Reed On The Greens February 25, 2022
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

Long before any sort of normalcy returned during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southwestern Ontario golf industry played a large role in easing the pain of lockdowns, masks and lack of social interaction. Locally, golf clubs adopted new measures – spaced-out tee times, flagsticks left in holes and take-out food and beverage only, for example – with guidance from the game’s governing body, Golf Canada.

In fact, golf naturally lends itself to many pandemic measures, since it’s an outdoor activity which has always practiced physical distancing, minus high fives and 19th hole banter. But in spring 2020, as most Canadians lived under lockdown, golf led the way in providing local enthusiasts with a return to their passion. And with more golfers, per capita, in London and region than anywhere else in Canada, that meant not only a return to the links, but also a return to revenue for our 100-plus Southwestern Ontario golf clubs.

Still, private, semi-private and public clubs have lost millions of dollars in revenue which would normally stem from food and beverage sales, weddings, corporate outings and charity golf tournaments. Yet locally, those who operate our courses and banquet facilities remain resilient and hopeful for a full return to normalcy in 2022.

It would be irresponsible to say that the pandemic has been the best thing to ever happen to golf in Southwestern Ontario. However, golf is experiencing a boom not seen since the 1970s. According to the latest National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada survey, which encompasses nearly 700 Canadian golf clubs, rounds played were up a record 19 per cent in 2020 over the five-year average – and that included rounds down 38 per cent in April and May 2020 when many courses were not permitted to open, plus a drop of 88 per cent in tournament play in 2020.

Last year, record numbers improved as NGCOA Canada reported rounds played were up 9.1 per cent across the country in 2021, with an 11.5-per-cent jump in Ontario. The association reported when comparing pre-pandemic rounds played, rounds had increased by 30 per cent over 2019. But perhaps the most surprising number from NGCOA points to year-end 2021 revenues showing an increase of 20 per cent over 2020, thanks in part to booked-solid tee sheets.

The NGCOA Canada research report applauds the game as “safe. It is played with friends, outside in the fresh air while walking 10 to 20 kilometres through 150 acres of nature with no more than three others who have no problem maintaining two metres of social distancing at all times.”

Golf Growing, Game Wins New Fans

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum

In fact, according to Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, golf had begun to notably grow before the pandemic.

“We started to see single-digit growth in 2017, so we were already gaining some momentum,” Applebaum said, “but I don’t think anybody could have expected the results of what has happened with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve been so impressed with the ingenuity of the industry,” he said. “We’ve experienced a demand that we haven’t seen in a long time. And it has forced people to be smart, and to be safe. Kudos to all the staff and operators – they’ve done it in a way that it made people feel that golf is a respite. It’s a safe place to go.”

Matthew Poley, pro shop manager at the 12-hole executive length Dorchester Golf and Country Club, acknowledged that the pandemic continues to stress local golf clubs with added health and safety measures, and concurrently added costs. But Poley said because the game lends itself to safe outdoor activity, then it relies on that grassroots base in order to grow other club operations – all of which rely on ingenuity and resiliency.

“The past few years have definitely been tough for everyone, especially restaurants, gyms and event centres with a limited number of people permitted inside. Hopefully this summer our restaurant and wedding side of the business will be busy. But the positive point for golf has obviously been that it got people outside, and it saw new golfers take up the game,” said Poley.

“Tee sheets have been booked solid almost every day, and we believe being able to offer a 12-hole course is to our advantage, as people today have less time to play golf. Here, they can get in a 12-hole round in two-and-a-half hours,” he said.

Applebaum said in 2021 there was a 26-per-cent increase in the number of nine-hole rounds played over 2020, and two consecutive years of 20 per cent-plus growth in nine-hole scores posted. Golf Canada reported a record number of scores posted by its members in 2021.

The comprehensive 2020 London and Area Golf Survey, conducted by LondonOntarioGolf.com, produced key findings, most notably that 78 per cent of respondents consider themselves avid golfers, as opposed to casual golfers, with half of all respondents playing 40 or more rounds per season.

Another key finding from the 2020 survey is that 78 per cent of respondents overwhelmingly named lack of time as the biggest reason they don’t play more golf. This finding concurs with recent national reports. Lack of money (24 per cent), and lack of playing partners (25 per cent) were named the next biggest detriments to playing more golf.

Local Golf Adjusts

Pine Knot Golf and Country Club

At Pine Knot Golf and Country Club in Dorchester, pro shop manager Dean Gocan said the formula of blocking one tee time per hour has “essentially spaced out our tee times. Online booking and prepayment of fees minimizes face-to-face contact with groups, as only one person checks in for the entire group, therefore streamlining the process before tee-off. It also ensures tee times are filled with people who are here golfing, and avoiding no-shows – demand for golf is high, and available tee times are in low supply.”

And according to Tim Bailey, general manager at Oxbow Glen Golf Course in Komoka, turning lemons into lemonade has seen the local golf industry not only survive during the pandemic, but also thrive when a lack of banquets and charity events has hammered the bottom line.

“Obviously, we have no reason to whine about how the pandemic has affected the golf industry,” said Bailey. “Tee times were in high demand everywhere as people wanted to be outside. Our tee sheet was consistently busy throughout the 2021 season.

