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Golf a Growing Industry in Massachusetts According to Report by the Alliance of Massachusetts Golf Organizations
NORTON, Mass.-(Business Wire)-August 29, 2008 - The golf industry is a growing and vibrant part of the Massachusetts economy according to a new study, "The Massachusetts Golf Economy," that was released today by the Alliance of Massachusetts Golf Organizations (AMGO). The report, produced by the research firm SRI International, analyzed various sectors of the golf industry in the Commonwealth for the 2006 calendar year. It found that the industry grew by 13.9 percent generating a total economic impact of $2.8 billion since the last report commissioned in 2000. The industry accounted for 29,630 jobs in the state, an additional 770 jobs over 2000, with a 19 percent increase in average salary over the six-year time period.
"The golf industry as a whole continues to be a major economic force in Massachusetts," said Leigh Bader, an owner of multiple golf-related businesses in Massachusetts and a member of the Board of Directors for Golf 20/20. "Not only does this industry infuse solid spending in the state's economy, it continues to create thousands of jobs that generate more than $850 million annually in wages in Massachusetts."
The data released was on par or better than that released in a similar report issued in 2000 by AMGO and the Massachusetts Golf Association:
— Overall economic impact rose from $2.5 in 2000 to $2.8 billion in 2006, or 13.9 percent
— The average salary in golf-related industries rose from $24,305 in 2000 to $28,916 in 2006, a spike of 19 percent
— Employment also increased from 28,800 jobs in 2000 to 29,630 jobs in 2006
The industry also accounted for $1.4 billion in direct spending in the state's economy according to the report that was commissioned by AMGO through Golf 20/20, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation designed to determine strategic approaches to growing interest and participation in the game of golf.
The report analyzes and divides direct spending, total output, total jobs and total wage income into six different categories: golf facility operations, golf course capital investments, golfer supplies, tournaments & associations, real estate and hospitality & tourism. Data from the report was compiled through extensive research and interviews with representatives from golf industry trade organizations throughout Massachusetts.
The leading sector in 2006 was golf facility operations, accounting for $649.4 million in direct spending and a total economic output of nearly $1.3 billion.
That sector is followed closely by golfer supplies which generated $342 million in direct spending and $749 million in total economic output. Massachusetts is home to top-name golfer manufacturers such as The Acushnet Company, manufacturer of the Titleist, FootJoy, Cobra and Pinnacle brands, Etonic Golf, Dexter Shoe Company, Reebok and CHAMP Spikes.
"The golf industry extends far beyond the 375 golf course in Massachusetts," said Bader, who also founded of the PGA of America's Trade-In Network. "The state is the home to some of the top golf manufacturers in the world, as well as one of the biggest PGA TOUR events, the Deutsche Bank Championship, and the game of golf brings visitors to the state, drives new residential construction, generates retail sales and creates demand for a myriad of goods and services."
The report also found that golf accounts for significant charitable contributions. The total amount of charitable giving attributed to the game of golf in Massachusetts exceeded $67.7 million in 2006.
To download the complete report, please visit www.mgalinks.org.
About AMGO
The Alliance of Massachusetts Golf Organizations (AMGO) is dedicated to promoting and serving the interests of the game of golf and the golfers in Massachusetts. Members of AMGO include the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England (GCSANE), Massachusetts Golf Association (MGA), New England Club Managers Association (NECMA), New England Golf Course Owners Association (NEGCOA), New England Professional Golfers' Association (NEPGA) and Women's Golf Association of Massachusetts (WGAM).
About The World Golf Foundation and Golf 20/20
GOLF 20/20 was created in 2000 to look toward the future of golf, and to determine strategic approaches to growing interest and participation, and maintaining its relevance and importance. Its mission is to galvanize the industry around strategic initiatives and grass roots activation to ensure the future vitality of the game, and it is supported by a consortium of associations, companies and other stakeholders. It is an initiative under the umbrella of the World Golf Foundation, along with the World Golf Hall of Fame and The First Tee.
About SRI International
SRI International, formerly the Stanford Research Institute, is a non-profit research and consulting firm which has a rich history of conducting economic impact studies and economic-development analyses. Many of these efforts have involved development of custom models for economic impact measurement and involved the use of innovative approaches, such as in our previous study for the World Golf Foundation, The 2000 Golf Economy Report, and in our assessment of the Global Impact of FedEx on the New Economy for FedEx Corporation. In addition, a number of SRI's economic research and consulting assignments focus on the broader impact of tourism, a key element in the national and state-level golf economy studies.
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