Michigan Golf Journal October 2019

ŝŶƟŵŝĚĂƟŶŐ ĨŽƌŵĂƚ͘ dŚĞƌĞ are 14.7 million non-golfers who say they’re “very interested” in playing golf on a course, with another ϯϮ͘ϳ ŵŝůůŝŽŶ ǁŚŽ ƐĂLJ they’re at least somewhat interested. The popularity ŽĨ ŽīͲĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĨŽƌŵƐ ŽĨ ŐŽůĨ has contributed to this growing latent demand pool. “Topgolf is driving interest in huge numbers for golf. But the challenge from ŵLJ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ ŝƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ golf industry, for the most part, hasn’t really done ĂŶLJƚŚŝŶŐ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚůLJ ƚŽ convert interest to trials. That’s what we’re trying to change,” Pillsbury says. “We can’t change what everybody else is doing, but we can change what we’re doing. That’s what we’re focused on because we think there is a very unique, unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of surging interest in golf and ĐŽŶǀĞƌƟŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŽ ƚƌŝĂůƐ͘͟ The U.S. is the best- supplied golf market in the ǁŽƌůĚ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ϭϳ͕ϬϬϬ golf courses. More than ϰ͕ϬϬϬ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŵ ŽƉĞŶĞĚ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ Ă ϮϬͲLJĞĂƌ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ boom from 1986 through ϮϬϬϱ ƚŚĂƚ ŽǀĞƌͲƐĂƚƵƌĂƚĞĚ the market. ^Ž͕ ǁŝůů ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ŽīͲ course building boom eventually outpace the demand for these kinds of ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ŐŽůĨ ŽīĞƌŝŶŐƐ͍ /ƚ͛Ɛ ƐƟůů ĨĂƌ ƚŽŽ ĞĂƌůLJ ƚŽ ƚĞůů͕ and the industry overall seems more focused right ŶŽǁ ŽŶ ǁŚĞƚŚĞƌ ŽīͲĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ ĐĂŶ Ɛƚ ŽŶͲ course play. E'& dĂŬĞĂǁĂLJƐ x Almost as many ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶƐ ƉůĂLJ ŽīͲ course forms of golf ĂƐ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ŐƌĞĞŶͲ ŐƌĂƐƐ ŐŽůĨ͘ KīͲĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ϭϬй ŝŶ ϮϬϭϴ ƚŽ ĂŶ ĞƐƟŵĂƚĞĚ Ϯϯ ŵŝůůŝŽŶ ƉĞŽƉůĞ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ Ϯϰ͘Ϯ million on-course golfers. x KīͲĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŐŽůĨ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ can provide engaging and ŶŽŶͲŝŶƟŵŝĚĂƟŶŐ ŽƉƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ĂƩƌĂĐƚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ ĂŶĚ͕ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůůLJ͕ create more golfers. ϵϰй ŽĨ ŶŽŶͲŐŽůĨĞƌƐ ƐĂLJ they feel comfortable at a Topgolf venue, for example. x ƌĞĐĞŶƚ E'& ƐƚƵĚLJ ĨŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ϳϱй ŽĨ ŶŽŶͲŐŽůĨĞƌƐ who visited Topgolf said they’re now interested in playing on a course. x There are 14.7 million non-golfers who say they’re “very interested” in playing golf on a course, with another ϯϮ͘ϳ ŵŝůůŝŽŶ ǁŚŽ say they’re at least somewhat interested. dŚĞ ƉŽƉƵůĂƌŝƚLJ ŽĨ ŽīͲ course forms of golf has contributed to this growing latent demand pool. 35 October 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