Nice to see some of golf’s most high-profile leaders firing back at critics taking unfair potshots at the golf industry. PGA of America President Jim Remy led the charge recently in a letter published in USA TODAY in response to an earlier column by one of the newspaper’s contributors.
Remy rightly pointed out that far from an elitist sport as some try to brand the game, golf is an economic engine that helps fuel local economies all over the nation. Here’s an excerpt from his comments in part:
“Together, our 55,000 [PGA of America, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and Club Managers Association of America] members are on the front line of a workforce of 1 million Americans who work at the nation’s 16,000 golf courses, 1,300 golf ranges and hundreds of related golf businesses.
“Your local golf course is the embodiment of the small-business sector, which President Obama rightly recognizes as the backbone of American enterprise, employing a multicultural mix of professional and service personnel who rely on the sport to provide food and shelter to their families. In 2005, it was estimated that golf also enabled 1 million jobs for the tourism and real estate industries, and all told generated some $61 billion in annual wages. Our “offices” are also good for the communities they serve.
“Golf facilities are professionally managed by individuals who have achieved various levels of certification. They serve at managed open green space, which provides wildlife habitat, and they help to generate more than $3.5 billion charity dollars each year.”
Remy is right. For every Augusta National or Pine Valley, there are hundreds of golf courses that offer affordable recreational opportunities for every income level and provide jobs for men and women in the community.
This week, leaders from 10 associations traveled to Capitol Hill to deliver the golf industry message to our nation’s lawmakers in observance of National Golf Day May 13.
But why not make every day National Golf Day? Not everyone can afford to go to Washington, D.C., to lobby, but there’s plenty that can be done on a local level. Operators should take advantage of every possible opportunity to talk to their local city council members, county officials and state legislators to make sure they understand how golf positively benefits everyone in the community. Golf’s message needs to be heard by the decision-makers at every level, and it’s the responsibility of all of us in the industry to get it out.