Lisa GoulianLisa is a freelance writer who covers topics as diverse

as golf fashion, health and beauty, the hardware industry and small business interests. She also has

been Senior Apparel Editor for PGA Magazine for more than a decade. Contact Lisa at lisapgamag@live.com.

Golf Business Canada 8 Golf Business Canada 9

same can be said about Canadian women, who are becoming increas-ingly educated and accomplished in business and have a profound influ-ence on how much money their families spend, as well as what they spend their time doing.

Consider these statistics:• According to a recent study from

the Boston Consulting Group, women in Canada control 67.2% of household spending.

• A March 7, 2013, article on www.advisor.ca said the value of the Canadian female market is upward of $200 billion.

Donna Orender, former president of the WNBA and a former consultant for the PGA of America, delivered a groundbreak-ing presentation to a group of PGA executives titled “Speaking Female.” The message was this: women represent a very formidable group of consumers with an impressive amount of buying power. Yet they have largely been ignored by a golf industry that has always catered to men.

ATTRACTING FEMALE GOLFERSOrender, an architect of the PGA’s Women & Golf initiative, urged golf professionals to break through the cultural stereotypes that, up until now, have left women on the game’s sidelines. Although she was referring to America’s female population, the

• In 2007-2008, Canadian women earned 61.5% of undergraduate degrees, 54.6% of master’s degrees and 44.2% of all doctorate degrees.

• Canadian government statisticians say women are starting businesses at double the rate of men.

• According to a 2006 study by MasterCard, the majority of Canadian women are involved in making the day-to-day financial decisions in the house with over half (55 percent) as the primary decision maker and more than a third (37 percent) as the shared decision maker.

• Golf is an $11.3 billion industry in Canada, and the National Allied Golf Associations’ 2012 Consumer Behaviour Study showed that 30% of golfers are female and 70% are male.

Bring On The Purple People!

Attracting a $200 billion female industry to your course

“The Purple People are, of course, women. The question is, how do the nation’s 2,500 golf facilities take advantage of their clout and get them interested in playing golf. “

“A March 7, 2013, article on www.advisor.ca said the value of the Canadian female market is upward of $200 billion.”

To underscore the urgency of the situation, Orender asked industry leaders how they would react if they found out there was a group of consumers called the “Purple People” who made a lot of money, were highly educated, had a tremendous amount of influence and – best of all – had a desire to play golf. “You’d say, ‘Bring them on! I want the Purple People!’” she says. The Purple People are, of course, women. The question is, how do the nation’s 2,500 golf fa-cilities take advantage of their clout and get them interested in playing golf. To answer this question, we need to look first at what factors are keeping women away from the golf course as well as how different segments of the industry can work together to break down the barriers that have kept women from becoming a bigger part of the game. It begins with an acknowledg-ment that women have different preferences, needs and behaviors than men and, therefore, should be approached differently by golf course owners, professionals, their staffs and others associated with the industry. “It takes a long time to change, but when we realize what we are doing is archaic, we have to,” said Kumi Kimora, general manager at Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy in British Columbia. “I think that there are a lot of courses that are in a world of hurt finan-cially, and if they’re not looking at the possibilities with women when it comes to golf, they’re really missing the boat.” Or, as Tiffany Gordon, general manager at Cottonwood Golf & Country Club in Alberta, put it: “In order to change, we have to throw tradition aside a little bit. We have to do not what we’ve always done, but what’s right for today.”

“CONNECTING WITh hER PLAybOOk”After doing extensive research in this area, the PGA of America developed the Connecting With Her Playbook, which provides a compelling case for why women represent such a significant opportunity for the golf industry. The Playbook contains a number of strategies for increasing and main-taining female participation in golf on a national and local level – from making the course more welcoming, to providing clean bathroom facili-ties, to surveying your female members about what they’d like to see in the golf shop. It all starts with an understanding of the female perspective, and what she’s looking for from her golf experience. The Playbook takes a look at how men and women’s brains work differently, with men breaking down information from a task-orientated perspective and women placing greater emphasis on communication and socialization. More than providing a science lesson, this information helps us understand why we need to change the way we approach women in every phase of the business. Orender refers to it as looking at things through a “gender lens” and considering such questions as: If I were a woman walking into the golf shop, what would I see? What kind of welcome would I receive from the staff? What programs would the facility offer to fit into my lifestyle? Would the merchandise in the golf shop encourage me to shop there? Mark Sharpe, head professional at Pheasant Run Golf Club in Ontario, agrees that it is the little things that are important with women: to have ball washers at all the ladies tees with enough water and a clean towel; to have benches in area where they may have to wait; to maintain the ladies tees the same way you maintain the men’s. “I have learned these things over time,” Sharpe said.

