The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre caused significant losses and when the economic crash of 2008 arrived, a weak US dollar led to a 20pc drop in business.
The 2020 Covid pandemic proved an even bigger disaster, as Carr Golf CEO, Marty Carr, pointed out at the time.
“Revenues are down approximately 97 per cent this year and could be down 80 per cent on pre-Covid numbers in 2021,” he said when calling for direct grant support for tour operators.
That’s all in the past now and the golf tourism boom is only getting boomier.
This summer, a new study commissioned by Golf Ireland reported that golf contributes €717million annually directly to the economy, supporting 15,600 jobs.
The post-Covid participation boom was great news for Irish golf and golf courses and their providers, including the 27 members of the IGTOA.
Green fees for overseas visitors at the trophy courses are rising all the time and with the island of Ireland hosting The Open at Royal Portrush this year and the Ryder Cup in Adare in 2027, those figures are only set to rise.
The concern for some at the IGTOA is that with 72pc of Irish golf’s tourism business coming from the USA, Irish golf is hugely vulnerable to another economic shock.
“There are several areas of concern, but one of them is the continuous progressive year-on-year increase in the price of tee times, particularly at the trophy courses,” said Barry Maye, Chief Executive Officer of the IGTOA, which gathered at The K Club last weekend for its annual conference, followed by its gala golf awards on Monday.
“Next year, Royal County Down will be £450 for Americans, the same with Royal Portrush, and it’s similar at the likes of Ballybunion, Lahinch, Tralee and the Old Head.
“I did a little calculation on some of our top-level courses and the average increase in terms of green fees in the last four years is in the region of 80pc. So while a lot of our American visitors have a high net worth and are probably not price sensitive, it’s about remaining competitive.
“My belief is we’re too dependent on the American market. Certainly, we want to retain it and grow it if we can. But with all the things that are going on in the geopolitical global sphere, we can’t depend on the American market.
“We need to be conscious of other markets, and other markets are more price sensitive, such as the 10pc that come from the UK.”
The market for Irish golf, particularly links golf, remains firm, but Maye is still nervous about the over-reliance on the USA, and the industry is looking for ways to grow its UK and European business.
“It’s a good thing, as long as it keeps going the way it’s going,” he said of the flow of US money to the Irish golf business. “But my concern is that, like everything else, it’s cyclical, and another shock to the system and the bubble will burst.
“We’ve had three major shocks in the last 20 years, starting with 9/11 and the financial crisis, and then Covid. I don’t know what the next shock to the system is going to be, but pretty much all our eggs are in one basket and when things go awry, we’ll be looking for handouts from the government again. That’s not a sustainable solution.”
The IGTOA get-together gave industry chiefs a chance to network and listen to keynote speakers, such as economist Jim Power and digital transformation expert Ciaran Connolly.
There was great debate amongst industry leaders from tour operators, golf clubs, resorts, hotels and transport providers on everything from the global economy to the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Monday’s golf outing at the Palmer North Course produced holes-in-one for Johnny Lennon from NI Golf Tours at the 12th and Colm Booth from Lyons Links at the 17th.
As for the black tie Gala Irish Golf Awards, eight major prizes were awarded.
The Jerry Donworth Outstanding Contribution to Golf award went to hotelier Mark Nolan from Dromoland Castle, while Paul Vaughan from Ardglass Golf Club — another links that has grown its green fee income considerably on the back major upgrades and sbusiness visiting nearby Royal County Down — was recognised as Golf Manager of the Year.
Tralee Golf Links and Killeen Castle were named the respective links and parkland courses of the year, while the popular Vaughan Lodge in Lahinch was the boutique property of the year.
The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin won Large Golf Hotel of the Year, while Royal Dublin Golf Club was rewarded with the service excellence award, and The Brehon Hotel & Spa in Killarney won the sustainability award.
