How to Increase Participation at Golf Events

Few activities complement meetings as well as golf. Unfortunately, though, fewer and fewer meeting attendees actually play it, according to Successful Meetings Senior Editor Andrea Doyle, who says the number of U.S. adults who play golf dropped from 30 million in 2005 to 25.3 million in 2012.

“Over the past decade, the leisure activity that has traditionally been most closely associated with corporate success in America has been in a recession,” Doyle says. “And that’s a shame, because golf is fun, it’s good exercise, people of all skill levels can enjoy the sport, its pace is conducive to bonding and brainstorming between business associates, and it’s a natural teambuilding event.”

If you’re planning a golf event in conjunction with your meeting, there are several things you can do to increase interest and participation, according to Doyle. One idea, for example, is to organize a shorter game.

“Four to five hours is a big block of time to take out of a meeting for an extracurricular activity, and this is what 18 holes take to play,” explains Doyle, who says meeting attendees are increasingly conscious about how they spend their time at conferences.

Researcher Jon Last offers a solution: “Many resorts and golf clubs are offering speed golf — a four- to six-hole course that is attractive to meeting groups,” he tells Doyle. “So are group clinics, glow-in-the-dark night golf, and scrambles, where each player tees off on each hole, the best of the tee shots is selected and all players take their second shots from there.”

Author:  SuccessfulMeetings.com