Here’s the top three things I learnt while editing The Golf Business in May

From the inaugural GolfSixes tournament to vital research about what children and their parents think about the game, May could end up being an important month for the industry’s future, writes Alistair Dunsmuir

Thinking outside the box creates your unique selling point

Marketers say golf clubs need to have a unique selling point and Mannings Heath Golf Club & Wine Estate in Sussex certainly has that.

The club has turned nine of its 36 holes into a vineyard so it can offer golfers an experience of more than just golf.

This is the UK’s first golf course winery

Interestingly, even though the wines aren’t ready yet, its restaurant appears to be performing strongly.

Proactive clubs pay attention to industry trends

The GolfSixes event in May, in which teams of European Tour professionals separated by their nationalities played six holes against each other amid shot clocks and music, attracted a lot of positive media interest.

32 golf clubs will take on GolfSixes branding

It’s too early to tell if it will revolutionise golf but 32 English golf clubs deserve credit for launching GolfSixes academies – taking advantage of the current excitement.

If golf is seen as a family activity it will have a very long future

It’s still seen as something older men predominantly play, but research has found that 95 per cent of parents think golf can teach their children valuable life skills.

95% of parents think golf is good for kids

Perhaps more importantly, more than seven in 10 golfing children said they would like to play more golf with their parents.

The potential with these figures is huge.