Membership Drive

[johnnypar]

Looking to increase membership............

Does your club offer corporate memberships and if so what do you offer ? Any other ideas that you may have utilized and had luck with ?
Thanks,

John

[againstthegrain]

You might want to do an exit interview on the last 10 members you've lost and find out why they left. Retention is a lot easier than finding new members.

 

My(where hopefully I used to play) semi-private course has lost 50% of it's members over the last 2 years due to slow play, more outings-especially the unannouced type, and poor conditioning of the greens.

 

Corporate memberships are offered at my club, but your course must be run well enough so the members are not embarrased when they bring guests.

[Boise59]

I have a friend who's the GM of a formerly struggling local club. He took the last three year's revenue of carts and range fees and came up with an average. He then divided by the number of members and raised the dues and offered all the free cart and range ball use a member wanted. The old members really weren't paying more (except for the few walkers they had) and it brought in 45 new members who spent on food and beverage as well.

[johnnypar]

Most lost members are due to age and/or health reasons. Club has older membership as like most I believe.

 

This year we have introduced a discounted membership for the 21-29 age group which is missing. We also have in place a discounted senior (70 and over) membership plan.

 

Too many courses and too few golfers plague us as everyone else. Course is in fine shape and very much the same design as when Donald Ross designed it in 1927. Membership costs are if not the best, they are in line with other local courses.

 

Thanks for responding,

 

John

[RNF]

It's the typical CC scenerio in todays market. You need "young blood" and how do you get it.

 

You need to perform a swot analysis with regards to your club.

Strengths

Weakness

Opportunities

Threats

 

One of your big strengths seem to be a Donald Ross design, but you can't live and breath on that alone. You must offer a reason for younger families to join. Key word there is families.

 

How many designees does your Corp membership allow?

 

Have you gone out to the local corporations and spoke to the corp officers and asked what they are looking for in a membership?

 

As mentioned by againstthegrain, an exit survey/interview is a must; even in a bull market.

 

Here's an idea I used at my last club that was a big hit with the membership. They have monthly (ours was quarterly) minimums in the restaurant. Give them the option of paying it up front and they "work it off their books throughout the year". The response was overwhelming. Now they can eat at their liesure rather than scrambling on the last day of the period. It helps F & B as well by not having to scramble to provide quality service on those days where the period ends.

It is more work in the accounting dept, but very minimal if you have a good POS system. The obvious advantage is money up front, which can be used to beautify the facility. Maybe a new pool (indoor maybe) to attract families or new banquet/wedding facilities to bring in outside money.

[Coach]

Most lost members are due to age and/or health reasons. Club has older membership as like most I believe.

 

This year we have introduced a discounted membership for the 21-29 age group which is missing. We also have in place a discounted senior (70 and over) membership plan.

 

Too many courses and too few golfers plague us as everyone else. Course is in fine shape and very much the same design as when Donald Ross designed it in 1927. Membership costs are if not the best, they are in line with other local courses.

 

Thanks for responding,

 

John

 

I looked at your website. Awesome looking golf course. I play occasionally at Hotchkiss and I make it a point of finding under the radar courses. I have never heard of yours. A couple of the holes look like the greens have shrunk over the years, and a couple look like the trees are slightly overgrown. This is nick picking. My guess is the only thing you have going against you is that you are a 9 hole course. My suggestion would be to focus less on the really young crowd who have time and prefer 18 holes and focus on families where there is not enough time to play 18, and an afternoon 9 with the kids is part of the program.

 

I looked at a Google Earth aerial, is any of the surrounding land yours to use or sell off? Perhaps a practice facility or sell land for houses. Probably not what you want to do, but perhaps you can still keep a buffer and solve some economic realities.

 

I drive through there to take my son to camp. If you have a chance, please IM me as I would love to play on the way to New Hampshire next summer.

[johnnypar]

Coach,

 

You did some homework!!!!

 

The surrounding land is something we have looked into. Privately owned. We inquired about enough to build another 9 and did not get a "no' but we haven't received a "yes" either.

 

It is a great course. Three and a half years ago we hired a greens keeper really into Donald Ross and he is slowly returning the greens and traps back to where they belong. He also has plans for the trees.

 

I have worked part time (20-30 hrs) weekly in the pro shop for the past six years. At the end of last season we lost our pro of eleven years to a nice 18 holer where he was an a**'t prior to us. We haven't hired the new pro yet so my situation in the shop is still up in the air.

 

I do happen to be on the board and if and when you are coming thru, call me at the shop just ask for JOHN a few days ahead of time and I'll make sure you get your chance at us. Perhaps we can get a round in together. Don't waste time at the other courses that are "under the radar". This IS that course in this area.

 

Have a good one,

 

John

[againstthegrain]

John,

 

The course I'm hoping to leave is a 9 hole semi-private at a conference center about 30 miles from NYC. Our pro is leaving(salary dump) after 22 years as well as a good % of the membership.

 

The result has been an increase in outside play to raise revenue and even greater dissatisfaction for the membership. If you're club heads down this slippery slope please invest in some good rangers and starters. There is nothing worse than a course full of once a year golfers playing a scramble.

 

My club is also making a push to expand the practice facility as the local driving ranges are turned into housing. This will allow them to have more clinics, especially kids clinics($7500 for 6 weeks!!!!!) and to attract more people to the range and then onto the course.

 

I am going to pass on your name and club to the pro. You're probably out of his driving range, but he can make that determination.

 

 

Paul

 

 

PS The quality of this board is unreal, as evidenced in this post.

[Coach]

John,

 

The course I'm hoping to leave is a 9 hole semi-private at a conference center about 30 miles from NYC. Our pro is leaving(salary dump) after 22 years as well as a good % of the membership.

 

 

 

I assume you mean Doral, you may be interested in:

 

http://www.poundridgegolf.com/

 

I have driven by it a few times, and it clearly will alot different than the 9 hole course that was there.

[againstthegrain]

Coach,

 

Yup Doral is correct. The Pound Ridge course is an option. I have an application in at a private club so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. They will be looking as the applications today as a matter of fact.

 

Paul

[johnnypar]

Paul,

 

Resumes' were asked to be in by 1/22. I have a meeting the 23rd to review resumes' and plan a series of interviews. If your guy is interested, let me know and I will make arrangements to contact him.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[againstthegrain]

John,

 

PM sent with details regarding your pro opening.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul