Last month, I made the trek to Orlando, Florida, for the massive PGA Merchandise Show. Over four full days, I walked the “miles” of aisles, and sampled hundreds upon hundreds of products. One thing I noticed while touring this behemoth of a golf show, is that the level of innovation in the golf products industry […]
Immediately following the Presidents Cup, I, like most of Australia and the non-American-viewing-public, felt more than a bit flat. Not just because the International team lost what was shaping up to be a thrilling (and, let’s face it, a much-needed) victory throughout the week, but also (and more disappointingly) because the ending of this event […]
Many of you will recall that I wrote an article in the March, 2019 issue about member/player surveys (“A Question Left Unasked”, also available on our website). In that column, I mentioned how surveys and feedback are the lifeblood of any business, especially those in the hospitality industry. Yet it’s almost unheard of in golf […]
DURING last month’s GMA National Conference—where general managers and industry professionals met to discuss and address the many issues affecting golf clubs—I was fortunate to chat with dozens of delegates about a variety of issues plaguing their clubs. One such issue was the proliferation of “Virtual Clubs”—online-based or remotely-based groups that often operate independently of […]
Nearly every day, I read or hear reports concerning slow play in golf. Having played the game for nearly 50 years, I can attest that slow play is indeed one of the most frustrating parts of the game. And over those years, I have discovered the many causes (and many solutions) to this bane of […]
As someone who works in the Golf Industry, I spend quite a lot of time reading industry-related articles and information from a number of media sources. There is a great deal of information, feedback and opinions published out there from industry associations (Golf Australia, PGA etc) and golf media, golf journalists, professional players, coaches, Club […]
Last month, Golf Australia released their annual National Golf Club Participation Report, which detailed the national trends on membership, competition rounds, general participation and specific program participation. The report, which is available online at https://bit.ly/2Hi6JSq, revealed that golf membership is continuing its steady decline on a national level. Essentially, fewer golfers are opting to join […]
For many Australian club golfers, the months of May/June/July represent a sticky time—as we debate the pros and cons of forking over our hard-earned cash to renew our annual golf club membership. In the end—our bodies and partners willing—we generally choose, once again, to pay our subs, hoping that the Golf Gods will finally reward […]
Recently, The Australian Golf Industry Council released the National Competition Rounds Report for 2018. And while there was a significant “positive spin” by the council regarding the fact that the year was consistent, with an increase of the number of rounds played, there were a few findings that raised eyebrows here in the Inside Golf […]
The other day, I was in a club’s carpark, changing my shoes and packing up the clubs after a round of golf, when I overheard a couple of players walking back to their cars, discussing what I can only assume was a disappointing day on the links. “I certainly won’t be rushing back to play […]
We’ve heard it over and over: “People are Time Poor.” Over the last few years, amid declining memberships and participation, the golf industry has adopted that phrase as a scapegoat of sorts; citing “Time Poverty” as one of the main reasons why people are playing less golf. While I admit that I have used […]
I’ll warn you all straight away that I’m especially grumpy this month. Not just because I put some extreme stress on my body in an attempt to play 72 holes of golf in a single day, but primarily because I was witness to a “train wreck” of a tragedy for Australian Golf: This year’s […]
By Murray Cropley — Principal of HexaDec Services. www.hexadec.com.au, or email admin@hexadec.com.au A number of readers have recently expressed their irritation at playing in Par competitions. Most readers will know that Par was previously known as “Bogey”, and was considered to be a match by the player against the course. Indeed, the ‘Colonel Bogey […]
Our regular readers will know that I often use this column to take a stand against a variety of issues plaguing golf. From declining membership, to mismanagement by committees and boards, to the Rules of Golf, the Slope System and more, you all know that I rarely hold back when something gets me really “teed […]
Last month, Golf Australia released the 2017 National Golf Club Participation Report, an annual publication which details membership numbers, playing trends, competition rounds and general participation. Click here for the full report. Sadly, the numbers show that golf in Australia is still on a downward trend. National golf club membership saw a 1.1% decline versus […]
Last month saw the much-anticipated and highly-touted launch of Top Golf on the Gold Coast. For the uninitiated, Top Golf is like a driving range on ultra-steroids, seamlessly incorporating a high-tech element into hitting balls (automated ball tee-up, computerised scoring and games, high-tech targets, etc), while also adding a full “American style” Sports bar/food & […]
The other day, I was playing a round as a guest at a local club, where I was paired with a member of the club’s golf committee. During the round, I noticed that the course had been set up in a rather “challenging” way, with the tees set back, pins tight, speedy greens, rough grown […]
Every month, I hear (or read via email) stories about a variety of governance issues at clubs. Whether it’s board dysfunction, lack of role clarity, micromanagement, lack of future planning or any number of similar issues surrounding a Board or committee, the fact remains that many clubs across Australia are suffering as a result of […]
Looking over some of the stories in this month’s issue, one thing has become painfully obvious: the tide has changed in golf. And the big wave is upon us. The USGA and the R&A have announced their new “modernised rules” (to help the game appeal to a larger fan/participant base), while also releasing their findings […]
