Scottish Golf Courses vs American Golf Courses

The look and play of a golf course can relate to branding very closely. The look of a golf course is everything; just like a product. There are significant differences between golf courses in America and The Home of Golf: Scotland. Not only is the appearance of the golf course different but the goal of the establishments are different.

1) American courses are run more like a business

Many American courses have designed their courses in a way to make as much money as possible. For example, the 9th Hole finishes at the clubhouse so that it gives players the opportunity to get refreshments halfway or it gives some players the option of play only nine holes. A bag drop will be present at most golf courses in the US, forcing players to tip staff to help them with their clubs. 

2) Golf Carts

In Scotland, you walk round. In the US, a cart is normally included if it is not mandatory to have a caddie. By having golf carts, it speeds up plays, allowing golf courses in the US to add more tee times and therefore, increase revenue. 

3) The Bunkers

The bunkers in the US give players almost the same chance of hitting the same shot as they would if they were not in the bunker. Bunkers in Scotland are a real hazard from their and will normally cost the golfer.

4) When American courses are private, they mean private

In Scotland, private just means that it is not run by the government. Private in the US means that there is no way that an individual can play the course if they have not been invited to play it. 

5) A true links experience vs target golf

What does a true links experience mean you may wonder? Using your imagination in every shot: in the trajectory, the shape, having more than one shot in the bag. American golf courses are arguably target golf: it is simply using one swing and one shot around the golf course with very limited course management needed.

Tiger Woods: The Player and The Brand

Tiger Woods is the most well known golfer of all time but apart from his achievements on the golf course, there is more that has built his image into a superstar of the sporting world along with the likes of Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, and Michael Phelps. How has this excitement been developed?

The colour red.

Tiger Woods has always worn a red polo shirt on the final day of every golf tournament; making all of the photographs of Woods with the trophies in a red polo short. Not only has this been a ritual that Tiger has performed as an effort of luck but also Nike have created a huge promotion surrounding this known as Victory Red. It has been so successful that golf viewers get excited when Woods is wearing red because they have previously witnessed the greatest golf shots in history while he wears red. Not only have Nike produced more red in their line of clothing, but they have also brought out a promotional set of golf clubs that are called Nike Victory Red. Tiger Woods is not only a player, but a brand.

The Perfect Time to visit Scotland for Golf

We are currently in a time where the British Pound is at its lowest value in 31 years against the American Dollar in the wake of Brexit. There are many people arguing that there is not a silver lining in the cloud, however, tourism is that silver lining. This is a time where Britain needs to advertise tourism and persuade Americas that this really is the best time to visit.

Golf has went slightly downhill since the 80s in terms of Americans coming to visit Scotland. With air travel back then being the new big thing where it really was becoming possible for Americans to experience true links golf - that novelty is slowly wearing off.

There are enough golf tour operators in Scotland, in fact, there may be too many. The reasoning for the drought in the Scottish golf tourism is the accessibility of the the tour operators. Americans who work and have a busy life are not going to go out of their way to look at golf packages to Scotland. They are going to have just enough time to play golf at their country club at the weekends, therefore tour operators should be there at the most exclusive clubs advertising their packages. Simply go to the most exclusive country clubs in various states in America and advertise the true unique vacation and the Scottish Golf Tourism will be great again.

Golf needs to grow globally, so move one of the majors out of the US

Golf is now a worldwide sport. We live in a world where we fly over countries and we can always see a golf course. It is not just Americans and Europeans who play now: it is Koreans, Australians, South Africans, and many more.

The USPGA Championship is the quite clearly the least popular major, maybe because it is the final one of the season and the excitement has already been drained from the golf fans. This championship has infamously produced the least notable winners and has normally had a quite boring final day. This in my eyes, is where we should make this major more interesting and move it global.

Since when has the United States deserved three majors? Scotland founded the sport yet they still only have one major - the oldest one. In tennis, all of the major championships are in different countries. Even in women's golf, there are two majors that are held in Europe.

Where is the ideal location for a major championship to be present you may wonder? Australia.

Australia has produced some of the great golfers such as Greg Norman, Adam Scott, and World Number 1, Jason Day, just to name a few. It is a country that love their golf and a country that the PGA Tour have not appreciated over the years, in terms of pushing their players to play there.

It will make the golf season more interesting for the fans and the players. Golf will grow in Australia and on the pacific side much more and therefore, the world.

The European Tour: The Problem and the Road Ahead.

At one point, the European Tour was the place to be: European golfers were dominating the golfing world with Seve Ballesteros leading the way. The United States' most prestigious tournament, The Masters, had 11 European Winners within 20 years. It was a strange time for golf in The United States as the greats such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus had passed their peak and Tiger Woods was starting elementary school.

