KEY FINDINGS EUROPEAN LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION RESEARCH FOR GOLF

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1 KEY FINDINGS EUROPEAN LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION RESEARCH FOR GOLF

2 2 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS Contents 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 WORKFORCE 12 SKILLS & TRAINING 20 PGA PROFESSIONALS 26 LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT 32 CLOSING REMARK Golf Stand. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without express written permission. Any unauthorised reprint, commercial copying, selling, transmitting or use of this material is forbidden and will constitute an infringement of copyright. For further information contact PGAs of Europe: info@pgae.com This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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4 4 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Golf is unique amongst sports in the size and diversity of its labour market. There are approximately nine million people playing golf in Europe each year with 4.3 million registered with their Federation, and it is estimated that the European golf market is serviced by a workforce of almost 400,000 1 employees. The European Occupational Standards for Golf project (Golf Stand) had the main objective of producing a range of indispensable European occupational standards aimed at defining the competences, skills and knowledge needed for those working in the sector as golf professionals. Defining effective labour market strategies at the national or sectoral level requires first and foremost the collection, dissemination and assessment of labour market information from the employers. Therefore, the Golf Stand project included an initial research section to gather indicative Labour Market Information (LMI) from the golf sector in selected EU countries. The inquiry was based on a holistic approach, meaning the collection of information through both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The following summarises the main information received through an online questionnaire: replies were received from employers in 18 countries; app. three quarters of the total reply rate is from six countries, Italy, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany. Replies in the Golf Stand survey were mostly received from the General Managers of the golf facilities (48.5%), and from golf facilities that are membership owned and operated non-for-profit (40.3%). - All golf facilities that replied stated that they employ full-time staff, whereas only 83.6% provided information that they employ parttime staff. 56.8% engage occasional volunteers, and 37.9% engage regular volunteers in their golf facility % of the golf facility employers that replied indicate skills shortages (Lack of skills available in the labour market from which an organisation recruits), whilst 32% see skills gaps (Shortcomings in the proficiency of an organisations current workforce); both skills gaps and skill shortages were mostly attributed to Food and Beverage Managers. - Continuing Professional Development is important for all golf facility employers regardless of occupational titles. In 63.1% of the cases, CPD is part of the golf facility s operating budget. Costs (14.7%) and a general lack of human resources to replace staff doing CPD (14.6%) seem to be still the biggest barriers to staff training, whilst concerns of over trained staff leaving to go to other businesses seem to be the smallest barrier to most employers. - 92% of the employers that replied engage qualified PGA Professionals in their golf facilities; most commonly PGA Professionals hold the job title of a Teaching Professional. If golf employers engage or would engage PGA Professionals in their golf facility, they would expect them to have mainly the ability to teach and coach. 1 KPMG The Economic Value of Golf to Europe

5 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 GOLF STAND PROJECT The European Occupational Standards for Golf project (GOLF STAND) was developed with the main objective to produce a range of indispensable European occupational standards aiming at defining the competences, skills and knowledge needed for those working in the sector as golf professionals. The Golf Stand project was funded by the European Commission and ran two years, from 1st of October 2010 until 30th of September Further information can be found at

6 6 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - WORKFORCE Workforce For this study workforce, refers to all paid and unpaid staff at a facility. All golf facility employers that replied to the questionnaire stated that they employ full-time staff (100%), whilst only 83.6% provided the information that they employ part-time staff; 56.8% engage occasional volunteers 2, and 37.9% engage regular volunteers in their golf facility. 3 Figure 1: Golf facility staff engaged (in %) Full-time staff 100,00% Part-time staff 83,60% 16,40% Occasional Volunteers 56,80% 43,20% Regular Volunteers 37,90% 62,10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Yes No Data indicates that board members might have been considered by the respondent as both regular (due the definition provided) but also occasional volunteers. Depending on specific club culture some might even have included board members into paid staff or not considered them at all. 2 In this study occasional volunteers mostly refer to people who dedicate their time to an organisation on an ad-hoc basis and/or people who volunteer mainly for the organisation and running of e.g. sport events; whilst regular volunteers mostly dedicate their time to an organisation regularly and on a long term basis. It is usually related to positions involving a certain share of responsibilities in the management of the organisation; including committee members. 3 Note: Occasional volunteers n=125, regular volunteers n=95, full and part-time staff n=134

