On Friday morning, Eric Wilkinson could empathize with Target employees who man the front doors leading up to post-Thanksgiving sales.
The CGA’s director of junior competitions was overseeing the CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale at the Denver Golf Expo, but suffice it to say he wasn’t ready for what awaited him when the show opened at the Denver Mart on Friday.
“We didn’t open until 10 and some people were waiting in line for an hour,” Wilkinson recounted on Monday. “One guy thought another guy was cutting in line, and things started getting physical. They were shoving to get the best spot. (When we opened), it was like the Running of the Bulls. People were running toward the putters and the sets of clubs we were selling. It was literally like Black Friday at Target. Things were priced to sell, and we were swamped for two hours.”
While the Used Club Sale, which benefits the associations’ junior developmental programs, didn’t set a record for the third straight year, that was probably only because they had little inventory of donated clubs and equipment available on Sunday after doing brisk sales on Friday and Saturday.
The Used Club Sale, which this year also featured women’s clothing, netted about $14,400 for junior developmental programs. While that was down from the record $17,500 raised last year, it was still the third-highest total in the 12-year history of the event.
“We had another really good year. It’s a testament to the generosity of the Colorado golf community,” Wilkinson said, noting that clubs and equipment are donated throughout the year, culminating in more than a month of golfers contributing equipment at the PGA Tour Superstore in Greenwood Village. “It shows that word of mouth is really working.”
Overall, numbers at the 21st annual Denver Golf Expo were a mixed bag.
Mark Cramer, who owns and operates the Expo along with his wife Lynn, said that 9,486 people attended the three-day show. That’s down about 3 percent from last year. The attendance has dropped each of the last three years, going from 10,749 in 2011 to 10,519 in 2012 to 9,773 last year to 9,486 this winter. The Expo’s record for attendance was 11,202, in 2008.
“What we’re seeing regarding the numbers is probably following industry (trends),” Cramer said, noting the National Golf Foundation has reported that the number of golfers in the U.S. dropped from 30 million in 2005 to 25.3 million in 2012. “There’s a trend. That begs the question: What else can I do for the industry, and what do we need to do to bring those numbers up? That will be stuff I’ll be puzzling over and sorting through for the next four months or so. And I’ll talk to a lot of people” to get their input.
Cramer said the number of exhibitors at the Expo was down about 20 from last year, but some of that might have been due to higher exhibitor rates the Expo was charging this year. That hike was in response to considerably higher rent the Denver Mart charged the Expo, and the fact that the Expo bought out the parking so that attendees wouldn’t be charged for it.
On the positive side, the Colorado PGA reported that its professionals gave 528 free 10-minute lessons (left) over the three days of the show.
“I’ll tell you what is significant about that: You get a lesson, you hit more balls, then see what you can do on the course,” Cramer said. “If you start to do better on the course, it affects the (number of) rounds played. I’m delighted with that number.”
And though the numbers were down from previous years at the Junior Golf Experience activity center (middle photo), about 300 kids participated this year.
Meanwhile, Cramer said he heard from numerous exhibitors that their sales during the show surpassed the figures of last year.
“They smoked it down there,” Cramer said. “(Course-related exhibitors) smoked it on passes. They saw substantial increases in sales. And sales at Lenny’s Golf were up over last year.
“We’re doing a lot right. I think the world of the state associations (the CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA, etc.) and how much they do to grow the game. They aren’t afraid to go out and do stuff (outside the box) if that’s what it takes.”
Attendance at the Denver Golf Expo has dipped slightly each of the last two years, but you wouldn’t know it by the results of the CGA and CWGA’s Used Club Sale conducted at the event.
The 12th annual sale, which raises money for the associations’ youth developmental programs, has set records each of the last two years at the Expo, which this year is set for Friday through Sunday (Feb. 7-9) at The Denver Mart, located at I-25 and 58th Ave.
In 2012, the Used Club Sale doubled its intake from the previous year by netting about $16,000 for youth programs. And last year, that figure increased to $17,500.
