Golf: A work in progress

Many years ago I worked for a golf entrepreneur. He was building what in time would become a strong regional powerhouse. On any given day a customer or industry rep would ask about the state of his business: “How’s it going?” That question would echo throughout the shop all the time. The answer would always come back the same: “it’s a work in progress” was the consistent, robotic reply. That answer would eventually get stuck in my head. For years, the answer was always the same. There were times it made me mad. Not because it was the answer given aimlessly, without thought, but because the small team pushing that progress was always left out of the response. Certainly we, as young people, learning the business, were too a work in progress. For us, it came down to recognition; striving to have the team feel good for the growth the organization was achieving. Our world was changing, but the answer always came out the same. Certainly, a leader never tells the true tale. At the same time our team deserved a pat on the back for the effort and the results. 

In the year 2023, we find so much about the state of our game and business “a work in progress.” Many factors are taking what was once a niche business, a traditional game, turning it now into one of the hottest pastimes in the country. The game is expanding in many new directions as more and more people are swinging a club for the first time. This work in progress is more than 600 years old, yet it feels new, certainly refreshed, due to the ways people now experience the game. This post will talk about three reasons why the game is not the same game played decades ago, the game many of us knew. Here are my three opinions:

The all new, amazing practice range: It has been incredible to watch so many people become attracted to golf through the new, high tech entertainment practice center. What’s even more incredible is seeing the advances in what was once simply 16 acres of grass, a shed and a tee line. It was once that place to beat balls, grab a golf lesson, and build a game. Now you can swing a club or two with friends, compete in friendly, fun competition, driven by technology, while enjoying state of the art food and drink. Thanks to smart people and technology, you can eat, compete, and enjoy the game without ever looking for a lost ball. Millions of people have become golfers through this 21st century practice center. How might you convert your range by adding a few modern,…