Myrtle Beach, SC - If you wanted to know the current state of the economy all you would have to do is talk with your local golf course operator and they’ll tell you how the economy is doing. To put it bluntly, the economy stinks and the golf industry is hurting.

If there is any industry that can determine the pulse rate of the U.S. economy, golf is it. Do we need to call the paramedics? Maybe, but then again maybe not, sure over the past several years the golf industry has seen its fair share of change and some of it, okay a lot of it, has not been good.

At a recent conference in Myrtle Beach hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the topic was the “state of golf and the golf travel business.” The centerpiece of the summit was a recently completed study done by the National Golf Foundation, the folks who provide relevant information and insights on the business of golf. The NGF report was staggering to say the least. For example, since 2000 golf has lost 16% of its core players and rounds played dropped from about 500-million per year in 2000 to an estimated 450-million in 2009. On the other side of the equation, 1 out of every 4 golf courses in the U.S. today were built in the last decade or so, meaning there are fewer golfers and far too many golf courses. Talk about a bad business model!

According to Dr. Joe Beditz, president and CEO of the NGF there are an estimated 1600 golf facilities around the country who are at risk and 100’s may be forced to shut down their operations in the near future. Still, Beditz says that may not be enough, in fact he feels the industry would be much better off if there were 1500 – 2000 less courses in the U.S.

So is there any good news?

Yes, there is. According to the latest research compiled by the NGF for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the Grand Strand seems to be weathering the current economic downturn far better then Orlando, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Pinehurst, Hilton Head or Palm Springs. One of reasons the Grand Strand is out-performing other golf destinations is its geographical location and close proximity to the large population centers east of the Mississippi. But wait, Orlando, Pinehurst or Hilton Head are all pretty much all within the same geographical area as Myrtle Beach, so why is Myrtle Beach doing so much better?

It’s all about brand loyalty!

You would be hard pressed to find a better brand in the golf travel industry then Myrtle Beach. In fact, I challenge you to randomly ask someone the next time you are on your local course what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Myrtle Beach. Golf! Sure the Grand Strand has some good shopping, great restaurants and the beach, but it’s the quality and quantity of golf courses that entices people to come to Myrtle Beach.

Is the brand stable?

It certainly is! While golf related travel east of the Mississippi is down nearly 26%, the numbers for those golfers on outings requiring an over night stay is up in Myrtle Beach. According to the NGF study 80% of the golfers who traveled to Myrtle Beach in 2009 say they will return in the near future. It also found that 30% of those who took part in the survey said they traveled elsewhere in ’09 but plan to visit Myrtle Beach in the near future as well.

Customer service counts.

For years Troon Golf, the Scottsdale-based golf management company with a portfolio of over 250 courses around the globe, has had the moniker that you are a member for the day when you play one of their facilities. This approach to customer service has helped Troon build a loyal customer base and brand identity. While each Myrtle Beach golf course takes a different approach to customer service the end result seems to be the same; 65% who visited the area in the past 6 months say they plan on coming back and would also recommend Myrtle Beach to their friends. Those recommendations are not only based on the quality of golf, but the level of service they received during each round of golf played there and in an economy where disposable income is hard to come by and golf travel is down, customer service counts.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The NGF survey also found that golf travelers to Myrtle Beach were quite impressed with the area’s golf courses and facilities and 90% of those surveyed said they were of equal or better value than other golf destinations in the U.S. The report also stressed the importance of having a variety of courses and price points in which a the traveling golfer can choose to play, from high end facilities to those that offered exceptional value and quality. In fact, the NGF’s Beditz equates the Grand Strand’s offering of golf to that of a full-service bar, “serving anything from well drinks to top shelf.”

Still, no one knows just how the long it will be before the economy starts to turn around and what is the long-term impact the current recession will have on the golf industry. Will those golfers who have left game ever return? Will those taking up the game be sufficient in numbers to replace those who have left it? Can the golf industry succeed in attracting women and minorities into game? These are tough questions to find answers to, at a time when more and more disposable income seems to be staying put in the cookie jar and not spent on golf travel. Yet the golf industry in Myrtle Beach seems to be doing okay, not great, but okay. Still, the economic road ahead is anything but smooth, yet those folks who work tirelessly in marketing the Grand Strand as “best of the best” know Myrtle Beach has brand loyalty and will survive this latest economic downturn, if not come out on top.

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