The annual G4 Summit celebrates collaboration among golf industry leaders in Colorado.

That hits home this year particularly with the recent unification of the CGA and the CWGA. Also, there’s the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, established by the CGA and the Colorado PGA; the combined effort that’s gone into the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools Program; and the JGAC recently adding the national Youth on Course program to its list of offerings for juniors. And the list goes on.

But the G4 also serves another purpose, which is to bring up pressing issues which golf needs to address to grow the game.

There was plenty of both celebrating the successes and working on shortcomings included on the agenda for the fifth G4 Summit, attended by approximately 175 people Wednesday at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Growing the game of golf in the U.S. is a constant topic of conversation in the industry. That comes with the territory given that there are roughly 20 percent fewers golfers in the U.S. now than when golf was at its peak, popularity-wise, in 2005.

On Wednesday, speakers at the G4 addressed several issues in which golf could help its cause: being more intentionally inclusive when it comes to women and people of color in the industry and the game; more effectively embracing digital media to lure and retain younger demographic groups; and making golf appeal to a broader base by reducing the time commitment to participate and by making clubs places where people love to do everything from socialize to work out, to indoor training and even playing in golf simulators.

Here’s some of what was touched upon at The Broadmoor:

— Diversity. Dr. Michael Cooper, chairman of the Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force, who appeared recently on Golf Channel to address the topic, cited several statistics that noted the problem. According to the National Golf Foundation, only 19 percent of golf participants in this country are non-Caucasians, and just 24 percent are females. In addition, he said 10 percent of the golf workforce is female and 12 percent minority.

But the goal of the Diversity Task Force is to “make golf look like America,” Cooper said. “Imagine how great the game could be if we caught up to the rest of America.”

“Golf has created enough programs for diversity,” he added during a panel discussion on Wednesday afternoon. “I wish the golf (industry) instead of doing programs FOR these communities would do things WITH these communities” who often have programs of their own in place.

But as things stand now, Cooper encourages golf facilities to hire more people of color and women, and/or do business with more vendors who fall into those categories.

“There are people out there begging to be included,” he noted.

“We heard today that people are just waiting to be asked,” Colorado PGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth said after the Summit wrapped up. “That’s the biggest message for me today. We have the right people to do the asking — with our club managers, PGA professionals and with our (other) partners because we all believe that golf can change people’s lives.”

Added Juliet Miner, who attended Wednesday’s G4 along with fellow CGA co-president Joe McCleary: “What Dr. Cooper brought to my mind is that we need to get more women into pro shops. Every pro shop should have a female in there. It’s up to us to make that move to be visible.”

— Appealing to a Broader Base. The days of golf facilities simply needing to unlock their doors in order to keep their tee sheets full with willing customers are a thing of the past in many cases. But Frank Vain, president of McMahon Group, said that facilities can be hubs of activity and clubs can have golfers eager to become members if they give those customers what the want:

They want activities that make the best use of their limited time. They want facilities that include things like fitness centers, indoor training, golf simulators (even simulation leagues); places they can watch sports on TV, eat, drink and socialize. Places like Topgolf, which has a location in Centennial and another in the planning stages in Thornton. Or, as Vain pointed out, the amenity-filled new clubhouse at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley. And a staff that will engage its customers.

“They tie it all together in terms of socialization,” Vain said of such facilities. “And the club of the future has a lot (for members) to do on a year-around basis. Investments in non-golf experiences always lead to more golf.

“Golf is not going away, but you have to be more innovative.”

— Embracing Digital Media. If there’s one thing Joe Steranka learned when he was the CEO of the PGA of America, it was “how to peak around the corner and see what you need to do next.” And one of those things now is for golf facilities to embrace digital media in order to thrive in the 21st century.

“Social media is the old word of mouth,” Steranka noted in his presentation. Social media helps a business — golf and otherwise — utilize customers who can often be very effective marketers for that business” and brag on the brand.

That’s especially true of younger customers who tend to embrace social media fully.

But keep in mind, Steranka said, “Content is king, curation is king, and content never sleeps.” In other words, content has to be relevant, has to resonate, and has to be real time.

“People (Generation X and Millennials) like hearing about themselves,” Steranka added, noting examples like someone who won the club championship or made a hole-in-one. “They are the future, and they grew up on this.

“Investing in digital media can help grow the top line” for a golf facility. “You better learn how to embrace social media. That’s a great opportunity for golf.”

All told, G4 speakers provided plenty of food for thought for an industry that would love to bolster its base and remain healthy for decades to come.

“I thought we had a really good range of speakers,” CGA executive director Ed Mate said in looking back at this year’s Summit. “In the past I think we’ve had some redundancy. But there was really no overlap (today). The messages were very distinct.”

Elway Taking Aim at U.S. Senior Open Spot: Among the other topics addressed on Wednesday was one apropos for the site — the 2018 U.S. Senior Open that The Broadmoor will host June 25-July 1.

