2023 Golf PEI Executive Director Report

With it now in the rear-view mirror, 2023 was another record-breaking year for Golf Prince Edward Island and its members, partners, and stakeholders.

It was also a year of renewal after a hurricane caused extensive damage on most golf courses in some way, shape or form. This provided an opportunity for many courses to take stock of their surroundings and better plan for changes. It also meant less trees at Crowbush, which is helpful to everyone.

In a year that came and went in no time, Golf PEI experienced a lot of good, a few areas for improvement, and, more importantly, excitement for what’s ahead as an organization and industry.

?

The Numbers

Coming off of a bounce-back tourism year in 2022, we didn’t really know what to expect in 2023. But early into the year, we knew it would be a strong season. This proved true until the end on several different metrics.

• Golf PEI’s Reservation Centre hit its highest gross profit ever at $1,707,000.
• Total rounds played on PEI were just shy of 400,000 – up 3.8% year-over-year.
• Paid rounds hit 190,000 for the first time ever – up 8.1% year-over-year.
• Golf PEI’s online tee time bookings generated $1,313,000 in revenue for our golf courses, the highest ever. (These are non-packaged tee times.)
• Highest retail and online store sales to date at $220,000, with intentions to expand on e-commerce offerings.

In addition, we had website pageviews of 384,000, combined social media impressions of 5.2 million, and grew our database to over 314,000 golfers. These numbers bode well as we enter 2024 and continue expanding our footprint in the minds of travelling golfers.

?

What’s Ahead

Already, 2024 is shaping up to be another great year, with golf vacation bookings taking on a more year-round approach compared to years past.

• Strategic Plan—In January, we launched our 5-year strategic plan, The Way Forward , with the help of James Cronk and his team at Cronk Group. This comprehensive plan has 20 action items to elevate us as a golf destination and compete globally. Progress reports will be provided ongoingly, with an emphasis in year one on a brand review exercise and the development of a French website.
• Partnerships – Golf PEI intends to lean heavily on tourism industry partnerships to create a fuller customer experience, making Prince Edward Island more than just a golf destination. These include a shared office space with Meetings & Conventions PEI and TIAPEI, more collaboration with Canada’s Food Island, the introduction of shuttle and transport partners for guests, and others. More recently, Tourism PEI has become the Official Travel Destination of the NHL , and this is something we hope to utilize in our marketing. And of course, much of what we do wouldn’t be possible without the help of Tourism PEI and ACOA.
• Reservation Centre Pace – we are pacing well ahead of this time last year, at 64% ahead of 2023 as of February 29, 2024. Average package value is up, and more golfers are putting Prince Edward Island on their golf trip list. In fact, we are already seeing inquiries for 2025.

??

Tell Our Story

Golf Prince Edward Island has such a special story to tell, and we often take it for granted how good we have it. It is my opinion that we don’t share our story enough. We hear about these other golf destinations as if they are outer-worldly when we have our own slice of heaven right here.

We are a complete golf destination—not just Eat-Breath-Sleep golf like most places, but one with added cultural significance, homegrown delicacies, and a healthy dose of Island hospitality. We can go punch for punch with any golf destination out there, including the Myrtle Beaches, the Whistlers, and even the Cabots.

Our strategic plan vision is to become the #1 Golf Destination in North America. To do that, we need buy-in from all our partners. We need to double down and position ourselves as a powerhouse for golf tourism. We need to keep telling our story.

Thank you to the hard-working staff of Golf PEI, our board of directors, members, and everyone who helped ensure a successful golf season.

With your dedication and, more importantly, your trust in Golf PEI, it’s time to get to work. Let’s continue telling our story.?

Sincerely,

??

Sam MacPhail

Executive Director

To see Golf PEI's 2023 Annual Report, visit: https://bit.ly/GolfPEI2023AnnualReport