Rightsizing

The game of golf has never been bigger or better in the minds of many. Unlike the old days there is no constant plea for the next version of a player development program. COVID helped solve the white space for so many tee sheets. For more than a year now golf fans have heard about the new global game and how it can rise to become the grand sport for the masses. Thanks to an old vision and a new, questionable partner, the game is lining up to jump leaps and bounds over its former self. Golf may soon be set to make professional men and women athletes richer beyond any dreams they once had while pounding balls on the range as young kids.

That’s the professional game. Certainly, golf is looking to catch other sports where the best performers make life-changing money. While once even the best players had to make a cut to make a check, the new money list just might have more zeroes than one can count. We will still love our golf and our favorite players, but the feel of this new game may take time to get used to once the music stops and people settle into golf 3.0. As amateur golf plays out on the other side of that conversation, your goals feel the same: create true hospitality and a grand day of golf for your members and guests. In a game that seems too large for even the largest of screens, the local game remains about the people, experience, the fun.

This post is about making the game the right size for your club, your team, and your golfers. It is about doing the many small things that add up to joy, beyond satisfaction. In this In My Opinion post, I provide three thoughts, hoping to offer a realistic snapshot for the day of golf wherever you manage the experience. Here are the three ideas:

It’s about people: Building a successful club means creating a grand population of golfers, staff members, suppliers, and even family members, in order to execute, enrich, and support the mission of the property. When you can pull together people that believe in and support your mission, the rest is execution. Although it took just four lines to provide this direction, building, supporting, and retaining people from all sides of the business is the real 24/7 task. In this new world of musical chairs, keeping people ever satisfied takes a very real, dynamic focus. Work to make people feel better than satisfied.

It’s about the day: No matter the purse at the next Tour event, golf at your place is about the greens, the gimme putt, the beverage cart arriving on time, and the next funny story about a “lost” ball. Golf and success is about the day and how many people leave your club feeling great about how they spent their time. Why not role play a day at your club and how it is designed to work? When you can help predict success, your team can more easily pull it forward. Instill the idea that creating smiles, great comments, and added time on property are positives that will enable the club to grow, increase sales, and add events to sell in the future. It is always about the day.

It is finally about the feeling: We all want to feel good about our decisions. This includes where we spend our money, where we decide to work, and where we spend our time. With a member, you want them to feel far greater than satisfied that they chose your club. With staff, the same holds true. With hospitality struggling, you need to have your team members feel good about where they work and the people with whom they share the mission. I believe it is vital to never take feelings and attitudes for granted. Members may quit because of the cost of things. They may also quit because of the experience vs. expectations. It is so important to speak with your members about how each one feels about their investment, their game and how it is all working. Staff members quit abruptly, and they quit on people. Understanding the people dynamic at the club can help prevent good people from leaving. Beyond the culture, it is essential to create schedules that work in the real world. Always be mindful of the day from every point of view.

No matter how large the game of golf feels on screen, making it feel right where you work is the mission. Spend the time with your managers and team members doing all you can to make the experience right, every day. As we all know, there is no “one size fits all.” Rightsizing means making the day feel good for every person walking through your door. It is a 24/7 effort.

Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion posts. He has been in the game since 1973. His newest book, The Grand Tug of War: buying and selling in the Real World is available now. Jack is a speaker and consultant. He can help your team. Contact him at jackd@careerdividends.com or 407-973-6136. Jack lives in Orlando.