"I have found that CourseTrends is simply capturing another audience of golfers that we were missing before and the financial rewards have been simply remarkable." - Rick Reid, Blackthorn Golf Club |
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If I Owned a Golf Course....Like most golfers, I’ve spent my share of time on courses thinking, “Man, if I owned this place, I’d [fill in the blank].” As a marketing guy, I fill in those blanks with concepts that are proven to drive sales like: …SET A TOP PRIORITY: The day I sign the deed on the dotted line for my golf course, I pull the team together and establish priority number one: service. Then I’d set the example while rewarding those employees who follow my lead. Here are a few service ideas I would focus on: the phone would get answered in 3 rings or less (your phone is your life-line), every customer would be greeted even if I was busy (a simple recognition can go a long way), any customer issues would be resolved quickly and I would listen intently to any customer feedback (good or bad). Additionally, doing something so simple as making sure the hot food is served hot and the cold food is served cold can go a long way towards solidifying your quality of service. …DO IT WELL OR DON’T DO IT ALL: I love golf and I respect the game, so nothing makes me more furious than a rundown club with a musty smell, sloppy looking employees and below average food. As the boss, you need to set the standard and put a boot where it hurts to get people moving. If your Web site isn’t reliably making money, replace it with a tool that converts site visits into tee times. If your F&B is below average, kill the menu, focus on making the absolute best burger and coldest beer and sell the hell out of those.
…CRANK THE TUNES: A buddy of mine brought an MP3 player to a guy’s golf outing in Cabo one time and it made for one of my most memorable rounds ever. So consider loosening up a bit and letting golfers play music on their carts. Hire a local A/V expert to tune your PA system or even upgrade to an all-weather system. Set an upbeat mood for your tournaments by piping music to the driving range and first tee. Bottom line, more fun means better memories and more return business.
…REINVENT YOUR SCHEDULE. People are busier than ever these days and may not be able to carve out five hours for a round, so schedule happy hours with food, drink, lessons and range time so customers can be in and out in 90 minutes. Sell “team building” packages to companies for $30 a head and boost your traffic. Bottom line, make your course fit a customer’s life and they’ll fit your course into their week.
…RETHINK MEMBERSHIPS: There are gyms all over the country collecting dues from members who rarely show up and you can too. Consider offering memberships ranging from $20 to $200 a month. Range-only, Twilight-only and Weekend-only memberships are just a few great examples. Offer a variety of memberships based not only on your customers' availibity, but on their skill level as well. Pick a staff member with some personality and computer skills and have them focus on “memberships sales.” Then, watch your revenues rise.
If you’re a golf traditionalist, you might have gritted your teeth at some of my fill-in-the-blank ideas. But if you want to max out your revenues, it’s time to take a second look at how you’re doing business. If you’re ready to try some new approaches, you just might find that filling in the blank a new way will fill up your bank account faster.
Call us today to schedule your Golf Marketing Review - 877.231.0060 |
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