The Pellucid Perspective - February 2020 - 8

ORLANDO TRADE
SHOW SEASON

The View From 36,000 Feet

When will Orlando become one, long interconnected strip mall?
By Harvey Silverman

've made the annual cross-country trip to Orlando since 1997, Yurigan and the two courses he runs, Spessard Holland and The
maybe missing just one or two years along the way. I remem- Habitat. Golf Brevard, Inc. contributed a salient case study to
ber flying with a whole row to myself and enough legroom "Beware of Barter," and I wanted to see for myself why they've
in coach to at least not have my knees jammed into the seat in succeeded with a considerable increase in rounds and revenue affront of me. I learned early on never to connect through cities ter discarding their barter relationship with GolfNow.
like Denver or Chicago, where delays in January are as common
I observed two busy, different golf facilities - an executive
as the flu in winter. I'll spend a bit more for a non-stop.
course and a championship course - with one similarity: Nothing
It seems nothing in Orlando has changed. Likely my per- fancy, just good, fun golf populated mostly by our most prodiception is warped by the isolation of I-Drive and the repetitive gious demographic - older white men. The clubhouses are a step
motions of rising in the morning, get to the convention cen- up from connected portables - comfortable with limited menu
ter, have dinner, back to the hotel, and repeat three, four, or five grills and small but tidy golf shops. Conditions were better than
times. Sure, Disney has welcomed me a couple of times, and expected and the layouts looked fun to play. And there is the key.
I've had the good fortune of playing golf three times - all before Golfers I spoke with talked about the improved conditions, the
the airlines decided to tax my golf bag with unreasonable fees. friendly service, and the excellent value at both facilities. For
But I've never been to downtown Orlando. Is there a downtown some time, I've said there is a golf course for everyone, be it price,
Orlando?
layout, conditions, location, or where friends gather to play. Golf
One thing hasn't changed and likely won't - the multi-lane Brevard figured this out, and the results speak for themselves.
security queue at MCO. It's panic in slow motion as people
I love having the NGCOA Golf Business Conference tied to
creeping through a 60 to 90-minute process realize they'll miss the PGA Merchandise Show - kudos to Jay Karen, the PGA,
their flight. And there are the screaming kids pushed by parents and Reed Expositions making this happen.
in thousand-dollar buggies who play bumper car with the backs
I moderated a panel discussion at the business conference
of my legs. Inevitably, there is the kid who absolutely needs a about NGCOA's recently published "Beware of Barter" docudiaper change NOW. The stroller takes on a Transformer-like ment, which I authored. The response has been terrific, from
process in becoming a changing table, but it can't mask the aro- course operators who share a belief that bartering tee times are
ma, one that lingers with you on a six-hour flight.
not suitable for them or the industry. Silent, however, is the barThere is a solution, folks. It will cost you some bucks, but ter believers. Frankly, I hoped that someone from an OTTA
it's well worth it. I got CLEAR a few
would rise and state, "You're wrong."
years ago because it's available at the
What a fantastic debate it would be.
two airports I regularly frequent, SFO
I had the distinct honor and priviand MCO, among others. CLEAR
lege to attend Jeff Hoag's "Masterminds
uses your eyes and fingerprints to conof Golf " during the business conference.
firm your identity - the kiosks are right
Jeff owns the successful Scott Lake
there by the security queue. It scans
Golf and Practice Center in Michigan.
two fingers and my boarding pass, and
Masterminds began years ago, with five
a CLEAR employee escorts me to the
owners hanging out at a bar sharing
very front of the TSA Pre-Check line,
problems and solutions. This year, over
which I also purchased, so I don't have
50 attendees congregated (with a cash
to strip to my shorts and unload my bag
bar) to share their challenges and soluto get through security. In five minutes,
tions. I was the first "outsider" to sit in
I'm on my way to the gate, relaxed, on
and listen. And learn. I've been around
time, and without bruised calves nor
long to know how complex running a
malingering child aromas. Like the old
golf course business can be. My takeWestern Airlines tagline, "it's the only
away from "Masterminds" is that the
way to fly."
complexities are compounding, and
Okay, enough Trip Advisor comowner/operators are finding unique and
mentary.
creative ways to make a profit, let alone
I took a side trip this year to Brevard Lindsay (right) and Koppenhaver (wrong) at keep their business alive. I don't expect
County to visit my new friend Mike this year's State of Industry presentation
any of the courses represented will end

8 The Pellucid Perspective

February 2020

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The Pellucid Perspective - February 2020

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