Golf Business News – Course presentation tops golfer satisfaction survey list

Only 22% of average golfers in the UK and Ireland are satisfied with the year-round condition of their home golf course, according to a new snapshot survey Carr GolfIreland’s leading golf services company.

The findings reveal a major commercial challenge for golf club managers and owners: keeping up with golfers’ expectations for the continuity associated with high-quality play.

The survey highlights the growing importance of course conditions to customer satisfaction, especially as golf participation has grown dramatically over the past four years.

Expectations vs Reality

A whopping 90% of respondents identified the golf course as the most important aspect of their golf club experience. However, the survey reveals a gap between golfers’ expectations of course conditions versus what they are experiencing, with many clubs falling short of the average.

Respondents highlighted the bunkers (68%), tees (60%) and fairways (42%) as areas in need of major improvement.

As part of the snapshot survey, Carr Golf also examined which golf course features are most important to golfers.

Participants, most of whom play golf at least once a week, identified fair greens (93%), visual appeal (67%) and tee levels (62%) as their most important.

Minimize potential threats

The survey results showed response trends from management teams at the 22 locations where Carr Golf oversees course maintenance activities.

Managing Director Ed Pettit said: “These findings confirm the high levels of post-COVID customer expectations reported by study managers. It also emphasizes the important role of golf course experience in member satisfaction.

“Golf course businesses must prioritize their most valuable assets to mitigate potential threats and achieve long-term sustainability. However, prolonged inflation, strict regulations, labor shortages, and unpredictable weather make it even more difficult to maintain the same level of condition year after year.”

Meeting member expectations

Recognizing these challenges, Carr Golf equips maintenance teams with a results-driven approach to improve course performance, presentation and stability. This collaborative approach is based on year-round maintenance and agricultural programs set against 12 key performance indicators (KPIs).

Clients receive monthly KPI, personnel, equipment, and treatment reports through their IT system. This in-depth reporting ensures ongoing communication with stakeholders and empowers conservationists to make data-backed decisions and continue to improve course conditions.

In a previous, unrelated survey, 88% of Carr Golf partner area members said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the quality of the courses.