Challenging economic times mean tough choices for golf industry stakeholders. They also provide an opportunity for forward thinkers to get a leg up on the competition.
The Fall Golf Inc. Conference at the La Quinta Resort & Club, Sept. 14-16 will address the key issues that readers have expressed concern about, led by an outstanding group of expert speakers who will share their secrets.
The biggest area of concern we heard involved player development — more specifically, “How do I get more people on my tee sheet or membership rolls?”
The Management Track of educational sessions will offer answers from experienced and successful operators in panel discussions such as “Best Practices in Golf Course Operations,” “Outside the Box Thinking for Club Managers,” “The Discounting Dilemma: Quick Fix or Slippery Slope?” and “You Don’t Have to Be Pebble Beach to Make Money.” Sessions in the Owner, Marketing and Development Tracks will also wrestle with the player shortage.
For those thinking more long-term, there are opportunities to discuss ways to attract more juniors, women, minorities or just plain newcomers to the game.
For the first time, there is a public forum on “Golf’s Biggest Issues: Speak Your Piece,” featuring author, golf architect and blogger Geoff Shackelford and panelists Rudy Anderson and Jim Keegan. A distinguished group of panelists will also address the topic in Tuesday’s keynote session: “Where Golf is Headed by 2015.”
Not surprisingly, operating costs were also a major concern of readers. Several panels, including “Avoid the 10 Biggest Mistakes in Golf Course Maintenance,” “Smart Business: Money’s Tight, So Spend It Right,” and “Beating the Water Crisis and Stretching Maintenance Budgets,” will provide valuable cost-saving tips.
There are golf courses on the market, and reportedly people with money stashed who are looking to buy when the price is right. The Golf Inc. Conference provides a crash course in course buying, selling and financing that even experienced buyers can learn from, with three in-depth presentations by experienced buyers, brokers and sellers.
As always, the networking opportunities provided at the Golf Inc. Conference ranked high on the list of things attendees anticipate, and the conference has expanded its already numerous offerings.
This fall’s conference features an opening luncheon for attendees of Monday afternoon’s Remodeling University and Southwest Region Solutions Workshop (another new offering), a luncheon for golfers immediately following Monday morning’s golf outing at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course and a closing luncheon in honor of legendary architect Robert Trent Jones II. All luncheons are complimentary, as is the Tuesday evening networking cocktail party, at which this year’s winners of the Golf Inc. Green Awards will be recognized.
Click here for additional information about the conference and how to register.