The Golf Tournament Association of America (GTAA) recently surveyed private clubs and public courses throughout the U.S. about their tournament-related business. Here are some key findings:
- The average number of tournaments hosted by a course was 81 events per year; the top response was 400.
- The average number of golfers playing in a tournament was 72, with 32% putting the range for an average tournament count at 80 to 120 players, 60% putting it at 44 to 80, and 8% saying it was 12 to 44.
- The average green fee charged for a tournament was $57, with 21% of the responding courses charging between $75 and $100, 34% charging between $50 and $75, and 45% charging between $25 and $50.
- Among products and services offered for tournaments, 97% offered merchandise, 44% offered photography, 69% offered signage, 69% offered hole-in-one coverage, 30% offered registration software, 25% offered brochure design, and 44% offered a website.
- Fifty-eight percent of the surveyed courses received between $10 and $20 per player per tournament for food and beverage.
- Fifty-eight percent of the surveyed courses said 75-100% of tournaments return the following year.
- Ninety-seven percent of surveyed courses use the Internet to get new business; only 50% use cold-calling.
- Primary challenges involved with tournament business include: Selling sponsorships, communicating with volunteers, not understanding how to plan an event, competition for events and sponsors, and not getting enough golfers.
The Golf Tournament Association of America, based on a survey of over 100 golf courses across the U.S. (half of the responses were from private clubs and half from public courses). More information is
available at www.gtaaweb.org
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