Golf Course Owners Association Canada and is Full Speed Ahead · Marc Dufour is the President of...

Full Speed AheadRecently, Golf Business Canada

Magazine interviewed Marc

Dufour, President of Club Car,

to discuss Club Car’s role in

the Canadian golf industry.

Keep reading to learn how

Club Car can help you grow

your revenues and deliver the

best golf experience for your

golfers!

Golf Business Canada 38 Golf Business Canada 39

Marc DufourMarc Dufour is the President of Club Car. Club Car is an official *Golfmax Platinum Partner of the National

Golf Course Owners Association Canada and is a world-class manufacturer of golf cars and utility

vehicles, providing transportation solutions to their customers.

GBC: How did Club Car become the world’s largest manufacturer of small-wheel, zero-emission electric vehicles?

Marc: We have great people at our company and their strong commitment to the business and to innovative products and customer satisfaction is a key part of our success. Their commitment to our customers has created a powerful brand that people connect with. Given the nature of today’s golf business, our focus is on improving the bottom line for our customers.

GBC: What is the current trend with cart purchasing?

Marc: The trend in United States during the last decade has really favoured leasing. For Club Car, it has been a 70/30 split overall. However, in Canada it is more of a 50/50 split. This is because the shorter playing season allows many Canadian courses to keep their cars longer than the traditional lease period.

Transportation solutions for your operation

Golf Business Canada 40

GBC: Can you explain how Club Car can work with its customers to help grow their revenues, manage their assets, reduce expenses and deliver the best golf experience for the customers?

Marc: The best example is our Visage Mobile Communications System. The Visage system is a technology platform that helps our customers communicate more effectively with the players on the course, helps them manage pace of play, protect the course by limiting golf car access to selected areas and maintain their fleets. In addition, Visage can improve food and beverage revenues by not only providing operators with the analytics on what they sell, but also help them understand where their margins are and where they can make improvements. It also provides a more enjoyable experience with features such as tournament packages and real-time scoring. These systems can sometimes be labelled solely as yardage amenities; however, that is not what they are about. They are about return on investment for the club. As you look at the nature of the golf business, it is critically important that we move from purely experience and the “wow factor” to how can we really improve our customers’ bottom line.

GBC: What has been the Canadian golf market’s reaction to Visage since it was launched?

Marc: Canada’s response to Visage has been very strong. Canada has the third-largest number of golf courses in the world, along with a relatively short playing season. Due to the short season, operators have to be really in tune to the needs of their customers and very savvy business people. Tools such as Visage help them improve golfers’ experiences and improve their bottom line.

GBC: What new offerings does Club Car have for the turf and maintenance needs of our member facilities from an operational standpoint?

Marc: We introduced the Carryall line of electric and gas-powered turf and maintenance vehicles 30 years ago. Carryall is a great vehicle that is loved and held in high esteem by our customers. We recently have completed some significant restyling and also made it more powerful and efficient. We’ll introduce this new line of Carryall vehicles in early 2014. The revised model includes new comforts such as contoured seating, more space between the driver and passengers, new bed features, and most significantly, a Subaru overhead new cam engine with EFI. The new Carryall is more powerful, efficient and starts better in cold climates.

GBC: With your understanding of what is going on outside of the US and Canada, how do you see Canada uniquely positioned in the international golf landscape?

Marc: Canada is the third-largest golf market in the world based on the number of courses. Canada has more golf courses than China. Everyone talks about China, but China’s golf market is growing very slowly. I think the passion that Canadians have for golf is refreshing and exciting. Canadians love to play golf. Golf in Canada will likely be sustained and stay healthy because of its legacy and connection with golfers. I think golf in Canada will be challenged by environmental and land issues, which are currently becoming more of a concern in the

United States and around the world. In addition, issues like water rights and chemical use are always under scrutiny and will be continually questioned. Golf course operators have to balance all those concerns to keep their business profitable and create the kind of experience that golfers are looking for. The shorter business season means that Canadian golf course owners have to be astute business people and operate smartly and efficiently. At Club Car we want to help them do that.


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GBC: What are your thoughts on the state of the golf industry? Where do you see the golf industry going over the next five, ten, or twenty years?

Marc: There are two stories here. The short-term story is that the stabilizing economy is helping the golf industry because of an increase in discretionary spending. Retiring baby boomers also will be a boost as more of us will have more time to play golf. I think where we all have to be focused is on the long term. Golf is a challenging game, it takes a lot of time to play the traditional 18-hole round and it can be expensive. I am part of the Golf 20/20 Committee and we are continually discussing how to improve participation in the game. The Get Golf Ready, for example, is a great way to attract new golfers. I think everyone is going to have to be supportive and innovative in terms of how to attract more people to the game and how to make golf more inclusive to bring in new demographics, such as women and minorities. These are factors that have to be considered if we are going to keep golf healthy and relevant for the future.

GBC: How does Club Car see itself fitting into that discussion?

Marc: Club Car will continue to partner with the PGA and golf’s other governing bodies and allied organizations, including the NGCOA. I also think we have come up with innovative solutions like our new 4-passenger golf car. We introduced the Precedent 4Fun earlier this year as a custom solution for courses that have groups and families who want to play golf together. We have seen these cars be booked for weeks at a time because of the desire for people to ride and play together. These cars are going out to courses throughout America and we are coming up with a leasing program to allow courses to lease these vehicles to see if it works for their facilities. Golf is going to have to continue to try different things and get out of its comfort zone. One problem is that the core is so dedicated to the traditional game that we have to push them to experiment so that we create new opportunities for people to try the game.

Golf Business Canada Magazine would like to thank Marc for his valuable input and insight on Club Car products and their role for golf course owners and operators. For more information on Club Car please visit www.clubcar.com.

*Golfmax is the Purchasing Program of the NGCOA Canada; where on behalf of its members, the Association negotiates volume-related agreements with suppliers based on the total membership’s purchasing power. Members usually recover their entire membership dues through the savings of just one supplier. To learn how your facility can save through the Golfmax Purchasing Program, please contact Cedar Nisbet at 866-626-4262 ext. 14, or by email at [email protected].

“We introduced the Precedent 4Fun earlier this year as a custom solution for courses that have groups and families who want to play golf together.”

Golf Business Canada

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Golf Course Owners Association Canada and is Full Speed Ahead · Marc Dufour is the President of...

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