Golf Essentials (for Weekend Warriors)

In today's Golf Course Owner and Operator's Forum, we're discussing how to market your golf facility.

I'm leading a discussion on strategies that golf courses typically fail to consider. Golf is what we call a "Considered" buying process. The time it takes to usher someone along the customer lifecycle from stranger to loyal customer is often considerable - 2 to 6 months or more.

The two club owners taking part in the discussion today have two very different facilities, yet marketing principles remain fairly constant. Here are my presentation notes as you follow along - although I don't cover everything and I do jump around a bit.

Data in the golf industry is completely fragmented. There are more than 20 major point of sale systems (think cash registers with accounting software)...and they don't speak the same language. There's really no system of aggregating and using big customer data in the golf business...until now. 

KPI Consult is leveraging tools called Hampton Connect to allow clubs to track, measure and leverage real-time performance data to improve club operations. Club operators have access via phone app anywhere, with the ability to make metrics-driven decisions every day all day. 

All things equal, there's simply no way that a club without this kind of solution can compete with those deploying true data-driven execution. 

At the core, KPI Golf is built around the principle that golf courses serve as the epicenter of the communities in which they reside. The local living environment goes the way of your country club - jobs, recreation, real estate values, quality of life. 

This is a story of how we have chosen to model our company - giving without expectation of anything in return. 

I lost my wedding ring in the ocean this weekend.

We were on a family trip to Southwest Florida. We were staying at a beachside rental in Englewood, just south of Sarasota. 

Our family is very close, and we always have a great time together, laughing and playing games. Well, the silly game that we came up with this time was volleyball...or a modification thereof. We basically all stood in a circle and tried to keep the ball going (we're terrible). 

After we were finished, as I was toweling off I realized that my wedding ring was gone. It feel off my finger in the middle of the ocean while we were playing. The story that ensues is a true representation of giving without any expectation whatsoever...and a ton of luck. 

Our friend John, who we met randomly on that beach modeled exactly how we have chosen to conduct our business. Intent matters and the outcome is always positive.

Cheers

Have you been doing your winter putting homework? 

In this episode, I'm just checking in on your northerners to see if you've been putting in the work. A month back I talked about my indoor putting drills and how they really helped my technique and confidence back when I was in high school. 

All you have to do is take a few minutes every night to hit 100 putts over a dime on your living room rug. Set up, rock your shoulder, listen for the "click" and you're good. Repeat. 

Trust me...it's crazy how big that hole's going to look to you when you finally get outside. 

Working with a couple different golf courses right now to deploy a test run of free golf lessons as a marketing instrument. The program is part of KPI Golf Management's push to get golf courses reconsidering the relationship golf instructors have at their facilities. 

I'll be dedicating 4 - 6 weeks of my time for these free sessions. I'm marketing and taking registrations all on my own. Any business that comes of it is going to the golf facility instructors and to the club. I have no interest in benefitting personally other than to document the experience and the results that come of it. 

Wish me luck and come out and see me when I get started in the next couple weeks! 

Cheers

After a challenging day like today, I was reminded of a round of golf I played out in Arizona at Pine Canyon Country Club in Flagstaff. Great club. 

Following the round, our group grabbed a drink in the grille room. One of them brought up the topic: What's your biggest golf disappointment? 

The stories were amazing. I couldn't believe how interesting the conversation became. 

Give it a try next time you're hanging at the 19th hole. 

Our company KPI golf management just signed a vendor partnership deal with Srixon and Cleveland. They're going to be one of our primary equipment providers at the facilities that we consult with and manage.

So, in return it's pretty typical for these companies to load us up with some personal use gear, clubs, bags, gloves clothing, etc. so that we're able to best represent their stuff.

Super excited to be heading over to Oceanview CC in Ormond Beach next week to get things dialed in. On this podcast, I share a few thoughts on how fittings go, and what I like to focus on to make sure my equipment is right for me. 

Hope you find it beneficial. 

I spent a good 4 hours on the practice range yesterday. I hit a grand total of 0 drivers during that time. 

I spent a lot of time on short game, some putting, pitching, wedge play that became super encouraging. 

For the first time in a while, I was able to really feel that connectivity between body turn and club face. The results were killer - great contact, direction and trajectory control, and just a lot less effort to make things happen. 

I'm on the right track, and hope this one helps you out too. 

Great conversation with my old high school hockey coach Jack Lowry today. He's the head coach of the Vermont Lumberjacksin the Eastern Hockey League (EHL).  

The EHL is part of the Junior A Hockey system where players develop their skills and showcase themselves to top-end college hockey programs. All of the players have aspirations to play college and even professional hockey.  

Coach Lowry brought a couple of his most promising players into the discussion after practice. We talked all about their journey, and the work that it's taken for them to get to where they are in the sport. As you might expect, the drive and work ethic that it takes to succeed in the sport of hockey is much like what it takes to do great things in golf (or really anything for that matter). 

Check out their profiles on the Lumberjack website.  

Glynn Robitialle- a forward from Northville, Michigan     

Mason Emoff- team captain, and a forward from Ontario, Canada      

I love hockey myself, so I was fascinated by what they're doing on a daily basis through the season. Coach Jack made it clear that the Lumberjack organization is one of the best around, giving the players every resource and opportunity that it takes to win.  

The team has been playing great of late, with a 14-1 record since the Christmas break. Just like in golf, an attitude of positivity and grit brings rewards. It really sounds like the team culture is right where Coach Jack needs it to be in this part of the season. They're gearing up for a deep playoff run in the next few weeks. Here's a link to follow the standings or to check out any EHL teamsin your area.  

Hope you find this conversation as intriguing as I did. There are so many takeaways whenever you're able to talk with successful people in their trade.  

Good luck boys! 

Here are some thoughts and tips for traveling to other golf courses. It's super important to get the speed of the greens down before you hit the first tee. 

This simple warmup plan should help.