A stakeholder marketing perspective: golf’s potential to (re-)position as a health sport

Abstract

Modern societies are challenged by unhealthy lifestyles. There is great evidence that regular physical activity offers positive physiological, mental and social health benefits. Emerging research shows that golf as an activity for a whole lifetime can combine an array of health benefits for all age groups but amongst the elderly in particular. Yet, golf governance and management has been shy to embrace this opportunity in order to market and position the game. Hence, this brief contribution argues for the potential to fundamentally (re-)position amateur golf as a health sport amongst a full set of stakeholders—especially against increasing competition in the sport and fitness market and dropping golf participation numbers in major European and overseas markets. As part of initiating a debate and outlining marketing, management and governance research avenues, understandings and perceptions of current golfers towards the ‘healthy side’ of golf are empirically reported. Results support the view that shifting the framing of the game can lead to a new and stronger positioning on perceptual maps.