Two of the essential functions PGA of America Golf Professionals provide at the grassroots level are education and administration – teaching people how to play and enjoy the game of golf, and managing the facilities that allow the business of golf to create billions of dollars in financial impact across the country.
Likewise, the PGA of America uses the tools of government advocacy and lobbying to achieve the same results at the national and local levels. Through the Association’s own Advocacy Committee and consulting lobbyists, as well as promising new partnerships with Allied Associations like the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), PGA of America Members have a strong and growing voice in how governance impacts the golf industry.
“The PGA of America is focused on government advocacy and lobbying because of the economic impact golf has, and because of the ways different laws and regulations impact the livelihoods of our PGA of America Members,” says PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA, the Director of Golf at Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). “Studies show golf is a $102 billion industry nationally. That’s why we want to be at the forefront of talking to lawmakers locally and on Capitol Hill.
“It’s critically important that we continue to educate our elected officials on topics like wage and hour laws, independent contractor status, water usage, tax benefits and other regional areas of interest that can help drive players to golf facilities and secure the jobs and influence of PGA of America Members in the workforce.”
Lobbying elected officials on a given issue is an important part of government advocacy, and something the PGA of America has practiced for many years. In recent years, however, the Association has also stepped up its efforts to build relationships with and educate elected officials on how the golf industry works and impacts the overall economy. That includes areas like the charitable impact of golf tournaments and events; the health benefits of golf; the positive environment created for juniors and Veterans through PGA of America REACH Foundation initiatives like PGA Jr. League and PGA HOPE; and the often-overlooked beneficial environmental impact of golf courses as green spaces. “It’s important to remember that as popular as golf is, 92 out of 100 Americans still don’t play golf,” says PGA of America Vice President Don Rea Jr., the PGA Owner/Operator of Augusta Ranch Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, and a member of the PGA of America Lobbying Committee. “If our elected officials don’t play the game, or if they don’t understand what golf is all about – or if they have inaccurate preconceived notions about the sport and business – that’s a problem.
“With government advocacy, we have to ap proach it intentionally to make sure our game is healthy so our PGA of America Golf Professionals will have healthy careers. The good news is that all we have to do is make sure our lawmakers know the truth: that golf facilities are a collection of small businesses, and that golf is good for people, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for the economy.”
Just as PGA of America Golf Professionals are always working to improve themselves and their facilities, the Association itself is upping its efforts on the government advocacy and lobbying front. As part of the effort to distinguish the PGA of America from the PGA TOUR after last year’s announcement of plans for the TOUR to merge with Saudi Arabia’s PIF, the Association is now working closely with the GCSAA and NGCOA to emulate and build upon the successful advocacy efforts those organizations have pioneered.
“The PGA of America’s advocacy is a mix of very public things, like National Golf Day, and leveraging relationships with our partners at allied associations like the GCSAA and NGCOA that have built great tools for their members to be advocates in their local markets,” says Henry Smokler, Chief Legal and Risk Officer for the PGA of America. “We’re all pulling in the same direction, and we’re working together to harness some of the work they’ve done to expand our advocacy footprint efficiently and share information so we can have more boots on the ground. That way, when an important issue or crisis comes up, we already have relationships formed with elected officials.”
An excellent example of this proactive approach to government advocacy can be seen in the golf industry’s response to COVID-19. When many businesses were shuttered for an extended period at the beginning of the pandemic, the PGA of America and other allied associations were able to leverage improved relationships with elected officials to start the Back2Golf initiative that helped position the sport as a healthy, outdoors option for social and physical activity – and helped spur the prodigious golf boom that continues in America more than four years later.
“Having the infrastructure of what was then We Are Golf – now the American Golf Industry Coalition – showed the importance of working together before there’s a crisis,” Smokler says. “When a crisis occurred in COVID-19, we had the framework and we were prepared. If we would have had to gather that group of influential golf industry players and then figure out how to reach elected officials at the start of a global health emergency, it would have taken a lot longer and potentially had a very negative impact.”
The success of the Back2Golf initiative also showcased the fruits of lobbying efforts to show golf is much more than a game only played by the wealthy.
