The USGA As An Organization And Business


February 3, 2007

The following is an excerpt from USGA President Walter Driver's speech at the Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.:

As the governing body of golf in the United States and Mexico, we are determined to lead with excellence, inside and out. Our mission and core belief is the game and how it is played . We want to better serve all golfers in our jurisdictions. The world is changing and we have to be open to change in an effort to remain stewards for the future of the USGA and the game of golf. We will embrace change so we change at the same rate the world changes; we are preparing for it and will be able to confront it head on.

The USGA Executive Committee and staff spent a great deal of time, study, debate and planning on this. We intend to (1) improve the platform of the USGA so that the USGA is organized to meet present and future golf and economic challenges and (2) build the best staff and volunteer team. We believe you will see the USGA is getting better at everything it does. You will see more evolution to meet current needs.

USGA president Walter Driver delivers his speech at the Annual Meeting on Feb. 3 in San Francisco. (John Mummert/USGA)

To build the best staff possible, we spent a large amount of time reviewing the current compensation and benefit programs, structure, and hiring needs in an effort to build a solid foundation for the future. The USGA can now continue to recruit and retain top talent and staff.

We also reviewed the size and structure of every USGA volunteer committee to determine the ideal size range, job description, term limits if necessary, recruitment and selection method for new members and a two-year transitional plan. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization and we couldn't do our job without their help. We recognized that every USGA committee has unique characteristics and as a result we developed a plan that promotes accountability and consistency while allowing flexibility to maintain each committee's uniqueness and expertise. Each Chairman has communicated or is in the process of communicating the results to their respective committees. This will provide for a strong future with dynamic, dedicated and diverse committee members. We thank the committee members and Chairs for their leadership and commitment to the USGA and the game of golf.

We have recently announced corporate partnerships with American Express and Lexus. The corporate partners program will allow the USGA to reach more golfers and educate them on our programs and initiatives. This will strengthen the USGA Members program as part of the golf community and improve our communication with the golfing population. Both companies share many of our values, beliefs and high standards. With American Express, the USGA can help AMEX add value to millions of cardholders while allowing the USGA the opportunity to educate them about our Association and its programs. Lexus will become the official car of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur, alleviating a huge operational issue of our needing 10,000-12,000 "car nights" throughout championship season. These partnerships will benefit both partners and, ultimately, golfers as well.

We are also exploring new ways to use the Internet and better communicate to USGA members, volunteers, players, fans and the golf community. Golf has become increasingly global. In 2006, the U.S. Open television broadcast was seen in excess of 150 nations. USOpen.com received 117 million page views and provided streaming video during the week of the championship. The ideas are unlimited and very exciting - the harder part will be prioritization and implementation. This is yet another example of continued evolution of the USGA's business model.

You may ask "why are we doing this?" And the answer is Built to Last .

Built to Last is the leading business management "bible" and has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for years. The keys to building a lasting, effective institution include:

• Preserve the core and change the process - Absolute dedication to the game but keep up with distribution and media challenges and equipment technology
• Big, audacious goals - best championships in golf, superior volunteers, great player experience, make the game more affordable and accessible
• Cult-like cultures - boy, have we got that!
• Try a lot of things and keep what works - this is what we are doing, open-minded, determined to constantly improve

We all want to pass down our love of the game to the next generation. I hope every one of you makes that a priority in 2007.