Mike Hughes
CEO, National Golf Course Owners Association
Golf’s Financial Metrics
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• Prior to GOLF 20/20
– NGF:
• Measured participation
• Tracked golf course development
• Measured rounds via consumer panel
– Golf DataTech:
• Retail Market Share Report
• On-course & off-course
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• Prior to GOLF 20/20 (cont’d)
– No standard industry definitions
– Interest measured only by Nielsen ratings
& tournament attendance
– Various market/feasibility studies
– Sporadic measurement of economic impact
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• Since GOLF 20/20
– Established consistent definitions
– Major Segmentation Study in 2001 has served as
a foundation for much of our growth activity
– NGF and Golf DataTech gathered data directly
from facilities on rounds with input from PGA
and NGCOA
– PGA TOUR included monthly ESPN Sports Poll
as a measurement of interest, as well as ratings
and attendance
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• Since GOLF 20/20 (cont’d)
– Measured scope of industry
• $62 billion annual business
• Larger than recording & motion picture
industries combined
– Measured charitable impact
• Responsible for raising $3.2 billion per year
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• Moving Forward
– More sophisticated measurement and reporting
– Focus on trends and outside factors
• Socio-economic issues, demography, diversity, etc.
– More specific revenue information
• Captured at course level
• Unified effort essential
• Nothing more important!
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• Moving Forward (cont’d)
– PGA Performance Track
– NGCOA Financial Benchmarking
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• NGCOA Financial Benchmarking
– Simple: Tracks two numbers – Rounds & Revenue
– Leverages largest multi-course owners/operators
– Modeled after Smith Travel Report
– Golf DataTech chosen for pilot program
– Evolved into current, full program
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• NGCOA Financial Benchmarking
– Allows courses in a Competitive Golf Marketplace
(CGM) to compare their rounds played, available tee
times, and golf revenue (green and cart fees)
– Individual numbers are kept completely confidential
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• NGCOA Financial Benchmarking (cont’d)
– Program produces a Revenue Per Available Tee
Time (RevPATT) and Revenue Per Utilized Round
(RevPUR) index for every participant
– Each can compare to the CGM average and their
ranking within the CGM
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• NGCOA Financial Benchmarking
– Implementation, data capture and reporting is
administered 100% on-line
– Each participant only needs to enter three numbers
each month (rounds, revenue, tee time interval)
– Currently:
• 26 CGMs participating
• Represents 580 courses
• 30-40 coming on-line soon
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• GOLF 20/20: What’s Next?
– Continued focus on benchmarking/
measurement at facility level
– Consistency and coordination among all groups
– Emphasis on industry’s economic impact
nationally and at the state level
– Rigorous measurement of specific programs
and their effects
Golf’s Financial Metrics
• International
– Establish relationships that can provide
information in both established and
emerging locations
– Track facility development globally
– Catalogue governmental, environmental
attitudes toward development
– Encourage measurement of all activities,
share models and metric strategies