By Michael Williams, Contributor, Golf Business
As I have often mentioned, I started my career in golf at the courses in Washington, DC that are now known as the National Links Trust. These courses were the entry point for millions of golfers over the years, and on any given day you could find people from all walks of life and every point on the golf continuum coming to enjoy the beautiful game in a beautiful setting at a beautiful price. Municipal golf courses play a pivotal role in making the sport accessible to a broad audience, offering affordable and community-centered golfing experiences. Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities these courses face, Greenlight Advisors and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) have launched the "Exclusive 2024 Municipal Golf Study." The cooperation aims to provide municipal golf course operators with a comprehensive financial analysis and educational resources to best utilize their resources to compete within their limits and constraints.
The study invites all municipal, state, and federal golf courses to participate by December 15, 2024. Participants will receive a detailed "Best-in-Class Report Card™," evaluating their financial and operational performance against industry benchmarks. This analysis will classify each metric as Top Quartile, Median, or Bottom Quartile, offering valuable insights into how courses compare to similar operations and highlighting potential areas for improvement.
Michael A. Suglich, CPA, Founding Partner of Greenlight Advisors, emphasized the collaborative nature of this endeavor. Says Suglich, "Greenlight Advisors is thrilled to join forces with the NGCOA to promote collaboration and education of municipal golf course operators and the sharing of key financial and operational data for the benefit of all." Suglich, who has provided consulting services for over 35 years, clearly has a heart for municipal golf and the head for how to get Muni operators the information they need to thrive. Notes Suglich, “The study will certainly raise awareness about what we're doing to help through our golfclubbenchmark.com service, and by extension, this will give back to the municipal golf industry.”
Jay Karen, CEO of the NGCOA, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We are thrilled to partner with Greenlight Advisors to bring meaningful data to the nation’s 2,500 municipal golf courses to help them make super-informed management decisions."
Beyond the analytical insights, the study offers participants educational opportunities and a special Municipal Membership to both organizations. New NGCOA Municipal Members will receive complimentary registration to the Golf Business Conference 2025 (GBC25) and elements of the co-located 2025 PGA Show, scheduled for January 20-24, 2025, in Orlando. As a former operator of a municipal property with no budget for anything other than the essentials, I can confirm that these perks will be appreciated and utilized.
This initiative underscores the NGCOA's commitment to supporting municipal golf operators. In October 2024, the association expanded its services to better cater to this segment by launching the "Muni Community." This community provides resources, education, networking, and communication platforms tailored to the needs of municipal facilities. It includes access to benchmarking resources, member-led discussion groups, and dedicated educational tracks at industry conferences.
By participating in the 2024 Municipal Golf Study, municipal golf course operators will have the opportunity to gain actionable insights, engage in educational forums, and join a community dedicated to the advancement of municipal golf. This collaborative effort will provide a powerful tool to help ensure the long-term success and sustainability of municipal golf courses across the nation, which in turn will benefit the entire golf industry. If you are a municipal course operator and you haven’t signed up, you have until December 15th, so get over to https://signup.golfclubbenchmarks.com/ and be a part of the conversation.