Page 1 OVERVIEW: CONSTRAINTS OF WOMEN GOLFERS MEANS CONSTRAINTS ON GOLF INDUSTRY S BOTTOM LINE By Brenda Hayden Sheets. Ph.D. College of Business Murray State University Murray, KY 42071 November 8, 2011
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Page 3 OVERVIEW: CONSTRAINTS OF WOMEN GOLFERS MEANS CONSTRAINTS ON GOLF INDUSTRY S BOTTOM LINE The golf industry and its facilities have acknowledged the importance of increasing and retaining the number of active women golfers. According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF) in 2005, only one of every five golfers in the United States is female with 40 percent of that population being identified as beginning golfers. It was also reported that as women enter the ranks of golfers, there is a relatively equal number who exit a pattern referred to in the literature as a churning effect (National Golf Foundation, 1998, p.2). The proportion of women playing the game is around the same as it was in the 1980s; the ratio has remained relatively constant. Last (2011), founder and President of Sports and Leisure Research Group, reported that the failure of the golf industry and its facility operators to attract women to the game of golf and to retain them for a long term was resulting in the loss of millions of dollars in revenues and thousands of rounds of golf. He noted that not only are the private clubs losing revenue from potential women players, but they are also losing general club membership. Based on the Annual Winter Omnibus study, of the 40 percent of private clubs interviewed, it was found that they had experienced a 5 percent lost in membership during the past two years. The study also revealed that only 17 percent of the clubs were proactive in growing women s participation in the game of golf and developing women-friendly facilities while there were varying levels of commitment from the remaining 83 percent of clubs (p. 14). According to a study conducted for the National Golf Course Owners Association and The Little Foundation (Sports & Leisure Research Group, 2010), which consisted of interviews with approximately 1,800 women and 600 golf facility owners, operators and golf directors, it was found the majority had underestimated those items that comprise a women-friendly
Page 4 course. The study indicated they were short-sighted on the importance women placed in aesthetically clean courses, pace of play, length of holes, availability of drinking water and clean bathrooms on the course, clearly marked directional signage, and a sufficient inventory of ladies apparel and merchandise in the pro shop. Furthermore, the study noted two additional constraints. One was the cost of golf. In order to be a sociable and competent player, one must be willing to meet the expense of golf clubs, bag, shoes and apparel, and potentially a pushcart or golf cart, along with membership fees or green fees. The second constraint was the time commitment. Unlike the Kentucky Derby whose time runs two minutes or a basketball game with a play time of approximately an hourplus, golfing 18 holes can take four to five hours of play time. Last (2011) noted that for women to believe golf was worth their time and money, they needed a greater sense of satisfaction about their golfing experience. He found women preferred an emphasis of the social dimension of golf, including leagues, steady playing partners, clubhouse socials, and sit-down restaurant meals. Further, to increase their satisfaction of the game, women would like shorter holes and improved tee-box placement, allowing them a greater opportunity to reach the greens in regulation. McGinnis and Gentry (2006) also examined several constraints affecting women s interest in the sport and categorized them as intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints. According to Crawford and Godbey (1987), intrapersonal obstacles are individual psychological states and attributes (p. 122) that interplay between one s preferred choice of leisure and actual participation in it. Based on interviews of female golfers by golf professionals, McGinnis and Gentry (2006) found the intrapersonal constraints, including anxiety, lack of selfconfidence, and lack of knowledge about golf were negatively affecting women s interest in the sport. Women s anxiety was demonstrated in their sense of feeling uncomfortable, not
Page 5 belonging, and /or being perceived as unimportant on the course, and their lack of selfconfidence was manifested during their rounds of golf and lessons. It was further noted that due to women s lack of knowledge about golf and/or ability to play the game, they were frequently offered unsolicited advice, making them feel stupid or talked down to (p. 226). A second barrier is interpersonal constraints, which are the results of interpersonal interaction or the relationship between individuals characteristics (p. 123) that impede women from playing golf. For example, McGinnis and Gentry found female golfers who experienced difficulty finding playing partners chose not to play if they had to play alone. Also, their study found women golfer were being intimidated when male golfers smoked cigars, swore, urinated on the course, drank alcohol, and/or folded their arms as a nonverbal signal of impatience when women on a hole ahead appeared to be slowing the pace of play. Meyers (1996) reported women were annoyed by males who assumed the golf course was their unique bonding territory and a place not to be shared with