Fitness Keeps Golfers Golfing

"Fitness is the number two focus for a changing trend in the private and semi-private club world" – Club and Resort Business Magazine.

At the PGA Merchandise Show in February, VGM Club's Marketing Director and host of "Club Cents," Cam Schultz, caught up with Lance Gill, Co-Director of the Titleist Performance Institute Fitness Advisory Board. Gill is a golf fitness expert and if you haven't listened to the podcast with Lance; you can listen in its entirety here. We transposed a few of our favorite talking points from the interview and included them below.

Interview

Walk us through what you are seeing in regards to this golf and fitness trend.

Lance: The one thing we've seen at our seminars is that people are coming to us and asking for help to provide solutions at their local clubs so they can train like the tour players. The information tour players are handing us is how to get better, longer, faster, and healthier. This is the same stuff amateur golfers can be doing. At the end of the day we are all humans and although tour players are more skilled golfers; if we move better, we play golf better. So these amateurs, and country club members are asking for this service, because when one country club signs on, it becomes a value added service to a country club, a way to differentiate services, provide added value for your membership, and to keep the members on site longer. Keeping members on site for lessons, rounds of golf, food & beverage, and now training; it becomes a new revenue stream.

What is the number one physical deficiency you see in the everyday, amateur golfer?

Lance: I would say the most common physical deficiency for men is inflexible or immobile hip joints, and middle spine. Men always come to us with hurt backs, but we believe that dysfunction in the lower back is often a result of tight or immobile hips and/or tight or immobile spine. Women on the other hand (and juniors too) often times come to us with cores that are weak, glutes that are weak, so back side of the core or the glute and the front of the abdominal are often times weak. They typically have great mobility, but lack stability. Women need more strength training and men need more flexibility training."

“70 percent of golfers play in pain at some point in their life. We need to address that. If a golfer is hurt; they aren't at the course, they aren't playing golf, and your course is losing money as a result.” – Lance Gill

How can VGM Club and LifeFitness help?

Whether your club is large or small, private or non-private, facilities around the country will see huge benefits from adding a fitness facility to their list of amenities. Simple additions like yoga mats or dumbbells can immediately move your club towards a healthier, active, and pain-free membership! For more information on how LifeFitness can help your course visit their supplier page on VGMClub.com or contact your VGM Club rep.