“Back2Golf really let the allied associations showcase that golf and its many programming elements are very valuable to communities,” says PGA of America Golf Professional John Easterbrook Jr., the Association’s Chief Member Officer. “It isn’t just a ‘rich sport’ anymore. There are so many mental and physical health benefits to the game. The average green fee is still under $45, and 85 percent of rounds are played on public courses.
“Golf is part of the fiber of your community. As PGA of America Golf Professionals, we’re the communicators and conduits of the game at the local level, and we use that influence and knowledge to help educate our lawmakers and help spread the facts about the many great things this sport does for people and the economy.”
Advocacy Committee Providing Necessary Guidance
The PGA of America’s Advocacy Committee – once known as the Government Relations Committee – is made up of eight PGA of America Members and four non-members. The four non-members include three Association staff liaisons based at the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas, along with longtime government affairs expert Craig Kessler. The committee is co-chaired by PGA of America Golf Professionals Jim Dorman and John Madden.
“Most PGA of America Members are influencers in their towns, and they often have as members or customers other influential people in the community, like mayors or state representatives,” says Dorman, PGA of America Head Professional at Greenville (Mississippi) Golf & Country Club. “We’re positioned to develop those relationships so we have the ears of our elected officials and we can learn how to approach them.”
Dorman encourages PGA of America Members to check out the Advocacy page on PGA.org, which includes notes from Advocacy Committee meetings and other resources that can help golf industry professionals feel more comfortable explaining golf’s impact and importance.
“We have to teach PGA of America Golf Professionals how to have that conversation with elected officials – both having the right information and knowing how to talk about it in a way that doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable, which is important at a private club,” Dorman says. “We’re experts at talking grip, stance and setup in the golf swing. But when we have a chance to talk about a bill that’s working its way through the legislature, or about the impact of tax code or overtime wage laws, we can get a little nervous because we don’t always know as much about those areas.
“You want to be careful, and you want to make sure you have the right information, but there are ways to have that conversation for the benefit of yourself, your facility and the more than 30,000 PGA of America Members across the country.”
PGA of America Members can also learn about pertinent issues and legislative activity through the Association’s “Five Things to Know” emails, and through similar communications at the Section level. When it comes to government advocacy, knowledge is power.
“As a trade organization with more than 30,000 members, our view is one of the most influential in the golf business,” the PGA’s Smokler says. “As an Association, we publish position papers and work with law firms to give comment on different pieces of legislation. With the Advocacy Committee, we’re now actively trying to educate PGA of America Members so they can be aware of and prepared for conversations when they arise in your local community.”
Another important educational effort backed by the PGA of America is National Golf Day, held this past May in Washington, D.C. The multi-day event allows industry leaders from the allied associations to meet with members of Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies to discuss the impact of golf and its two million jobs, 15,000-plus diverse businesses, tax revenue creation and tourism value. The event includes training for golf industry professionals, a day of in-person lobbying with members of Congress, and a number of community service projects on the National Mall and at nearby Langston Golf Course.
“National Golf Day is a great way for the industry as a whole to further educate lawmakers and grow the relationships we need to be leaders,” Lindert says. “We talked with lawmakers last May about a number of issues. For example, if proposed bills about independent contractor status impacted caddie programs, it could have a negative impact on the Evans Scholar program that could be devastating to a number of young people and their access to higher education in advance of their future careers.
“We have a chance to help legislators understand the consequences and ripple effects of their actions, and help them understand the role golf plays in our economy by telling our stories.”
The PGA of America has help telling its story throughout the year on Capitol Hill from Hunter Moorehead of the lobbying firm Crossroads Strategies LLC. This bipartisan, multi-disciplinary firm represents the PGA of America before federal government and stakeholder groups, and its 20 practitioners include former U.S. Senators and other professionals with decades of advocacy experience.
Knowing Today’s Hottest Issues
There are numerous issues PGA of America Golf Professionals should be aware of that can directly impact their livelihoods and the health of their facilities. Some are in laws that are already on the books, others are part of proposed bills, and still others have the potential to become legislation down the road. The PGA Advocacy Committee and golf’s allied associations have all of them on the radar, and are working to educate golf industry professionals about the specifics.
