Golf Business News – Golf clubs need to embrace “radical hospitality” to enhance the customer experience, NGF CEO said.
Greg Nathan, president and CEO of the National Golf Foundation, said that golf course businesses need to embrace the concept of “radical hospitality” to improve customer experience and put more players in the game for longer.
Special talk about Syngenta Golf Change the golf business Podcast Nathan reveals how golf courses can improve customer experience and retain players for a long time.
NGF's latest consumer engagement research shows mixed pictures. Of the nearly 27 million golfers who participated in golf courses in the United States in 2023, 6 million were beginners or returnees – but the net income was only one million players. Nathan said it was evidence of “a trial failure” and highlighted an opportunity to improve onboarding experience and retain more players for longer.
“I talk a lot about radical hospitality,” he told podcast host Gary Firkins. “Golf is undoubtedly the hospitality industry. From our research, we know that there are many things that have historically stopped the game, many of them about people feeling uncomfortable in a golf course environment.
“On your golf course, one knows where to go and what to do,” Nathan commented. “Those who don't do this – they're nervous. It's not the way to golf is sticky.”
Nathan encourages golf course businesses to adopt a more service-led mindset in hotels and hotels, where guest interactions are designed to help them feel at ease. He believes this approach can help keep players longer and open up substantial revenue for golf course business.
New Products for 2025, Syngenta Golf Change the golf business Podcasts feature industry leaders, sustainability experts and supervisors to identify three actionable changes to shape the future of golf. The latest episode also covers questions about the accessibility of coaches and the authorization and motivation for club staff to sell.