“The generosity of the golf community has been awesome,” said Eric Wilkinson, the CGA’s director of junior competitions and the point man in the Used Club Sale. “We had a lady come into the PGA Tour Superstore and said she wanted to make sure her donation was going to the Used Club Sale. So it’s starting to have a snowball effect with a lot of word of mouth.”
Wilkinson said between donations collected at the Tour Superstore and elsewhere, there’s a storage unit completely full of clubs and other equipment.
“It’s comparable or we have more than last year,” he said. “We have a ton of sets, more than what we had last year. It’s been another great year of receiving donations.”
Said Mark Cramer, who owns and operates the Expo along with his wife, Lynn: “The CJGA has that (Used Club Sale) running like a machine.”
One variable this year is that consignments are no longer being accepted, so all clubs and equipment involved in the Used Club Sale will be donations. Donations for the sale can be made this week at the north side main entrance of the Denver Mart, from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.
“We’re obviously going to try to exceed what we’ve done in the year before (in raising money), but if we hit last year’s mark, that would be great,” Wilkinson said.
Meanwhile, another major youth-oriented exhibit, the Junior Golf Experience activity center, will remain a popular mainstay of the Expo, but it won’t be found in its usual spot. It’s been moved to the Pavilion, adjacent to the area where the Colorado PGA conducts its free 10-minute lessons.
“With that one huge area, hopefully it will be an added attraction,” said Eddie Ainsworth, executive director for the Colorado PGA. “We’re looking forward to doing that.”
And Ainsworth said the Colorado PGA plans to advertise its new tee time network, which is scheduled to go live in the first week of April. And at their exhibit area, the CGA and CWGA will be trying to attract new members. Existing CGA and CWGA members can receive a free gift by stopping by the associations’ exhibit — a free bucket of practice balls at CommonGround Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA.
With all that, plus a lot of great golf deals, a club demo area, free education seminars and a lot more, it should certainly be enough to whet the appetite of golfers looking forward to the 2014 season.
“We’re glad the season is right around the corner,” Ainsworth said.
21st Annual Denver Golf Expo: Just the Essentials
What: 21st Denver Golf Expo.
When: Feb. 7-9 (Friday through Sunday).
Where: The Denver Mart (I-25 and 58th Ave.)
Show Hours: Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ticket Prices: adults, $13; seniors (50 and over) and military with ID, $11; kids 16 and under, $3.
Tickets Available: At the door at the Denver Mart or at TicketsWest at King Soopers.
Parking: Free.
Show Features: The Junior Golf Experience activity center (now located in the Pavilion, near the Colorado PGA instruction area), free swing seminars from Colorado PGA professionals, Used Club Sale to benefit CGA and CWGA junior golf developmental programs, free educational seminars beginning at 10 a.m. each day, club demo area.
Donations for Used Club Sale Accepted: Drop off at the north side main entrance of the Denver Mart Thursday, noon to 3 p.m.; and Friday, 8 a.m.-noon. (Note: There are no consignments accepted this years; all clubs dropped off are simply donations.)
For More Information: CLICK HERE
Educational Seminars Scheduled for Expo
Friday, Feb. 7, 10-10:30 a.m. — Building business on and off the course (CWGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 11-11:30 a.m. — Impact drills for better ball-striking (Kevin Cubbage, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, noon-12:30 p.m. — Golf training aids (Rick Timm, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 1-1:30 p.m. — Great wedge play and utilizing bounce (Nathan Morris, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 2-2:30 p.m. — Dispelling golf’s common myths and misconceptions (Patrick Nuber, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 3-3:30 p.m. — How to improve your game by 5 shots this year (Ed Oldham, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 4-4:30 p.m. — Rules of Golf (Alex Crall, CGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 10-10:30 a.m. — Building business on and off the course (CWGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 11-11:30 a.m. — Is your game painful? Three ways to reduce the pain in your game (Dee Tidwell)
Saturday, Feb. 8, noon-12:30 p.m. — How to take a successful golf lesson (Rick Timm, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 1-1:30 p.m. — The elements of playing better (Trent Wearner, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-2:30 p.m. — Aimpoint green reading: Stop guessing (Scott Hofer, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 3-3:30 p.m. — Innovative mobile golf instruction & entertainment fore everyone (Casey Schiel, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 4-4:30 p.m. — Rules of Golf (Alex Crall, CGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 10-10:30 a.m. — Innovative mobile golf instruction & entertainment fore everyone (Casey Schiel, PGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 11-11:30 a.m. — Building business on and off the course (CWGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, noon-12:30 p.m. — P3: Plan, practice, perform (Steve Patterson, PGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 1-1:30 p.m. — Junior golf opportunities (Rick Timm, PGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2-2:30 p.m. — Rules of Golf (Alex Crall, CGA)
The 2012 Denver Golf Expo didn’t set the record for attendance that event officials were hoping for, but certain aspects of the show achieved new standards.
