(Washington, D.C., May 18, 2016) – The National Club Association (NCA), as part of WE ARE GOLF—a coalition of the game’s leading associations and industry partners—will meet with members of Congress today for National Golf Day to share stories and data about golf’s diverse businesses, employees, tax revenue creation, ties to tourism, charitable contributions and environmental leadership, and to advocate for the interests of golf’s business, including private clubs, with regard to key issues such as the Department of Labor’s overtime rule, H-2B visa delays, seasonal employees and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.
Golf is vital to the American economy, creating more than 2 million jobs and providing workers with a combined income of more than $55 billion. More than 24 million Americans play golf, making the game a $70 billion industry with an overall impact of $176.8 billion.
This year’s National Golf Day meetings will bring new focus on legislative and regulatory issues that impact golf. The new overtime rule will extend overtime pay to 4.2 million additional workers, imposing high costs to golf facilities. H-2B visa delays as well as seasonal employee rules have negatively impacted golf facilities, demanding the need for relief and clarification in these areas. The WOTUS rule dramatically increases the scope of waterways that would fall under federal jurisdiction and will make it more difficult to manage golf operations and undermines golf facilities’ ability to remain competitive.
“Golf continues to play a critical role in fueling our nation’s economy, both on local and national levels, impacting thousands of small businesses as well as the millions of workers the game employs,” said Henry Wallmeyer, NCA President & CEO. “Golf also gives back to the communities that support it, raising more than $4 billion in charitable contributions each year. We’re thrilled to partner with WE ARE GOLF once again to celebrate the game and advocate on its behalf to ensure that the golf industry continues to thrive for years to come.”
NCA will be represented by Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel Brad D. Steele, NCA Past Chairman Kirk Reese, and NCA Vice Chairman Ted Benn of Thompson & Knight LLP. NCA will be joined by the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) CEO Jeff Morgan, Sr. Director of Communications and Government Relations Melissa Low, and board member Luke O’Boyle, general manager and COO of the Chevy Chase Club. The following meetings are on their agenda:
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Legislative Counsel Martin Reiser
Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Chief of Staff Dave Hoppe
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Chief of Staff Tim Berry
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chief of Staff Tony Blando
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Chief of Staff Keith Heard
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Chief of Staff Joan Kirchner
Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), Chief of Staff Brendon Plack
For more information, visit the National Golf Day 2016 website, or follow the Twitter hashtag #NGD16.
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About NCA
Since 1961, the National Club Association has served as the primary advocate for private clubs, representing their business, legal and legislative interests, while providing a wealth of invaluable resources to address educational needs of clubs related to operations, model club practices and effective leadership. For more information, visit www.nationalclub.org.
