BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. - Golf participation was down nearly a million golfers from 2001 to 2002, according to preliminary results from Pellucid Corp.’s second annual golf consumer survey, released in late March.
Pellucid founder James Koppenhaver presented these findings at a panel discussion on growing the game initiatives at the Urban Land Institute’s conference on developing golf courses and communities in Naples, Fla.
Koppenhaver told conference attendees that participation was not flat, but that retention continues to be public enemy number one for the golf industry, which he said lost almost 40 percent more golfers than it acquired in 2002.
“This is the first industry-independent survey of participation over multiple years which goes beyond participation rates to the growth/decline components and includes Pellucid’s consumer franchise methods, such as rounds per capita, attraction rates and the lost/acquired golfer ratio,” Koppenhaver said.
While these findings are definitely bad news for the industry, Koppenhaver was quick to point out that it is not too late to turn things around.
“This isn’t necessarily doom and gloom for the industry, but it cannot be interpreted as a positive indicator on one component of the consumer franchise,” he said. “If the frequency component holds steady or goes up, then we’ll start to see the wisdom in Pellucid’s approach to measuring the industry in rounds per capita rather than just participation rates.”
One way the industry can turn things around, Koppenhaver said, is to work on retention as hard as, or harder than, it has worked on bringing new players to the game.
“Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it,” Koppenhaver said. “These preliminary findings suggest that perhaps the key to grow the game initiatives lies not in opening the front door wider, but simply closing the back door.”
Pellucid’s full report was not available at press time. Koppenhaver said Pellucid would release its industry report on the golf customer franchise, which is based on a survey of 130,000 U.S. households, in mid-April.
Pellucid founder James Koppenhaver presented these findings at a panel discussion on growing the game initiatives at the Urban Land Institute’s conference on developing golf courses and communities in Naples, Fla.
Koppenhaver told conference attendees that participation was not flat, but that retention continues to be public enemy number one for the golf industry, which he said lost almost 40 percent more golfers than it acquired in 2002.
“This is the first industry-independent survey of participation over multiple years which goes beyond participation rates to the growth/decline components and includes Pellucid’s consumer franchise methods, such as rounds per capita, attraction rates and the lost/acquired golfer ratio,” Koppenhaver said.
While these findings are definitely bad news for the industry, Koppenhaver was quick to point out that it is not too late to turn things around.
“This isn’t necessarily doom and gloom for the industry, but it cannot be interpreted as a positive indicator on one component of the consumer franchise,” he said. “If the frequency component holds steady or goes up, then we’ll start to see the wisdom in Pellucid’s approach to measuring the industry in rounds per capita rather than just participation rates.”
One way the industry can turn things around, Koppenhaver said, is to work on retention as hard as, or harder than, it has worked on bringing new players to the game.
“Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it,” Koppenhaver said. “These preliminary findings suggest that perhaps the key to grow the game initiatives lies not in opening the front door wider, but simply closing the back door.”
Pellucid’s full report was not available at press time. Koppenhaver said Pellucid would release its industry report on the golf customer franchise, which is based on a survey of 130,000 U.S. households, in mid-April.
Key preliminary findings in Pellucid’s Golf Customer Franchise report:
- Participation measured as both a percent or as a total number declined in 2002.
- The industry lost almost 40 percent more golfers than it acquired in 2002.
- The percent decline of female golfers was three times that of male golfers.
- The number of junior golfers remained constant against adult segment declines.
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