PARTICIPATION RATES OF WOMEN IN SPORTSFor those who have doubts about the importance of appealing to women or whether the suggestions in the Connecting With Her Playbook will work, consider a study from Reach Advisors, a New York-based strategy, research, and predictive analytics firm. The company looked at participation rates in sports and leisure activities over the past decade and found this common thread: sports that grew had an increase in female participa-tion, and sports that did not grow had no increase in female participa-tion. Or, put another way, male sports participation has been stagnant while female participation is growing, and those sports that have captured female interest have benefitted the most. According to James Chung, president of Reach Advisors, the sports that have prospered have made themselves more appealing

“The Playbook contains a number of strategies for increasing and maintaining female participation in golf on a national and local level – from making the course

more welcoming, to providing clean bathroom facilities, to surveying your

female members about what they’d like to see in the golf shop.”

Golf Business Canada 10 Golf Business Canada 11

to women by catering to their needs and lifestyles. Let’s look at running as an example. Female participation in organized racing has grown 40 percent in the last decade, coinciding with the rise of shorter racing formats. “The paragon of running has tradition-ally been the marathon, but the sport found there was a significant demand for intermediate level contests, such as 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons, so you can still have meaningful engagement without running a full marathon,” Chung said. The sports that have grown also cluster around fitness, espe-cially outdoor activities and those that can be done with the family, including hiking and kayaking. The successful sports have also been able to create communities around them. In the case of running, for example, there are training programs and running clubs where women can congre-gate and socialize, receive regular coaching, and find programs that match their skill levels. “Running does a fantastic job of creating com-munities. They do a fantastic job with email lists for people who want to participate, and Facebook is heavily used to cement relation-ships,” Chung said. Furthermore, the current generation of active women has grown up playing sports in school and recreational leagues, so they represent a much more engaged audience, according to Chung. In fact, there’s never been a better time to try to attract women into the sport. According to Canadian Heritage, since 1986, human rights cases have changed the Canadian sport landscape for women and girls, establishing the entitlement of girls and women to participate in sport and prompting improved access to sport programs.

“There are more competitive opportunities for women in more sports, including at the highest levels, and Canadian female athletes are both increasingly par-ticipating in sport, and regularly achieving podium success at World Championships, Olympic, and Paralympic Games,” the organiza-tion’s website says. “In addition, sport organizations are no longer segregated on the basis of gender.” Chung believes this is all good news for the game of golf, which has the facilities and structure to implement programs. Although he is starting to see the golf industry take positive steps in this direction, he believes the industry still has a long way to go in truly embracing women. “They need to make it a comfortable environment, both socially and physically, make it easy to enter the sport and make it easy to get deep into the sport,” Chung said. “Golf has a steep learning curve and a higher level of

“What kind of welcome would I receive from the staff?”

inconvenience than these other sports, so golf has to try all that much harder to make this happen.”

INVITING ENVIRONMENTThe evaluation process really starts with the way women are welcomed at the course. Are they treated with respect when they arrive? At many facilities, the least experienced staff members are those who make the first impression, so hiring more women and/or people who are women friendly to your outside operations and golf shop staffs is critical. They can be the key contact points for your facility in establishing an inviting environment. Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy has a female general manager, head professional, head cook, golf shop buyer, events coordinator and accountant. Kimora says the facility didn’t set out to hire women for all these positions, but this “happy coincidence” has made the club much more welcoming to women. In fact, it was voted Canada’s “Most Female-Friendly Golf Course” by Links for Women magazine. Beyond the welcome, women look for a facility that is clean, organized, and easy to navigate, with clear signage, good food and a positive tone when they walk into the golf shop. They want to be engaged in conversation and acknow- ledged as a golfer, not just some-body’s spouse or worse, a nuisance. Each golf facility is encouraged to take inventory: review the overall facility and its programs and see where the trouble spots are and how they can be improved. “Engaging women begins with a positive culture of service – just saying hello and finding out what her needs are – and the entire staff has to buy into it,” says Darrell Crall, COO of the PGA of America.

