Management firms now openly cite technology as the key to providing better golfing experiences for club customers. |
Summing It Up
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It’s hard enough to run just one club or resort today without the benefit of the latest technology—so it’s not surprising that golf management firms, with multiple facilities to operate and control, are driving the industry to new levels of automated sophistication, both on a collective and individual-property basis. Management firms now openly cite technology as the key to providing better golfing experiences for club customers.
“To us, technology is more than an electronic tee sheet or a broadcast e-mail system—it is the central nervous system of our customer-centric golf operations and marketing programs, [and] the key to success in a highly competitive industry,” reads a Billy Casper Golf Web site page that’s dedicated to information technology.
“[At Billy Casper Golf ], the right technology is utilized to build a massive base of knowledge about our golfing customers and their preferences, behaviors, and desires,” the Web site statement continues. “This base is the crystal ball [that] our marketers and operators use to understand our customers, and serves as the foundation for delivering a better end-to-end customer experience. Strategically deployed and supported at each managed golf facility, technology allows for lower costs and a more productive staff, with greater energy to deliver a better customer experience—and lead us to greater revenues at our facilities.” The Billy Casper site then provides this full list of how technology is now relied on at its properties:
• Accounting and payroll technology
• Broadcast e-mail
• Customer loyalty reward cards
• Customer sales tracking
• E-commerce applications
• Gift cards
• Hardware and software procurement
• Online tee times
• Point-of-sale systems
• Reservation call centers
• Reservation systems
• Technical support and training
• Web site marketing
• Yield management applications
A Member at a Time
Customer sales tracking was the theme cited by ClubCorp Chairman Robert H. Dedman Jr. in a recent Chairman’s Letter posted “for members and guests” on that management firm’s Web site.
“Even within the personalized, private club environment, technology is essential,” Dedman wrote, “[for everything from] keeping track of golf scores and handicaps, communicating dining requests to chefs, and facilitating travel reservations and other [exclusive ClubCorp] benefits.”
Recognizing that no two golfers (or club members) are exactly alike, management firms are leading the drive to develop and use technology that can capture personal preference and interest information. |
Dedman then noted how ClubCorp is continuing to upgrade its systems and pursue the goal of developing a “MemberPride” membership system to “identify and gather personal preferences and interests.” Additionally, he noted ClubCorp’s intention of introducing a new billing system later this year, “with features requested [through] member surveys.”
“Your new statement will clearly segment your home club charges and charges from other clubs,” he reported. “It will include an account summary. The new invoicing process also will facilitate more timely receipt of charges from other clubs. The bottom line: Your new statement will be easier to read and understand.”
Dedman went on to directly address the concern over protecting individual privacy that all clubs must now confront as they try to implement technological efficiencies.
“While technology is likely to grow in importance as part of the club environment,” he said, “we will continue to keep it behind the scenes. When used correctly, technology enhances service and helps to create extraordinary experiences. That’s the balancing act of high-tech and hightouch.
“After all,” Dedman concluded, “no matter what future technology might bring, we know it will never take the place of the warm smile and personalized attention we hope you receive whenever you visit your club.”
Rewarding Loyalty
In many cases, the emphasis on gathering customer-specific data dovetails nicely with loyalty programs that promote the use of all of the properties within a given management firm’s portfolio. Troon Golf, for example, has developed and implemented an automated affinity program (Troon Rewards) that allows customers to accumulate points by playing any facility within the firm’s network.
The development of supporting technology for the program was headed by the Troon Golf technology department’s in-house programming team. “The application is Web-based and POS-independent, which allows any of our facilities to participate in the program without any special hardware or software,” notes Cary Westmark, Troon’s Vice President of Information Technology.
The Troon technology department also focuses on developing support structures for the design, deployment and support of turnkey club management systems that can be used by Troon properties,Westmark adds. “These processes allow for a streamlined approach to deployment, and minimize ongoing operational support costs of the information systems within a club. Part of this structure includes a customer support team that provides 95 percent of support needs from a remote location.”
At Western Golf Properties, a customized e-mail database marketing solution is utilized that “allows us to communicate monthly promotions and club happenings via e-mail,” reports Christina Khamis, VP of Sales & Marketing.
“Through the Internet-based software, we house our entire database of golfers, including their personal preferences and transaction history, which interfaces directly with each club’s POS system with nightly downloads of data feeds,” Khamis says. “The program allows us to track our loyalty golfers by awarding points for their rounds played, based on program detail, and provides golfers the means of viewing their points through an Internet hub that acts similar to a frequent-flyer program.” C&RB
Tech IDEAS from Management Firms and Th
eir Properties Turbo-charged searches… Golfers who use the American Golf Web site (www.americangolf.com) to look for new courses are given two levels of search options: a “Basic Search” confined to geography and type of course (public or private), and a “Power Search” that also lets them set parameters for number of holes, course slope, rating and yardage, and specify specific course designers. “Eye-popping” proposals… OB Sports Golf Management recently partnered with Bluebuzzard technology to adapt ProposalPath software developed for the hotel/resort industry, so the OB group sales team can now send customized, HTML-formatted group golf proposals to meeting, event and golf tournament planners via e mail. At the same time, planners at the other end can link with selected OB facilities, to access that club’s specific course information, group golf rates, banquet facilities and menus, tee gift ideas, hole-in-one insurance packages, or other special offers. “[OB is] leveraging the same technology used by our hotel customers to deliver eye popping proposals that make it easier for planners to book golf outings,” says Bluebuzzard’s co-founder, Ryan Hamilton. “Nearly all of our group golf proposals are being sent via e-mail,” adds Kris Strauss, OB Sports’ Director of Sales and Marketing: “So we took the hint and came up with new technology that not only provides better communications, but sets OB Sports managed facilities apart from their competitors.” Free tech toys…Watermark Golf Management (formerly Paradigm Golf Management) had a limited-time offer to increase sales of annual passes to its properties by offering up to two free SkyGolf GPS SG2 personal digital caddies with the purchase of each pass. The firm also developed an online store to sell the SG2 units nationwide via the Internet. |
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