Golf Business Monitor

France selected to host 2018 Ryder Cup

What a big surprise! France was selected to host 2018 Ryder Cup. This is a great achievement to France, especially when we know who were the competitors (Germany, Spain, Portugal).

The games will be played on Le Golf National course near Paris. This is only the second time the biennial match between Europe and the United States will be played on mainland Europe. The first was in 1997, when the late Seve Ballesteros captained Europe to a single-point win at Valderrama in Spain.

There are three questions on my mind at this moment:

• How it will help to promote golf in France? 
• How it will promote France as a golf destination? 
• How much attention can get Ryder Cup in France where it is not as popular like in Spain, UK or USA?

Who are the Hickory Golfers?

I have just ordered via Amazon.com, Bernard Darwin's book: Bernard Darwin on Golf. To this point it would not be interesting, if it does not turn out that the  author of the book was member of the Society of Hickory Golfers. But what should we know about Hickory Golf? The name refers to the playing of golf with hickory shafted golf clubs. There are two main divisions of play, pre-1935 and pre-1900. The pre-1900 group (open & reserve divisions) play with the old Gutta-Percha golf ball, or its equivalent, and golf clubs are limited to those produced before that 1900 or authorized reproductions.

If you want to read more about this:

• http://www.hickorygolfers.com
• www.hickorygolf.com
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory_Golf

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/5093361/Chinese-businessman-buys-7000-golf-clubs.html

Death of the Hungarian golf champion

The Hungarian golf community was shocked by the murder of Krisztina Fodor. Krisztina (pronounce it as Christina) the Hungarian golf champion was murdered/butchered by his husband (according to the police) 4 days ago in her home. Yes, butchered is more proper to say as per the way she was killed. Krisztina was my virtual friend on Facebook. She was one of the big hopes of the Hungarian golf community...

If you want to see her Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000563701600&ref=ts. Her husband's Facebook profile was removed (i guess by the police). In the next video from YouTube - you will see Krisztina (blond lady in green T-shirt):

  Her blog's URL is: http://krisztinafodor.com/galeria.html. Here you can see some of her photos.

Fresh blood in golf: Powerplay Golf

Golf seems to be constant where history could not change anything to it. Or not? We are always worried by the declining number of golf players in US and elsewhere, plus the average age of player is getting bigger/higher.

Now, some folks from UK, thought about that they would like to play golf in a new way. Powerplay Golf is the new concept. The new modus operandi is more vivid and appealing to young generations (below age 35). The new concept is spreading all around the world (even in Slovakia, EU, you can play Powerplay Golf in 2 places). The essence of the game is:

"PowerPlay Golf is a new nine-hole form of golf, where there are two flags on every green. You can score extra points if you take a 'PowerPlay' and go for the Black Flag, but you have a limited number of 'PowerPlays' in your round - choose wisely. PowerPlay Golf Strokeplay uses the Stableford scoring system. You have just nine holes to score as many points as you can! Use your PowerPlays successfully, and you could get a huge score. But be careful - attacking the Black Flag is a risk."

I can see this as a new attraction on our golf courses. Golf course owners do not have to invest anything it, because it does not require modification in the golf course. This new concept can show to new generation that golf is able to be perky and fun.

Golf once again Olympic Game after 105 years?

In last couple of weeks many rumors appeared in the press both online and offline about the possibility to include golf in the Olympic Games. With G-d help it will be an Olympic game in 2016 if the International Golf Federation International Golf Federation and other lobby organization will succeed. By reading both websites, International Golf Federation and International Olympic Committee, it turns out that golf was an Olympic game twice in the 20th century. For the first time in 1900 (Paris, France) and 1904 (St. Louis, USA). Due to the World's Fairs both games could not receive the desired attention.

As we know Denmark is the host of the next summer Olympic Games. Denmark can proud of his 76 golf courses.

When I first heard about becoming again an Olympic Game, I started to ponder on the benefits of such recognition. Do we really have to become an Olympic Game? Will golf be treated differently afterward?

In many countries, as specially in Central Eastern Europe expecting from such recognition to boost golf life in their country. In good case people's attitude toward golf will be favourable. However media companies will not run to cover in Europe golf tournaments until they cannot be sure that it will generate significant number of viewers. Since it is hard to sell ad spaces and GRPs if you cannot prove that the program has notable number of viewers. Since all day want is high rating. This can result that people will still think about golf as an elite sport due to lack of information and experience with golf.

I do not think that it is end of the world if golf does not become an Olympic Game. It is more important how national golf associations, golf equipment manufacturers and golf clubs are communicating golf as a game. Furthermore how they treat people in the golf course. Because there is no stronger influence then a peer group member's voice. When people start to hear positive news from their friends about green tee and golf equipment prices they will start to think differently about golf.

Not surprisingly Fortune 500 companies are dedicating more from their marketing budget on social media and initiate dialogue with their customers via social networking sites as Facebook.com. According to a new study released by Aberdeen Group (published today by eMarketer), 63 percent of companies plan to increase their social media marketing budgets in 2009, despite the current weakness in the economy. eMarketer estimates that in this year the worlwide spending on social media will reach $2.4 billion.