Eric McInerney, PGA Apprentice and Head Golf Professional at McGolf Learning Center in Dedham, MA is a four time Top 50 GRAA Teaching Professional Award Winner.

Eric McInerney on the importance of “Beat the Pro Night”:
We have a private member green at our facility. Every Tuesday and Thursday night from 7:30 to 8:30pm, I join the members for a nine-hole up-and-down contest. Any member is welcome to play and has to show up at 7:30, as if it’s a tee time in a tournament. The members have so much fun having this contest and look forward to it each week. It’s also instructional-based, so if I see one of the members struggling with their short game, I give him or her some tips to help them improve. I’ve done this contest for the last two years and It has been extremely successful. Certain members actually work a little harder on their short game during the week to prepare for the contest because they want to beat the pro in the competition. If anyone beats the pro we offer a prize, usually a couple buckets of golf balls or an hour play on our full swing simulators.

Eric McInerney on the business impact of “Beat the Pro Night”:
This has been a great selling point for our short game area, because a customer interested in joining the green loves the idea of getting free tips in a competitive atmosphere. Our membership is $285 for three months and $395 for a full year. If we sell 20 extra memberships because of this added feature, we generate over $6,000 in revenue. It also gives the members a great opportunity to meet each other and I’ve seen lots of friendships develop over the last couple years. These friends end up playing golf together, which is a great way to grow the game.

If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email eric@mcgolfonline.com