Trey Adams is the PGA Director of Golf at Old Fort Golf Club, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Trey Adams on the importance of engaging all golfer segments through instruction and play:
To maximize daily play and the rounds your facility hosts each year, it is important to engage all segments of golfer on the lesson tee, as well as the first tee. At Old Fort Golf Club, we offer player development programs that target all golfers: new, core, lapsed, and youth. The PGA’s Get Golf Ready Program is the ideal venue for new golfers and those who left the game and are seeking an opportunity to return. Highly-structured and very affordable, Get Golf Ready does just what its name claims and after five weeks, students become golfers and they’re ready to play. Those who want to further their golf instruction can sign up for Get Golf Ready II. GGR second level is also a proper re-entry point for skilled golfers who haven’t played in a long time, and feel that the introductory sessions are too elementary. Our Core Golfers, both men and women, have their respective leagues that keep them engaged for eight months each year. When instruction is on their minds, they can attend the Get Golf Ready sessions or pursue private instruction with our teaching staff. There are also several tournament opportunities on our annual calendar to tap into their competitive side. To encourage increased play across the club, we have a frequent player program that awards points for dollars spent on golf. Players can earn free golf at our daily fee facility by simply playing golf at our course.
Trey Adams on the business impact of engaging all golfer segments through instruction and play:
It’s a fact that golfers who have more fun, play more golf – to increase their enjoyment level, it is vital that we get them playing better golf. Offering various opportunities to learn, play, compete, and even socialize, is the key to success at all types of golf facilities. Engaging the golfers mentioned here, as well as the always-important group of youth golfers, has a direct effect on our bottom line, and because we’ve structured our player development programs as such, rounds are up year after year. With our core golfers playing more golf, they are also frequenting other areas of our facility, including our practice range, food and beverage, and golf shop. This is the definition of “growing the game”. Using social media to promote our player development programs, we’re attracting a younger demographic of golfer, which helps build our future, as well as that of the game itself. If your rounds are down, or your core golfers have stopped pursuing improvement, put a program in place that addresses all of them. Embrace their diversity. Whatever their age, gender, or skill level, engage your golfers and encourage them to better themselves through your instruction. You will experience a great level of success by motivating your customers (and members) to be better, play more, and have more fun.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email radams@murfreesborotn.gov
