"When you take those trend lines of the supply side of the American golf industry, it would not be surprising if 75 years from now we have 10,000 golf courses not 15,000, and we have 5,000 golf cafes like there are in South Korea. So if the future we will have a very different mix of supply of golf experiences in America."... Jay Karen, CEO at The NGCOA
Host Colin Weston speaks with return guest and friend of the show Jay Karen, CEO at The National Golf Course Owners Association to hear his take on how golf courses will navigate the upcoming decades as climate change, technology, entertainment and sustainable practices present new opportunities and challenges for the golf industry.
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To watch our extended conversation, go to our ModGolf YouTube video (https://youtu.be/INfpvwSLq8U) with Jay at: https://youtu.be/INfpvwSLq8U
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"It's in the DNA of the citizenry to keep those city golf courses as green spaces and not convert them to urban development. There's a protectionism towards not developing our existing city golf courses to keep them intact. For as many people who say we should shut these down, there are stronger voices that say "no, we should keep them open and here's why it because they are good for our communities".
Jay has been the CEO at The NGCOA National Golf Course Owners Association (https://www.ngcoa.org/home) since 2015. Click on this link (https://www.ngcoa.org/home) or the image below to learn more.
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"I would call it The American Dream Story where a family had a golf course for 50 years and they sold it to developer for 10 times more than it's worth as an operating golf course. But the problem is from a supply and demand standpoint is those courses are closing down. So where is the affordable public golf going to be? Municipal golf courses are positioned perfectly to continue to be the place where everybody can play golf because they're near urban population centers".
If you would like to connect with Jay, visit his bio page (https://modgolf.fireside.fm/guests/jay-karen) for contact information. To learn more about the 2025 Golf Business Conference (https://golfbusinessconference.com/) January 20-22 located at The PGA Show in Orlando, click on the image below.
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We want to thank our partner inrange® for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!
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inrange® is a radar-based ball-tracking company that enhances the driving range experience by offering the most engaging gameplay and precise ball-tracking on the market. From private clubs and standalone commercial ranges, to multi-storey “Big Box” entertainment venues and limited-flight ‘compact’ ranges, Inrange® creates unparalleled experiences for every type of player - and unleashes your business’ growth potential. They are also the only software in the world offering a bay vs bay link up feature - allowing large groups to play against one another in teams across the entire venue. To learn more check out www.inrangegolf.com (https://www.inrangegolf.com).
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As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love