It's through more choice, not cheaper costs, that Dubai's golf sector will attract the next generation. Leisurecorp's Golf CEO David Spencer explains how to make the game more accessible.
Here is no doubt that golf is a big money business. The latest research from KPMG, which estimates that golf in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMA) region is worth US $76 billion is testament to that. But is it a big people business too? Or rather, in the Middle East specifically, is it a sport for a small, elite golfing community only?
Too many people in this region view the game of golf as being out of their league , costly and intimidating. Leisurecorp's Golf CEO David Spencer, who is responsible for delivering on the company's extensive Jumeirah Golf Estates project in Dubai, has other ideas.
"What everyone thinks, which is quite interesting, is that the barrier to golf is price. Actually, the barrier level to golf is its marketability," asserts Spencer, whose previous achievements in Dubai include the development of The Montgomerie course at Emirates Hills and The Desert Course at Arabian Ranches with Troon Golf. Prior to that, he was a director of Troon Golf in Australia.
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The aim of Jumeirah Golf Estates, therefore, is not only to meet the needs of an under-supplied market, says Spencer, but to open up the game of golf to the next generation of golfers.
"We know it's a growing market and we know golf is very high as a residential and tourism priority for people. And the market currently faces under supply," he says.
"We did our business planning, looked at sites and we know that with the demand that we have generated, plus the demand in our group [Leisurecorp is a Dubai World Company], we can fill our four courses, and make them a sustainable business with profitable recurring income streams."
Phase one of Jumeirah Golf Estates due for completion by November next year comprises Greg Norman's first eco signature courses, Fire and Earth, with Water by Vijay Singh and Wind, designed by a team of Sergio Garcia, Greg Norman and Pete Dye, coming on line later.
"The four courses themselves are going to form a very integral part of leisure activity in Dubai," asserts Spencer.
"In regard to Leisurecorp and golf," he continues, "we see golf very much as a business that has been fuelled by the baby boomer generation and I'm part of that generation, so part of my responsibility in this particular industry is how to translate that growth into the next generation.
"We're looking at new ways of doing that, whether it be through making golf more prominent in electronic games and electronic art, finding touch points in different generations that will make golf cool to them, making golf less intimidating to outsiders , putting golf simulators into our facilities, and/or making certain parts of golf quicker - such as putting in some Par 3 shorter golf alternatives," explains Spencer.
As part of its aim to reach out to the next generation, Leisurecorp has developed good relationships with some of the younger players on the European Tour, which has its international office located at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
"By having interaction with younger players and younger people we're seeing needs and what they think is wrong with golf. We also have some workshops with younger people, where we ask 'what would you like to see'," says Spencer.
The simplest response to how to make golf cooler is to make it cheaper, he says.
" But that's actually not the answer," continues Spencer. "The answer is how do you create more demand."
He asserts that with the final prize for a young golfer being to play 18 holes on a championship course, the first issue is to help them grow this interest.
"It's finding ways of making golf more interactive," says Spencer, suggesting options using shorter courses or electronic games such as the Wii.
The next responsibility is to help non-golfers know where to start, in terms of choosing golf clubs and booking a lesson.
"It's hard, particularly if you're in a city like Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat, where golf is not the first choice for either our national or expat children," says Spencer.
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