2012 Symposium on Affordable Golf Registration Now Open

[Richard_Mandell]

For Immediate Release:

Southern Pines, North Carolina

June 26, 2012

2012 Symposium On Affordable Golf Agenda Complete

The third annual Symposium On Affordable Golf  will once again be held at the Southern Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, October 29th and 30th.  This year, the Symposium will be one and a half days, followed by a golf outing on the Donald Ross-designed Southern Pines Golf Club Tuesday afternoon.

The Symposium On Affordable Golf raises awareness and understanding of the challenges of the golf industry through open discussion, exchange of ideas and highlighting successes that promote the health and sustainability of the game of golf. As in previous years, there is no fee for attendance.  Also, as in past years, members of the PGA, the LPGA and the GCSAA will be eligible to receive continuing education credits.

The agenda this year includes the immediate past president of the USGA, Mr. Jim Hyler and the immediate past president of the GCSAA, Mr. Bob Randquist in a discussion entitled: " Brown is the New Green? Firm and Fast? or is it Something Else?"  This discussion will focus on a recent trend in course setup that is actually a return to an earlier time and can possibly reduce the costs of the game.
This year's round table discussion, entitled "The Golf Generation Gap", will feature teaching professionals Dana Rader and Bob Zydonik along with world-renowned writer, James Dodson, and a foursome of golfers from different generations and skill levels. The round table will span approximately fifty years of age difference discussing and debating the challenges in making the game of golf attractive to younger generations that may be turned off by the traditions of the game.

There will be three case studies detailing successful and affordable golf operations, each from different regions of the world.  Other topics include  "The Curious Case of the Taj-Mahalics," "Let's Start Romancing the Game Again Instead of Selling the Business," and "Where Sustainability and GolfSpeak Intersect."

Finally, the results of the survey – The Golf Experience – Your Way! – will be reviewed and discussed in the Symposium.  You can find a link to the survey on the Symposium On Affordable Golf website at www.symposiumonaffordablegolf.com. Registration for the event is now open.  Please follow the "Register" link found on the Symposium home page to reserve your place at the 2012 Symposium.

[RJ_Daley]

Please check your I.M for a question. 

[Willie_Dow]

Why must "Affordable Golf " always be in Pinehurst ?

[Richard_Mandell]

Willie:

Do you mean the Symposium itself or "affordable golf" the concept?  You know the Symposium is in Southern Pines, which is a bit more akin to the concept of "affordable golf" than Pinehurst.  I am not sure "affordable golf" really exists in Pinehurst.

The Symposium is in Southern Pines because my staff and I don't have the resources to pull this off anywhere beyond ten minuntes from our office. This way we keep the symposium affordable to put on and not have to charge anyone to attend.

[Willie_Dow]

Good reply, Richard!

The symposium is such a good program, especially these days, that I wondered why it couldn't go on the road for greater exposure.

We got a lot of mileage out of the William Flynn golf program set up by Wayne Morrison.  It hs been a great get together over the past several years, and well attended.

Sign me up, and I hope to make it this year.

[Richard_Mandell]

Sounds good.  I will have Gary Strohl register you.  We are taking part of the Symposium on the road as I will be doing a few related talks at the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference in early December as I did last year.  So that's a start.