7 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - WORKFORCE 7 The range of full-time employees in numbers reported from the questionnaire shows significant variation from one employee to 504 employees, with an arithmetic mean of 28 full-time employees and the median 4 at 16. Altogether, the 134 golf facilities indicated a total full-time staff of 3,781. One has to take note that ¼ of the total number of full-time employees indicated work in the area of food & beverage (957 employees), closely followed by staff working in the area of golf course management (896 employees); whilst only ten golf facilities indicated that they work with full-time staff in research and development (20 employees). The range of part-time employees in numbers again widely varies from one employee to 501 employees, with the arithmetic mean of 18 part-time employees and the median at 9. Nearly half of the total number of part-time employees indicated (1,963 employees) work in the area of food & beverage (46.6%), whilst only one golf facility at all indicated that it works with four part-time staff in the area of research and development. Full-time staff in the area of the general management of the golf facility is employed by most of the responding employers (94%), whilst it is the area of food and beverage that is covered most through part-time staff (77%). 4 The median is a mathematical result that indicates that one half of the group is higher and one half lower and has been used as an indicator of an average as the distribution of participation rates has large extreme values which could otherwise skew the data.

8 8 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - WORKFORCE Figure 2: Number of golf facilities that employ full-time staff split by working area (n=134) Total FULL TIME Staff 134 General Management Staff 126 Golf Course Management Staff * 119 Teaching & Coaching Staff 113 Food & Beverages Staff 108 Cleaning & Maintenance Staff 88 Sales & Marketing Staff 82 Retail Staff 73 Hospitality Staff 59 Research & Development Staff 43 Any Other Staff Figure 3: Number of golf facilities that employ part-time staff split by working area (n=134) Total PART TIME Staff 112 Food & Beverages Staff 86 Golf Course Management Staff 67 Cleaning & Maintenance Staff 58 Teaching & Coaching Staff 49 Hospitality Staff 42 Retail Staff 37 Sales & Marketing Staff 34 Any Other Staff 31 General Management Staff 29 Research & Development Staff * Some facilities in some countries sub-contract the greenkeeping operation

9 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - WORKFORCE 9 In general, more golf facilities seem to engage occasional volunteers compared to regular volunteers. The following figure indicates the roles fulfilled by occasional (green) and regular (blue) volunteers (with multiple choices possible per volunteering role): Figure 4: Roles fulfilled by occasional volunteers (green) and regular volunteers (blue) in golf facilities (n=134) Event Management Course Management Hospitality Teaching & Coaching Food & Beverage 2 9 Sales & Marketing 7 6 General Management 4 11 Retail 2 1 Other Unsurprisingly, the area of event management seems mostly driven by occasional volunteers, whereas in the area of general management one could have expected a more dominant role of regular volunteers (board members). In this regards, one may need to consider that definitions may vary between countries although working definitions were provided to the replier (see footnotes overleaf). Further roles (category other of figure 4) fulfilled by the volunteers include marshalling, forecaddying, committee or board membership, and maintenance.

10 10 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - WORKFORCE Being aware about different structures existing in countries and single golf facilities in regards of labour organisation, further analysis of the inquiry revealed the level of responsibility of different staff members per job title and work area 5. The following figure indicates which job titles were identified as holding the main responsibility in the relevant working area: Figure 5: Job titles identified as holding the main responsibility in the relevant working area (in %) Generating New Players Director of Golf; 70,40% Player Support Services Director of Golf; 59,30% Hospitality Food & Beverage Manager; 53,40% Event Promotion Sales & Marketing Manager; 68,20% Event Management Director of Golf; 70,10% Research & Development General Manager; 75,40% New Facility Development General Manager; 84,70% Food & Beverages Food & Beverage Manager; 97,80% Teaching & Coaching Head Professional; 93,90% Retail Director of Golf; 57,70% Course Management Golf Course Manager; 91,70% Sales & Marketing Sales & Marketing Manager; 74,50% General Management General Manager; 87,90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 5 In this perspective, Player Support Services include to establish, develop and maintain effective working relationships with golfers; Analyse the lifestyle management and personal development needs of golfers; Provide lifestyle management and personal development support to meet individual golfer needs; Enable golfers to access referral networks appropriate to their lifestyle management and personal development needs; Provide sports science services to golf; Assist golfers to prevent and manage injury. New Facility Development includes assisting consultants, designers, architects, financial advisers and contractors that provide services to clubs, landowners and developers to design and build new golf courses and refurbish/renovate existing golf courses, clubhouses and other facilities.

