As part of the “Living Golf” program on CNN International, Shane O'Donoghue traveled to Ponte Vedra, Florida to take stock of golf at the HSBC Golf Business Forum.

Photo: DR

Meeting with a major figure in professional golf considered as one of the best golfers of all time but also as one of the precursors of modern golf: Jack Nicklaus.

The golf construction market today

“From 2006 to 2016, we did not get a contract to create new golf courses in the United States. It's been a while. There have been around the world in exotic places that I had never visited before. But in the last six months, we have seen a recovery in activity, people are regaining confidence, and the economy too. "

A look back at the golf economy of the past 10 years

“The global economy is not good for a lot of regions, especially the United States. We went through times when I wasn't sure if we would have more golf yards or not. Designing a golf course is synonymous with luxury for most people. I didn't think we were going to see a return to business because it takes a long time. But what happened was that there were these poorly designed lots, and some older ones that needed maintenance or transformation. There has been this rebalancing in the golf market with, I hope, the arrival of a larger golf community. This is a good thing, in time we will get there. "

What future for the golf business in the next 5 years?

« The Olympic Games will have an effect on the golf market. I could be wrong but I think we will have about 50 more countries to have golf federations thanks to the Games. When you see that the Olympics are starting to be hosted by countries that are starting to develop in this sport, you will see that the game will progress and evolve. "