SLRG President Jon Last joins Mike Hendrix on The Tech Caddie Podcast to review key insights from the new NGCOA Golf Business Pulse report and other SLRG insights on current golf market realities, the economy and other consumer trends.
Yearly Archives: 2026
Sports Broadcast Fragmentation Creates A Needed Opportunity
As sports coverage continues to migrate to streaming services, properties and rights holders need to be more aligned with consumer needs. In his latest for Media Post, SLRG’s Jon Last speaks to both the challenges and opportunities.
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Driver$: Inside golf operations’ latest tech merger
The July 6 announcement of Noteefy’s acquisition of Metolius is more than a combination of two of the more innovative golf facility operations tech providers, it’s a bringing together of two forward thinking organizations that have captured the attention of many of the industry’s leading facility operators. In this special edition of Driver$, Sports and […]
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2026 Golf Business Pulse Report
The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), the only trade association dedicated exclusively to golf course ownership and operations, today released the 2026 Golf Business Pulse Report. This year’s report, again developed and produced in partnership with Sports and Leisure Research Group (SLRG), represents the fourth year of this proprietary insights program. The report incorporates perspectives […]
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Preventing Fraud in Qualitative Research
As part of the Market Research Society’s Global Data Quality Initiative, SLRG’s Jon Last and Michael Mermelstein shared best practices for minimizing potential respondent fraud as part of this May 18, 2026 webinar: (more…)
The Cautionary Reality Of The 2026 World Cup
It feels like the media has been force feeding soccer down the throats of American sports fans for decades. Even before the U.S. was awarded the World Cup, there was a persistent drumbeat suggesting that “the beautiful game” was going to grow to dominate our national psyche. As we sit on the cusp of the […]
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ARDA Keynote General Session
SLRG President Jon Last led off a lively panel discussion on how macro-economic and cultural realities are impacting the ways that different generations experience the travel market as part of ARDA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas. You can watch the video here: (more…)
Driver$: Satisfying a hunger for golf
Spencer Potter joins Sports and Leisure Research Group president and “Driver$” co-host Jon Last to look at how technology is literally meeting golfers “where they are” with a tech-enabled food and beverage delivery solution that is helping golf courses increase profitability while improving customer service.
Read More » Would Teddy Roosevelt Approve Of Today’s Sports Environment? Should We Care?
In my nonprofessional life, I’m still an active participant in sports, both as weekend warrior and youth sports administrator. I still strongly subscribe to principles of fairness and inclusivity. I’ve advocated for making sports safer and more welcoming through positive reinforcement rather than negativity or punishment, to motivate and grow broader participation and fan engagement. […]
Read More » Monthly AIF Research At A Glance
The timeshare industry continues to perform steadily amid a complex and uncertain macroeconomic environment. Sales trends from ARDA’s 2025 H2 Report show positive year-over-year growth in Q3, with only minor late-period softening in Q4. The Vacation Ownership Sentiment Index, which measures month-over-month travel habits of 500 timeshare owners against 500 average U.S. travelers, is up year-over-year, reflecting sustained confidence […]
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