Vital Signs, december 2, 2016

     It won’t matter to anyone who matters, but there’s more evidence to suggest that women continue to be a giant untapped market for the golf industry. Women currently account for only 24 percent of the world’s golfers, and a Syngenta-commissioned study contends that bringing more of them into the fold could be worth as much as $35 billion annually to the global golf economy. “This is a huge opportunity for the golf industry,” a spokesman for Syngenta said at the just-concluded HSBC Golf Business Forum. But here’s the rub: In his next breath, the spokesman noted that “realizing this opportunity -- engaging and then converting prospects -- requires golf to listen to and address the specific needs of its different customers.” Sounds as if he thinks our industry’s leadership won’t allow that to happen.

     Golf Monthly recently asked one of the golf industry’s recurring questions: “Do we really need to lengthen golf courses?” The short answer: No. Naturally, though, the British magazine provides evidence to support its argument. Drawing from research done by the R&A, and contrary to popular opinion, it reports that the average drive for professionals on the European Tour in 2015 was 288.4 yards, which is just 2.1 yards farther than the average drive measured in 2003. What’s more, during the same period the average driving distance for players on the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour not only didn’t increase but actually declined. Regarding amateurs, nowadays the average drive by a good male player travels 234 yards, while a good female’s goes 205 yards. All these numbers lead the magazine to a logical conclusion: If golf operators want their courses to defend par, they should make them harder, not longer.

     Data from a new survey offers a glimpse into the uncertain future of British golf clubs. Here’s the encouraging news, according to a study commissioned by England Golf: Between 2014 and 2016, 30 percent of the nation’s clubs registered an increase in membership. And even better, the members of England’s golf clubs are, on average, playing at least a bit more frequently. These increases haven’t been large enough to put the clubs back on Easy Street -- today, on average, the clubs have virtually the same number of members that they had in 2014 -- but it gives the industry some traction to build upon. The survey also contains discouraging demographic news, however: Since 2014, the number of club members who are 65 and older has increased by 13 percent. A press release calls this aging “a reflection of the good health of golfers,” but it’s worth mentioning that good health doesn’t last forever.

     England Golf has some other noteworthy things to say about British golf clubs, one of which is that 95 percent of them have vacancies. Another: Only 10 percent of the nation’s clubs have a waiting list in any membership category.

     Speaking of worries about the future, golf clubs Down Under remain mired in a membership funk. Golf Australia reports that the nation’s clubs have lost nearly 50,000 of the 446,428 members that they had in 2006, and it doesn’t appear as though reinforcements are on the way. What’s worse, more than 50 percent of current club members are 55 or older.

     Does Asia have room to grow as a golf destination? The current pace of golf construction suggests that nations across the continent believe it most certainly does, and over the next decade those nations will be easier to get to and more accommodating for longer stays. By 2026, according to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council, $1.5 trillion will be invested in Asian travel and tourism projects -- better airports, for the most part, but also related conveniences including up-to-date banking systems and reliable telephone service. Skift reports that nearly half of the money ($723 billion) will be spent in China and that virtually all of the rest will boost the appeal of Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Such expenditures serve as the foundation for a wide variety of traveler-friendly attractions, and the right golf courses in the right locations stand to benefit.