11 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - WORKFORCE 11 The Golf Stand project mainly refers to the development of PGA Professionals. As such distinction between roles and responsibilities between different job titles (of golf professionals) seems to be difficult for many sector stakeholders to identify. The following figure sets a focus on the level of responsibility identified by the employers for a Director of Golf, a Head Professional, a Teaching Professional and a Golf Professional: Figure 6: Responsibility in the relevant working area shown for the four core job titles for PGA Professionals (in %) Generating New Players 30,20% 27,90% 40,80% 70,40% Player Support Services 22,20% 27,50% 48,50% 59,30% Hospitality 17,20% 15,60% 25,00% 50,80% Event Promotion 7,40% 10,30% 16,70% 59,40% Event Management 0% 7,70% 4,80% 70,10% Research & Development 12,00% 22,20% 21,40% 60,40% New Facility Development 6,30% 20,00% 15,20% 69,00% Food & Beverages 0% 0% 8,30% 13,20% Coaching 37,10% 58,70% 66,20% 93,90% Retail 14,70% 25,00% 45,30% 57,70% Course Management 5,30% 8,70% 10,00% 43,50% Sales & Marketing 9,10% 10,00% 8,20% 57,70% General Management 15,80% 17,40% 17,90% 75,60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Golf Professional Teaching Professional Head Professional Director of Golf

12 12 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING Skills & Training The importance of skill development and continued training is accepted widely across Europe, and it is in golf. The European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) * Lifelong Learning Strategy for the Sport and Active Leisure sector to which the Golf Stand project refers to was created to ensure the development of a competent workforce with the right skills and competences in line with the expectation of the employers. In this regard, golf facility employers were asked whether they would thinking about the golf workforce in general see any gaps or shortages between the skills of current employees and those their golf facility needs in order to meet its business objectives. Within the scope of the Golf Stand project, the following definitions applied: Skills shortages Skills gaps Refer to a lack of skills available in the labour market from which an organisation recruits its staff (external). Shortcomings in the proficiency of an organisation s current workforce (internal). The figures opposite show the percentage of employers that indicated the existence of skills shortages and skills gaps related to the entire workforce in the golf sector. Figure 7 refers to all golf facility employers that replied (n=134); figure 8 to those employers not qualified as PGA Professional and figure 9 to those employers who stated that they are qualified PGA Professionals (n=26) themselves. From the replies one may draw the conclusion that those employers qualified as PGA Professionals see skills problems rather/more inside the golf facility, whilst other employers seem to see a (higher) lack of skills available in the labour market from which the golf facility recruits its staff. *

13 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING 13 Figure 7: Percentage of golf facility employers that identified skills shortages and skills gaps related to the workforce in the golf sector in general Skills Shortage 37,90% 45,70% 16,40% Skills Gap 32,00% 58,40% 9,60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Figure 8: Percentage of golf facility employers not qualified as PGA Professionals that identified skills shortages and skills gaps related to the workforce in the golf sector in general Skills Shortage 40,60% 45,80% 13,60% Skills Gap 29,30% 61,60% 9,10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Figure 9: Percentage of golf facility employers qualified as PGA Professionals that identified skills shortages and skills gaps related to the workforce in the golf sector in general Skills Shortage 25,00% 45,00% 30,00% Skills Gap 42,30% 46,20% 11,50% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Yes No Do not know

14 14 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING In order to identify better where exactly skills gaps or shortages exist, golf facility employers were asked to name the occupations where such skills gaps or/and skills shortages exist (figures 10 and 11). With multiple choices possible, skills gaps (figure 10) were mostly related to Food & Beverage Managers (9.7% of the entire sample), and skills shortages (figure 11) were attributed to Food & Beverage Managers (15.67%) followed by Sales & Marketing Manager (14.18%). Figure 10: Percentage of golf facility employers that declared a skill gap for a job title (n==134) 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% Skills Gap 0% Director of Golf Head Professional Teaching Professional Golf Professional General Manager Sales & Marketing Manager Food & Beverage Manager Golf Course Manager Figure 11: Percentage of golf facility employers that declared a skill shortage for a job title (n=134) 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% Skills Shortage 0% Director of Golf Head Professional Teaching Professional Golf Professional General Manager Sales & Marketing Manager Food & Beverage Manager Golf Course Manager Besides the interest for which occupations the employers indicated most skills gaps or shortages, it seems even more interesting to analyse if those who see any skills gaps and shortages at all (32% and 37.9%; cf. figure 7), see more skills gaps in relation to shortages related to single job titles, or contrary. In this regards, data indicates that in general and for all professions more skills shortages seem to exist than skills gaps.

