Probably, you have already heard the Centurion Club will host the European Tour’s inaugural, new GolfSixes tournament from the 6th – 7th May this year. This tournament is really unique for two reasons:
- The introduction of a brand new short form of the game.
- The Millennials became an important consideration.
GolfSixes is a revolutionary, short form of tournament golf that will feature two-man teams from 16 different nations. The tournament will be played over six holes of the course around a centrally located fan zone.
The event will be covered by Sky Sport. To boost fan experience Sky Sport will use POV (point-of-views) cameras (see GoPro, iON camera) and caddie cams, as well as an interactive digital experience with polls, user-generated content and unique social media content.
Such technology usage is not totally new for major golf tournaments. Already in 2015 in the 97th PGA Championship, the organizers used drones and beacon technology. They provided via the official mobile application live streaming video coverage of certain groups and holes.
It will be interesting to ask if fans can use Periscope or any other live streaming application during the tournament. Do you remember what happened to Stephanie Wei in 2015 at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship?
Will the Centurion Club provide also concierge apps /chat bots? It can be a great help for organizers to manage a large number of people. They should not forget either to provide opportunities for selfies.
Is Centurion Club ready for Millennials?
Now we are getting to the second interesting aspect. This was the first time when I hear from a European Tour leader that they would like to open to Millennials.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour did not say literally Millennials, but I think he referred to this generation when he said: “I encourage everyone, whether they are a golf fan or not, to come along to Centurion Club in May and immerse yourself in an occasion which will be unlike anything else you have experienced on a golf course before.”
I think the above-mentioned examples and tools can help a lot to provide a unique experience and irreplaceable memories for Millennials. I would also think about how to give them a sense of community via such golf events.
At the same time, the right approach to Millennials is to think about how can we adjust our golf club to fit their engagement.
