By Kate Moore
The average golf consumer may not have heard of the Michigan Golf Alliance (MGA) but I can assure you their voice is loud and clear.
Formed about 10 years ago to bring Michigan’s golf associations together in order to tell the story of our state’s golf’s $4.2 billion industry to the state legislature, the MGA again has proved we are stronger, together.
“Working together very efficiently within this fluid situation provided a unified voice to our Governor and led to the re-opening of golf,” said Jada Paisley, executive director of the Michigan Golf Course Association.
Each of the associations has a seat at the table. The executive directors created a timely and effective strategy along with the support of the Small Business Association of Michigan to inform the Governor and her team how golf could and should be open in Michigan during COVID-19.
Because the Alliance leadership was constantly in communication, they had the ability to “communicate quickly and directly react to new information. Hopefully, this has also led to some more education on the business and economic impact of golf in Michigan for the current administration,” said MI Golf Course Superintendents Association’s executive director Adam Ikamas.
The Alliance represents the many voices of the golf industry including the consumer, golf professional, superintendent, managers, operators and owners, so it stands to reason creating a unified message was often a challenge.
“Within the Alliance we have representation from many viewpoints within the industry, so hopefully that meant we understood and addressed all of the various perspectives across the state in our messaging, advocacy and discussions,” said Chris Witten, executive director of the Golf Association of Michigan. Witten also indicated one of the biggest challenges was that the Alliance could not be face to face with the decision makers at the State Capitol participating in the meetings where these policies relating to golf were being set. Often the results of the Alliance’s efforts were not even known until the next Executive Order and subsequent FAQs were released by the Governor.
“The biggest challenge for our group is receiving timely and clear communication with the decision makers in Lansing,” said MI Section PGA director Kevin Helm. “We were often left to react and try to clarify details in order to help our members/facilities know how to proceed.”
As the newcomer to the group, Whitten stated, “I feel fortunate to work with this small group of golf leaders. We have a lot of bright, passionate people working on behalf of each specific group within the golf industry and I think we all learned from each other in this difficult process.”
A process that eventually led to golf opening up long before most business in Michigan were allowed.
Learn more about the Michigan Golf Alliance at www.michigangolgalliance.com.
