Keep a close ear to how the needs and wants of members and guests are changing, and you’ll never have an off-season.
The allure of “stay and play” might still entice some of your guests to book, and your members to sign their renewal forms, but in today’s economy, it’s important to communicate the value of all that your property has to offer.
For example, Gary Mitchell, President and co-owner of Dogwood Hills Resort Inn & Golf Club, finds that guests want a broad experience when they arrive in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.
SUMMING IT UP
• By changing your golf packages and promotions with the seasons, you’re apt to draw in more business. |
“They play one day of golf here, go to other nearby courses during the week, and then come back for nine holes late in the day,” he explains. “There are fewer guests staying to solely play our course.”
With his local competitors in a similar boat, Mitchell helped co-found the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Council in the late 1990s. About 16 courses currently participate, about half of which are connected to hotels or resorts.
“Our first phase was to pool funds for marketing initiatives,” he recalls. “Today, we’ve evolved to where the golf traveler books at one resort, and then the resort takes care of arranging the tee times of all of the courses he or she wants to play, even off-site.”
The convenience of paying for all of the golf outings on one bill, and having the property at which you’re staying make the scheduling arrangements, has been a big draw, he says.
Kris Klay, General Manager of Otsego Club & Resort in Gaylord, Mich., agrees that guests today are more apt to play several courses during their stay, and credits being part of the Gaylord Golf Mecca organization for garnering some extra business for his property. But another trend he sees is in the appeal of shorter-stay packages.
“Our mainstay ‘54-hole blowout’ package still works: two nights, three rounds of golf, dinner and train tokens. It just seems to be the right fit for our market,” he explains, noting Gaylord’s proximity to Detroit, as well as London, Ontario, and northern Indiana and Ohio. “But we’re seeing people have less discretionary income; they’re working more. They’re still playing 54 holes, but it might now be 36 and 18 over two days, rather than three 18-hole days. They have to get back to work.”
Drawing from Near and Far
When the weather turns cold, Otsego Club & Resort offers winter-centric packages to draw in new business. |
Steve Phillips, Golf Marketing and Operations Manager of Mystic Dunes Golf Club and Resort, Celebration, Fla., says that his property’s focus definitely changes when the “snowbirds” of the north go home in the summer.
“In December through May, the temperatures here are in the 60s, and it makes for comfortable play,” he says. “So we position for the slow summer with two-for-one specials, specifically targeting central Florida residents.”
Phillips, who came from the resort’s marketing team before joining the golf side, jokes that Mystic Dunes is “giving back to the community” by offering local residents the chance to play the four-and-a-half-star course at a very competitive price point. On a more serious note, he says, the Dunes Club membership cards have also been a marketing hit. (For more information on how “Membership Has Its Privileges,” see the online version of this article at clubandresortbusiness.com)
Local tournaments have also brought in many new players from the local (Orlando-area) market to Mystic Dunes. For example, a recent Kick-Off Classic was held in the early fall, targeting both local residents and club members. The two-man scramble had teams wearing their favorite sports fan gear and colors, then returning to the clubhouse after the game for “dollar drafts, wings and the big-screen TV,” Phillips says.
The weak American dollar has also heightened Mystic Dunes’ interest in the European market. “A lot of European guests have vacation homes here, especially from the United Kingdom,” Phillips says, noting the course’s proximity to Disney World and other attractions. “We’ve done specific promotions to Europe, but I’d say the two leading marketing methods are our Web presence and word of mouth. Guests will frequently tell us how friends recommended our property to them.”
Klay’s property focuses on skiing when the weather turns cold, and a “test-drive” package has been a resounding success. First begun about six years ago, the package lets guests who stay on the property have access to the ski area for a nominal fee.
“It gives them that ‘one foot in the water,’ without completely diving in,” he explains, noting that the offerings have evolved with time. “Originally we included free lift passes, but we found that people were just using it as a weekend pass. Until you see the value, you’re not going to convert to membership. Now that the lift passes are fee-based, there’s a much higher conversion rate—people see the value.”
Geared to a New Generation
Because Mystic Dunes’ 18-hole championship course is less challenging than some other area courses, Phillips says, it’s become a bigger draw for families.
“We’ve seen more couples and parents with children,” he says, noting that he’s adjusted the promotional packages accordingly. “We are catering more to the beginning junior and ladies players.”
“So many parents want to reconnect with their kids,” agrees Klay, while noting that in Otsega’s case, it’s the ski side, more so than the golf side, that sees the family bookings.
Klay also notes that in recent years, the property has seenfewer large-group, reunion trips and more family- or couplecentered bookings. So he’s adjusted the resort’s package offerings accordingly.
“A lot of guests belong to area Detroit ski clubs, but it’s more about just showing up and seeing who’s here, rather than planning a formal get-together,” he says. “Many see it as time to spend just with your spouse or family first, and friends and colleagues second.”
Klay is appreciative of the efforts that his parent company, Osprey Recreational Properties, has been making in all areas to help with these refocused marketing efforts. “They’re making it very competitive, investing ahead of the curve, especially for skiing,” he says. “There’s a mentality of ‘build it, and they will come.’ ”
The competitive upgrades that have been made include Wi-Fi in all rooms and wireless “hot spots” throughout the resort. Klay finds this ironic because 20 years ago, the resort didn’t even have guestroom telephones. But properties now have to recognize, he says, that guests today—especially younger ones—want to stay in touch, even while “getting away.”
Flexible Approaches
Offering membership packages at different price points hasworked well, Klay says, by letting members choose the level at which they’re most comfortable. Current options include Alpine (ski only), Bronze (golf only), Silver (ski and golf), and Gold (ski and golf at all Osprey properties).
Even in Michigan, where the economy has suffered even more severely than in other states, Klay says customers are still willing to pay for what they perceive as quality and value, no matter what the financial news of the day is. His property plans out packages up to a year in advance, just to have a foundation in place. But it’s important to stay flexible, he says.
“Something may sound good now, but eight months later it could be too high a price point—or, if we turn around economically, too low,” Klay concludes. “With every downturn, there’s always an upturn. We just need to be ready when it’s time to bounce back.”
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