Teeing Off for Golf Sales

Tour operators and agents sound off on how to best sell this leisure sport

Just back from South Africa, golf specialist Bud Rosenbaum, owner, Unique Golf Adventures in St. Louis, MO, is eagerly setting up a new golf-safari program. “This is not for the same ‘hard-core’ golfer who is going to Ireland or Scotland,” he says, “but rather for couples who are traveling together to South Africa for safari stays in some cases, in private locations, and in homes on some of the more exclusive golf courses in South Africa.

“Many golfers might not choose the far-flung journey to South Africa just for golf, although it has magnificent courses,” Rosenbaum notes. “My approach is to instead target a traveling constituency for whom African culture and a safari [are of] interest, and then you get something of added value—a most economical golf destination.”

Golf Combos
Over the years, Rosenbaum has created unique golf programs, some involving special departures with an LPGA pro. Commissionable at 10 percent to other agents, this new African program is a good example of the new trend of combining golf with experiential travel. Rosenbaum has another golf business stream, operating a separate golf travel company with Stephanie Turner, president and CEO, Brentwood Travel Service.

Lately, more agents are seeking to emulate Rosenbaum in the game of selling golf. Reportedly, more than $20 billion worldwide is spent on golf travel, a figure cited by GolfAhoy.com, a home-based agency franchise group specializing in golf. The total number of golfers in the U.S. is about 28.7 million, according to a 2007 research study by the USA Sports Participation Study, a research collaboration of four associations, including the National Golf Foundation. Within that, there are 15 million “core golfers”—players who enjoy eight or more rounds annually.

Some golfers are happy to play one day on a community or resort course during their weeklong vacation. Others enjoy short, golf-intensive getaways. Many are upscale, experienced golfers who enjoy collecting high-profile course experiences worldwide. And, increasingly, couples are booking golf trips together, often to exotic locales.

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