James Cronk, Gregg Patterson and Andy Johnston are among the speakers at the Asia Pacific Golf Summit to be staged at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore on 15 and 16 November
James Cronk, President of the Cronk Group, will take as his theme ‘How Can We Sell, Promote And Grow A Game That Is Undefinable?’ He will say that we must ‘Celebrate the Spirit of Golf!’ To grow the game we must speak to the heart of consumers and find new ways to explain how it ‘feels’ to play the game.
To grow the game we need to stop ‘selling’ it, and instead communicate ‘why’ the game is great. To grow the game we need to better understand why people who play golf love it, and why others don’t.
Those who play golf know the benefits that come from it, and the core values that golf offers are extremely important in today’s world.
In most advanced countries, societies are facing the ever-increasing challenges brought on by a fast-paced, technology-driven, ‘me’ generation. Studies show that people, especially youth, are becoming increasingly challenged by a lack of exercise, increasing divorce rates, moral confusion and even attention deficit issues caused by the immediate gratification that comes from technology.
Gregg Patterson, the spell-binding speaker who has enthralled thousands all over the world with his unique take on how to make the club experience special, says, “I recognize the challenge that our industry faces all over the world. The game is not growing and more are walking away from our clubs.
“We have to make the whole experience of golf and the golf club environment appealing to all generations – baby boomers, Gen-Xers, Gen-Ys and the Millennials and this is quite a challenge.”
Patterson is the one man who can help put the shine back in golf clubs and memberships. He knows a thing or two about keeping clubs relevant to fast changing conditions. He has done it for years at his club and he is the captain who will guide the vessel of change to prepare the club industry in Asia to make it relevant and financially viable in the years ahead.
Andy Johnston, general manager of the award-winning Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore is a firm believer in the use of information technology to streamline his entire maintenance programme.
“It is not surprising that technology has moved into mowing equipment. GPS driven equipment allows for mowing equipment to operate independent of human interaction. It’s early days but with quantum leaps in technology, this could become common practice in golf courses worldwide,” Johnston reveals.
“My goal is to share with everyone how much more powerful these tools can make a club’s maintenance team. But, the tools still cannot replace the basic fundamentals of looking at your greens daily and inspecting your turf quality. The intuitive skill of agronomics or a sophisticated Superintendent must still be utilized in combination to achieve the best result,” Johnston added.
2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit www.golfconference.org