“The golf course industry as a whole contributes close to one billion dollars annually to the Las Vegas economy,” Restrepo Consulting Group report, 2003

This article was initially published by the award-winning In Business Las Vegas news publication.

All over, industries are failing and struggling to stay solvent. And, unfortunately, golf is an industry that hasn’t escaped the cruel hand of the current economic conditions. In Las Vegas, course managers are working hard to attract players with new deals and incentives, while nationally, the PGA Tour and other organizations are working hard to maintain sponsors because the same companies that sponsor golf tournaments are the ones that are going bankrupt or being saved by the bailout(s). As Amy Poehler said on a recent Saturday Night Live, “If your commercials air during a golf tournament, you’re done!”

Sometimes humor hits a little too close to home.

But one thing that is important to remember about the game of golf is that the surrounding industry is a multi-billion (trillion?) dollar behemoth that provides major benefits to society. The industry employs hundreds of thousands of people and generates revenues through club sales, food and beverage receipts, green fees, and other intangible ways. And golf helps out society by raising tons of cash for worthy organizations. Recently, the PGA Tour announced that more than $123 million was raised for charity in 2008 through the hard work of the volunteers and tournament committees.

Currently in Las Vegas, a new industry group, headed by the Southern Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association (SNGCSA) and the Nevada Golf Course Owners Association, is being formed to help ensure that golf is given the respect it deserves as an industry. Some goals of the organization are to lobby governments on behalf of issues that could positively or negatively impact the industry in addition to getting the message out to the general public about how important the industry of golf is to the economy.

“There is always strength in numbers so we know that more can be accomplished if key organizations who benefit from golf in Southern Nevada work together to reach our fellow citizens and policy makers with the positive message about golf,” says P.J. Maguire, President of the SNGCSA. “We feel as though we are already a kind of silent partner with the tourism machine in making Las Vegas an outstanding place to visit. The goal is for golf to be fairly represented and an active participant in discussions and decisions that involve the industry.”

Nevada State Senator Bob Coffin is an avid golfer and a huge proponent of the golf industry in Las Vegas, and for several years has been working behind and in-front-of the scenes to help lobby on behalf of golf.

“Golf is a critical part of the Las Vegas economy and it’s important that we nurture it,” says Coffin. “It’s too bad that it seems like we need to be protecting the industry on many fronts, but some believe that golf is just a whimsical recreational activity, but it’s very important to Las Vegas for many reasons.”

To many, golf is viewed as a “rich man’s pursuit”. Many believe that if there weren’t any golf courses, nobody would suffer other than the lily white, rich folks who live behind the gates of the country club. But according to numbers provided by the Restrepo Consulting Group, golf is, at minimum, a billion-dollar industry in Las Vegas. And when you factor in real estate values, taxes generated, tourists attracted to the city because of golf, etc., it would be easy to increase that billion-dollar total upward when some of those intangibles are considered.

“There are hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the golf industry and those dollars ricochet throughout the community,” says Coffin.

Golfers from all over the world—some 800,000 annually, based on estimates—come to Las Vegas, and when they come they spend money on rooms, food, shopping and entertainment. And, on average, golfing tourists stay in Las Vegas longer and spend more money than a non-golfing tourist. At every level, the economic indicators show just how huge of an impact that the golf industry has on Las Vegas. On a local level, the golf industry provides thousands of jobs and nearly every charity in town utilizes golf courses to generate much-needed revenue.

But, in some cases, the golf industry is under attack. The industry—and the courses—are routinely singled out as water wasters, but the science shows that golf courses are very conscientious water users and every effort is made by superintendents to not waste a single drop of water. Over the last several years, the industry has saved more than a billion gallons of water through conservation efforts. But even so, impending rate hikes and more restrictions are threatening the industry.

“It seems that there is a lack of awareness of the truth about golf course water use in Southern Nevada and a lack of appreciation for all that golf actually provides to the people and governments and those are key factors in the ongoing pressure of golf courses about water use,” says Maguire. “It is therefore urgent that the greater golf industry band together to get the real and positive information out to raise awareness and build support for golf.”

Senator Coffin also says that courses offer nice open spaces amongst the urban sprawl which are vital to a positive living experience. And, he says, golf courses play a vital role in flood control, a fact rarely mentioned when the benefits of golf are discussed.

Golf is truly much more than a game, especially in Las Vegas.

Editor’s note: If you are interested in becoming involved in the industry’s new coalition, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Brian Hurlburt is the former founder of VegasGolfer Magazine, and the founder of BusinessGolfNow.com. Feel free to comment by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it