Onward and Upward

(August 29, 2006) Three golf events were held this summer specifically for women and junior-girl golfers. The results are in and represent leading indicators of the trends in the market. Here are the recently-released participation numbers:

PGA Free Lesson Month -- May 2006. PGA Free Lesson Month is a growth-of-the-game initiative between the PGA of America, Golf Digest, The Golf Channel and Golf For Women magazine with additional support from Nike Golf. Almost 6,000 golf facilities participated and about 7,500 golf professionals offered free 10-minute golf lessons. (see www.playgolfamerica.com)

• Twenty-five (25%) of the 147,000 free lessons were given to women. (Women represent about 25% of all golfers in the U.S. so this number is right on target). The PGA reports that lessons this summer were up 21% over last summer.
• But here is a very interesting statistic: about two-thirds of the May lessons to women were given to women under the age of 18. What does that tell you about junior girls' golf?

The National Golf Foundation in their 2005 Consumer Golf Profile (see www.ngf.org publications), recognized significant growth in girl juniors ages 12-17 but said that they were not sure it was a blip in their stats or a trend. I say "trend!"

Backing up the trend is this statistic: In the recent USGA Women's Amateur tournament held at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon, 25% of the golfers in the final 36-hole round were under the age of 16. The winner of the tournament was Kimberly Kim, who at age 14 is the youngest woman ever to win the USGA Women's Amateur.

Expect to see more growth in this junior segment and expect it to spill over into "family" golf, which is increasingly visible in advertising and promotions.

The issue for the industry is "if" and "how" they will support the young junior girl. If the backing from the World Golf Foundation and the PGA Tour, which supports The First Tee and National School Golf Program, continues, the future of women's golf and the overall health of the game will be rosy.

American Express (TM) Women's Golf Week -- June 3-10, 2006 -- Presented by Golf For Women Magazine

This is the second year of a Women's Golf Week - a suggestion that arose from Golf 20/20 a few years ago. The 2006 event feature strong American Express branding. (Women make many financial decisions for themselves and their family; so. American Express marketing dollars make sense.) The highly personable Suzy Whaley, LPGA and PGA member, instructor and TV commentator, was the national spokesperson for the program. The week is also sponsored by many industry golf organizations. (see www.playgolfamerica.com). During Women's Golf Week, courses and instructors offer numerous special learn and play programs for women golfers.

• Here are the numbers: About 600 golf facilities participated in Women's Golf Week this June -- that's more than double last summer. The number of women golfers also doubled and the program reports that 20,000 women participated. The official beneficiary of the program was the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign. Women are good-health consumers, golf is a heart-healthy game and women respond to cause-related marketing; so, the fit was good. The test will be whether next year the marketing will be broader-market based and reach more women. There should be more advertising in publications outside the golf industry reaching more new and occasional female golf consumers. I think American Express knows how to do that!

Take Your Daughter to the Course Week -- July 10-16 -- Sponsored by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA)

The NGCOA, which has about 4000 facility-members in the U.S., was and continues to be a leader in welcoming women and girls into the game. The Take Your Daughter to the Course program began in 1999, and in this 7th year, reached 75,000 players (adults and children combined) during the promotional week. Over 1200 courses participated! Participating courses offered free green fees and clinics to young girls accompanied by an adult. Many facilities added their own special attraction to make the game fun for young players -- like a long-drive contest using marshmallows for golf balls. Brad Faxon, father of four daughters, was the national spokesperson. (see www.ngcoa.org for more information)

More Observations:

• Fashions are changing very quickly for women golfers of all ages. Styles are much trendier and no longer purchased only in golf specialty shops. (Try Abercrombie and Nordstrom's for golf clothes.) The result is that it will become impossible to gather accurate statistics on how much (or how little) women spend on "golf" apparel. Yes, you can learn what golf pro-shops sell, but that is not an indicator of the strength of the female consumer golf market but rather an indicator of the marketing savvy of clothing manufacturers and the buyer of the golf shop.
• The fastest growing segment of women golfers are those between the ages of 18 and 29. They represent almost one-quarter of all female golfers. Young female golfers golf lite and average only about three rounds per year. The challenge for marketing to the occasional golfer is that you may only have one chance to get it right and only one chance to capture her customer information.
• Interestingly,, the average score of young women golfers (even when they play only a few times a year) is not much different from older women golfers and those who play frequently. The average 18-hole scores range from 104 to 109. (Source: NGF)
• Why do young women who don't play golf often still seem to play golf as well as avid, older women golfers? I think it's because today's younger golfers are the second generation to benefit from better sports education and athletic programs in school -- thanks to Title IX. The impact of both Title IX parents and children provides positive context for the growth of the game. Today, there are little girls' soccer teams, baseball teams, lacrosse teams, tennis teams to just name a few. Contrast that with the dumpy gym uniforms women in their sixties wore in gym classes where the most vigorous sport may have been volleyball.
• Older women, however, may be a better golf customer today. Looking at averages, the older the woman golfer, the more golf she plays. Female golfers over the age of 60 average about 30 rounds per year. They have more time for the game because they are less likely to be working or raising children.

• The fact that older women play more golf -- and play at the same skill level for years confirms that golf is a social activity for many women. Nothing beats several hours on the golf course with good friends -- even if you don't break 100.

To contact her, write, call or email Nancy at: Nancy Berkley, Berkley Consulting, 242 Eagleton Estates Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens, FL or at info@nancyberkley.com. For more information about Nancy Berkley see http://www.nancyberkley.com/676304.html.

Copyright by Nancy Berkley. Used here with permission.