Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course: Warsaw Sports Business Club Golf Seminar

Keri S.

November 2, 2009 - 8:15 PM

Last Friday, I went with 60 other Warsaw Sports Business Club members to Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in Portland. This day-long event included Communications Directors, CEOs, Founders, and Marketers from the LPGA, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Oregon Golf Association, Nike Golf, and Comcast. The entire day was dedicated to talking about the business of sports and golf, and it was a great experience. Personally, I was completely clueless about the game of golf and everything surrounding it. This seminar helped me to gain an understanding of the golf industry, as well as general sports marketing practices that can be applied to other sports and industries.

The day started with a keynote address from David Higdon, the Chief Communications Officer from the LPGA. He talked about the current state of the golf industry and the LPGA's current strategies and tactics. Currently, the number of players and the number of golf courses in America are increasing. However, the total number of rounds is decreasing. This is puzzling, and something that golf marketers are trying to address in order to continue to grow the golf industry. Overall, the golf industry provides 2 million jobs and donates $3.5 billion per year to charity. Golf provides a lot of benefits to players as well as to the communities that support it. In recent news, golf (along with rugby) was recently added to the Olympics agenda for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games. Higdon talked more specifically about the LPGA, and what they are currently doing to communicate their message of Leadership, Passion, Giving, and Approachability. He even gave us a sneak peak at a video that they show to all their potential sponsors. The LPGA is the oldest and most successful women's pro sports association, and has a 50 year history. LPGA has seen success with their use of sponsorship, stability, and players as role models. The LPGA appeals to a wide range of consumers, and does a good job of targeting these segments with different communication methods. To increase youth and young adult fans, social media channels such as YouTube and Twitter are being utilized.

After lunch, we had two panels filled with professionals in the golf industry. The first panel had professionals who focused in recreational golf and grassroots developments. Speakers included Executive Director of the Children's Course Dennis Schrag, Co-Founder of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course Gay Davis, CEO of Oregon Golf Association Barb Trammell, and Director of Sales for Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course Dylan Campy. All of these panelists had great stories to tell of their personal work history and current job. Both members from the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course talked about their experiences working in an internationally known golf course and how it developed into such a popular course. For those of you who do not know, many professional golf tournaments have been held at Pumpkin Ridge, including the 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship where Tiger Woods became the first player in the history of the Championship to win three consecutive titles. After Tiger's victory at Pumpkin Ridge, orders from around the world were coming in for merchandise such as golf hats. The prestigious reputation that Pumpkin Ridge has held since that time is unmatched of any golf course in the state of Oregon. This panel also discussed how the core golfer is changing. In the past, golf has been a sport for old, white, rich men. Now, however, efforts are being made to recruit youth, women, and urban golfers of all lifestyles. Strategies to entice these groups include golf courses in urban areas, youth leagues and training clinics, daycare services for mothers, and couple's night.

The second panel included Nike Golf Market Apparel Rep Kim Nelson, Executive Director for Tournament Golf Foundation Rob Neal, President of Pacific Golf Accessories Mark Regalado, and Executive Producer for Comcast SportsNet David Kamens. This panel focused on the professional game and consumer marketing. The business of selling golf merchandise is tricky and differs greatly between men and women. While men base their decisions mostly by function, women focus more on fashion. Men will say "Oh, this golf club will add "X" yards to my drive". Women will say "These golf ball earrings are so cute!" Being able to market to both of these groups successfully is a challenge, and a huge divide has been made between men's merchandise and women's merchandise. Another thing I learned about golf merchandise is the importance of the logo. Consumers are very interested in having merchandise with the logo of their favorite golf course or event. For example, having a Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course hat will remind them of the time that Tiger won his 3rd US Amateur Championship. In general, golf consumers are interested in watching their favorite events live. Unlike other TV shows, golf events are fairly susceptible to the DVR and fast forwarding of commercials. Golf marketers are still trying to incorporate advertising into the actual game though to target those who do DVR the event.

For those of you who are interested in working in the golf industry, here are some tips I learned from the professionals present on how to get experience now: volunteer at events, get an internship with a group who puts on golf tournaments, work at a golf course, and be a caddy. Any exposure or experience you can get into the golf world, take it.

This event was very well put together, and I was very impressed. I learned more than I thought possible about the golf industry and the sports industry in one day. Pumpkin Ridge was great location for the event, as we were surrounded by a historic golf atmosphere and inspirational golf industry professionals. There were great panel members, great discussion, great networking, and great tips and pointers for when we all join the work force relatively soon. Every Warsaw Sports Business Club member, in addition to getting free transportation and free lunch, also got a free ball marker with the Warsaw Sports Business Club logo on it. The experience is one I will not soon forget, and one that has further prepared me for a career in sports. I am so glad I attended this event, and look forward to more Warsaw events in the future!

The first panel ended with a great quote from CEO of Oregon Golf Association Barb Trammell that sums up everything I need to know about golf: "Golf is like sex...even if you aren't good at it, you can still enjoy it"

 Tiger Woods at Pumpkin Ridge 1996 (picture from SI com)