Stretching the game

The game has had an amazing growth spurt. The past 40 months have been a true gift for the game and golf courses everywhere. Many ex-golfers have returned, while newly baptized men, women, and juniors have come aboard to make the game the great oasis during a time of stress, fear, and much confusion. The game is working. Many private clubs continue to have membership waiting lists, while public course tee sheets see just a small amount of white space several days each month. Although there is that fear of a hard stop, several lights still remain green, including the strong rounds numbers all season long. As you think and plan out the next 12-18 months, know that property leaders will need to remain offensive-minded, working to build rounds and overall value, with a service strategy that brings out your best.

This In My Opinion post is about leaving the office, taking the sales team, and connecting to members of your community who have yet to experience your property or play the game at any level. Even though there are 32 million golfers now playing at some type of golf facility, there are many others who have never touched a club. With golf being the hot game, along with Pickleball over these past three years, there is now, I believe, the need to put together a plan, assemble the team, and connect to that world just beyond your gates. This post provides three ideas about how to present your property and the game. Here they are:

Have a plan: Before you make your first visit outside the gates, develop a plan. Get together with your managers and salespeople to come up with a proactive strategy that will work to bring people through the gates. It’s all about your call to action. As many as it takes.

Spend extra time with the most influential people and groups of your community: This might include the local Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary, the many diverse organizations in the area, including the men and women that have influence throughout the surrounding areas. To develop a plan that people will bite into, know it may take several visits and many conversations to gain support for your ideas.

A call to action: Although you may have several property assets to introduce, my suggestion is to focus on introducing and teaching the game. Allow the game to be the springboard that can create traffic that in turn can introduce your guests to the entire property and its amenities. Ideas include free golf clinics, a free “introduction to golf” meeting with snacks and beverages one or more evenings, or a simple introduction to the game along the putting green with a fun putting contest. What you want is many people coming through the gates as soon as the weather allows. This not only can create important cash flow, but also create an influential buzz throughout the community you are hoping to reach.

Whether you decide to offer season-ending fall programs or promotions for spring, it is an important time to grab the ball and know the next phase of growth is in your hands. You have a great head start as 2.5 million new golfers have joined the sport during the pandemic, not counting those who grabbed their sticks from the attic and fell in love again. The game, although cooling down, has never experienced the amazing, sustained bump of the past three seasons. It is now up to all of us to keep the air in the balloon and allow it to stay afloat.

Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion post. Jack has been in the game since 1973. He understands operations, the golf shop, service, and building organizations and their people. Jack can help you, your team, and your operation get better. Why not reach out and find out? Email him at jackd@careerdividends.com or call 407-973-6136. Jack lives in Orlando. Buy his newest book, The Grand Tug of War: buying and selling in the Real World on Amazon.