Bruce Mohler, the 2016 North Florida PGA Section Chapter Merchandiser of the Year, is the PGA General Manager at Greensboro National Golf Club in Summerfield, North Carolina.
Bruce Mohler on the importance of adjusting your group curriculum based on individuals signed up:
Especially in individual sessions, we may look to do something a little different or unique to meet that golfer’s needs. How everyone learns information is different, of course. What about at a group level? Relationships are so much a part of our business. Whether it’s relationships that facilitate business or relationships that facilitate draws instead of slices, relationships are at the core of what we do. Because of this, we must, as coaches, adjust our curriculums based on the talent in the clinic or program pool in front of us if we’ve worked with them previously. We know what they can and can’t do best, and going by-the-book won’t help that. So adjusting for whom specifically signed up is crucial for positive outcomes.
Bruce Mohler on the business impact of adjusting your group curriculum based on individuals signed up:
At my prior facility, while we tinkered with the curriculum for all of our junior, adult and group programs, we found this especially helpful with our women’s programs. Highlighted in a previous Best Practice, that facility saw 300 women join and a 12 percent shop boost due to using PGA Coach. As groups of women became friends and split off, we worked with these smaller groups, doing four sessions a month, on the same day of the week. At the end of each session, we altered the curriculum based on the talent level and needs from each particular session and customized the instruction based on our participants. Recently at my new facility, we’ve had a unique experience where we’re seeing a post-COVID increase in clinics featuring players new to the game. They are interested in the social aspects and opportunities the game brings, way less on having a perfect backswing position. In fact, our first session involved procedures, how to make a tee time, Rules, etiquette, how to buy equipment…essentially entirely a Q&A, with never a trip to the range. The second session was a trunk show so those players could buy new gear and look the part. They wanted a written recap of the session, with virtually none of the contents being about the golf swing. This is a whole new influx of players, with very different goals and aspirations. So just as we would an individual, we want to treat these groups the exact same way, adjusting accordingly. It’s helping them come to the course happier and us with another glance at the opportunities this game brings.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email brucewmohler@gmail.com.
