official ranking points is that there is no cut, the Hero World Challenge, presented by Tiger Woods also got OWGR points with Will Zalatoris picking up 2.1 points, despite finishing bog last as he recovers from injury.  With no cut at the Hero event, this is obviously a complete nonsense, grossly unfair, and undermines the integrity of the points system. 

The PGA Tour, and the DP World Tour (formally the European tour) have allegedly, bowed out of the decision-making process for the awarding of points to LIV golfers. This would seem to leave the major championships and the other golf bodies that make up the majority of the OWGR committee in a terrible muddle. They have awarded points to a 20 man invitational event with no cut, yet won’t allow points to be awarded to world-class field, even though there are 48 high-quality professionals playing for a huge amount of money. The vested interests have been strong-arming the process, and it is extremely surprising that Peter Dawson, who formerly headed the R&A, has chaired these meetings with such perverse results.

For those of us with a mischievous sense of humour, it is pleasing to see that five out of the last six DP World Tour events have been won by LIV players, playing on sponsors’ exemptions. If the main tours are genuinely interested in having the best players, then perhaps we can stop this ridiculous pettiness with the OWGR point system and get back to the long-term vision of a world tour with a very fine players competing across the globe to develop the game. 

Elsewhere, the R&A and USGA have decided that the golf ball is definitely flying too far, so in just a few years time new ball regulations will cut approximately 15 yards off the drive of a very long hitter, and probably under 5 yards from a regular amateur player. Howls of indignation have been heard from the manufacturers of both balls and clubs, but this is a sensible move and should be applauded as some of the finest golf courses in the world are becoming obsolete due to stronger players, better equipment, and advanced techniques. The governing bodies of the world game are quite right to keep the manufacturers in check and insist on setting rules which preserve the game’s future without letting it be overly distorted by huge driving distances. Personally, I would also like to see a maximum of 56° of loft for any club. This would also increase the skill of players around the greens and prevent the really powerful golfers from playing smash and gouge – the gouge being the 64° lob wedge out of heavy rough after a massive drive. Golf is in a great place and, once a world tour can be fully established, the sport will reach new heights.

We have been reporting on golf in this publication for the last 22 years. Much has happened, and no doubt much more will occur in the next 22 years.