Women are social by nature and tend to value connections and experiences that are authentic. While men do not really like to talk about their private lives and prefer to connect through activities, women connect emotionally, which means sharing what they consider personal. Therefore, in addition to discussing future programming, events or merchandise options that might suit a female golfer’s needs, the staff is encouraged to actively engage with her. Pheasant Run’s Sharpe says it is important to train your staff to take the steps necessary to know the ladies – including their names. Take a list of tournament participants and distribute it to everyone on staff; tell staff members to look at the participants’ bag tags when they arrive or the name on their credit card when they pay. “If you do not know a woman’s name, she is going to feel left out,” he says. “It may seem like a small thing, but it’s important.”

Golf Business Canada 12

“Women are embarrassed to say that they only want to play golf for fun, and they feel the need to apologize.”

PROGRAMMING ANd ExPERIENCESIn addition to making your staff and facility more welcoming to women, it is crucial to create programs, events and experiences that align with what women value most: time, friendships, learning and camaraderie. “They have too many demands on their time and constantly juggle conflicting pri-orities–work, home and family” said Michael Silverstein, senior partner in The Boston Consulting Group. “Few companies have re-sponded to their need for time-sav-ing solutions or for products and services designed specifically for them.” The Playbook is a vital resource in this area, offering suggestions for group activities and lessons, shorter format leagues and other programs tailored to the specific needs of today’s women. It acknowledges that while some women are competitive about golf, there are others who just want to have fun and to do something

Golf Business Canada 13

enjoyable with a group of peers. While she admits there is no one-size-fits-all approach, Cathy Harbin, vice president of golf revenue for ClubCorp, suggests these general rules for increasing female participation: try to get them on the golf course; assure them that it’s okay to play the game for fun; and set attainable goals for them. “Women are embarrassed to say that they only want to play golf for fun, and they feel the need to apologize,” says Harbin. “They feel if they are not competitive, people will look down on them, and that’s not true…we need to encourage a culture of allowing women to approach the game the way they want.”

ShORTER FORMATOne of the reasons women note most frequently for not playing golf is a lack of free time. Between work, motherhood and other com-mitments, the idea of playing 18 holes can be daunting. This is where shorter formats come into play. The Playbook recommends having a lineup of leagues for women of all abilities: a three-hole league that uses the “It’s OK Rules” combined with instruction for beginners; six- or nine-hole leagues for intermediate or time-conscious players; and an 18-hole league for more experienced or available players. Once the connection to golf has been established, she becomes a committed participant, and by reducing the barriers of entry, you can potentially attract the most loyal of customers and brand ambassadors. “Each league can serve as a feeder to the other, increasing the women’s engagement at your facility,” according to the Playbook. “These leagues can create a com-munity for women to join, serving as a social and golf experience.”

Pheasant Run Golf Club started a nine-hole women’s league in 2003, and the last decade has seen it grow and prosper. Sharpe now has between 300 and 350 women participating in the league, which is held Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays between 3:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. “It is geared toward the profes-sional woman who loves golf,” Sharpe says. “After a day of work, they race to the golf course, play nine or 18 holes and stay and have dinner with friends on the terrace.” Sharpe believes that one of the keys to success is mixing it up for the ladies, rotating the nines, and making an effort to give them a good variety of golf. He encour-ages the starters to recognize the women who are new to the game and/or not as skilled and put them on an easier nine. “Don’t torture anyone by putting them on a course that’s not suited to their abilities,” he says. “They are here to meet people, have a fun time. Do not

“What programs would the facility offer to fit into my lifestyle? ”

“They want to be engaged in conversation and acknowledged as a golfer, not just somebody’s spouse or worse, a nuisance. Each golf facility is encouraged to take inventory: review the overall facility and its programs and see where the trouble spots are and how they can be improved.”

focus on scoring so much – run more close to the pin competitions, and have a draw night for prizes.” According to Sharpe, 80% of those who participate in his women’s league are looking for a social experience, while about 20% see it as a competitive experience. Even in the tournaments Pheasant Run holds for ladies throughout the summer, Sharpe and his staff try to play up the fun and de-emphasize the competitive aspect. “Guys are more about the competition. They will play team events, but they want to play com-petitive team events,” he said. “You cannot have the same formats for the women that you do for the men.”

