Women will continue to be a target of the golf industry in 2017

A new international study has reinforced what those in the golf industry have known for years: increased participation by women could result in a boon for the game.

Marketing cooperative Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is among the organizations that hope to tap into that potential in 2017 and beyond.

Women account for just 24 percent of golfers worldwide, yet the number of prospective female players could add $35 billion to the global golf economy.

Those statistics are among the findings of the study into female golf participation that was commissioned by Syngenta, a Swiss biotechnology company that is one of the world’s largest crop chemical producers. The study was conducted by an independent international market research company.

The report, called “The Global Economic Value of Increased Female Participation in Golf,” surveyed 14,000 people in eight markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

It found that 29 percent of non-golfing females and lapsed female players were either interested or very interested in taking up golf in the next two years.

It also found that women are 38 percent more likely than men to bring children to golf, indicating that increasing female participation could also significantly boost the number of juniors taking up the game.

Being outdoors, relaxation and spending time with family and friends are the primary appeal factors to non-golfers.

Golf Holiday president Bill Golden said he believes the percentage of people who travel to Myrtle Beach on golf vacations is between 80 and 90 percent male.

“Throughout the years certainly Myrtle Beach has been known as a male buddy trip destination,” Golden said. “Female participation should be at a much larger percentage. How do we provide a product to attract more female golfers?”

The report was introduced at the HSBC Golf Business Forum at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. “For the first time, we have been able to assess worldwide latent demand for golf among women and estimate the potential economic value to the global golf industry,” Syngenta Global Head of Lawn & Garden Jeff Cox said in a press release. “As our survey shows, millions of women worldwide could be interested in taking up golf within the next two years. This is a huge opportunity for the golf industry. However, realizing this opportunity, engaging and then converting prospects, requires golf to listen to and address the specific needs of its different customers.”

The report focuses on three key research themes: The economic value of female golf; realizing the value of existing female customers and prospective players; and women as a catalyst for junior golf.

“One of the most interesting findings for me was that family responsibilities and cost were the two main reasons women give up golf, yet spending time with family and friends is one of the great attractions of golf,” said 2015 European Solheim Cup Captain and Syngenta Golf Ambassador Carin Koch in a release. “If golf could make itself more female and family friendly, there is both an immediate and long-term opportunity to retain and attract many more female golfers and bring their children into the game.”

Golden said Golf Holiday used to market directly to women through Golf for Women magazine before the sister publication of Golf Digest ceased publication in 2008, and it still attempts to appeal to women in its marketing.

It does so, in part, by including photos of women, testimonials by women, etc., in its campaigns that often run online and on social media. “We’re all-inclusive in the way we market Myrtle Beach,” Golden said.

The market has products to market to women, including numerous female golf instructors in the area and courses including Willbrook Plantation and Blackmoor Golf Club that have been recognized as women-friendly layouts and facilities.

“We want to promote the Myrtle Beach golf experience for women. It’s not only women who travel with women, but couples as well,” Golden said. “Without question getting more women involved is critical. But you can make that case for all demographics. The latent demand is not exclusive to women, there’s latent demand across all demographics. So it’s important to identify solutions to getting people to play more golf.”

The Syngenta survey is part of the company’s current campaign called “Unlocking Golf’s True Potential” and is the first in a series of Global Customer Insights studies.

White POY again

For the fourth time in six years and fifth time overall, Spartanburg resident and high school teacher Todd White is the South Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year.

White’s year consisted largely of national competition. He qualified for and competed in four USGA championships – making it to sectional qualifying of the U.S. Open – and performing well in three premiere events.

As defending champion at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, White and partner Nathan Smith reached the round of 16. He reached the match play portions of both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur before falling in the first round at both events, and represented the SCGA as one of three players selected to compete in the U.S. State Team Matches.

White’s other top finishes included a tie for third in the South Carolina Amateur at DeBordieu Club in Georgetown, tie for seventh in the Palmetto Amateur at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, 14th in the Jones Cup Invitational at Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga., and tie for 13th in the Azalea Invitational at the Country Club of Charleston.

White’s five SCGA POY awards are the most since the ranking system’s inception in 1987. The 2013 U.S. Walker Cup Team selection is 49, and edged S.C. Amateur winner Carson Young of Pendleton and Clemson University in this year’s rankings.

Walter Todd of Laurens is the SCGA Senior Player of the Year after partnering with Eddie Hargett to win both the SCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship and SCGA Senior Better-Ball Championship, and winning the Senior Festival of Flowers and S.C. Father-Son Championship.

White and Todd will receive their respective awards at the SCGA’s 14th annual Golf Day Awards Dinner and Banquet on Jan. 14 at Columbia Country Club in Blythewood. The ceremony will include the South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame inductions of two-time SCGA POY and former PGA Tour player Steve Liebler, and the late Bob Boyd, considered the greatest champion in Carolinas PGA history with at least 26 Carolinas PGA individual and team major championships. Boyd died from complications of leukemia in 2011.

First Tee cards

The First Tee of Brunswick County’s 2017 Player Cards are available for purchase for $100, and are available only to Brunswick County residents or property owners.

The 2017 Player Card allows holders to play each of 40 select courses in Brunswick, Horry and Georgetown counties one time for $30 each, including cart.

The cards became available to be mailed or picked up in December, and are good from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.

All proceeds are used to support character and life skills programs for youth in Brunswick County.

The majority of participating courses are in Brunswick County, but Horry or Georgetown county courses Azalea Sands, Beachwood, Crown Park, Diamond Back, Eagle Nest, River Oaks, Whispering Pines, Indigo Creek, International Club of Myrtle Beach and Wachesaw East are included.

Anyone purchasing a Players Card before March 17 will be entered in a drawing to win two nights lodging and rounds of golf for a foursome at Pinehurst-area courses Tobacco Road and Dormie Club. Visit www.thefirstteebrunswickcounty.org or call 910-754-5288 for more information.

The First Tees of Brunswick County and The Grand Strand are constantly in search of volunteers and donations.

RBC discounts available

Holiday pricing for tickets to the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage being played the week of April 10-16 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island is still available.

Clubhouse badges that allow week-long admittance and access to the clubhouse and two on-course hospitality venues are $195 through Jan. 4. They increase to $230 on Jan. 5 and increase to $250 on April 1, when all tournament ticket options increase in price.

Daily grounds badges for tournament rounds start at $65, and clubhouse practice round tickets start at $40 per day.

Other ticket options are available by visiting www.rbcheritage.com or calling 843-671-2448. Juniors age 15 and under are admitted to the grounds for free when accompanied by a ticketed adult, and all active military and their dependents are admitted free to the grounds and the Patriots Outpost on the 16th green Thursday through Sunday, which offers complimentary food and soft drinks.

Student successes

A pupil of golf instructor Nick Bradley, whose Nick Bradley Golf is based at Glen Dornoch Golf Links, recently won his age group in the prestigious Doral-Publix Junior Golf Classic presented by the Orange Bowl at Trump National Doral.

Frank Kennedy, an 11-year-old from Manchester, England, shot a 75-74-149 to earn a title in a tournament that featured an international field of nearly 700 junior golfers representing 45 countries.

Bradley, a native of London, also worked this year with Ireland native Leona Maguire of Duke University, who earned the Mark H. McCormack Medal for the second consecutive year as the No. 1 female player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Bradley said he worked with Maguire for three months and also caddied her at the U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle Golf Club in California. Maguire also represented Ireland this past summer in the U.S. Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 9:34 PM with the headline "Women will continue to be a target of the golf industry in 2017."