In recent years, however, the golfers in Europe have continued to show dominance whilst the European Tour has noticeably went downhill while the US PGA Tour has been constantly growing. The first thing that the audience look for is the players who are playing in the tournament, they tend not to care where the tournament is or what tour it is on. Viewers just want a quality level of golf with some headline acts. Appearance money is the main channel in order to bring in those "A-Lister" golfers. You may wonder where can The European Tour could these extra funds without looking too hard? Prize money. For most dedicated professional golfers, they tend to care more about the World Rankings rather than the prize money. Therefore, the European Tour should decrease the prize money and use the additional money to compile a group of golfers who are the crème de la crème. If they manage to clinch a couple of big names then other well-known players will follow as they want to play the best. This would be a sufficient test market to run for a trial in order to prove that a substantial increase in viewership would occur if they gathered well-known players.

If this were to be a success then the European Tour would be able to increase television rights and increase sponsorship costs, as it would be in more demand, allowing them to reinstate the prize money to the initial point or even higher.

How to Build a Golf Club Manufacturing Company

Many companies have attempted to enter the golf industry with club manufacturing, however, most of them have failed to even become a threat to the major brands like Taylormade and Titleist. In the midst of Nike departing from the club manufacturing industry, it is time to note the five ways to breakthrough into the golf limelight.


1) Endorse Young Prosperous Players

Young professionals who are still in the qualifying stages of obtaining their tour card have a huge amount of pressure to make enough money so that they can travel to the next tournament. If a club manufacturing company endorsed them with a long term contract, such as 10 years for a low cost, then it will be hard for them to refuse then eventually their endorsed players will make the tour showcasing the new club manufacturer.


2) No Colourful Clubs

The general public understand that golf club manufacturers can paint their clubs, however, the novelty has worn off: it's tacky and it doesn't represent how prestigious the game of golf is. Many companies have failed by implementing this such as the sports giant Nike, Adams Golf, and many more. Matt black or a cloudy chrome finish is the most effective colour for golf clubs.


3) Price High

If golf clubs are priced low then the majority of golfers will just assume that the clubs are not up to much. This is not like other products where the consumers are cognitive misers: golf clubs need to be as effective as possible for the consumer to commit to the purchase. If the price is high then this will be the first step in assuring to the audience that this is a proficient club.


4) Hire Experienced Employers

For a startup golf club manufacturing company, it is vital to start with experience employers who are completely qualified who can then train new employees. It is just crucial that the company has a strong base of manufacturers in order to invent and produce the initial product.


5) Accessibility

There are Asian club manufacturers that are well known such as Vega and Muira, yet most golfers struggle to discover where to purchase the clubs. Even Ping, the global golf brand, have struggled over the years for the consumer to find their products. Many online golf stores and local professional stores do not have Ping equipment and it is the only leading brand that is not fully accessible to the consumer. A new golf brand need to make sure that the golf brand are supplying to as many golf stores as possible.

Demo days are a large way that the consumer can be encouraged to purchase golf clubs, as they need to try them in order for them to become desirable. Demo days need to be revolutionised: golfers do not learn much from hitting a club on the range. Full sets should be given out at high-end private golf clubs for golfers to use throughout their round to get a complete feel for the clubs. This illustrating to the niche market the new elite golf club manufacturing company.

Why is The Ryder Cup so special?

Now that I have recovered from the adrenaline rush that was The Ryder Cup, I can now write this blog. Golf is a sport that is stereotypically boring to watch. A sport that many say is not a sport. However, something that sticks out like a sore thumb are the statistics for The Ryder Cup: the 3rd most watched sporting event behind The Olympics and The World Cup of Soccer. This event really is something special, but why could it be claimed that it is bigger than major championships that have been going on much longer than The Ryder Cup?

The atmosphere is what makes this event so dramatic. The top players of the world thrive off it. No prize money is involved: competing for complete bragging rights. However, The President's Cup offers the same event and golf being introduced to The Olympics was quite frankly an anti-climax.

From a marketing standpoint, the commercials during the climax towards The Ryder Cup give me goosebumps already as the video above justifies. The whole brand of The Ryder Cup from the merchandise to the blue or red stands, as shown in the images below, does not compare to any other event in the golfing world.

The Ryder Cup has been so big over the past decade as it is a close battle each time. There are many events such as Olympic Basketball where The United States are obviously going to win and The World Cup of Hockey where Canada are likely going to win. Team USA and Team Europe in The Ryder Cup both have equal confidence in bringing The Ryder Cup home. Therefore, the atmosphere that has been built up from the marketing strategies, the brand management, and the competitiveness had created the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar.

