An analysis of economic recession on the golf industry in the United States

The intent of this research was to describe the effect of an economic downturn on the golf industry; specifically how each market segment was affected and what measures were taken to offset the impact of recession. Due to time and budgetary constraints, a targeted mailing of 600 golf facilities randomly selected from nine geographic regions was used. The survey was directed to the managers and/or owners of the facilities.; The survey instrument was designed with the assistance of industry specialists to assure that the questions were clear, and elicited useful responses. Analysis was performed using SPSS 10.0 Windows statistical package and ANOVA.; The results of the analysis of the data indicated that this recession differed from those in the past due to the added effects of September 11, 2001 and the significant increase in golf course supply of the past decade. This resulted in a higher degree of impact to resort and other destination courses as well as mid-tier facilities as play was shifted down-market. Facilities that fared better in these difficult economic times shared one significant factor; communication. Whether through increased marketing or the use of surveys of customers and employees, these clubs all increased the level of communication to offset the negative effects of the economy.; The strongest conclusion of this study was the impact that marketing had on the health of the more successful golf facilities. Those that monitored their financial health and compared it to that of their competitors regularly were consistently better off than those who lived by the “Field of Dreams” theory of marketing.