WOMEN’S LEAGUESMusqueam also pours a consider-able amount of effort into its women’s leagues. In addition to a Tuesday morning league for more serious female golfers, the facility offers Tuesday and Wed-nesday evening “nine-holers” for women who “just want to go out, take a walk, hit the ball and have fun,” Kimura says. The leagues already had about 250 participants when Kimura came on board four years ago, but that number is up to between 330 and 350 – and there’s a waiting list. In addition to golf, the evenings include a glass of wine and dinner, and sometimes Kimura adds a wine tasting or a pedicure to the itinerary. She has also made sure to add an extra washroom along the course for the league members.

“The women who participate call it ‘our night to get away,’ ” she says. “We do what we can to make them feel welcome and to give them ownership here.” Cottonwood also has many fun formats for casual women golfers, and Gordon says it is okay to throw out the rules, not even make them keep score – anything to make the game more welcom-ing. “The fact that they are out there playing golf is all that matters to us,” she says. “If you are going to grow the game, you have to alleviate the uncertainty and put the intimidation aside.” On the other hand, Gordon says the industry can’t afford to ignore the growing pool of women – many of them running their own companies or serving as executives for Canada’s top corporations – who may demand more competi-tive outlets. “These are successful women who have the finances to play. We need to let them know we can be a resource for them,” Gordon says. Activities for the more profes-sional set might include a clinic with lunch and golf, or a golf, wine tasting and a guest speaker. The Playbook suggests inviting in local female business leaders for a special clinic or short outing and asking what would bring them back. “You need to attract more of that business/professional woman who uses golf for business,” she adds. Another aspect of making the game more appealing to women is designing courses they can play well on. The Olds Golf Club, a

Golf Business Canada 14

semi-private facility in the heart of Central Alberta, redesigned the course to make it fairer for female golfers. “Not that many years ago, women were playing from 5,800 yards and the vast majority had no chance of reaching most of our holes in regulation,” pro manager Wade Bearchell said. “This was addressed in our master plan design and we were able to go from three sets of tees to five with the primary goal of giving the oppor-tunity for all levels of golfer to play from the appropriate distance based on their skill level.” Bearchell says his course was ahead of the curve on this and that his female members have really embraced the “tee it forward” concept, with the majority now playing from the 5,027 yardage. “Some visiting ladies come from other clubs and scoff at this short yardage, but I suggest to them that maybe they have become condi-tioned to never getting to the green in regulation unless they hit the best shots of their lives,” he adds. “At the end of the day, you should be hitting the same club that the average male would be hitting on their approach. This necessitates that your tee shot should finish 20 to 30 yards in front of a male. It

“Women have always felt that golf is a male

dominated sport leaving them with less

expectation of great fashion selections in their local golf shop.”

sounds simple, but it has been the other way for so long and breaking old habits does take time.”

CATERING TO WOMEN IN ThE GOLF ShOPA big part of welcoming women to your facility is also having a golf shop that is neat and clean and a shop staff that is educated on the fit, fabric and suggested care of garments. Research studies on women’s satisfaction with golf have shown that a quality shopping experience is near the top of the priority list. If women’s

