With the days getting longer, here are some great strategies to boost play and revenue at your golf operation.
Here are some ideas that you can implement this summer to increase your food and beverage sales, league play and family play.
Dine and Nine: A perennial favorite. Charge $30 for dinner and 9 holes of golf after 5 p.m. Obviously adjust your rates and times depending on your facility. Focus on the family - kids 12 and under play free with a paying adult.
Wine and Nine: Here's an idea to increase play for women. Offer instructions, nine holes of golf and wine-tasting with appetizers. At one facility we charged $40 and had 40 women participate for 10 weeks. That's $16,000 this facility wasn't seeing before.
When Leagues Pay: Have individuals pay each week after their round instead of the group paying up front. Sure it takes a little more work, but think about it. If you have 30 to 60 people finishing at the same time, you can create a sense of community and you can sell additional drinks and snacks.
Wireless Access: Offer wireless Internet access at your facility. It's becoming the norm at most hotels and restaurants, like air-conditioning was in the 50s. You can set it up for less than $200, and it provides a good reason for folks to eat and conduct business at your facility.
Practice Lunch: Offer a complementary bucket of balls with lunch to attract a local lunch crowd. Your restaurant offers something no other restaurant can-golf!
Targeted Communication: Create a segmented e-mail list of people that want to receive your weekly lunch specials. Create a comment card or table-tent for customers to fill out and sign up for weekly lunch specials.
Kids Play Free: One child (17 and under) plays for free with each paying adult. Restrict it to the afternoons, as your morning play slows and before your league or twilight play picks up.
Summer Family Days: Pick Sunday afternoon or one of your slower times and dedicate it to families. Promote that the course will be family and beginner friendly-with slower play and kids teeing off from the 150-yard marker. Kick it up a notch and bring in a face-painter or balloonist for a couple of hours. Create an affordable golf-and-food combo that competes with the movies, amusement park and other competing family entertainment dollars.
Be a Hero: Make your customers heroes by providing them a pizza for the family after their round. Pizzas are inexpensive. You can create them raw or buy frozen. It costs less than $5 and gives the customer a $20 value!
