Joe Porter is the PGA head golf professional at Stonybrook Golf Club in Hopewell, New Jersey.
Joe Porter on the importance of offer private classes in addition to individual lessons and GGR programs:
Player development is the key growth strategy for Spirit Golf Management and Stonybrook Golf Club. Here at Stonybrook we began to offer private classes that focus on a group concept and, most importantly, at the paying customer’s convenience. Much like a Get Golf Ready program, we offer a five-week platform that allows the participants to choose the exact days they want to attend versus a more typical one-day-per-week schedule. This gives a family or a group of friends with varying schedules the opportunity to learn, have fun together and partake in the program at their discretion without missing any programming. Not only do we focus on golf fundamentals, but we also cover etiquette, Rules, operation of a golf car and buggy, bag drop and check-in, as these extremely important basic components can sometimes be overlooked.
Joe Porter on the business impact of offer private classes in addition to individual lessons and GGR programs:
Each class is one hour, and we run the gamut of basic fundamentals and course introduction. We charge $300-$400 per group and we average four students per class. We use the Active Network, email and flyers to promote the program, and we have a nearly a 60 percent retention rate. We average 48 percent youth, 43 percent female and 57 percent male. Last season we had 25 students totaling 80 hours of class time. For a smaller public facility, I’m happy with the success and additional $5,500 in lesson revenue generated through 16 sessions of private classes. Here at Stonybrook we continue to think creatively and find unique ways to support growing the game of golf, whether it is PGA Junior League Golf, GGR or our local First Tee chapter. Spirit Golf and Stonybrook are “growing the game one club at a time.”
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email joe7porter@hotmail.com
