Golf games: One of the assets of a well-managed club

I was reminiscing about a golf situation common to many of us, and it dawned on me that my thinking and my approach differed from the norm. My wife and I had decided to chase the weather and find a place to buy or rent during the winter. My input was minimal with one exception: If she found a place on a golf course, my job was to go onto the course and analyze ball flight. In other words, we didn’t want our residence to be a target (albeit unintentional) for errant golf shots.

My next function was to look at the golf community to find a club we could join, as I am the golfer in the family. Private or public, it made no difference, though private was probably going to be the choice. I was fully aware that there were probably some very nice high-end places. Besides being super expensive, some of these places were very proud of their status — an environment where I don’t belong even if I could afford it. So I asked my friends for suggestions and started looking around at different facilities. I’m a golfer and outside meals at the clubhouse and a bridge game for my wife, most of the rest of the club activities pass me by.

This is where my process differs. It must start with a membership person, but I immediately go to the pro shop and ask about games.

Some clubs have a variety of games each run by one person (who plays) and vary by regular tee times, money at stake, etc. These games are not foursomes, so you don’t have to wait for sickness or death to find a spot.

One club told me they have three standard games. First, a senior’s game played from the most forward tees starting at 8:30 a.m. Everyone puts up $20, and they have skins, low net and handicaps monitored weekly to ensure fairness. Then there is a 10 a.m. game, low net, $20, open to anyone. Finally, an 11:30 a.m. game restricted to single digit, and shall we say is more financially demanding. If I wanted to skip the games, my choice.

The second club on my list did not have specific games, but I was told it was very friendly and I’d have no problem finding guys to play with. To me, it was a no-brainer that I joined the first club and have been delighted with my choice. I looked at more than two clubs, but the decision always featured the same criteria: games.

We golfers share a love for the game, but there is another side — it’s a business. On the club side, it must attract members and be able to do so with acceptable dues. At Adams Golf, I learned one lesson that never changed: You have product, but successful sales mean identifying it with a service. Look at how highly competitive equipment sales today are complemented with the service of custom fitting.

At the club level, games are a wonderful service but they must be managed to a high level. Some players don’t participate in games, which means that the course availability must be fair and equitable. Games must be played from tees reasonable for participants, and they are subject to pace of play as are all members.

It isn’t just games; they are one of the assets of a well-managed club.