It was an occasion when those with vested interests in the growth of the golf industry came together in support of that industry. Nearly 350 stakeholders attended a webinar hosted by We Are Golf as a prelude to National Golf Day.
The webinar was held two days prior to National Golf Day, an occasion that saw industry stakeholders meet virtually with members of Congress and their staffs.
GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans started the event with a speech that stressed unity within the industry. Evans said that if golf is to grow as a game, individuals and organizations need to cooperate in order to spur that growth.
“This industry can’t exist without working together,” Evans said. “We can’t be self-existent. And thus, the reason why this is our 13th year bringing everybody together in a manner that we can depend upon each other. We can bring our experiences, our knowledge, and certainly our voice, to something that is needed. The vast majority of us on this webinar here today get to work in a wonderful industry around a sport that simply changes people for the better and contributes to their quality of life.”
Evans stressed the impact the golf industry has on the both the economy and the environment.
“(The industry) adds over $84 billion to the U.S. economy,” he said. “It’s an industry that employs more than two million people across the United States. It’s an industry that affords opportunities for over 15,000 diverse businesses. It provides over two million acres of needed green space in our communities.”
Evans noted the impact that the golf industry is having on the environment via the Best Management Practices protocols that are now in place in all 50 states. He also spoke to the issue of superintendents being able to find enough workers to fill their crews.
“We’ll be talking about golf as a business that affects many communities across America,” he said, “and the current labor issues that we’re struggling with, whether its dealing with the H2B visa program, and other significant challenges that our industry is facing around labor.”
The attendees virtually sat in on three separate roundtables discussing issues impacting the golf industry, including a panel focused on diversity, equity and how to make the golf industry more inclusive. It included former LPGA Tour player Laura Diaz, who is now the LPGA Foundation’s Director of Operations, along with PGA Tour senior vice president and general counsel Neera Shetty and PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross. The discussion was moderated by Jane Fader, the World Golf Foundation’s vice president of communications.
“The topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion is near and dear to my heart,” Fader said, “And I am so encouraged and proud of the work that is underway.”
Diaz, who won twice on the LPGA Tour as a player, notes that diversity comes in an assortment of varieties and that equity and inclusion are also elements in the equation.
“There are any many, many dimensions of diversity,” she said. “When we talk about diversity, we can talk about race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, physical disabilities, socio-economic status, religion. It’s such a wide topic.
“Equity is about fair treatment. Access. Opportunities for advancement. And recognizing that there are barriers but working to overcome them.
“And then inclusion is about creating that environment. Because we want to make sure that individual or groups not only feel welcome and supported, but that they belong.”
Cross noted the importance of addressing issues surrounding diversity in the workforce.
“Having that foundational understanding of the fundamentals of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across all golf industry stakeholders is critical,” she said. “We have to understand the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ deeply before we collectively as an industry can move to the ‘how,’ how can we operationalize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Shetty noted that the lack of diversity has historically been a problem in the golf industry.
“We’re not that far removed (from) when there was a Caucasian-only clause in the PGA of America bylaws (from 1934-61),” Shetty said. “Trying to overcome some of that historical exclusion is what we have to be very intentional about.
“All three aspects of (diversity, equity, and inclusion) are extremely important right now. We need to make sure that we are not only letting people know from all different backgrounds that they are only invited, but that they are welcome, and we are going to try to provide that equitable need so that they can participate in golf.”
Rick Woelfel is a Philadelphia-based writer and frequent Golf Course Industry contributor.
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