The Pellucid Perspective - August 2015 - (Page 7)

TEE TIME MarkETInG Teeing up some competition - PGA Tour and EZLinks Golf By Gary Cohen EDITOR'S NOTE: As part of our recent decision to periodically provide commentary on various issues impacting the golf industry from knowledgeable observers outside the Pellucid family, we asked EZLinks CEO Gary Cohen to outline the motivation that led to his company's recent partnership with the PGA Tour to create a new online tee time marketing company. As always, we invite reader feedback. U pon announcing our relationship with the PGA TOUR this June and the formation of the online booking site - TeeOff.com by PGA TOUR - the question I hear from inquisitive golf course operators most often is: "Is this relationship good for golf ? Is it good for me?" There are two different approaches to answering this question. The first answer is simple, "find out". Sign up for TeeOff.com Cohen by PGA TOUR, let us help you market your course through national television, through PGATOUR.com, through radio, at PGA TOUR events, to our database of millions of golfers. Sell rounds, gather data, drive revenue and if it makes sense for your bottom line, repeat. If for some reason, you don't move rounds, there is no money out of pocket, no risk. The other, and I think more interesting way to answer this question is, what is the risk of not participating? Yes, there is www.PellucidCorp.com risk to not taking action. It may not be immediate, but we believe there is a sizeable and imminent risk if the tee time marketplace continues to have just one dominant player. It is up to the industry to create and breed a competitive environment and to take efforts to prevent a monopoly. By not taking action, by participating on only one distribution channel, and not building alternative outlets (assuming the terms are fair), by default golf courses are fanning the flames of a monopoly. As the marketplace grows, so does your risk. When speaking with Troon Golf CEO Dana Garmany, shortly after the creation of the joint venture with PGA TOUR, he noted, "...this is good for golf." Dana is a seasoned businessman, a leader in the space and steward for the industry. He recognizes the fundamental fact that competition breeds good behavior. It makes all parties play better. It gives the suppliers, in this case golf courses, more control and more options for where and what inventory to sell, and it fuels innovation. This is good for golf courses and golfers alike. Growing the game of golf is an essential part of the PGA TOUR mission and EZLinks is proud to have the support of the PGA TOUR as we invest in building a competitive marketplace. This is not an easy task, as the competition has a strong head start. However, the race is young as just under 15% of tee times, per our data, are booked online, a statistic echoed by the National Golf Foundation. The transition of consumers to online booking is happening. As more consumers transition online, we'll be there to greet them with national television commercials, a strong consumer-focused position and a relentless commitment to providing great service. The marketing assets and golfer reach at our disposal and the power of the PGA TOUR mark are formidable. We believe that collectively, with the support of the industry, we can build a competitive marketplace. We'd like to work for you and for the success of your course. That truth is part of the 19-year DNA of EZLinks Golf. Is the relationship between the PGA TOUR and EZLinks Golf good for the game? Good for your course? Think about the The Pellucid PersPecTive 7 http://www.TeeOff.com http://www.TeeOff.com http://www.PGATOUR.com http://www.PellucidcorP.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Pellucid Perspective - August 2015

TOC
TaylorMade: The Golf Gods giveth and taketh away
Rise of Arcis Golf contributes to record high in industry consolidation
Teeing up some competition – PGA Tour and EZLinks Golf
One year later, Goat Hill on the road to recovery
Good customer service and communication two keys to success
July golf weather impact: A small step backwards
New York, New York – Play it again
Fathers and sons

The Pellucid Perspective - August 2015