Pot Friendly Golf Course ??
So I’m at the Golf Expo yesterday and like many of you, I came across the Rolling Greens golf club booth which is touting itself as Canada’s first marijuana-friendly golf course. I had a little chuckle to myself and carried on with my day. After a little time to reflect I have a few thoughts as a professional marketer by occupation.
Full disclosure, I have no issues with pot usage whatsoever. Fill your boots! I just see a highly-flawed business model in several respects.
1. Growing the game- I believe I saw that they plan to not allow anyone under 19 to play; how does that make any sense?? Never mind the fact that booze is legal on every course and kids can play there no questions asked, this flies in the face of every attempt to grow the game and secure the next generation of your customers.
2. Pace of play- In a sport that already borders on the edge of being WAY too long, marketing yourself as the destination for pot-smoking golfers effectively encourages players to get high while playing. Call me crazy, but this is not likely to improve the pace of play. Think, “Dave’s not here man!”
3. Clientele- I for one would not hesitate to play if I was in the area at a cottage or something like that and I wanted to get out for a quick 9. Having said that, my recently-retired father and my father-in-law who play together 3 times a week would never go to a course that actively promotes itself as being weed-friendly. When they think marijuana, they immediately think criminal, ridiculous I know, but that is their first thoughts on it. It’s simply a generational thing. I’d have to think that there are others that share their opinion. I would also think that women would be even less inclined to play there given current marijuana usage demographics being heavily skewed towards males.
Liability- while I suppose every single establishment that sells alcohol has to assume some level of liability; for now, there is only one course marketing themselves as THE destination to come and get high and golf. Given the remoteness of Lombardy I would have to think that driving is pretty much the only way to get there and logic would dictate that a highly disproportionate number of customers will be coming to play to get high and presumably would still be high when they drive home. Good luck with that one in court if something goes south.
Lastly- If I’m not mistaken, you are able to smoke marijuana anywhere that you are able to smoke cigarettes so what is the value proposition here, what makes this course unique? Are they offering joint rolling workshops on weekends? Do you get a pot brownie from everyone in the clubhouse if you get a hole in one?
I have more thoughts but I’m probably running out of space and you have likely stopped reading by this point anyway... having said all of that, I wish them well!
