April 03, 2017
A common knock on today’s millennial generation is that they’re lazy, narcissistic and self-centered. While there’s never smoke without fire, one unique group of golf industry professionals are doing their best to rid that stigma, operating with a goal to “build relationships, make friends and grow the game.”
The Young Professionals of Golf Marketing (YPOGM) is a San Diego-based group of 20 and 30-somethings who happen to all work in golf and are passionate about innovation in their field.
A brainchild of Christina Lumsden, marketing manager at Carlsbad Golf Center, the group formed after talking with colleagues Lauren Milner, digital marketing coordinator for Linksoul & Goat Hill Park and Max Reinhardt, marketing manager at St. Mark GC.
“Max, Lauren and I had all worked together on projects before, so we’d just meet up and talk golf,” said Lumsden. “I’ve been around golf my whole life and have seen the relationships that get built through the game. I noticed the disconnect between the new up-and-coming professionals, compared to generations past. So, why be on an island?”
With that, the trio set sail to find a wide-ranging conglomerate of professionals with talents in different areas. The results have been prosperous.
“Everyone who we’ve recruited has a different set of skills and certain areas that they excel in,” said Lumsden. “We work together to promote one another because in the end, if more people are playing the game, everyone profits.”
The YPOGM recently held their fifth official gathering at The Quartyard in downtown San Diego. Equipped with a golf simulator provided by Street Swings, craft beer and food trucks, it was an event tailor-made for the millennial generation. After a few swings, a couple sips and a taco or eight, the group settled in on a set of picnic tables to talk shop.
The goal of each meeting is to have a topic or theme and then provide a featured speaker to engage the group. At this event, representatives from Morton Golf, an award-winning golf course operation and retail company, were the headline act and led a dynamic group discussion on micro marketing, blogging and customer engagement through social media.
Among the attentive and ever-growing group of attendees were representatives from Kemper Sports, COBRA PUMA Golf, PGA Magazine, The Crossings at Carlsbad, High Heel Golfer, Golf Range Magazine, Goat Hill Park, the SCGA and even an M.B.A. student from San Diego State.
“Everyone here is a seasoned golf professional,” said Lumsden. “We’ve been around the block. We all are eager to learn from each other and have some fun along the way.”
Fun will be on the calendar in the coming months, as Lumsden has some unique ideas for future hangouts.
“We want to do some research and development,” said Lumsden. “Bring out friends that have barely played or have never played before.”
Once they’re out on the range hitting balls, the idea would be to gather information on why they don’t play, or if they would play if something was different.
“We’re always looking for new ways to think outside of the box,” said Lumsden. “As marketers, we want to know why people aren’t playing and what we can do about it. Best case scenario is we can tie that event into our next meeting for our group to see first-hand and interact in-person.”
Golf is an extraordinary game that people of all ages can and do enjoy. It’s refreshing to learn that these young executives are finding creative ways to attract a new generation of families to the fun and fulfillment of golf. Job well done.