15 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING 15 Analysing any possible difference in attitude between these golf facility employers that are qualified as PGA Professional (figure 13) and these who are not (figure 12), data indicates that employers qualified as PGA Professionals see rather more problems related to a lack of skills available in the labour market; for Golf Course Managers for instance, only such skills shortages were indicated (100%). Only for General Managers skills gaps and shortages were indicated as equal; whilst it was also noted that skills gaps existed but skills shortages were greater for Directors of Golf, Head, Teaching and Golf Professionals. By contrast, employers not qualified as PGA Professionals (figure 12) indicated that Directors of Golf, Head, Teaching and Golf Professionals have more shortcomings in the proficiency of their golf facilities current workforce (skills gaps): 5 Figure 12: Comparison of the relations of skills gaps and shortages stated by employers not qualified as PGA Professionals per job title 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Director of Golf Head Professional Teaching Professional Golf Professional General Manager Sales & Marketing Manager Food & Beverage Manager Golf Course Manager Figure 13: Comparison of the relation of skills gaps and shortages stated by employers qualified as PGA Professionals per job title 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Director of Golf Head Professional Teaching Professional Golf Professional General Manager Sales & Marketing Manager Food & Beverage Manager Golf Course Manager 5 One needs to keep duly in mind differences in size of samples.

16 16 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING When talking about skills, the training of the workforce and especially Continuing Professional Development 6 (CPD) needs to be considered. Given this perspective, golf facility employers were asked about the importance of CPD per job title. From the replies received, CPD seems to be important for most golf facility employers regardless of the occupational titles. The research shows CPD appears particularly important to Golf Course Managers and Directors of Golf: Figure 14: Importance of CPD indicated per job title by all golf facility employers Golf Course Manager 71,50% 22,80% 4,10% 1,60% Food & Beverage Manager 48,70% 38,50% 11,10% 1,70% Sales & Marketing Manager 52,90% 35,60% 8,70% 2,80% General Manager 66,90% 26,30% 5,10% 1,70% Golf Professional 46,90% 39,80% 9,20% 4,10% Teaching Professional 49,10% 38,40% 10,70% 1,80% Head Professional 60,00% 31,80% 5,50% 2,70% Director of Golf 72,40% 16,20% 6,70% 1,00% 3,70% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Very Important Important Average Slightly Important Not Important 6 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to learning opportunities that are provided to individuals who are already engaged with the labour market and whose purpose in undertaking the learning is to update their skills and competencies.

17 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING 17 CPD is often identified with incurring great cost. Therefore, the Golf Stand questionnaire asked if CPD for the management and staff is part of the golf facility s operating budget; 63.1% said it did. The reason why CPD is sometimes not included in the budget line is often not specific whilst in other cases the employers stated that CPD is very cost intensive, especially for smaller teams. Figures 16 provides the rating of any barriers to training from all golf facility employers: Figure 15: Percentage of all golf facility employers stating that CPD is part of the golf facility s operating budget 36,90% 63,10% Yes No

18 18 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING Figure 16: Barriers to training indicated by all golf facility employers (in %) Distance to the nearest CDP provider 22,80% 20,30% 27,60% 18,70% 10,60% Lack of human resources to replace the person during CDP 15,40% 18,70% 26,00% 25,20% 14,70% Concerns over trained staff leaving to go to other businesses 36,30% 31,50% 21,00% 8,10% 3,10% Lack of training ofering / availability 19,30% 19,30% 26,90% 30,30% 4,20% Lack of proven benefits of such training 23,00% 26,20% 27,00% 21,30% 2,50% Lack of quality of training 23,30% 20,00% 24,20% 20,80% 11,70% Costs of training 12,40% 11,60% 34,90% 26,40% 14,70% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1 = No Barrier = Huge Barrier Costs (14.7%) and a general lack of human resources (14.6%) seem to be the biggest barrier to training, whilst concerns of over trained staff leaving to go to other businesses seem to be the smallest barrier to most employers. The data received indicates furthermore slight differences between these golf facilities operated non-for-profit and commercially although one needs to keep in mind the significantly lower reply rate between types of facilities: In not-for-profit (NFP) operated golf facilities, i.e., data seems to indicate that the lack of human resources to replace the person during CPD seems to be a greater barrier than in those ran for-profit.

