Why your Golf Course is the Key to Long-Term Business Success
Golf course businesses are under increasing pressure from regulation, resource scarcity and rising customer expectations. Meeting these challenges - and securing long-term sustainability - starts with prioritizing your golf course, says Carr Golf Maintenance Managing Director, Ed Pettit, on the latest episode of Changing the Business of Golf podcast.
What Golfers Value Most
A Carr Golf Maintenance survey of golfers in the UK & Ireland revealed:
- 90% of players view the golf course as the most important part of their experience
- Yet only 22% were satisfied with year-round conditioning
For Pettit, the message is clear: the golf course is the business’s most valuable asset, and it must be invested in.
Why Your Revenues Rely on Course Conditioning
According to Pettit, course conditioning doesn’t just shape the playing experience - it has a direct impact on the profitability of all aspects of a golf course business.
“There is a direct correlation between the conditioning of your golf course and revenue,” Pettit explains. “If you can condition your course to be the best among your competitors, revenue across all areas of the business will increase.”
Using Data to Inform Decision Making
To achieve this, he encourages golf course businesses to use data. By embracing technology, such as Spiio and GreenCast Connect, superintendents can track course performance KPIs to make more informed agronomic decisions.
This not only strengthens standards today and prepares clubs for the future, but also equips superintendents with clear results they can present to club managers. In doing so, Pettit believes they can become active contributors to business decision-making, ensuring that their expertise on the ground shapes long-term strategy.
Practical Advice for Golf Course Businesses
Pettit draws on more than two decades of experience to share his advice on how golf course businesses of all sizes can:
- Elevate the customer experience and maximise revenue by conditioning the course to high standards
- Use data and technology to inform decision-making
- Prepare for regulatory and resource challenges to ensure long-term sustainability
Listen to the Full Episode
The latest Changing the Business of Golf podcast with Ed Pettit is now available to watch and listen on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
How Can Syngenta Solutions help?
Technology such as Spiio, can be built into everyday routines to ensure superintendents are more informed than ever before. Over time, this data will help them view trends from across their respective properties, helping them to recognize areas where particular issues may arise and the indicators to look out for.
Through the GreenCast Connect platform, turf management professionals can create a personalised dashboard for a range of data driven solutions that help track and predict critical agronomic decisions. The platform provides access to Spiio sensor data and is the home for a range of tools that enable precision turf agronomy.
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