Doug Habgood, a key event organizer for the Senior Open, noted that 2,412 people have volunteered for the event — and that’s all that’s needed aside from some junior standard bearers. He said there have been tickets purchased from buyers in 48 states.

“We’re seeing a tremendous amount of support and pent-up demand” for a major golf event in Colorado, Habgood said.

Habgood added that John Elway, honorary chairman for the U.S. Senior Open, plans to try to earn a spot in the championship field via a Memorial Day qualifier that’s set for The Broadmoor.

A lifelong golf amateur, Elway has finished as high as 19th in the Colorado Senior Open, has made the cut once in the Colorado Open, and has placed in the top 10 14 times in the nationally televised American Century Championships celebrity tournament in the Lake Tahoe area. He and Tom Hart won the 2009 Trans-Miss Four-Ball at Cherry Hills and tied for second in the 2010 CGA Four-Ball.

Also, a Drive Chip & Putt Local Qualifier is scheduled to be held at The Broadmoor on Tuesday of tournament week (June 26) and the hope is that Elway and/or some U.S. Senior Open competitors will drop by for the event.

In addition, a junior golf tent will be in place all week on The Broadmoor’s West Course. (The Senior Open is being played on the East Course.)

JGAC Plans: Mate gave G4 attendees an update on the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s addition of the Youth on Course initiative starting this year. Youth on Course makes golf more accessible to juniors by capping their cost for a round at $5 at participating facilities, possibly with some date/time restrictions. Then a subsidy of a similar amount ($6 in Colorado’s case) per round is paid to the participating course. (READ MORE)

“I really think this is a game-changing program,” Mate said.

Overall, the JGAC had 894 members in 2017 and 110 events were conducted by the alliance.

This year, the JGAC has a three-tier membership — Introductory, Series, and Tour for the advanced players. All come with Youth on Course benefits.
 

And if No. 5 is anything like Nos. 1 through 4, something headline-worthy will occur.

This time around, the G4 will be conducted at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs for the third time, returning Feb. 28 after being hosted by the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield last winter.

It’ll be the first of many notable large-scale golf events set for The Broadmoor in 2018, the year the resort celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding. Of course, things there will center around the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, which will pay a visit June 28-July 1.

The G4 brings together the organizations that make up the Colorado Golf Alliance — the CGA, Colorado PGA, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and the Mile High Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America. And many others in the Colorado golf community likewise will be on hand.

Each year, the G4 features discussions of various pressing issues golf faces, tries to be more effective growing the game, shares best practices and emphasizes collaboration among industry leaders.

Among the G4 highlights in previous years:

— Pete Bevacqua, the CEO of the PGA of America, was the headline speaker in 2015, also at The Broadmoor. The former USGA executive also has served as the chairman of the World Golf Foundation board of directors.

— Also in 2015, Denver resident and former USGA president Will Nicholson Jr., announced that Jack Nicklaus had agreed to be a headliner at the Colorado Century of Golf Gala later that year at The Broadmoor.

— In 2016, the name and logo for the then-new Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado were unveiled at the G4 Summit. The JGAC, founded by the CGA and Colorado PGA, has proven a big success since being launched.

— Also in 2016, the high-powered speaker lineup included Dottie Pepper, winner of 17 LPGA Tour events and now a golf analyst on CBS, and Rhett Evans, CEO of Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Other speakers over the years have included high-level leaders in the USGA and the military.

The lineup for the Feb. 28 G4 will have similar firepower. It includes:

— Joe Steranka, a former CEO of the PGA of America (2005-12) and now chief global strategist for Steranka Sports + Strategy, is tentatively scheduled to speak on “Why Digital Media is at the Center of Golf’s Future.” Steranka was a journalism major at West Virginia University.

Steranka has previously spoken in Colorado at the 2010 CGA Season Tee-Off Luncheon, a predecessor of sorts to the G4 Summit.

— Dr. Michael Cooper, chairman of the Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force, will address the subject of diversity in golf. Last week, Cooper appeared on the Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” program.

Also scheduled to speak are Frank Vain, president of McMahon Group, on club industry trends; and Ross Iverson, co-founder and executive director of the Vail Centre, on leadership and staff development.

All four speakers also will take part in an industry discussion panel to conclude the G4 Summit on Feb. 28.

Likewise on the tentative agenda are a JGAC update on the alliance’s recent addition of the Youth on Course initiative (READ MORE); a state legislature briefing from Jennifer Cassell, a lobbyist for the Colorado Golf Alliance; and a few minutes with Colorado Golf Hall of Fame leadership. The executive committees for the allied associations will start the day with a by-invitation-only breakfast meeting.

The G4 Summit has attracted 125 to 300 attendees per year, with about 180 coming in 2017. It was held at Inverness in 2014, The Broadmoor in 2015 and ’16, and The Omni last year.

To register for the G4 Summit or to get more information, CLICK HERE.