“There seems to never be enough information that can be given to members, but the way it is communicated through one output method can be exhausting and diminish its effectiveness,” says Loren Forney, Head Golf Professional at The Hills of Lakeway in Austin, Texas.

Sending a frank and proactive message to members about the realities of today’s staffing issues has gone a long way in setting a supportive stage for a Florida club’s new season.

“Now more than ever, we live in a world that craves instant gratification,” says Bri Payne, Membership and Communications Director at the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Ga. “So what happens when a prospect can no longer waltz into your club and write a check to join right then and there? How can you keep everyone excited to…

With the annual PGA Merchandise Show forced to go virtual in 2021, golf professionals had to change the way they brought in new products for their pro shops.

By Steve Dirks, Director of Membership Sales and Marketing, The Club at Renaissance, Fort Myers, Fla. Here at The Club at Renaissance, we recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of our club and golf course. During the six months the course was closed, we took the time to reappraise our goals and objectives for the club…

Mark Bixler, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, Ohio, arranges, on average, between five and eight golf trips for his members. Of those, he generally attends two to four. He discussed the process in this edition of Burning Issues.

“48% of salespeople never make a single follow-up attempt, and it takes an average of six attempts to convert a sale,” says Melissa Hansen, Director of Membership & Marketing at The Club at Olde Cypress in Naples, Fla. “Our culture has shifted to expect instant gratification, so when it comes to responding to your leads, timing is everything.”

Zach Halvonik, Head Golf Professional at LedgeRock GC in Reading, Pa., discusses how his club plans to keep the positive gains from 2020, which included a 35% rounds increase and over 60 new members, going in the new year. “To build upon 2020, strong communication through texts, push notifications, e-mails and social media will keep members…

The challenges of 2020 have brought forward an excellent opportunity to reassess how we run our food-and-beverage operations. But until the service-charge trap is eliminated, service charges will continue to work against what all clubs value the most in their F&B operations.

  Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club in Naples, Fla. is on track to double its initial sales goals for the year—despite the COVID-19 pandemic. An aggressive online campaign took advantage of pent-up demand from many looking to reclaim much of the season they had lost when the country began to shut down.

The University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas has long been recognized for its successful and innovative pro shop performance, which has grown to include a robust online presence during the COVID-19 Pandemic.