women. Additional interpersonal constraints indicated by McGinnis and Gentry (2006) were women golfers disdain of male golf instructors lack of enthusiasm in teaching them about golf, setting low goals for them, or making condescending remarks, including great swing for a female, or let s take a break every five minutes so you can get some water (p.228). Not only did men convey offensive behavior but female golfers were also reported as demonstrating hostility to one another, especially in competitive setting. [It s] the bitch factor (i.e. being extremely nitpicking about rules and playing procedures) (p. 229). A third barrier is identified as structural constraints which consist of non-psychological barriers that intervene between one s preferences of activity and his or her real participation in the activity. According to McGinnis and Gentry (2006), the most common structural constraints, or non-psychological barriers, were family obligations, time commitments, course availability,
Page 6 and course playability. There is a pattern in which women golfers will decide to put golf on hold or take up the game later in life, once the children move out of the house, begin school, or when the kids are old enough to take up the game themselves, indicating the prevalence of the ethic of care effect (p. 230). Despite the numerous constraints faced by women, there are several initiatives to attract and retain women to the game of golf. For example, according to Last (2011), the PGA of America has revitalized its GOLF 20/20 plan by showcasing much of its focus on growing women s participation in the game of golf. GOLF 20/20 (World Golf Foundation, 2011) was first organized in2000 by The World Golf Foundation. Some of the partners that support the collaborative efforts, growth, and agendas of GOLF 20/20 include: The PGA Tour, The PGA of America, The PGA of America, United States Golf Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association, National Golf Course Owners Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Golf Course Builders Association of America, Club Managers Association of America, along with many more. Recently, the PGA of America hired Donna Orender as the newly assigned flag bearer and consultant for Golf 2.0 s, one of GOLF 20/20 initiatives Connecting with Her strategy to reach millions of women by 2020 (The PGA of America, 2011). From 2005 to 2010, Orender served as Women s National Basketball Association President, and prior to that time, she worked with the PGA Tour for 17 years. Some of her consulting tasks are to promote a friendly environment for women on golf courses across the country and to wield partnerships with women organizations that can provide golf facilities with resources and programs to attract and retain women golfers. Orender will serve as a spokesperson for urging women to balance their
Page 7 lives, with the pursuit of good health, business networking, and family time in a fun-filled environment (The PGA of America, 2011). There are multiple women s golf associations on local, state, and national levels that are revising their missions and agendas to advance the importance of women to begin playing golf and/or staying an active participant in the game. One of the most renowned women s golf groups is the Executive Women s Golf Association (EWGA, 2011) whose combined chapters boast of approximately 18,000 members. Their vision statement is focused on ways that golf can enhance women s lives. Their mission is to cultivate a warm, nurturing atmosphere for women to become engaged with golf and to connect women to learn, play and enjoy golf for business and for fun. (EWGA.com). Becoming a member of the EWGA or other well-established, social women s golf groups, such as golfwithwomen.com and golfdigestwomen.com is not only an easy procedure, but an important step for women to sound the message that golf is a means of balancing one s life in terms of health, fellowship, and enjoyment.
Page 8 REFERENCES Crawford, D., & Godbey, C. (1987). Reconceptualizing barriers to family leisure. Leisure Sciences, 9, 119-127. Executive Women s Golf Association. (2011). Connecting women to learn, play and enjoy golf for business and for fun. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http://www.ewga.com/sites/courses/custom.asp?id=1026&page=59684. Last, J. (2011). A recipe for getting women to play your course. Golf Inc. Summer 2011, 14-15. McGinnis, L. P., & Gentry, J. W. (2006). Getting past the red tees: constraints women face in golf and strategies to help them stay. Journal of Sport Management, 20, 218-247. Meyers, G. (1996). Selling a man s world to women. American Demographics, 18(4), 36-42. Sports & Leisure Research Group. (2010). The right invitation: A comprehensive research study to guide the golf industry to meaningfully increase women s golf participation and satisfaction. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http://www.golfwithwomen.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/08/finalreport3.pdf. The PGA of America. (2011). Former WNBA president Donna Orender to steer new Golf 2.0 initiative. Retrieved October 21, 2001, from http://www.pga.com/pga-america/pgafeature/former-wnba-president-donna-orender-steer-new-golf-20-initiative http://www.golfwithwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/finalreport2.pdf World Golf Foundation. (2011). GOLF 20/20: History and Overview. Retrieved October 15,2011, from http://www.golf2020.com/about.aspx?rtx=234.