Two of the biggest problems with the golf industry in general, I’ve always thought,\u00a0are simply what is marketed and to whom.\u00a0\u00a0For the most part,\u00a0everything golf related has been advertised either\u00a0specifically on The Golf Channel or during golf tournaments – as if every golfer only watches these particular things on television.\u00a0 Well, when the\u00a0economy tanked several years ago, the golf industry\u00a0(which was already slightly on the decline) took a pretty good hit.\u00a0 All of a sudden spending $80 on a round or $10,000 on a membership didn’t quite look so appealing anymore.\u00a0 Nor did that $400 driver.\u00a0 Now, a few years later, enter reality.<\/p>\n
Recently, I’ve started to notice more golf-related television advertisements popping up\u00a0on other channels and during sporting events outside of golf.\u00a0 For instance, in watching\u00a0some of\u00a0the NCAA Tournament games over the past week, I’ve seen advertisements for Golfsmith and Callaway.\u00a0 Finally,\u00a0maybe some of the\u00a0industry marketing heads are realizing that\u00a0there are more golfers other than the few who live and breathe the sport.\u00a0 Take me for instance.\u00a0 I love to play golf.\u00a0 Don’t really care to watch it.\u00a0 Almost never turn on\u00a0The Golf Channel.\u00a0 But guess what I do – I purchase golf equipment and accessories.\u00a0 But no one advertises to me…or any of the other millions of other golfers like me who play the game for fun but nothing else.\u00a0 Well, maybe that’s finally changing.<\/p>\n
However, the problem still lies in what is being advertised.\u00a0 I mean, they are finally putting\u00a0products\u00a0on channels outside\u00a0of golf, but what they continue to push is the high-end, expensive stuff that most of us hacks are not going to purchase.\u00a0 It’s great that Callaway is advertising during the Elite 8, but they’re still pushing the\u00a0$400-$500 driver.\u00a0 I mean, really?\u00a0 That’s like if Mercedes was to only advertise the S-class and never put an add out for any of the\u00a0less expensive models in their lineup.\u00a0 Or more realistically for most of us…if Chevrolet was only advertising\u00a0a $60,000 Corvette, but never advertised the $17,000 Cruze, which is the 10th most popular selling car in the United States.\u00a0 Any salesman is taught to upsell.\u00a0 You don’t\u00a0get people in the door by showing the most expensive product all the time.\u00a0 You get people\u00a0in the door by showing a good value, and upselling from there.\u00a0 It’s Salesman 101!<\/p>\n
But at least they are on the right track.\u00a0 People other that the hardcore golfers need to know what’s\u00a0available.\u00a0 After all, there are millions more\u00a0weekend hacks like\u00a0me out on the course than there are scratch golfers.\u00a0 We are willing to spend our hard-earned money also.\u00a0\u00a0We may not be in the market for a $500 driver, but that doesn’t mean we’re not willing to plunk down\u00a0two or three bills at a time.\u00a0 And guess what….the first\u00a0company that advertises something realistic to me has the best chance of getting my business.<\/p>\n
Swing ’til you’re happy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two of the biggest problems with the golf industry in general, I’ve always thought,\u00a0are simply what is marketed and to whom.\u00a0\u00a0For the most part,\u00a0everything golf related has been advertised either\u00a0specifically on The Golf Channel or during golf tournaments – as if every golfer only watches these particular things on television.\u00a0 Well, when the\u00a0economy tanked several […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1963],"tags":[2079,2584,1163,2581,22,2582,19,2583,2125,1479],"class_list":{"0":"post-3792","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-stinky-golfer-paradise","7":"tag-callaway-2","8":"tag-chevrolet","9":"tag-corvette","10":"tag-elite-8","11":"tag-golf-stinks","12":"tag-golfsmith-2","13":"tag-golfstinks","14":"tag-mercedes","15":"tag-ncaa-tournament","16":"tag-the-golf-channel","17":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n