One existing piece of legislation the golf industry is working to change is Title 26 in the country’s tax code, better known as the “sin tax.” Signed into law in 1974, the code prohibits certain businesses from participating in federal tax-relief programs such as disaster redevelopment. In the eyes of this law, golf courses are lumped in with massage parlors, liquor stores and tanning beds.
The law, from a time when the golf business was much smaller and a larger percentage of golf facilities were private clubs, prohibits golf facilities from seeking federal funds or FEMA aid after natural disasters like hurricanes, fires or floods. The allied associations have been promoting a bill titled HR3124 that was recently sponsored in the House of Representatives, which would remove golf courses from the “sin tax” list.
There are also a number of state-level regulatory bills that have or would significantly impact the golf workforce. These include wage and hour laws regarding overtime pay, independent contractor status for PGA of America Golf Coaches and caddies, and minimum wage regulations that could make fielding a good staff more expensive and less flexible for golf facilities of nearly all kinds.
There are also a number of environmental issues that are at the forefront of golf’s government advocacy efforts that are geographically specific. Out west, of course, water rights and usage are extremely contentious and of utmost importance to golf courses being able to maintain healthy turf. On the other hand, in states like Florida and Michigan there’s plenty of water – but the quality of water is an issue in legislation that mandates the amount and strength of fertilizers and pesticides that can be used at golf facilities.
“This is a great example of how legislators aren’t necessarily trying to hurt golf facilities, but rather that they’re not fully educated on the specifics of our business and how it affects their constituents,” Rea says. “I’m an owner/operator in Arizona, and the assumption most people make is that golf courses use a disproportionate amount of water. But I can point out that courses use less than 2 percent of the water in the state while having a $6 billion economic impact for Arizona.
“When you have that conversation with a lawmaker or an aide to one, you can literally see the light come on when you tell them the facts. They’re like, ‘Well, I had no idea.’ All we need to do is tell them the truth about the goodness of golf, and how my little par-61 course operates as a filtration system for stormwater runoff and provides a green space for wildlife, and they have an epiphany. Then it becomes, ‘How can I help?’”
Inviting Lawmakers to See for Themselves
An approach PGA of America Golf Professionals like Rea like to take with government advocacy is inviting local elected officials to their facilities for an in-person look at the programming and positive impact golf provides.
At a recent National Golf Day, Rea met U.S. Representative Andy Biggs, who represents Augusta Ranch’s district. The meeting gave Rea a chance to tell Biggs a bit about his facility and the work it does with PGA HOPE, which struck a chord.
“I gave Representative Biggs an overview of how PGA HOPE is part of PGA REACH, and how we’re trying to help in a world where 26 Veterans a day take their own lives,” Rea says. “And I was also able to ask him if he played golf. He said he did, but wasn’t very good. I asked to see his grip, and it was very weak, and I correctly guessed that he sliced a lot.”
After a good laugh about his slice, Biggs asked Rea how he could help with PGA HOPE. Rea invited the representative to an upcoming PGA HOPE event at Augusta Ranch, and Biggs was able to attend and give a brief speech to the assembled Veterans before seeing the enjoyment they received from the programming.
“He got to see that we’re just a small business, not a big fancy club, and we employ a lot of his constituents,” Rea says. “He and his staff got a better understanding of what golf brings to the community – we’re not playing for millions on the weekends, we’re helping millions enjoy the game. We’re down in the dirt planting seeds with new golfers, and that’s information he’ll have when making decisions in the future.”
A similar meeting recently took place in the Southern California PGA Section, where PGA of America Golf Professional Nikki Gatch – the Section’s Executive Director – helped schedule an appearance at a PGA HOPE event with Congresswoman Norma Torres of California’s 35th District.
“I met with Congresswoman Torres’ staff first at Los Serranos Country Club, a Chino Hills public facility in her district,” Gatch says. “The PGA Director of Golf at Los Serranos, Tony Chavez, had recently captained our Secretary’s Cup team and was starting a new PGA HOPE season soon. The Congresswoman has a son with an Air Force background, so her staff knew she’d be intrigued by the program.”
