James Burns;
Milltown
“I also anticipate that labour costs are going to be higher as well, because it’s really going to be a table service. You won’t be able to go to the bar to pay for your food or to casually walk out. We are going to be working in a more controlled environment. So, I think all clubs need to make sure that what they’re offering isn’t trying to stretch it out.”
Duncan Weir;
The R&A
“What we will do - with or without an Open championship, and sadly this year it’s going to be without - is all going to be aimed at ensuring golf is thriving in 50 years’ time, and the coronavirus has not changed that ambition. I’ve not been involved in the nitty gritty [with the insurers], but as you can imagine with cancelling any major event insurance terms play a major part of that, and The Open is no different.”
Rob McGuirk;
Prince’s
“We had to furlough most of the management team apart from the course manager, which means we have been light on staff. Therefore, I have been out assisting cutting greens, which for me is a great change of scenery, and helping the sales team with enquiries and newsletters. We may not fully understand the impact of COVID-19 until later in the year or even in a couple of years.”
Paul Burley;
IMG Golf
“When clubs can start to sell tee times again, it will be important to have an appropriate selection of promotions ready to go. Reducing green fee prices now will present challenges in the mid-to-long term when the market recovers, so we have been advising clubs to create exciting promotions, add value and aggressively target local markets.”
Simon Wordsworth;
59club
“I do think that there is a serious opportunity, however I also thought we had a huge opportunity before, and golf wasn’t taking it then. There will be short term wins where membership holes are filled because we have been denied golf, but there is a significant recession around the corner and managers have a short window to get golf back to being a necessary spend and not a luxury one.”
Verdura Resort;
Sicily
Verdura nestles in 230 hectares of stunning landscape overlooking the Mediterranean with 1.8km of private coastline, and offers golfing guests and families an unparalleled modern five-star experience on the largest island in the Mediterranean. Players from across the globe have travelled in their thousands to enjoy its facilities since the resort was first unveiled to an expectant world in 2009, and it’s easy to see why.