Attendance for the three-day Expo that ended Sunday at the Denver Merchandise Mart totaled 10,519, which is the third-highest number ever, but still down more than 2 percent from last year. The record for attendance came in 2008, when 11,202 people passed through the doors.
But the CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale, a mainstay of the Expo for years, set the standard for the amount of money the initiative raised for junior golf developmental programs. The sale netted about $16,000, twice what it did a year ago. In fact, it brought in more money than the program did two years ago at two Golf Expos combined — Denver and Southern Colorado.
“It was a really good year,” said Eric Wilkinson, director of junior competitions for the CGA. “I was talking with Ed (Mate, the CGA’s executive director) beforehand, and we thought $15,000 would be a home run, and we got a thousand more than that. We’re very, very happy.”
Mate said many people made the program a success.
“We want to thank all of the donors and our friends at the PGA Tour Superstore who supported our efforts this year,” he said. “The spirit of this event is to give back to the game. Everyone has old clubs they no longer use, and this event turns that equipment into real money for our programs to bring golf to kids who might not otherwise have that opportunity.”
An early effort to advertise the program, combined with donated equipment being accepted at the PGA Tour Superstore, apparently paid big dividends. The CGA and CWGA even encouraged attendees of their November awards brunch to bring in clubs and bags for the Used Club Sale.
“The keys are the quality of equipment and the amount, and the CGA knocked it out of the park in getting equipment this year,” said Mark Cramer, who owns and manages the Denver Golf Expo with his wife Lynn.
Meanwhile, the Junior Golf Experience, an interactive exhibit in which kids can receive instruction from Colorado PGA professionals and play interactive games, drew about 600 youngsters at the Expo — about 50 more than last year.
As for the Denver Golf Expo overall, Cramer was hoping for higher attendance, but said an unusually cold Saturday, when the high temperature in Denver didn’t even reach 20 degrees, may have had an impact. He also speculated that some snow in the Monument Hill area might have kept several hundred people away who otherwise would have considered coming up from areas further south.
“I really came in confident that we had a legitimate shot at breaking 12,000, but my crystal ball broke in about 1986, so you never know,” Cramer said. “You might think you have a feel, but you can’t plan for 19-degree weather and a dusting of snow.
“We ended up with the third-largest attendance ever, so with a day that was 19 degrees and snow flurries, it’s OK.”
One change the Expo made for this year proved “phenomenally successful,” according to Cramer. Because long lines sometimes developed at the entrance to the Expo in years past, in 2012 tickets were available in advance at King Soopers sites. The result was 2,200 tickets sold at the grocery store’s outlets.
Though the number of exhibitors was down from 2011, Cramer said that all but two exhibitor booths were sold, and revenue received from exhibitors was up from last year.
Cramer remains confident that there’s still untapped potential for golf expos in Colorado. Through ever-expanding social media opportunities, he hopes to bring in more attendees in the 25-45 age group. In addition, Cramer said his commitment to bring back the Southern Colorado Golf Expo in Colorado Springs remains strong. That Expo was held in 2010, but lost its building later that year.