Nationally Known Speakers Highlight NJSGA Golf Summit At Forsgate C.C.

Nationally-known speakers Darrell Crall of the PGA of America, Rick Coyne of Club Mark Corporation and Pat Jones of Golf Course Industry magazine gave their views on maintaining and attracting membership in a difficult economic climate when the New Jersey State Golf Association Golf presented its second annual Golf Summit on Thursday, April 12, at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe.

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Kevin Purcell of Darlington, a member of the NJSGA Board of Trustees and Chairman, served as the presenter.

Also, Rand Jerris, senior managing director of the United States Golf Association, was the luncheon speaker, addressing the state of golf in 2012 and beyond.

Crall, the senior director of the PGA’s Golf 2.0 and a former executive director of the Northern Texas PGA section, said “We need to open up doors and include everyone, and with that comes an opportunity for this kind of movement to be successful. We really want to have a conversation about diversifying ethnically and about including women and children in golf.”

Coyne, who is the founder and CEO of Club Mark, and has spent more than 40 years in club management, operation and market analysis, believes golf is at a crossroad for its survival.

“We’re still headed in a negative direction. We leave ourselves vulnerable to losing the younger generation. A recurring theme is asking customers (club members) what they want and to survey them as to what they feel is important at the club,” Coyne said.

Jones, the publisher of Golf Course Industry magazine, feels club members should devote themselves to finding a better business model.

"Clubs should have a brand and a niche. They should stop trying to be all things to all people. They should change the business model internally if it doesn’t work, like food and beverage, and focus on the biggest asset- the golf course,”

Jerris said the USGA is making an ongoing effort to make the game more affordable and less time consuming. Programs such as Golf 2.0, and Tee It Forward as well as the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games, in which golf will be included, are important for the future of the game, he said. He also said women are a big part of golf going forward. (check this website)

``We want to be better partners, better listeners, and a bigger part of the golf community,” Jerris said. ``We want to face our challenges without fundamentally changing the game.”