Golf Course Marketing For 2010



Posted: Sunday, August 22, 2010

by Kegan Moore
http://www.thegrahammarketinggroup.com

Most golf courses strive to acquire a more competitive advantage by constantly decreasing their selling price in these economic times. This kind of marketing strategy will surely fail terribly with time simply because you develop a perception of being a lower price golf facility. When you fail to be creative in your marketing plan you will only attract golfers who will never turn into long lasting customers. Instead, why don't you find out a way to offer more quality services to your golf course members who enjoy your golf course? There are several good lures you can use to catch these golfers with money:

1. Its Time For Creativity: Don't play the game to lose by cutting prices, instead sharpen your thoughts. A better approach is to add value so you can increase rather than decrease prices. Your focus should be on finding creative ways to differentiate your golf course and your customer service. You can find ways to increase demand and revenue while breaking out of the price cutting battle with other courses. Simply do more effective marketing and get so busy that you have to raise you price.

2. 3rd-Party Tee Time Promoting: Did you know that you can reach new golfers and increase your exposure by using email databases from tee time marketing sites? Pay for performance means that you only pay when a tee time is sold, and if the third party site brings traffic then you pay nothing. The days of paying for TV, radio or print advertisements that only promised a return on your investment are over. Some companies, like Golf Trek, have on line customer management solutions that you can use to reach interested golfers instantly.

3. Unique Website Design: You can boost your on line presence with an upgrade to your web site which will drive sales, leads, and tee time booking to higher rates. Having a user friendly golfing software solution will allow any staff member to update your site with news, promotions, events and specials that will attract golfers to your course.

4. Internet Marketing: By having more links pointing back to your web site this will build your search engine rankings and put your web site in front of more golfers who are searching Google. There are effective and stream lined ways to tap into Facebook, Twitter and Youtube that will put your golf course in front of thousands of golfers on the internet. Always keep in mind that people today do not care about your sales pitch or mission statement, they want to know what value you can offer to earn their trust. Sites like GoGolfSpace create a fun social media community for golfers to share information so why not put your golf course on line and join the conversation.

5. Do it Like Cheers! Remember the TV Show Cheers? Why did people keep going to Cheers? The answer is in the song, ''Where Everybody Knows Your Name.''

It teaches a great lesson - Build loyalty through incredible personalization. Here are a few ideas you can use to personalize your golf course: Start a Preferred Member Loyalty Program in which you reward your best golfers. Train your staff on how to remember names. Make photo directories of your customers for staff review. Have a rewards and incentives for the top ''Name Rememberer.'' Create all kinds of special social events at your club where it's very easy for people to get to know each other in a fun, informal way. Make sure there's some ''Intentional Interaction'' so it makes it easy for people to connect, even if they're new to a group. Give away custom> to build your brand outside of the golf course.

6. How would you like to make a positive impression on your community and earn the right to get some ink from your local media?

Here's a few ideas: Have programs for kids to build birdhouses through the school woodshop for your golf course. This program can be especially effective with special needs kids - allow them install the birdhouses on the course and make a meaningful contribution to their community. Have your staff become experts: Let your chef host cooking classes. Have your superintendent host workshops on flower gardens, pruning, thatch control, lawn fertilization and maintenance. Have your golf pros teach etiquette classes to the juniors - complete with a nice graduation ceremony.

Golf course marketing can by easy if done correctly and effectively. GolfTrek has sold over 1 million rounds of golf since 1979 for Myrtle Beach Golf Packages then let the golf masters at Golf Trek and yourgolfpackage.com show you how 30 years of experience puts you on the green
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