Maybe we should push for another stimulus program-“Shotguns for Clubs”?
They say that no one reads newspapers anymore, but you certainly wouldn’t know that from all of the clippings and links that people have been sending me this summer, to call my attention to club-related articles they’ve come across.
Some of the coverage is clearly related to the economy, as we get to take our turn in the series of articles that will inevitably get written during any slump, to explore how the tough times are affecting various business segments and consumer interests. This year, as in past downturns, that’s led to a spate of stories with headlines like “Golf Industry Lands in Rough.”
One thing definitely strikes me as different about these articles this time around. Many of the clubs contacted for comment have directly attributed most of the negative impact they’ve felt this year to a big dropoff in the number of golf outings they could always count on being held by local banks and car dealerships. So maybe now that the banks are starting to repay some of their bailout money, and the automakers are flush with “Cash for Clunkers” dough, we should push the government to start another stimulus program—“Shotguns for Clubs”? With President Obama still showing an inclination to try to sneak off to play golf whenever he has a chance, this could be one he’d definitely want to “get out in front of” as much as possible.
Not all of the articles I’ve been seeing this summer have been related to how our industry is coping with the times, though. In particular, golf course superintendents seem to be getting more time in the spotlight. Maybe this is because of their close connection to environmental issues (see “New York Times Touts Superintendents as Water Experts,”). Maybe it’s because superintendents are doing a better job, through the collective efforts of their professional organizations and the individual efforts of those in the profession, to raise their profiles and broaden their skills in communications and other general management areas (see “Schooling Superintendents”). Or maybe it’s just because superintendents are nice guys (and gals) who are always happy to drive reporters around golf courses.
Whatever the reason, there have been some very interesting, and positive, profiles in major newspapers this year of leading superintendents around the country like Craig Currier of Bethpage Black (The Wall Street Journal, June 17), Harry Lovero of Orchard Valley GC (Chicago Tribune, August 30) and Matt Shaffer of Merion GC (Philadelphia Inquirer, August 24).If you have a superintendent—or any manager—at your club you’d like to see get his or her day in print, I’d encourage you to reach out to a local writer. Believe me, reporters can be spoon-fed good stories. Especially if they include a chance to get out of the newsroom and avoid hearing more doom and gloom about their own industry.
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