The Bay Club at Mattapoisett (Mass.), Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J., and Alpine Country Club in Cranston, R.I., top the list of golf-related businesses that have “found success once they were able to find their own distinct voice and style.”
The Huffington Post reported on five golf business success stories in its business blog.
“Many golf clubs and golf ventures have found success once they were able to find their own distinct voice and style, whether it’s through membership alternatives, or amenities like swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness studios and family friendly options including child care. In other cases it was through innovation, technology and listening to the consumer by adapting some fun alternative twists on the game,” contributor Elisa Gaudet wrote.
The five success stories include:
- The Bay Club at Mattapoisett (Mass.), an Audubon Sanctuary, is set on 625-acres of forested land. It offers members a Brad Faxon championship golf course and a multitude of sports and activities for every season. It was originally intended to be a private club combined with a housing real estate play, but it became a victim of the 2007 real estate slow down. The bank was ready to foreclose when the members formed an LLC and Board, and started dealing with the bank directly to buy out the club from the developer. Overtime they weathered the economic downturn and turned the club around by creating varying membership programs. Overall they have had a 15% increase in membership. A great reason for their success is that The Bay Club is defined by its diverse members and cared for by top professionals.
- The historic Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J., opened in 1916 and nearly a century later it was purchased by RDC Golf Group. The golf course, an 18-Hole championship course, was designed by famed golf course architect Albert W. Tillinghast. The ninth hole at Shackamaxon has always received notoriety as one of the first island greens in the United States and was voted one of the most intimidating holes in the New York metropolitan area. As part of the club enhancements to bring this club to its former glory and success, the RDC Group completed a full golf course bunker restoration. Additionally, they added a new resort style pool complete with a walk up/swim up bar and refurbished its elegant ballroom and opened its venue to the public for catered affairs and special events. Shackamaxon is experiencing an exciting renaissance with full golf memberships growing from 117 in 2012 to over 325 in 2015, and social memberships more than doubling during that time.
“After acquiring this historic country club, we lowered the dues and invested in the course and club facilities,” said Christopher Schiavone, co-owner of Shackamaxon Country Club and Chief Executive Officer of RDC. “With an emphasis on value to the member and creating a welcoming environment for new members, their families and their guests, we have seen unprecedented membership growth in this still-struggling economy. We believe we offer the best club and service for the money in our area and the success of Shackamaxon supports that.”
- Alpine Country Club was founded in 1962 and is a private club set on 210 acres of land in western Cranston, R.I. Troon Prive᷄ came on board in May 2014 as Alpine was struggling to gain new members because of a lack of differentiation in the market place. Troon, along with the board, suggested a $750,000 investment into renovations of their facility including upgrading the dining rooms, locker rooms and pool area as well as a new pub and state of the art sports entertainment center. In addition to the physical changes the club is now managed by Troon Prive᷄ giving the members access to other Troon courses worldwide. The Alpine Country Club was founded on values which were stated on the first sign to be at the entrance of the Club: “The peak of enjoyment for the entire family”. This has become even more relevant as people are starting families later in life and looking for social outlets. With over 350 family memberships they are enjoying healthy growth. Since March 2015 they have had 60 new families join.
Other golf businesses highlighted include Topgolf, which features venues with multi-tiered driving range with TVs, cocktails and games has taken golf to a new entertainment level, and has experienced unprecedented growth with 15 current locations and 10 coming soon; GolfBoard, a motorized skateboard that enables golfers to be more active than using a cart and move faster than walking; and GolfTec, which has experienced a 73% increase in revenue and 51 new locations in the US resulting in a total of 200 locations worldwide, with more than 5.7 million golf lessons given and the number one employer of PGA professionals in the world.
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