The Portsmouth, Va., property is sending letters to former members to entice them back to the club, while reaching out to golfers who haven’t considered a membership. Launched in March, the program has added 83 members, 41 of which are golf, and the average age among new members has dropped by 17 years.
For Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club in Portsmouth, Va., has launched a program called “Great Again,” which includes sending hand-signed letters to former members to woo them back and reaching out to golfers who may not have considered a membership, the Norfolk, Va., Virginian-Pilot reported.
The effort, launched in March, offers something unprecedented for the club: limited public access. Anyone can sign up for a tee time at a guest rate, and the access will likely come with a pitch to return and, ideally, sign up for a membership, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
“If they taste us, they’ll want to take in a couple more bites of us,” General Manager Joe Meagher said.
Members will still have first dibs on tee times, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
“Everybody is focused on trying to build up our membership here,” he said, adding that members have reacted well to the changes.
Since March, the club has added 83 members, Meagher said. Of those, 41 bought golf memberships. While the average age of its members a year ago was nearly 67, he said, it has dropped to 50 among new members, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
“With numbers like that, we’re heading in the right direction,” Meagher said.
Initiation fees range from $150 to $350 for golf memberships and monthly dues of $100 to $235 a month. Elizabeth Manor had about 420 members at its height in the early 1990s, but its membership has dropped because fewer golfers have more choices, Meagher said. The recession didn’t help, and neither have changes in how people socialize. With the recent membership additions, the club is back up to 387 members as of Friday, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
“Country clubs used to be a venue where you could meet, greet or woo customers,” he said.
As it embarks on its 60th annual Eastern Amateur tournament on July 7, Meagher said, the club is selling the luxury Elizabeth Manor provides, compared to a public course. “We’re trying to create an unforgettable and memorable experience,” he said.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.