In July, Torres herself visited Los Serranos and saw Chavez working with a group of six Veterans, who shared their stories of how PGA HOPE had created a new network of friends for them and improved their lives. Congresswoman Torres was moved by the programming, and discussed ways to find grants and funding to ensure more Veterans would be able to participate at no cost.
“We laid the foundation for future conversations and gave her an understanding of what we do,” Gatch says. “We’ll see where it leads. But no matter what, she now knows all the great things that PGA of America Golf Professionals do not just for Veterans but for this community, which is her constituents. There’s no substitute for someone witnessing something like that firsthand.”
Working With the GCSAA and NGCOA
The visit Congresswoman Torres made to Los Serranos was part of a pilot program between the Southern California PGA Section and the GCSAA. The GCSAA has an existing ambassador program that pairs superintendents with lawmakers from their area, then provides coaching on issues that can be discussed when a meeting takes place. The PGA of America saw the effectiveness of the GCSAA program, and asked if the two associations could work together to include PGA of America Golf Professionals and help spread the program to more Sections eventually. Since California has the largest Congressional delegation in the country, it was a logical place to begin the collaboration.
“The GCSAA has really been out ahead of the industry in government advocacy, they really wrote the playbook,” the PGA’s Easterbrook says. “We’re piloting this program with them to pair PGA of America Golf Professionals with superintendents to be ambassadors at the local level. Most legislation that affects golf facilities happens at the local level, so advocating with local lawmakers is very effective.”
“Solving issues with legislators is so much easier if you already have a relationship with them,” says Michael Lee, Senior Manager of Government Affairs for the GCSAA. “That’s where our grassroots ambassador program comes in, where we focus on building relationships with local members of Congress and their staffs. You don’t have to go to Washington to have an impact. We encourage hosting site visits, get staff members out to golf courses, and let them get an idea for what golf course management is all about.
“If a lawmaker isn’t familiar with golf, they probably think they’re talking about the PGA TOUR, not the PGA of America. So, we were happy to collaborate with the PGA of America when they came to us and asked about our grassroots program. It’s been tremendous so far in Southern California, and we think there’s a great future beyond that.”
Likewise, the NGCOA and the PGA of America have also recently formalized a relationship in government advocacy after years of informally working together. As an owner/operator, Rea has been an NGCOA board member and helped facilitate the formal partnership.
“The relationship between the NGCOA and the PGA of America has been really good, and we’re certainly finding that the more advocates, the better,” says Ronnie Mills, the NCGOA’s Senior Director of Advocacy. “We’re seeing a lot of successes from our work at the state level, and our voice as an industry is getting louder. And as golf is becoming so big financially, this has also helped elevate the golf industry as a provider of community services that are valued by elected officials for their constituents. That’s enabled a lot of positive things at the state level.”
Mills points to a number of successes from the NGCOA’s advocacy efforts in recent years. For example, a bill passed earlier this year in South Carolina eliminated state taxes on golf club dues and memberships. In Arizona, a bill passed that allowed golf courses to freeze their tax rates for 10 years if they agreed to operate as golf facilities during that time. As golf’s allied associations expand their partnerships, these successes could multiply.
“The PGA of America has great organization within its Sections, and an Advocacy Committee that’s done a great job,” Mills says. “At this year’s National Golf Day, we probably saw the biggest number of PGA Members participate ever. That’s what we want to see as we all work to bring this community together.”
As the PGA of America continues its partnerships with the GCSAA and NGCOA, PGA of America Members will have access to information and education that will help them be better prepared to be an advocate for themselves and their facilities.
“As PGA of America Professionals, we’re all pretty comfortable talking about golf, but we might not feel as good talking about minimum wage laws or environmental issues with elected officials,” Rea says. “Seeing Ronnie Mills at work and learning from him gave me a lot of comfort that if I just tell my story and stick to the facts, I’m not going to sound stupid in front of these legislators.
“The GCSAA and NGCOA, they’re like the PGA of America – we’re in this for our members, in this to serve the trade. I’m so glad they’ve led by example, and that we now have these deepened relationships to help show more elected officials how golf is good in so many ways.”