Tim Hobby, the 1989 US Amateur Public Links Champion, 2001 Big 12 Coach of the Year for Baylor University, and 2013 Southern Texas PGA Section Teacher of the Year, is the PGA director of instruction at The Club at Sonterra in San Antonio, Texas.
Tim Hobby on the importance of exposing yourself to all possible clientele:
While my “home” is at a private club in San Antonio, I also happen to coach two of the top junior girls in the state of Texas. As one would expect, coaching them, attending their tournaments, and occasionally being their caddie, draws a lot of attention from parents and fellow players, who are also prospective students. Their success has allowed me to impart my knowledge to many players, and also has allowed me to spread my teaching message to younger students, who tend to be sponges and have the time to work on their game. So things like my putting drills that I teach my adult students (but who don’t always have the time to practice) have worked great for my juniors, and have created a successful situation for all involved. While at my students’ tournaments, I network by telling other parents to check out my website (TimHobbygolf.com) so they can check out the success stories of my students. I am very careful not to intrude on another player that may be receiving coaching from another PGA Professional in the area. Parents of most junior golfers talk to other parents, so word of mouth travels fast.
Tim Hobby on the business impact of exposing yourself to all possible clientele:
The most obvious impact has been additional students, mostly juniors who saw me at tournaments or hear from other players who I coach. More than 50 families have joined The Club at Sonterra during my 11-year tenure as the teaching professional. There happen to be four great high school programs located near our club. Some of those players are members at my club and some aren’t, and the success of the top two girls has brought interest from other students looking for my teaching, usually around 8-10 per school year. Those students have boosted the facility’s bottom line by purchasing their equipment through the golf shop with custom clubfitting. We’ve been able to change lives, too: 50 or so high school students (boys and girls) have also received college scholarships out of my program in 11 years. These factors are great revenue streams for the club and my business and have helped revenue in two obvious ways. No. 1, I can charge a higher hourly rate because of past success of top junior players. And second, more students are coming because of the reputation of our program. Word travels fast when your players are successful, and that equals more revenue, which is a win-win for everyone involved.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email thobby@gvtc.com
