11/10/2020 - By Scott Parker & Kurt von Hofen

This year has taught us a lot about who we are and how important the game of golf is in America. With the virus casting much doubt, some very interesting things happened. People filled tee sheets, driving ranges were packed, and the game flourished over the summer months.

I know many of us in the industry couldn’t believe what was happening, but with America stuck on Zoom calls, an afternoon out on the course was exactly what the doctor ordered. And although this has been—and still remains—a trying time for much of the industry and country, there are many things to be optimistic about going forward.

Here are a few topics we wanted to highlight.

Golf rounds are up!!

According to the September 2020 National Rounds Played, published by the National Rounds Played Coalition and the National Golf Foundation, we continue to see golf rounds up across the board, staying strong at 8.7% up YTD for 2020. Also according to that report, September rounds were up 25.5% nationally year-over-year: the biggest monthly increase so far in 2020.

The Positive Side-Effects for Our Industry

• Reinforced the value of relationships
• Solidified and reminded clubs of the value, dedication, and adaptability of superintendents
• Demonstrated the value of golf courses to clubs and their ownership
• Provided an opportunity to rethink what’s important and reconsider the operational status quo
• Superintendents found ways to do more with less
• New golfers of every age, gender, and demographic took up the game

Virtual education and seminars

With many in-person meetings scrapped, associations and chapters were forced to embrace virtual opportunities to connect. This has given the turf managers more flexibility on when to attend and the ability to focus in on hot topics more specific to their information needs.

The Carolinas Turf conference has transformed to a virtual platform this year as well, now offering 30 days of education with the Conference Comes to You series.

Harrell’s has also put together many virtual learning opportunities for our customers, including the Northern Turf Online Education Series that runs through the month of November. You can receive state pesticide credits (if state allows) as well as GCSAA educational credits. For more information on the educational series, reach out to your local Harrell’s sales rep today.

Taking care of people

With this being one Harrell’s Core Values, the team didn’t seem to miss a beat. Daily course visits were interrupted, but we made sure our customers, like you, weren’t left on an island. Some courses restricted visitors, but their needs still had to be met. We’re very proud of how our amazing sales team and dedicated drivers adapted to this different landscape with phone calls, texts, zoom calls, newsletters, contactless deliveries and more—and we’re even more grateful for your understanding and flexibility in working with us through those changes. Ultimately, all of those challenges have strengthened our relationships and proven that we’re truly a part of the most amazing industry out there.

It certainly can be a challenge at times to see the forest through the trees, but if you’re able to look at the situation through a different lens, there’s usually a silver lining on the table. Fortunately, our industry is always eager to find that silver lining and run with it, keeping the focus on the positive takeaways of the situation.