The European Golf Course Owners Association deemed its third European Golf Business Conference a success. The event was held November 5-7 in Berlin.
The central theme to the conference was “The Big Change” and the event attracted 240 delegates from 25 countries, including participants from Africa, America and Canada.
Various speakers exchanged views on the changes occurring with golfing habits in Europe today. One growing market that was discusses if the so-called “free golfer," defined as the golfer who plays golf at leisure and at a range of different golf clubs but doesn’t belong to any of them. It was clear that the supply side of golf must change to accommodate this new breed of golfer.
Another hot topic highlighted by many speakers was environmental issues and sustainability in golf. Gordon Shepherd, director of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), suggests that the golf industry should take a prominent place in promoting environmental sustainability, but believed there was considerable work still to be done in this area.
Marcel Welling, president of the EGCOA, sparked an interesting debate on the current structure of golf federations and whether they are meeting the needs of their markets and therefore preventing further growth of the game.
The European Tour’s David MacLaren focused on improving golf operations, Crown Golf’s Laurence Pithy promoted a more professional approach to golf course maintenance and Peter Walton, CEO of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), says he sees great possibilities in the future cooperation of his association with EGCOA.
Bill Sanderson, the Golf Business Coach, ended the conference with a speech in which he focused on service – including the message taht golf industry needs to change its mentality into a more service-orientated one.
Additionally, former European Tour executive director Ken Schofield received the 2008 EGCOA award for his outstanding contribution to developing the European Tour and for the positive effect this has had on the growth of the game.
The EGCOA announced that the fourth Golf Business Conference will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in November 2009.