Along with other sectors of the province's tourism industry, business was down last summer at most of the Island's golf courses.
However, the executive director of Island Golf (formerly Golf P.E.I.) explains the industry has taken a number of steps to turn that situation around. Gary Ready explained part of the decline was due in part to mother nature- the traditional spring should season of May and June was cold and wet.
"That put us in a hole right off the bat and when you are only talking a season that lasts a few months, it is pretty hard to catch up," Ready said.
While there may not be much they can do about that problem other than cross their fingers and pray, Ready said the industry has launched a number of other new initiatives he is confident will pay dividends this season and beyond.
By the end of last season, he said it was evident the industry needed a long range marketing and development plan. He said a professional consultant was hired and the group's name change is just part of the new industry outlook.
"The name change is designed to reflect the fact golf is just a start," he said. 'There is no much more to do in terms of visitors- beaches, entertainment, crafts- we have the whole package."
He said the consultant pointed out the need for additional marketing and the association responded by attending more golf shows throughout Canada and the United States. Such shows, he said, offer a chance to sell the Island golf product to the movers and shakers in the industry.
This year, the organization attended the Detroit golf show for the first time, in recognition of the fact a direct Detroit-Charlottetown air service is being launched this summer. He added "what we found was that people in that area knew about us but it was a little hard to get here-now that problem has been solved."
When they attended a golf show in Toronto, their booth included a shellfish oyster bar that proved to be a hit. Ready added "those are the kinds of things you have to do to differentiate yourself in the marketplace- everybody has golf courses but you have to offer something different."
Ready said over 40 per cent of the tourism traffic on Island courses comes from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. To entice golfers to come across Northumberland Strait, especially during the shoulder season, the industry has implemented the "perfect drive."
The promotion offers package deals not only on golf courses but on the bridge fare and such luxuries as cart rentals. He said customized packages can be put together to include accommodations and other tourist attractions for time away from the links.
"The hope certainly is that people will come more often- perhaps a couple of times earlier in the summer and then later on in the middle of the summer or early fall," Ready said.