The Rebel golf industry analyst

Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid is a guy who’s been tracking golf over the years. He’s a bit of a rebel in that he differs drastically with the estalished guys like the PGA, Golf 20/20, etc.; he paints a much more pessimistic than the happy-talk business suits. Koppenhaver makes a good point in his most recent report, saying that the polarization of the consuming middle-class – or the phenomenon of “trading up” at places like Wal Mart (you save money by buying cheap toilet paper there and use that savings to buy nicer things elsewhere), isn’t happening in golf.

In other words, golfers aren’t flocking to the high-end courses like the industry thought they would. The lower-end courses are doing fine because they’re cheap. But the higher-end, unlike other industries, aren’t benefitting. More people should listen to this guy.