Golf Inc. Monthly - January/February 2017

also found that they want clubs to be flexible to meet their particular needs, Dorsey said. So, that means having amenities and pricing options that are attractive to them.

This was not a golf-specific study, but private golf clubs can glean strategy from it, Dorsey said. For instance, one of the more striking findings is that cost is not necessarily a prohibitive factor when it comes to joining. Thirty-seven percent said price is not a deal breaker. However, they don’t want to fork over all their money at once.

“The study found that a whopping 85 percent of millennials would be more likely to join a club if the initiation fee could be made in installments, in two or three payments, instead of one lump sum,” the report said.

They also seek more family-friendly amenities, such as childcare, because older millennials, who may have put off having children, are having them now, Dorsey said.

And while it’s a common belief that millennials prefer an urban lifestyle, that changes once children come along.

“They move back to the suburbs,” he
said, noting that millennials give up city
living for the same reasons their parents
did: to get larger houses and send their
children to better schools.

OK, what about golf and millennials?

As noted by the New York Post, there is a problem when it comes to keeping millennials interested in golf. In 2013, half of the 400,000 players who quit the game were millennials, according to the National Golf Foundation.

“It’s a game where the wrong shoes, shirt
or trousers can see you thrown off a golf
course and a game where it really does
take time, money, dedication and endless
practice to become anywhere approaching
competent,” the author wrote. “Put simply,
it’s not easy, and if it’s not easy, it’s not fun.
And if it’s not fun? Well, why bother?”
Millennials, however, do enjoy playing
the game — at least variations of it. Look
at Topgolf and its trendy driving ranges
that are a huge hit with that generation.
Topgolf locations offer music, big-screen
TVs, drinks and food in addition to golf.
You can challenge friends to driving con-
tests. The golf balls are equipped with
microchips that show how close you are to
your targets.

Golf courses need to be more welcoming to millennials, particularly those new to the game, Dorsey said. Topgolf works because participants “can hack it up and still have fun and not be embarrassed,” “Let them see it’s still fun,” Dorsey said, adding that courses should also look into making lessons more affordable.

ClubCorp, the largest owner and operator of private golf clubs in the nation, is aggressively trying to attract millennials.

One strategy is to offer
lower-cost member-
ships to those younger
than 40. ClubCorp
facilities also offer memberships that don’t
include golf. At those clubs, members can
use the fitness facilities, as well as partake
of dining and social amenities.

The under- 40 membership is the fast-est growing of all ClubCorp’s membership plans, said Duane Brown, general manager at The Clubs of Prestonwood, a ClubCorp course in Dallas.

“We’ve done a lot of things to attract them,” he said, noting the wide range of amenities offered, from a family swimming pool and mini-golf for children to tennis and an outdoor bar.

The club holds a wide variety of events, including Family Sunday Fundays and Winedown Wednesdays.

The study on private clubs found that millennials are one of a club’s most valuable resources for attracting other millennials. Forty-one percent said personal recommendations are most important when considering whether to join.

That echoes what Brown has found.
“The best thing about millennials is
that they refer their friends,” he said. “The
younger members are quick to bring their
friends along.”
One of the members at The Clubs
of Prestonwood is 30-year-old Taylor
Wilson. He joined after breaking up with
his girlfriend of three years. He suddenly
found himself with more spare time.

He’s an avid golfer, but he also enjoys the club’s other amenities.

“The social scene is important,” he said.
“I didn’t want to join a club that was just
all about golf.”
Wilson also values the networking pos-
sibilities. As part of his job selling corpo-
rate benefit packages, he sometimes takes
clients to the course to play golf.

The study showed that 41 percent of millennials viewed a club membership as beneficial to their careers.

Wilson said his experience has been nothing but positive since he joined a year ago. He enjoys playing golf, networking and socializing with friends in a friendly, lively atmosphere.