19 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - SKILLS & TRAINING 19

20 20 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - PGA PROFESSIONALS PGA Professionals 92% of the employers that replied to the questionnaire engage qualified PGA Professionals in their golf facilities; 70% engage them full-time, 8% full-time and part-time, and 14% on a part-time basis. Often employers indicated that they collaborate with qualified PGA Professionals as self-employees or subcontractors. Only one of the 26 employers that are qualified PGA Professionals themselves does not employ at least one qualified PGA Professional; whereas 84% of these engage PGA Professionals fulltime, 8% employ both full-time and part-time PGA Professionals, and 4% only part-time. The following figures provide a comparison of qualified PGA Professionals engaged by golf facility employers that are not qualified as PGA Professionals (top), and qualified PGA Professionals engaged when the employer is qualified as PGA Professional (bottom):

21 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - PGA PROFESSIONALS 21 Figure 17: Percentage of golf facility employers not qualified as Golf Professionals that engage qualified PGA Professionals 9% 8% 17% 66% Figure 18: Percentage of golf facility employers qualified as Golf Professionals that engage qualified PGA Professionals 4% 4% 8% 84% Only Full-time Only Part-time Both Full and Part Time Not at all

22 22 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - PGA PROFESSIONALS Further analysis reveals that if PGA Professionals are engaged in golf facilities, the following job titles apply to these collaborators (see figure 19). In 11.4% of the cases, PGA Professionals are engaged in all three job titles: Teaching, Head and Golf Professional; whereas only app. 18% mention that their PGA Professional holds a management related job title (see blue bars). Only one club for instance engages a PGA Professional as Food and Beverage Manager. Other includes a Learning Professional and an Independent Professional. Figure 19: Job titles applying to the qualified PGA Professionals engaged by the golf facility employers (in % with multiple choices possible) Teaching Professional 62,60% Head Professional 52,00% Golf Professional 38,20% Director of Golf 9,80% General Manager 7,30% Sales & Marketing Manager 6,50% Golf Course Manager 3,30% Food & Beverage Manager 0,80% Other 1,60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

23 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - PGA PROFESSIONALS 23 Furthermore, analysis reveals that if golf employers engage or would engage PGA Professionals in their golf facility, they would expect them to have mainly the ability of teaching and coaching; none of the respondents denied this fact. Furthermore, communication abilities and knowledge regarding golf equipment technologies play important roles for golf employers. Further abilities mentioned through comments include attracting and retaining members, and providing innovation to the club. Figure 20: Abilities golf facility employers would expect from PGA Professionals Teaching / Coaching 90,10% 9,20% 0,80% Communication 56,30% 34,90% 6,30% 2,40% Golf Equipment Technology 44,40% 38,90% 14,30% 2,40% Rules & Tournaments 34,10% 34,10% 23,00% 8,70% Sales & Marketing 22,40% 40,50% 31,90% 5,20% Playing 20,20% 29,80% 40,30% 9,70% Business Management 17,70% 33,10% 37,90% 11,30% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Very Important Important Nice to have Not relevant

24 24 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - PGA PROFESSIONALS A comparison of expectations of abilities from golf facility employers that are qualified as PGA Professionals themselves (figure 22), and employers who are not (figure 21) indicates that in general all abilities are classified with higher importance and that especially the area of business management seems to be of higher importance for employers that are qualified as PGA Professionals themselves: Figure 21: Abilities golf facility employers not qualified as PGA Professional would expect from PGA Professionals Teaching / Coaching 89,60% 9,40% 0,90% Communication 52,90% 37,30% 7,80% 2,00% Golf Equipment Technology 42,20% 40,20% 15,70% 2,00% Rules & Tournaments 29,70% 35,60% 25,70% 8,90% Sales & Marketing 19,60% 42,30% 33,00% 5,20% Playing 18,60% 30,40% 41,20% 9,80% Business Management 12,90% 36,60% 39,60% 10,90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Very Important Important Nice to have Not relevant

