Mike,
We have spoken often and I recognize that no matter how much I try and explain things to you, I just can’t convince you that I am right and you are wrong. I am totally kidding about that of course, but I do think you are painting an unfair picture of the GSGA and as I mentioned above, the way you described how the GSGA charges clubs is 100% inaccurate.
For others, I come at this as the owner of a small, private golf club in Georgia owned and operated by my family for 46 years now. I have volunteered with the GSGA for a long time and served as its President in 2009-2010. I still volunteer on the Yates Scholarship Committee and some other committees when asked. Like many, before getting involved I had some preconceived notions of my state golf association. I assumed it was run by a bunch of out of touch, rich, private club guys with no clue as to what the “real, rank and file” clubs face.
While that may have been the case at one time, the reality is that in the last decade successful golf associations have reacted to a new “normal” in the golf world. No one would cite associations as early adapters necessarily, but they have changed for sure and I am proud that I have been able to see that continuing transformation.
First let me say that the elite, private clubs like Atlanta Athletic, Capital City, Cherokee…deserve admiration and not scorn. These big clubs have been the backbone of the state golf association for decades and without their support the GSGA would still be a volunteer group with a staff of three running 2-3 championships. Frankly, I was one of the few Presidents not from one of the “fancy” clubs. Since my tenure I was followed by great leadership that included a President from a public facility, two from “less than elite clubs” (though great clubs for sure), and our current President and first female President who happens to be from my club
😊. We still have a leadership largely from private clubs, and yes, many on the board have the time and resources to contribute, but one of the fundamental shifts the GSGA recognized and that I constantly harped on was this:
About 2/3 of all GSGA members come from 1/3 of the total golf clubs that are GSGA members. Golf is changing and while traditionally the clubs were seen as the “members”, as golfers shift away from private clubs the GSGA must recognize these facts: 1. Most golfers in Georgia are not members of private clubs 2. Those non-private golfers must be approached as individuals with membership benefits tailored to their needs 3. 2/3 of the dues revenue still comes from private clubs and their members and we cannot alienate that “base” 4. A successful association will expand its reach with offerings for public golfers without alienating its traditional base. 5. This transition may be tricky and there may be missteps but if all clubs understand the goals and mission of the GSGA, and that is communicated well, the GSGA will be OK. 6. As far as membership goes, at the private club level, the “member” is still geared to the club itself and for the public golfer, that “member” is geared more to the individual.
So it is with this background that I want to take this opportunity to respond to some of the comments made by Mike, which are not just inaccurate but may also be misleading to some not really familiar with the GSGA, its purpose and mission.
The GSGA was founded in 1916 and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It exists to serve the game, both golfers and facilities, and not one over the other as both are equally important. They do this in many ways, but to name a few:
- Conduct over 20 championships for men and women of all ages. They have added five new championships in the last two years: Mixed Team, Inter-club Matches, Boys and Girls Junior Match Play and a Tournament of Champions which is an event that allows the Men’s and Women’s Club Champions from the member clubs to come together and compete against each other. They have other competitions on the drawing board with the goal of providing competitions for a broader section of the membership base.
- Organize casual play days which introduce GSGA members to many of the wonderful golf courses across the state. The 2019 schedule can be viewed here and unlike the comments from one other person on the forum, the courses are mostly private clubs and include courses that host many of the biggest Championships including the State Amateur. GSGA members have been thrilled to have the opportunity to play some of the best courses from across the state and I hope you will take a moment to view the schedule:
https://www.gsga.org/competitions/calendar/Member%20Play%20Days/2019/ - Administer the USGA Handicap System for approximately 75,000 golfers and the USGA Course Rating System for close to 350 facilities across the state.
- Through the Junior Tour, they conduct close to 100 junior golf competitions and skills challenges for boys and girls ages 5-18 of all skill levels.
- In 2017, they launched
Youth on Course in Georgia. This is a program whereby any junior golfer can play golf for $5
while the GSGA subsidizes the rest of that junior’s greens fee. They currently have over 40 member clubs supporting this effort to provide affordable access to the game.
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Mike, I think your club is participating in this program which means that the GSGA can cut your facility a subsidy check while you help introduce kids to the game. A perfect “win-win” and a conscious effort by the GSGA to engage public courses, often felt left out, by being able to “cut them a check” for programs like this. - Through their Adaptive Golf Program, the GSGA provides specialized golf equipment and instruction to individuals with physical, cognitive and sensory impairments. Programming takes place at almost 50 different locations. All this equipment and instruction is provided to participants at no charge. I remember sitting down at lunch with Mr. Nalley and our then ED, Matt Williams, when Mr. Nalley pledged $250,000 to support this program. So, the initial funding was private funds, discovered by the GSGA for this incredible program. Mike, you know my dad was a quadriplegic the last 17 years of his life. I have heard many dismiss this service and all I can say is they just don’t get it. To be able to give wheelchair bound folks a chance to enjoy golf with equipment and instruction as well as others with other handicaps, well, it is a great thing.
- Produce Golf Georgia magazine to promote activities and events, as well as those associated with member clubs, and allied associations that the GSGA works alongside to support the game.
- Through the GSGA Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3), they offer two scholarship programs. One program provides college scholarships to employees and dependents of employees at any member club while the other provides scholarships to aspiring golf course superintendents.
To date the GSGA Foundation has provided over $3 million in scholarships including over $350,000 for the 2018-2019 school year alone. These scholarship funds are provided from private donations received through the Foundation. I am sure I left off many items but those are just a few things the GSGA does.
