It was exciting to read Joe Barks article in the Club & Resort Business site on New York-area clubs report uptick in corporate-outing bookings.
Since 2008, when the door slammed shut on large businesses and corporations golf outings, there has been little improvement in the number of golf outings being booked at golf clubs. Since the economy is now showing some improvement the corporate golf outings are slowly coming back. This is good news to the struggling golf economy.
I agree with Mr Barks on “…corporations are still taking a more conservative, value-conscious approach (to booking outings).” What corporations, and large businesses who employee hundreds of people, are looking for are programs that add value to their golf outings.
Retool for New Economy
This is not the first time the economy has been in a recession and in each recover the businesses who took the opportunity to retool to the new economy are the businesses who succeed. Training and retraining of the workforces is a prudent move during a down economy. Corporate outings serve for a great retooling opportunity.
Adding an educational program to a corporate golf outing is a perfect way to combine a healthy activity with a business retraining session.
Add Value to Programs
The quote made by Anglebrook Golf Club’s, Lincolndale, N.Y.,General Manager Matt Sullivan sums up how corporations are looking at golf outings.. “Overall, corporations are certainly more cost-conscious than they were five years ago.”
The business outings being booked in 2011 may be more interested in having a lunch meetings instead of elaborate dinner banquets after their golf outings. Cost conscious is still going to be the catch phrase for sometime now and there are ways of keeping golf outings affordable.
All of this is a good sign and hopefully will spread across the country to other golf communities. Let me know how I can help.