25 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - PGA PROFESSIONALS 25 Figure 22: Abilities golf facility employers qualified as PGA Professional would expect from PGA Professionals Teaching / Coaching 92,00% 8,00% Communication 70,80% 25,00% 4,20% Golf Equipment Technology 54,20% 33,30% 8,30% 4,20% Rules & Tournaments 52,00% 28,00% 12,00% 8,00% Sales & Marketing 36,80% 31,60% 26,30% 5,30% Playing 27,30% 27,30% 36,40% 9,10% Business Management 39,10% 17,40% 30,40% 13,00% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Very Important Important Nice to have Not relevant

26 26 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT LMI Findings Context In general, golf is unique amongst sports in the size and diversity of its labour market with many golf qualifications, some recognised in national qualification systems and others purely sectorbased. There are approximately nine million people playing golf in Europe each year with 4.3 million registered with their Federation. The European market is serviced by a workforce of almost 400,000 1 employees that are required to deliver services which not only keep golfers in the game, but attract new participants and develop elite athletes. PARTICPATION DISTRIBUTION According to the KPMG Golf Participation Report (2010) the distribution of golf players in Europe is concentrated within 10 countries, with 92% of all players participating in this limited group of countries: UK & Ireland (30.9%), Germany (13.5%), Sweden (11.6%), France (9.3%), Netherlands (7.8%), Spain (7.6%), Denmark (3.4%), Finland (3.1%), Norway (2.8%), Austria (2.4%), and only 7.7% in all other countries. The market is dominated throughout Europe, but to differing degrees, by men with participation rates consistently lower amongst women and juniors: On average, 65% of all golfers are men, 25% are women and 10% are junior golfers. In the UK & Ireland, Europe s largest golf market, three-quarters of the players are male. Labour Market Information Labour markets in general function through the interaction of workers and employers. Labour Market Information (LMI) is diverse but is researched to better understand the related markets. Defining effective labour market strategies at the national or sectoral level requires first and foremost the collection, dissemination and assessment of labour market information. Changes on the labour markets can no longer be analysed meaningfully without taking international dimensions into account, in order to attempt to explain disparities and to understand how different countries develop in one sector. 1 KPMG The Economic Value of Golf to Europe

27 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT 27 CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMY Assessed through A Study of the Golf Economy (KPMG 2006), the Golf sector was estimated to contribute 21 billion to the EMA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) economic region. This was primarily generated and thus measured through three market segments which included golf facility operations, real estate and tourism. When considering the contribution in expanded terms, to include the golf supply chain and sector employee spending, the figure grows to an economic value in revenue terms of 53 billion. OWNERSHIP AND SIZE OF GOLF FACILITIES According to the KPMG Golf Managers Study in 2010, equity clubs account for over 50% of clubs, however there is a disparity when compared region by region. Equity clubs account for 88% of Scandinavian facilities, however the vast majority of clubs in France, Spain and Italy were not owned by members. The trend recognised by the study was that there was a correlation between the size of the club and the type of ownership: The larger the club (in terms of membership), the more likely it was to be an equity club. The trend was reversed with regards to size in terms of number of holes facilities with more than 18 holes were more likely to be non-equity. Within the same study an attempt was made to collate the size of clubs in the regions, using two key measures, namely the number of members and the number of employees in each facility. With regards to membership, it was considered that there was a clear difference across regions: In France/ Spain/Italy, three in five clubs had a membership of 500 or less, whereas in Scandinavia less than one in ten had memberships of this size. This region was most likely to consist of facilities with memberships in excess of 1,000, with almost two thirds of the clubs falling into this category. The supplementary measure was to consider the number of employees employed at a given facilities. This gives a good indication to the overall size of golf facilities in the region and gives a first insight into the correlation between membership numbers and recruitment/human resource requirements. In this regard, KPMG indicates that half of the golf facilities employ 6-20 full-time staff and a similar proportion employs a maximum of three part-time or seasonal employees.

