Vince Ramagli is a PGA Teaching Golf Professional at Springdale Golf Club, in Princeton, New Jersey.
Vince Ramagli on the importance of offering one-day golf schools:
Here in the northeast time is at a premium, as our season is generally about seven months long. With this in mind, I offer a monthly one-day golf school from April to October. Covering a different topic each time, I enjoy conducting these sessions that provide a group learning experience for members while maximizing instruction revenue for me. Topics include Chipping and pitching, Teaching with Trackman, Greenside and fairway bunkers, Putting (with Blast Motion Golf), Full swing, Course management, and Driver. We strive to make attending these sessions as easy as possible for members by keeping them to a manageable amount of time (2-3 hours) and holding them on Saturdays. We announce each new golf school three to four weeks in advance via a video email to members and subsequently promote them within the weekly video emails that I send to our members. They enjoy the tips and information I provide in the weekly videos so I know they will be sufficiently informed of our upcoming events, such as these monthly group learning opportunities. We average almost a dozen participants at each clinic and open the sessions to members only. At Springdale Golf Club, we have a great practice range, short game area, and practice putting green to utilize during our member golf schools, which makes teaching here a pleasure. With 2018 being only the second year offering the one-day golf schools, we have been pleased with the participation we’ve had, as well as the feedback from members.
Vince Ramagli on the business impact of offering one-day golf schools:
Group instruction often renders benefits to students AND teacher. The students enjoy golf instruction with friends and fellow members, learning from each other’s failures, while building upon their success. They are often more at ease in this setting than they would be in a private session. We are also able to keep the cost per student more manageable by offering group instruction. For me, I appreciate earning the revenues that teaching ten or more students at once produces. Additionally, I am able to build future golf schools off the previous ones as members enjoy the one-day golf school format and want to learn about the other topics we will cover throughout the year. There are some, however, who pursue individual lessons, truly boosting my lesson revenues. Also, I am able to generate revenues in the golf shop through new club sales (especially putters and wedges), and our food & beverage services through increased play by members. With many different members taking part in these sessions over the first two years, I have been able to touch much of our membership, helping them improve while displaying my knowledge and expertise. Members love the idea and it’s been great for the club as well. All it takes is a little planning and your members will be talking up your golf schools, as our Springdale members have been boasting about ours.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email vramagli@yahoo.com
