According to the latest golf industry report published by Plimsoll, which consulted over 800 companies in the UK golf industry, this recession - which is partly fuelled by the credit crunch - is not as ‘nineties' as we would all have hoped, with the industry shrinking in 2008 by 4.3%, and even though sales are up in some quarters, profit margins are down.
The report makes for sobering reading, yet from the aviation industry, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary was characteristically bullish in a recent BBC interview.
"I love recessions," he said. "Good times are a pain in the bum. In good times any idiot can make money. In recessions the good get off their backsides and start doing sensible things that they should do all the time. It's good for our business because Ryanair will emerge from this recession stronger, fitter, leaner and still taking lumps off competitors."
The advantage Ryanair has in a slow economy is that people still travel by air, but they will look to do it for less and turn to the budget airlines. A similar trend might be appearing in golf shops. People still have money to spend, but they might think twice instead of making impulse buys, and perhaps they will go for a mid-range purchase when previously they would have gone for the top.
O'Leary's message is a positive one: it's not the recession itself that dictates success or failure, but the way in which we react.
Lastly, you may or may not have noticed a small shift in the editorial team at SGB Golf, with former editor Duncan Lennard taking on the roving role of contributing editor, while I have sat down in the editor's chair. Duncan did a great job as editor and we are delighted he is staying on in this new role, which will ensure SGB Golf continues to go from strength to strength.
Robin Barwick