28 28 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT TRAINING IN GOLF Through the KPMG Golf Managers Study 2010, data was collected regarding the commitment of clubs/facilities to train the workforce. More than 50% of respondents considered their club to be committed to training of staff, moreover this figure also includes those who had the sufficient budget to realise their commitment: Nearly all clubs in the UK/Ireland and Scandinavia had at least some budget for training. In comparison, at least one in ten clubs in France, Spain, Italy and Germany did not invest in training. The willingness and intention of employers to implement training structures resided above 50% overall, however there was a disparity between the regions and nations. This disparity continued when considering the implementation of training: Training programmes were widely implemented across the board, with all levels of staff benefiting to some degree. This was less common in Scandinavia and Germany, however, where there was more of a focus on senior management training, with junior management least likely to receive training. GEOGRAPHICAL MOBILITY It is important, from a European point of view, to consider the level of mobility within the workforce. The KPMG study of Golf Managers (2010) touches on this theme by highlighting whether or not individuals were working within their country of origin: The vast majority of those working in the main regions covered in the survey were employed in the country of their natural residence. Many were willing to move abroad to further their career, however. In contrast, 56% of those working in other markets were not living in their country of natural residence. These respondents were mainly based in Portugal and the UAE. Furthermore the study sought to find a correlation between mobility and job/life satisfaction. This provides a good insight into the motivating factors perceived by individuals working in the sector, and also gives a subjective account of the working culture experienced by the respondents: Improved job satisfaction was cited as a motivating factor in considering a move abroad by over 90% of respondents. Work/life balance and work place culture were also valued, particularly by the Scandinavians. Over three quarters of those in the UK/Ireland and France/Spain/Italy would be driven by remuneration. This was much less important to those in Scandinavia and Germany.

29 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT 29 LIMITATIONS Depending on the set-up of the sector investigated and the general labour market conditions, LMI in general may draw on a range of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The Golf Stand LMI research methodology was based on a holistic approach, with both qualitative and quantitative inquiries. A specificity of the LMI within the Golf Stand project was that it needed to refer to information that could be used in competence based curriculum innovation and strategic planning regarding the aim to undergo the seven steps of the EOSE Lifelong Learning Strategy ( The budget and time available for the inquiry was limited; this hindered the conduct of the survey and limited the research techniques essentially to the use and further elaboration of mainly existing information and an exploratory research only. Furthermore when drawing conclusions from the data one needs to consider a relatively low reply rate, especially when it comes to comparisons between target groups. All findings shall be treated as indicative. GOLF STAND LMI METHODOLOGY The Golf Stand labour market inquiry was based on a holistic approach, meaning a collection of information through both qualitative and quantitative strands: A desk research, the consultation of a project internal golf sector focus group (representing golf professionals, golf federations, employers and training providers), and a data collection via an online questionnaire with golf facility employers as target group. The questionnaire distribution was led by the European Golf Course Owners Association (EGCOA) and the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE), and in order to support the chances to deliver a robust survey and to obtain a higher rate of responses it was also promoted by the national Golf Stand partners. Core target countries were: Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and United Kingdom. The online questionnaire was open from December 2011 until April 2012.

30 30 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT COMPOSITION OF GOLF STAND LMI SAMPLE Overall, 134 golf facilities from 18 countries completed the Golf Stand LMI questionnaire. However, app. ¾ of the total responses was received from only six countries: Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany, which also reflects the greater number of golf facilities available in these countries. Out of the 134 overall replies, 116 were received from the ten targeted countries (86.6%). Replies from other countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland. However, a high number of replies does not indicate better representation from the sector due to estimated work places (golf facilities) ranging from one (Malta) to app. 2,993 in the United Kingdom. In this regards, in Malta, one golf facility reply reflects 100%, and three golf facility replies from Slovenia represent a reply rate of 25%. Further reply rates are: Czech Republic (8.5%), Finland (5.6%), Germany (1.4%), Italy (9.3%), the Netherlands (7.3%), Portugal (11.9%), Sweden (4.2%), and the United Kingdom (0.7%). Besides geographical distribution, the Golf Stand questionnaire gathered information regarding how the golf facilities are operated and how ownership is organised as it was assumed that these aspects might influence aspects of employment and training. Most replies were received from golf facilities that are membership owned and operated nonfor-profit (40.3%). Thereafter, most replies came from privately owned and commercially operated golf facilities (28.6%), whilst as expected commercial ownership paired with non-for-profit operation (1.5%) was represented rather low. Assuming that different employers relating to their professional background could possibly provide different information or attitudes regarding aspects of employment and training, the questionnaire also asked for the job title that best identifies the job position of the replier. Almost half of the replies were received from General Managers (48.5%), which is little surprising as they are mostly responsible for the overall running of a golf facility that would include human resources and employment in most smaller organisations. From the responses received, almost all golf facilities (99.25%) offer at least 9 holes of golf; an 18-hole golf course is provided by 62.7% and short courses by 44%. 87.3% operate a driving range in addition to golf courses; only one golf facility offers a driving range without any golf course. Other services mentioned include, i.e. practice areas, putting greens, chipping greens, and video analysis. 133 of the 134 respondents (99.3%) state that they offer a bar or restaurant as additional service to their clients / members; 97% include a golf shop, 27.6% a hotel and 24.6% a fitness centre or spa into their services. Other non-golf services mentioned include i.e. swimming pools, tennis courts, and meeting room services.

