An analysis of recreational golfer motivation, constraints, and satisfaction on the mastery and frequency of play in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi

The purpose of this study was to use recreational golfers' levels of mastery and frequency of playing as segmentation tools to examine their constraints to and motivation for the game of golf. The study also examined how golfers' levels of mastery and frequency of play influenced their satisfaction with the golf courses where they played. Participants' demographic variables were also analyzed.;Golfers at three medium level golf courses in southern Mississippi and the Gulf Coast region were surveyed during July 2007. Approximate 500 hundred survey questionnaires were distributed with 407 valid questionnaires being received at a return rate of 81.4%. Statistical analysis showed that golfers' demographics, such as gender, marital status, age, living distance, employment status, income, and membership, made significant differences in golfers' motivation, constraints, and satisfaction variables. Furthermore, two important segmentation tools, mastery and frequency, showed significant impact on golfers' motivation, constraints, and satisfaction variables.;The leisure factor, which included such as spending time with friends, having fun, and enjoying outdoors, was the best motivation for almost all golfers. Lack of time was the biggest constraint to all golfers. Varimax Rotated Factor Analysis identified that the best predictor for golfers' satisfaction was course service, including such things as staff, pro-shop, practice facility, amenities, and green fees, which explained 57% of the variance of the overall satisfaction (p < .01).;Independent sample t-test identified that golf course members were more likely to be motivated by leisure factor than non-members and members were more satisfied in all categories than non-members (p < .01). Non-members demonstrated higher level of constraints than members ( p < .01). Younger golfers (under 21) were more likely to be motivated by skill factor than older golfers (40 and above) (p < .01). One way ANOVA identified that frequent golfers were more overall satisfied than casual golfers (p < .01) and they also gave higher scores on course service factor than casual golfers (p < .01). Golfers, low in mastery were less likely to be motivated by skill factor than more skilled golfers (p < .01). Lack of time was a bigger constraint to infrequent golfers than frequent golfers ( p < .01). In conclusion, marketing implementation strategies for improving customer satisfaction and better retaining frequent golfers were discussed.