Golf Business Canada 15

apparel is in a remote, poorly lit corner of the shop, what does it say to them about how you value their business? How clear is your directional signage? What do the photographs and imagery on your walls show; do women see themselves? Linda Hipp, founder of Richmond, BC-based Lija golf apparel, says there are a number of shops across Canada that do a wonderful job merchandising to women, but all too often there is no women’s apparel buyer – or mer-chandiser of any sort on staff – so they keep the product mix “safe” with balls, caps, limited selections of clubs, bags and shoes, and mainly men’s shirts or outerwear. “We believe there is a huge oppor-tunity in the ladies business within the Canadian golf shops,” Hipp says. “If the product can be mer-chandised in such a way that the female consumer can get a full and complete understanding of the offering - from tops to bottoms to layering pieces and accessories – I feel you have a better chance of catching the eye of your consumer.” Brad Franklin, head of design for AUR apparel out of Montreal, agrees that a golf shop can make itself more inviting to women by

improving the overall experience and service aspect. While he says many private clubs actively engaging female members on what products are offered in the shop, lack of time and money keeps many public shops from doing the same. “On average, the retail aspect at a public golf course has less im-portance than the on-course or food and beverage aspect of the operations,” Franklin says. Lauren Dimen, brand and sales manager for Toronto-based Caulfield Apparel, does see many golf shops making an effort to cater to their female clientele, not only because of the economic benefits but the fact that ladies golf fashion has improved immensely over the years. Some of her suggestions for making your shop more female friendly are as follows: allocate a clear section on the sales floor to women (as close to a change room as possible); offer promotions geared toward women such as fashion shows, wine and cheese parties or fashion trends speakers;

“Would the merchandise in the golf shop encourage me to shop there?”

“On the other hand, Gordon says

the industry can’t afford to ignore the

growing pool of women – many of

them running their own companies

or serving as executives for Canada’s top

corporations....”

Golf Business Canada 16

and make the section appear more complete by offering ladies acces-sories, footwear and equipment. “Women have always felt that golf is a male dominated sport leaving them with less expectation of great fashion selections in their local golf shop,” Dimen says. “If the golf shop team communicates their passion towards the ladies section and policies around servi-cing them they will be guaranteed a loyal customer base.” Those shops that make an effort to promote their women’s sections seem to be reaping the benefits, at least in the case of The Olds Golf Club. “I have always recognized that ladies wear receives limited exposure in many pro shops due to the perception that ladies do not buy unless its on sale,” says Bearchell, “I don’t ne-cessarily agree with this so I try and devote at least 40 percent of the floor to ladies apparel and a large portion of the counter to ladies accessories.” The shop has also expanded the women’s accessory category by sourcing out companies that don’t have a presence in Canada, as the shop manager spends winters in the United States and keeps an eye out for unique pieces. “At first I sort of rolled my eyes – like most males, but once I noticed how excited the ladies were to see some attention paid to what they wanted to see in pro shop, I had to go with it.” The result of these efforts? Sales at The Olds Golf Club increased during the recessionary economy, when many other golf shops have been suffering. In fact, Bearchell says the shop’s best customers tend to be non members, mostly because of the lack of atten-

tion they often receive at their own clubs. “We have managed to build our sales in the pro shop during tough economic times and I have to give credit to the increased support we have received from the ladies,” he adds.

GROW yOUR bOTTOM LINE There are other ways to break down the barriers that have kept many women off golf courses. The Playbook suggests that organizing a mother/daughter outing in the afternoons; building relationships with existing local organizations and hosting special clinics for their members; and gathering a group of female golf professionals and others who work in the industry and putting together an alliance – or brain trust – that can help your facility be more female friendly. It is all about finding ways to embrace this robust consumer group, which makes the bulk of family decisions on what to buy and how to fill up the calendar – a group that can help grow golf on so many levels. For the individual golf facility, a good place to start is

to set specific goals such as hiring more female staff and setting a target number of new female cus-tomers, new female rounds, and increased dollars spent by women in the golf shop. “The ability to double your current female participation and spending at your facility is a goal that is very much in reach,” accord-ing to the Playbook. “Women are very comfortable with bringing a friend to activities they enjoy. By creating programs that encourage women to do so and tailoring experiences that cater to their interest and wants, you have an opportunity to build your business twofold...So, continue to motivate your staff to do the best possible work on behalf of the female customer, for the benefit of all.”

“...many golf shops making an effort to

cater to their female clientele, not only

because of the economic benefits but

the fact that ladies golf fashion has improved

immensely over the years. “

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