Regarding the fees the GSGA charges its member clubs, the GSGA does not charge a fee to its member clubs. Instead, clubs are billed based on how many individuals they have enrolled as members of the GSGA on their club roster. Clubs collect these membership fees from golfers at their facility, but noadditional “member club fee” is ever charged to member clubs. In addition to providing college scholarships to employees of member clubs, and their dependents, as noted above, the GSGA also provides course measuring and course rating services, as well as a full suite of technology products to manage club competitions and administer the USGA Handicap System. All these benefits are provided at no additional cost to member clubs. Due to these benefits being provided to clubs at no charge, they do institute a membership minimum
which is $500 (not $1,200) annually, as there are costs on their end related to providing the ongoing support of these services.
Most clubs charge around $40 for their GSGA service to their individual members meaning with just 12-13 individuals, the minimum is met, and the club enjoys all the benefits of a club with 500 or more individual members. It is also important to note that a club’s membership is optional, never required, and can be dropped at any time. This is one of the reasons why the GSGA continues to strive to improve existing services while also exploring additional benefits that can be delivered in the future.
Mike has also insinuated that the GSGA raised $23 million to fund a renovation project at Bobby Jones Golf Course, a daily-fee facility near downtown Atlanta. This is not true. The GSGA is not, and has never been, involved in any fundraising efforts associated with this project. The Bobby Jones Golf Course Foundation is a separate nonprofit and has been solely responsible for all fundraising and oversight of the entire project. That said, as part of this project, the GSGA along with other allied golf associations in the state, were offered the opportunity to have office space inside Murray Golf House to bring all these golf associations together under one roof to provide for better communication and collaboration so that the game can be better served.
This concept has been instituted in numerous states across the country and it has been widely successful. Our current ED, Matt Vanderpool, saw this model while at another golf association and has been invaluable in making sure that the best aspects of that type of arrangement are brought to Georgia. Where improvements to that model could be made, I am sure they will be in no small measure thanks to his expertise.
Now on to one of Mike’s main arguments which is the promotion of golf facilities and resorts outside of Georgia. Let’s take a moment to break down the most recent May/June 2019 issue:
- 44 total pages including cover
- 9 (full page equivalents) pages included advertisements from facilities outside Georgia
- 6 (full page equivalents) pages included advertisements from GSGA member clubs
- 1 page included and advertisement from a non-golf entity
- 28 pages (rest of issue) included editorial on topics such as the following, all of which either mention one or more GSGA member clubs:
o Cover Feature on GSGA Adaptive Golf Program
o Profile on one of the member clubs (included in each issue)
o Impact of new Rules of Golf changes to date including that the GSGA provided numerous complimentary Rules Workshops at member clubs over the last several months (educated over 3,000+ people that were in attendance). My club was one that had Richard Adams come and do a great Rules presentation to about 75.
o Listing of Holes-In-One and other Unique Feats accomplished by GSGA members
o Promotion of Member Play Days
o Recognition of the recent Georgia PGA Awards Banquet highlighting many of the great PGA professionals here in Georgia
o Other highlights from other GSGA programs, activities and events as well as those at many of the member clubs
This issue of the magazine is available on the website (
www.gsga.org) if anyone would like to check my math and make sure I am giving an accurate account of the contents in this issue. Here is the direct link:
https://www.gsga.org/membership/golf-georgia-magazine/ A few additional points I would like to make on this topic. Any GSGA member club that would like to advertise in Golf Georgia is provided with a 40% discount. I know this because I have advertised in the past and recently bought space congratulating Belinda Marsh on being our first female GSGA President. Frankly, I had forgotten about the discount and was pleasantly surprised.
I am sure the GSGA would love to encourage more of the member clubs to advertise in the publication because (at least while I was still on the board) the members consistently ranked it as one of the top benefits provided to them. (Remember the outcry when Golf Journal ceased!?)
While I do not know this for sure, I am willing to bet that the GSGA has never turned down a member club that wanted to advertise with them. As I understand it, it is common practice across the country to allow advertisements from golf facilities outside of Georgia. I did reach out to the GSGA and they provided a little background that may also be relevant:
“In our most recent survey of our membership, 57% of those that responded (approximately 5% of our membership) said they play more than 50 rounds of golf annually. Furthermore, 79% of those that responded said they take at least one golf vacation annually and that they go with 5 or more people when they travel. So, we have a membership made up of avid golfers that like to travel with friends and family and play golf while they travel. We do think it is wrong that some of our country’s top golf destinations can purchase advertising and get in front of our membership. When our members travel out of state to play golf, which we know they do, we want to support those destinations that support their home state’s golf association and provide some of the funding necessary to continue to publish Golf Georgia and provide for the additional benefits and services mentioned here.”
“Again, the GSGA exists to serve the game in Georgia and provide benefits and services to golfers and facilities. Our state is blessed to have wonderful facilities that partner with the GSGA to help promote the game and in turn, the GSGA continues to identify ways to support them by holding meetings, seminars, competitions and other events at their clubs. In 2018 alone, the GSGA spent $490,796.08 for these types of activities held at 99 (almost a third) of our member clubs. This will continue to grow, and we add new competitions, new player development programs, and continue to expand our current activities.” (The above paragraph is also from the GSGA).
The GSGA has been around for over 100 years and I am proud to be a small part of volunteers that supports the association, staff, other volunteers, members and clubs, all of whom help make the GSGA one of the premier state associations in the country. Sorry for the lengthy post but I felt I needed to respond to some of the misinformation and
comments offered on this thread.
While the title of this discussion thread suggests the GSGA is confused (I know it said state golf associations, but we know Mike is upset with his home state) I beg to disagree. While there is always room to improve and large organizations can be the toughest to respond nimbly, the GSGA has terrific leadership and is certainly headed in the right direction.
You have my number Mike