Last month, Golf Australia announced that they plan to focus heavily on what many consider to be golf’s greatest imbalance – female participation. GA’s “Vision 2025: The future of women and girls in golf” plan (see story on page 6) is aimed to get more women playing this great game, by improving the culture at […]
Anyone who has played golf with me knows that I’m a fan of playing quickly. My regular foursome, when unencumbered by slow groups ahead of us, can easily finish our round in roughly three hours and 45 minutes. A quick round is a fun round. So you’ll understand my frustration when, last month, I […]
Ok, folks. Enough is enough – it’s time for us all to take action. One of Australia’s most beloved and iconic golf courses, Melbourne’s Albert Park Golf Course, is facing the chop. Situated just a 5-iron away from the Melbourne CBD (if you’re Dustin Johnson), the course is an institution for Melburnians, and sees upwards […]
In February, I wrote about how golf is predominantly a game of “No”, with golfers commonly hearing phrases like “No, you can’t wear those types of socks/shoes/shorts/shirts”, “No, women (or juniors) can’t be on the course this day of the week,”, “No, you can’t check email on your phone while in the clubhouse,”, “No, you can’t play unless you have an […]
Over many years, I have argued at length in this column that clubs, members and committees need to ‘wake up’ and take dramatic, swift action to change their mindsets from the old, traditional models into a new way of thinking. Recently, it seems that many clubs out there have been listening to and/or following these […]
Watching Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy drive the green on the iconic Par-4 18th hole at St Andrews last month must have made some of the past generations question what exactly are the manufacturers doing to the equipment to enable such prodigious lengths off the tee. Or what about American Brooks Koepka muscling a 3-wood 380 […]
Over the last few months, I’ve received an increasing number of emails/letters from disgruntled readers, denouncing our governing body, Golf Australia, for a variety of reasons (see this month’s Your Voice for just a sample of the many opinions I’ve received lately.) There’s no doubt that you, the readers, feel that golf in this country […]
A few readers have alerted me to a situation that is slowly trickling through clubland. It seems that a growing number of clubs are beginning to allow professionals to play in club events like the weekly members’ competition and even Club Championships. That’s right, we are now being asked to compete against the professionals in […]
We’ve received a few letters lately regarding the media’s poor treatment of Tiger Woods and his recent troubles (see this month’s Your Say page for a sample). Readers may have noticed our lack of “coverage” regarding Tiger’s woes over the past few years. This has been a conscientious decision. We have always preferred to take […]
A few issues back, I raised some points about the Slope System and handicap indexing. To summarise, I proposed that, instead of using the current (and potentially outdated) American Slope system to determine the relative difficulty of courses here in Australia, we instead turn to the real-world statistical data of rounds played at each course. […]
By now you will have heard that the USGA and the R&A are conducting a major revamp/simplification of the Rules of Golf. In a refreshing twist, the USGA and R&A are, amazingly, asking for feedback/suggestions from golfers regarding the rules. And while I’m under no illusion that the USGA or R&A are truly open to […]
Last month’s column about mobile phones in the clubhouse unleashed a multitude of reader responses. Dozens of you wrote in, overwhelmingly supporting my point that electronic devices in the clubhouse were simply a sign of the times, and that clubs need to embrace that fact. The column also generated a bunch of letters on related […]
Most clubs across Australia will have, in one form or another, a membership category or subsidy in place to cater to Senior Members. Designed to reward long-term loyalty (and reduce the financial strain on older members), this can take the form of a greatly discounted rate for members over a certain age, who have been […]
Last month, we received a letter which highlighted a growing concern by many golfers. The letter (Why 7 isn’t 7, Letters section) explained how a typical 7-day women’s membership, for example, doesn’t generally allow women to play golf on Wednesdays or Saturdays (men’s-only comps days); effectively making their membership a 5-day membership. Since then, I’ve […]
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 […]
Every week, I read countless emails, stories, reports and news pieces about how golf is struggling to attract and/or retain golfers. It’s become a rather mundane activity, as nearly everyone is keen to point any number of fingers at any number of culprits. Whether it’s the fault of other sports like cricket, the struggling economy, […]
To those who doubted the validity of golf in the Olympics, it’s time to admit that you may have been wrong. Yes, the format was uninspired, and the threat of Zika made all the headlines prior to the event, but when all was said and done, the game of golf put on a gold-medal-worthy performance […]
As someone who once held a glimmer of hope for Olympic glory (I was a competitive fencer in my youth) I can attest that there are few things on Earth more alluring than the opportunity to compete for a gold medal on behalf of your country. From the thumping of the drums in the “Olympic […]
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 […]
Watching the third round of the recent The Players Championship, I was reminded of how much I truly dislike watching the world’s best players be forced to suffer undue punishment on the golf course. For those of you who didn’t see it (which is probably most of you, as it was only available on Foxtel—but […]
Over the past few years, much has been written and said about how golf clubs are struggling to attract and retain players, and how golf in general is facing an uphill battle against other sports that are quicker, cheaper and easier. Golf clubs are closing/amalgamating, waiting lists are disappearing, joining fees are dwindling and membership […]
