Recapping Orlando

With more than 30,000 attendees converging on sunny Orlando – this past week was filled with incredible positive energy!

I attended the NGCOA Conference and then stayed for the PGA Show…

My take-a-ways from the week:

Kicking off Sunday evening with Scott Lake Owner - Jeff Hoag's annual Mastermind Session – NGCOA CEO Jay Karen and his team ran a tremendous conference – kudos to the entire team!

Two recurring themes from all attendees that I spoke with

A.?????How to Differentiate Your Brand

And,

B.?????Employee Culture / Retention

With the latter presenting a massive challenge to not only our industry, but hospitality fields et al.

You are not alone here!

However, the two sessions that stood out to me were – in no order.

Jim Koppenhaver?and Stuart Lindsay presented their 20th Annual State of the Industry – the tandem presented that while we may have seen a slight softening in 2022. The continued correction of course closures should produce a 2023 season that is like what we have seen the past twelve months – absent of any unusual weather circumstance, of course.

Creating Your Course’s Entertainment Ecosystem – hosted by former Golf Channel on-air personality Kraig Kann – this round table discussion focused on technological growth opportunities in golf.

By way of example at Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth, NH (a course I have consulted with twice in my career) installed a dedicated simulator room directly off their Grill 28 which generated sufficient revenue to recoup their investment in only 18 months!!

However, to paraphrase a comment by my friend Don Rea, PGA Vice President of PGA – that should resonate with all public access course owners. When considering your revenue centers – "the last few years should have already allowed for you to push Rounds/Rate, and while driving F&B revenue will have a marginal net impact … the driving range remains an opportunity." In Don’s case at Augusta Ranch, he invested in “gamification” (his term) by installing Top Tracer and has already seen a massive uptick in ancillary range / bar revenue – and get this it can be quantified right down to the number of balls hit. ?

This would be the perfect segway to the latter half of the week… walking across to the Orange County Convention Center and to the PGA Show. Where the crowds were as large and lively – as was the Top Tracer …. booth?

From my observation –

• International attendees were back for the first time since COVID, (even played golf with a great father / son from Spain!)
• Diversity of both participants and product offerings (as my good friend Larry Hirsh, CRE, MAI, SGA pointed out in his recent article – pickle ball at the PGA Show?)
• There was a rush towards technology, with teaching and game improvements floor space in particular hopping! Example – check out Sportsbox.ai and give my friend Andy Hydorn a shout to enhance your teaching operation. Where the program plots your students golf swing against Touring Professional Metrics.

While the large club manufacturers returned, noticeably absent … Taylor Made?

My sleeper clothing line – investigate Ouray – a casual sportswear line that can be branded to your club.

Two final thoughts

1. The 2023 Shows returned one of the greatest components of the Golf Industry – the socialization with our fellow industry professionals and re-connecting with old friends. Even if our golf games are a shell of its former self. :-(
2. A Big Shout Out to my friend and Owner of Cyprian Keys David Frem – winner of “Golf’s First Game Show,” Match Play is an interactive trivia game testing the knowledge of the game we love, and Dave outlasted an entire conference room of attendee’s …. LOL

Did you attend? Would love to hear your impressions of the week.

Allen

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