“From a staffing perspective, the cart sanitizing process takes a lot of time and effort, not to mention adding costs. But we have not charged any extra fees, nor did we significantly raise prices, as other courses did,” he said. “In fact, we gained many new customers because of our policies. Our membership numbers for 2022 are up again, and we’ve had to create waiting lists for our leagues. We’ve enjoyed seeing more young golfers than we’ve seen since the 1980s. These are good days for the game of golf!”

“Golf is changing,” added Applebaum. “It’s evolving. Our demographics are clearly getting younger. They’re getting more diverse. And we’re so encouraged to see that the face of golf is starting to look more like the face of Canada. We’re loving to see that evolution.”

Bailey said old-fashioned ingenuity has helped Oxbow Glen make the best of things during the past two golf seasons.

“The food and beverage side of the business struggled a little, but we expanded our outdoor seating. Our league final banquets turned into outdoor celebrations, with live music and delicious food truck options, as well as drink samplers.”

Golf Big Business

In its latest report, The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada, We Are Golf released data indicating that the Canadian golf industry generated $18.2 billion in economic benefits in 2019.

We Are Golf is a Canada-wide coalition of the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) aimed at increasing awareness of golf as a key driver of our economy, a steward of our environment and a vital way in which millions of Canadians stay fit and healthy every year. The coalition is comprised of Golf Canada, NGCOA Canada, PGA of Canada, Canadian Golf Superintendents Association and Canadian Society of Club Managers.

That economic analysis, conducted by Group ATN Consulting Inc., reported that the Canadian golf industry employs the equivalent of nearly 249,000 people through direct and spin-off effects and contributed to $10.6 billion in household income. It said the industry also contributed $4.5 billion in government tax revenue ($1.8 billion federal and $2.1 billion provincial) used to support a variety of programs for all Canadians.

“The (analysis) further reinforces the enormous financial, employment, charitable, tourism and positive environmental impact that the sport and the business of golf are affecting across Canada,” said Applebaum, who chairs We Are Golf.

Highlights of the report indicate that the Canadian golf industry generated an estimated $330 million in charitable impact through more than 51,000 tournaments and golf-related events in 2019. In addition, Canadian golfers spent approximately $19.3 billion on items such as green fees, memberships, lessons, equipment, travel, hospitality, events and other golf-related expenditures.

The majority of those golfers (35 per cent) who responded to the 2020 London and Area Golf Survey said they were daily green fees players, and not club members. Interestingly enough, the majority (72 per cent) said they prefer to purchase equipment, apparel and accessories from a local bricks and mortar shop, with 41 per cent of all respondents stating they do make purchases online.

Applauding The Golf Industry

Golf Ontario executive director Mike Kelly

Each of Canadian golf’s associations has worked hard with all stakeholders in order to weather the pandemic storm. Golf Ontario executive director Mike Kelly applauds the game for its achievements during the past two seasons.

“I am proud of what our organization and the golf industry achieved, both individually and collectively,” said Kelly. “The vital role that our facilities play in the communities we live and work in remains at the core of our mission and strategic plan. Growing participation in the wonderful game of golf, and golf’s potential for bringing people together, has been a source of strength in these difficult times.”

Golf Canada hopes to build on this momentum with its spring 2021-announced campaign, GOLF IS CALLING, a Canada-wide marketing initiative to speak to new, younger golfers as well as the community of avid players, each uniquely drawn to the game, whether it be for exercise, the social experience or the challenge of the sport.

For Applebaum, golf’s emergence through the pandemic as a safe, social, and inclusive activity during an extremely challenging period was a silver lining for a sport enjoyed by nearly six million Canadians annually.

“Golf is a sport of invitation, where we bring others along to experience and enjoy the game for a lifetime. GOLF IS CALLING is also a return invitation to the avid players and new enthusiasts who enjoyed the game in record numbers. It is also an outreach and welcome to young and diverse audiences and a powerful confirmation that our sport offers the healthy attributes, safe environment, and industry capacity of nearly 2,300 facilities to support physical, social, and mental well-being in a meaningful way,” Applebaum said.

(L-R): Junior Tyson Tour 2019 Bantam Boys champion Logan Battersby, Girls champ Jillian Friyia, Junior Boys champ Ben Landers, Juvenile Boys champ John Orlebar. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioGolf.com.

Of course, there have been irreversible losses experienced by the local golf industry which have robbed us of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The Junior Tyson Tour (est. 1968), for example, cancelled its 2020 and 2021 seasons. It’s Canada’s longest-running tour for junior golfers, counting 2003 Masters Tournament winner Mike Weir as a past champion. But COVID-19 restrictions, complicated logistics demanding extra time and more volunteers, and courses already booked solid with tee times made it impossible for local clubs to host events, according to the Tour – planning its comeback for 2022.

With a fresh face through demographics and diversity, and with the game’s popularity on a huge upswing, golf is emerging from the pandemic with a bright future.

“Golf Canada is committed to fostering a safe sport environment,” Applebaum said. “As we all make our way through a time of unprecedented uncertainty, let’s commit to what is in our control – to take every precaution to ensure our physical and mental health, to protect our families, staff, volunteers and golfers, and to rally as a community to keep each other safe.”

Without a doubt, golf continues to be a leader not only within the sports world, but also in all of society in terms of creating normalcy as we move forward.

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Award-winning print and broadcast journalist Jeffrey Reed is the senior member of the Southwestern Ontario sports media. A three-time author, Reed is publisher and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004), and parent publication LondonOntarioSports.com (est. 2015). Reach him at jeff@londonontariosports.com.