5 Things to Remember when Building a Golf Course

There has been a countless number of golf courses that have been built over the years that have failed to reach expectations. People may say that golf is not growing and it is nowhere near as big as it was in the 70s and 80s; however, there is always an underlying reason to why a newly built golf course have failed. I am going to give five recommendations to take into account that could make the course successful or bankrupt.

1. Don't Make it Feel like a Business
   Some golf courses nowadays feel like they are trying to make money from the golfer at every opportunity and it makes it unenjoyable for the golfer. firstly, have a halfway house at the 10th Hole but do not have a catering buggy pestering the golfer every three holes asking. Secondly, complimentary range balls are a nice touch for the golfer to experience for such a low cost.
2. Drainage
   Make sure before building the golf course if it will hold up the elements if necessary. There have been many inland courses that experience rain shower and the course is unplayable. If a course is closed due to flooding, then a golfer will tend to not even attempt to play there again.
   
3. Unique Name for the Golf Course
   Many golf courses, especially in America, have names that have just not been thought out. From a marketing perspective, the name is everything. If a course is called "Pebble Creek", "Eagles Landing", or even ""The Plantation Course" then it is not going to be successful. Simple as that. The Home of Golf, Scotland, have thought about the name of their golf courses. Askernish, Muirfield, and Kingsbarns just to name a few. Unique names make the course just that bit more special.
4. Location
   
   A large population with a high demand for golf in the surrounding area is vital. Many golf courses have been built in places that are too rural as the land was cheap, however, people don't want to drive over an hour to play golf. Another big success factor when discussing location is the seclusion of the golf course/resort. A long road leading up to the clubhouse creates a climax for the golfer and a feeling of privacy from everything else. The plot of land where the golf course will be built should have either old tree, old dunes or something else that will make the course look like it has existed for over 100 years. Trump International Golf Links in Scotland, pictured above, is a great example of this as it was built in 2013.
5. The 19th Hole
   A clubhouse is the heart of the golf course. Good food, a lively pub, and luxury locker rooms definitely will not hurt the golf resort. 

Trump's Presence in The Golfing Industry

Donald Trump is one of the most talked about individuals in the news today and many people do not realize exactly what The Trump Organization is; they just knew about Donald as “that guy” on The Apprentice. The Trump Organization owns some of the most stunning buildings in the most prime properties imaginable from Fifth Avenue, Manhattan to The Great Dunes of Scotland. From luxury sky scrapper condominiums to the most lavish chain of golf resorts. Trump is not only a name, but also a brand that exceeds every expectation.

For the most part, Trump buys a plot of land and builds a golf course, however, there have been several occasions where he has bought an existing golf course. Nevertheless, the golf course still gets “Trumped”.

What will you find at a “Trumped” golf course you may wonder?

• The Grand Clock
• An 80ft Flag that bears the flag of the nation where the golf course is
• A Roman Water Fountain in front of each clubhouse
• Lush green grass pathways
• Venetian Chandeliers throughout the buildings
• Black and Gold being the main colours
• An increased amount of natural day light in his buildings 
• For anything to be as symmetrical as possible 

I know this as I was a Golf Operations Intern at Trump Turnberry over the past two summers. A golf course that was tired out before Trump's purchase. I have truly witnessed the real contrast between a normal golf resort and a magnificent one with thanks to The Trump Organization. 

Nike has Left the Building

             In August, the sports giant, Nike, announced that they would no longer be producing golf equipment. This comes as a big surprise as Nike Golf has been a huge part of many major victories over the past 20 years. Having two powerhouse players such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy under their belt, you would assume they were in safe ground. However, with Woods' injuries and absence in tournament play for over a year now, this may have contributed to Nike’s decision.

            Nike released big profits overall in the last year, however, the one thing that stuck out was Nike Golf’s $91 million loss: the loss that has been continuous throughout the years. The general public are just more interested in purchasing Titleist or Taylormade clubs than risk changing to Nike equipment. Nike has also been known for vibrant coloured equipment from red to blue to lime green. I personally found the colour schemes for their clubs to be too obnoxious and tacky for the golfing industry…maybe the colours are more suited for the soccer or basketball industry, but not golf.

            One of the biggest golf club equipment companies, Titleist, have a common routine on how they market their golf clubs. They find young players who have potential and get them signed up for a low cost. Nike, on the other hand, wait for the players to become established within the golfing world and then sign them with a lot of money involved. For example, Rory McIlroy signed with Nike Golf when he was right at the top and then when he started using Nike Golf Equipment, his game deteriorated rapidly, which was very bad publicity for Nike Golf.

            Nike is going to continue selling and marketing golf clothing which the article below will illustrate. However, this leaves Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods now open to sponsorship for golf clubs. Which company will sweep them up?

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/report-world-no-1-jason-day-to-sign-apparel-deal-with-nike