The golf industry in The Coachella Valley is really important, you guys! And that is according to a study commissioned by the Hi-Lo Desert Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America so you know the study is not biased in any way.
So what kind of findings do you get when the golf industry researches Palm Springs area golf courses? Well, those that you would expect, via The Desert Sun:
The study says public, private and resort golf courses in the Coachella Valley generated $476 million in gross revenues in 2014 and directly employed 8,000 local workers. In addition, indirect and induced revenue, generated by golfers at local shops, restaurants and hotels in the desert as well as in employment in those industries, bumps the impact number to $1.1 billion.
So, the golf industry is solely responsible for a billion dollars flowing into the Valley’s economy, or so they say in their own study which is surely not biased in any way seeing as how it is a study of themselves.
And why release this study now? Surprisingly, Jeff Jensen of the GCSAA actually admitted to The Desert Sun it is about water:
Jensen admits that the findings of the report could help the golf industry as it wades through water usage complaints in the third year of the drought.
Ahh, yes. Californians are sorta pissed about golf courses sucking the wells dry so the golf industry has reacted by researching itself and releasing a report with some $1 billion plus number that no one will ever bother to fact check. But, next time someone complains about the golf industry not adapting to combat the drought, they can tout the results of the “study” because “money” and “jobs”.
Well played golf industry.
