The 2016 summer of golf is here, and it is looking to be a cracker. With the long-anticipated World Cup of Golf played at Kingston Heath, the Australian Open at Royal Sydney, and the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines, Aussie golf fans are in for a real treat. The World Cup of Golf […]
It’s a common occurrence for many of us when visiting a course: you walk off the 18th after your round thinking “Gosh, that course was a lot easier/harder than the Slope rating suggests.” Or maybe there are a few individual holes at your home club that seem to always play much easier/harder than the index […]
As I’ve regularly discussed in this column, golf is currently experiencing difficult times. But how exactly did we get here? In examining our present, we must quickly look at our past. Prior to the 1990s, golf was generally considered a boring, elitist game for retirees. But with the entrance of Tiger Woods into the professional […]
There’s an interesting trend quietly occurring in Australian golf at the moment. It seems that more and more courses are beginning to (finally) tune-in to the fact that the majority of golfers out there (i.e. the middle-to-high-handicap club golfers, who are the bread and butter of the industry) are no longer actively seeking out the […]
Over the last few months, I’ve received a heap of emails from readers regarding my columns on Club Memberships, Social Golf and the like. While the emails have been almost overwhelmingly positive (Thanks!), there have been some which have stated that articles like “Is your club Anti-Social” are missing (or ignoring) important viewpoints. By far, […]
Many clubs are failing to embrace a new way of thinking as they try to attract new members (or retain existing ones). Here are a few things your club can do to generate more interest by prospective members
It’s time for clubs to face the facts: the traditional membership model is stuck in the rough. This became blatantly apparent to me as I recently shopped around for a club to join. Having received the “OK” from my wife to spend some of our ‘hard-earned’ on a membership, I embarked on a quest to […]
In our many visits to golf clubs these days, there is one word that keeps popping up: Scoopon. GMs and marketing managers are all abuzz about the phenomenon, but they are equally wary about how it may affect their clubs in the future. If you’re not familiar with it, Scoopon.com.au is a website that sells […]
The proposed new laws that would place bet limits on poker machines are causing quite a stir – especially around the golf course. The Proposal – which would require pre-commitment technology to be placed on poker machines in all clubs and hotels across Australia – is intended to reduce problem gambling. Greg Mills, CEO of […]
Teaching older people I am currently 62 years old. I started golf at age 13 and my best handicap was 9, in my teens. I am physically fit for my age but have normal age-induced, limited, spinal flexibility. When one goes for a lesson, a pro may ask you if you have any injuries, but […]