31 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - LMI FINDINGS CONTEXT 31 Figure 23: Number of replies from the ten target countries (n=116) Czech Republic 7 Finland 7 Germany 10 Italy 25 Malta 1 Portugal 10 Slovenia 3 Sweden 19 The Netherlands 14 United Kingdom Figure 24: Golf services offered by the golf facilities (in % with multiple choices possible) 18 Holes Short Course / Academy 27 Holes 9 Holes 36 Holes 6 Holes More than 36 Holes Driving Range Other 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Yes No

32 32 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - CLOSING REMARK Closing Remark First of all, the authors would like to express their gratitude to all persons who replied to the survey and who actively contributed to the development of this report. Such a positive outcome would not been reached without the support of the various collaborators inside and outside the Golf Stand partnership It was obvious from the very beginning that, for a complex topic such as labour market research, the Golf Stand project could not provide the entire European picture nor reflect all details of the sector s workforce. But it could mark a starting point and provide first indicative information on selected labour market related criteria that were developed commonly during the project. In this regards, the information gathered shall allow a first insight on the dynamics and trends in the golf sector s labour market. The ultimate aim of research such as that outlined in this report must be to lead to concrete improvements in the employment and education situation in the golf sector. Collecting data from a wide range of countries on skills gaps, skills shortages, continuing professional development and abilities expected of professionals will positively impact on the future education systems for golf in Europe. One of the main aims of the Golf Stand project was to ensure a match between golf education and the labour market, and the LMI research is a key activity to achieve this aim, repeating the research in future years can help to monitor if progress is being made. The Golf Stand partnership is pleased with the positive response to the survey from golf sector employers, especially as this is the first time employers have been asked to provide labour market information such as this. Golf in Europe already enjoys a high level of collaborative working between the sector s stakeholder bodies (as evidenced by the Golf Stand consortium), meaningful dialogue with employers and managers through this type of research activity further bodes well for the future of the sector. If the sector is to achieve its key purpose to provide services that enhance the golf experience and enrich quality of life, understanding the perceptions and views of employers and managers and acting on this information is vital. This research report marks a positive milestone in the bridging of the gap between employment and education in golf and will contribute to the ongoing development of the sector. Finally it must be stated that for the value of the golf sector to be seen and understood by the range of sport and political stakeholders at the European level there is a clear need for further, more detailed and comparable labour market information to be collected in the future that may build on the first-time collected results presented in this report. Due to the nature of the EU funded project that is to provide guidance to practitioners from the sector this report is not meant to be a scientific paper covering all details and concepts related to the topic, and, in order to make the report more readable and accessible for non-academics, one shall consider that the use of academic system of citation is not consistently used. For reasons of legibility, it was also refrained from referring in every case to both sexes. References to persons are generally not gender specific.

33 LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS - CLOSING REMARK 33

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35 Partnership of the Golf Stand project SkillsActive - UK (Promotor) Professional Golfers Associations of Europe (PGAs of Europe) - Europe European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) - Europe Malta Qualification Council (MQC) - Malta University of Birmingham - UK Bosöns idrottsfolkhögskola / Bosön Sport College - Sweden Slovenian Greenkeepers Association - Slovenia European Golf Course Owners Association (EGCOA) - Europe Professional Golfers Association Limited (The PGA) - UK Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) - UK Nederlandse Golf Federatie (NGF) / Dutch Golf Federation - Netherlands Sport Institute of Finland (SIF) - Finland Professional Golfers Association of Germany (PGA Germany) - Germany Professional Golfers Association of Sweden (PGA Sweden) - Sweden Professional Golfers Association of Italy (PGA Italy) - Italy Associacao de Gestores de Golfe de Portugal (AGGP) / Golf Club Managers Association of Portugal - Portugal Golf Stand. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without express written permission. Any unauthorised reprint, commercial copying, selling, transmitting or use of this material is forbidden and will constitute an infringement of copyright. For further information contact PGAs of Europe: info@pgae.com

36 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.