GUEST BLOG: Par wars

By Tony Judge, founder and chief executive of ClubstoHire.com and ClubstoBuy.com

Golf: a game where shortcuts rarely pay off and hard work and dedication is richly rewarded – much like business.

In 2014 the esteemed website SportForBusiness.com published the figures for sports participation in Ireland. Topping this particular list was swimming, with 9.4% of the country stating they swim on a regular enough basis.

The logic behind the high levels of participation is obvious to see: very little equipment, suitable for all levels and no pressure on the swimmer to perform unless they swim competitively.

Golf in Ireland in 2014 saw participation at 3.3%; a drop from the pre-Celtic Tiger heights of almost 6% participation. The contrast between the efforts involved in sports like swimming, running or even football, in terms of the equipment required and the time they consume, is in stark contrast to the requirements for playing a round of golf.

So this begs the question – why is golf still the ‘go to’ sport for many business executives, business trips and corporate event days?

FAIRWAY TO MASTERY

The reasoning behind the continued popularity of golf in the corporate world must once more lead you to draw comparisons between golf and the other sports on the market.

When looking at sports that don’t require overly significant physical exertion, the range of activities is very limited. So perhaps the reason for golf’s continued popularity is simply a case of there being very little else on offer for professionals of a certain vintage?

This of course is a negative way of trying to understand golf’s popularity, but there are many reasons why golf remains popular in professional circles.

All of the major airlines – discount airlines and local airlines – charge a small fortune to transport clubs to your desired destination

First and foremost the appeal of the game lies within an appreciation of how difficult it is to try and master. The level of skill and dedication involved with trying to reduce one’s handicap is an experience that can both delight and frustrate in equal measure.

The handicap system which allows golfers on both ends of the spectrum to compete fairly through the scoring of points is another aspect of golf that makes it so appealing to people in business circles.

Perhaps on a competitive level, bringing a client or business associate on to the golf course and competing for four hours is a good way to get a measure of a person and decide whether you are going to conduct business or cut ties.

TRAVELLERS’ WOES

For as long as people have been going on golfing trips abroad, there have been two considerable thorns in the prospective traveller’s side: cost and hassle.

All of the major airlines – discount airlines and local airlines – charge a small fortune to transport clubs to your desired destination.

The second major issue is how cumbersome it is to load your clubs into a taxi, haul them in to the terminal building, pay to have them lumped on to a conveyor belt and the worst part is waiting on the far side to see if your expensive golf clubs have made it in one piece, or have made it at all!

The handicap system which allows golfers on both ends of the spectrum to compete fairly through the scoring of points is another aspect of golf that makes it so appealing to people in business circles

The major behaviour change that ClubstoHire.com can claim credit for can be seen in the number of clubs being rented annually, with 70,000 sets being taken out in 2015.

By supplying this number of sets we reduce the amount in fees being paid to the airlines and open up the idea of a golf holiday to people who would previously have held back due to cost.

The other major behaviour shift we can be credited for is the reduction in stress levels for prospective golf vacationers, as they can rest assured their own clubs can be left at home and know that they will be supplied with top quality rental clubs in some of the world’s top golf destinations.

Photo (above): Hiroyuki Takeda