By Will Reilly, PGA
Junior golfers come with a wide range of abilities and different motivations for learning to play the game. Finding a program that is perfect for each individual can sometimes be daunting. At Sailfish Sands Golf Course in Martin County, Florida, we have a Junior Golf System (JGS) that incorporates many different programs so we can best fit the needs of our young golfers. These junior golf programs include the PGA Jr. League and Junior Golf Summer Camps (using adapted curriculum from the PGA Sports Academy), LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, Youth on Course and First Tee. All of these programs have components that complement each other and help our young golfers grow.
Information about our junior programs is available on our website (www.SailfishSands.com) and on the junior golf brochure that staff provides to anyone under the age of 17 who walks into our pro shop. We utilize cross-promotion and transition kids from one program into another. Most of our juniors are registered in more than one program and they tell their friends about all the different experiences we offer.
There are additional factors that positively impact the performance of our JGS. Our facility is perfect to host all these programs, as it offers a wide variety of amenities including an 18-hole championship golf course (Sailfish Course), a 9-hole reversible course (Sands Course), a pro shop, a grass range powered by Toptracer Range mobile technology, 20 covered and climate-controlled hitting bays equipped with Toptracer monitor game modes and a full-service restaurant.
Staff support at all levels has been key, including our Golf Administrator, Michael Saunders, and our Parks and Recreation Director, Kevin Abbate, who are highly motivated to grow the game, as well as our dedicated marketing and promotions team.
Every facility is different and has different needs, so investigate all the programs you can find to see which ones will help you meet your goals, best serve the community’s needs, complement each other and add to the experience of your junior golf customers.
Financial Impact:
In the first year of establishing our Junior Golf System, we have seen rapid growth in all programs, both quantitatively and financially. Our daily and weekly programs, such as the PGA Sports Academy and Junior Golf Summer Camps, help drive our juniors to the seasonal programs like the PGA Jr. League, which in turn, helps promote our yearly programs such as LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, First Tee and Youth on Course.
The junior programs also create ancillary income through pro shop and restaurant sales revenue created by our de facto partners, their parents. At Sailfish Sands, all of our programs are interrelated and cross-promoted to reach the highest levels of customer enjoyment and satisfaction. And we also recruit the parents of our junior golfers to join our instructional programs for adults:
- Welcome to Golf Program – Founded by the National Golf Foundation and designed to help people
transition from beginners to avid golfers, - Family Golf Program – Creates a learning dynamic that helps families learn golf together,
- Power Principal Program – Addresses the issues of experienced golfers who wish to understand how
their body best harnesses energy and converts it into power at impact.
While I’m sure many of you have found the perfect programs for your course, if you’re still searching for ways to interconnect your programs, consider all the resources available to you and how they can enhance your current golf teaching system.
Will Reilly is a two-time PGA of America National Award winner and the PGA Director of Instruction at Sailfish Sands Golf Course in Stuart, Florida.
