worth reading A Clash of Club Cultures

Golf Club Atlas recently posted an interview with Ian Dalzell, the general manager of Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Dalzell grew up in Northern Ireland and cut his golf teeth at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim.

Here's Dalzell's answer to the question, "How is the golf service business different in the United States than Northern Ireland?"

There is no doubt about it, the golf business in the U.S. is a service business, whereas in Northern Ireland and other parts of Britain it is all about the business of golf.

The best way to describe it is to give an example of the average day of a golfer in each country, and I hope you will understand my tongue is firmly in my cheek as I try to enhance this example to get my point across.

The Ireland golfer arrives at the club, parks his own car, goes to the locker room and gets his own bag out of the locker, puts on his shoes that maybe haven’t seen polish for a while (no locker room attendants in Ireland), slings his bag on his shoulder, pops his head in the shop to say hello to the pro and let him know he is going out to play, and off he goes. When he finishes his round, he cleans his own clubs and shoes, puts them back in the locker, and heads upstairs for a cold pint with his foursome.

All in all, he only came into contact with the golf pro and a bartender. Seems pretty simple, really.

American golfer, once successfully navigating his way through the gate with guard house, pulls up at the bag drop, where he is greeted by an outside services associate with an earpiece who has already been informed of his arrival by the guardhouse employee. He steps out of his car, which is then promptly parked by the outside services associate, and his clubs are placed on a cart, which may or may not have his name on it. He heads to the locker room, where the attendant greets him and tends to his needs for the day.

From there, the American golfer heads to the grille to get a cold Gatorade and maybe half a sandwich from the waitress. Next up is the range, where balls have been set up for his convenience, and after a 30-minute warm-up he heads to the tee with his trusted caddie. After four holes, a beverage carts appears to quench the thirst of the golfer, greeted and tended to by the beverage cart attendant. She will visit on up to four occasions during the round, so a cold drink is never too far away.

After the round, the American golfer has his clubs cleaned by the caddie and placed in the car by the bag-drop staff. He heads to the locker room, where he meets the afternoon shift locker room attendant, who promptly cleans off his shoes and invites him to take a hot shower or steam. After that, the visit to the grille for a cold drink is a must, and as he leaves the staff will bring his car to the front door and wave him off.

All in all, the American golfer may have come into contact with service personnel at least 12 times during his day, which is why service is what drives American golf. In Europe, the focus is squarely on the golf. A huge difference in cultures.