This book presents Stephen Shmanske's innovative research combining two of his passions, golf and economics. He develops two themes — the use of economics to explore institutional aspects of the business side of golf and the use of golf statistics to shed light on several vexing issues in economics. These two themes are addressed in two settings — the economics of golf course management and the economics of professional golf. Examples from golf course management are covered in separate chapters on golf cart usage, golf course maintenance, and the problem of slow play. Examples from professional golf include the causal relationships from practice to skill to earnings, the tournament compensation model, and the measurement of gender discrimination.

Contents:

• Warming up
• The Front Nine: Golf Course Economics
• The Back Nine: The Economics of Professional Golf
• The Nineteenth Hole

“This book is a useful reference source for economists and golf managers. Golfers themselves have much to learn from it. If it is also able to influence the way in which golf courses are managed, it will have made a lasting contribution.”

“Golfonomics is one of the best books about the economics of sports among the dozens I have read. It is accessible with only rudimentary training in economics and statistics, but is thoughtful and sophisticated. Even those who specialize in the economics of sports will learn new and unexpected things from this nice volume ... Golfonomics could form the basis for a niche course on the economics of golf that might be suitable for those institutions that still have a short term in January or May. This book will capture the attention of both economist-golfers and those more generally interested in clever applications of microeconomics and careful estimation of parameters.”

“Any study of recreational or professional golf as an industry should begin with Stephen Shmanske's Golfonomics”.