“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.
By Loren Forney, Head Golf Professional at The Hills of Lakeway in Austin, Texas
Loren Forney has been in the golf industry for 17 years—starting out as a golf cart attendant at the age of 12 and working her way up to her current role as Head Golf Professional at The Hills of Lakeway in Austin, Texas.
Along the way, the need to effectively communicate with members in a variety of ways has evolved and continues to do so, especially with the recent surge in golf interest and how lifestyles and communication preferences are changing.
Club + Resort Business: How often do you communicate with club members?
Loren Forney: Our team communicates with club members on a weekly basis for club-wide information. If the club member is a part of other social clubs, then they will receive more communication in that particular group.
C+RB: What communication methods do you use?
Forney: We use e-mail, the Clubcorp App, member websites, Facebook and Instagram.
C+RB: Do you target specific groups with messages (i.e., people who don’t golf won’t receive golf-specific messages, women-only, youth golf information only to members with kids, etc.)?
Forney: Yes, we do target specific groups with messages when we promote events that are particular to those groups.
C+RB: Do different departments send their own communications (golf, racquets, F&B, course maintenance, etc.), or all they all centralized?
Forney: Communications throughout the entire club are centralized within our marketing team. If there is an event, the department plans and coordinates it, then asks marketing to distribute the promotion or information.
C+RB: Do you differentiate based on generational differences (i.e., older members may prefer physical mail or e-mail, vs. texts)?
Forney: We do not differentiate between generational differences when it comes to the output of communication. However, we do try to put out pictures and videos on multiple social-media platforms, to promote and inform all family members at our club.
C+RB: In your opinion, is it possible to communicate too much?
Forney: I do believe there can be too much communication to membership regarding how many daily or weekly e-mails are put out by the club. In previous roles, I’ve seen members opt out of e-mail communications because they receive too many a week. 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.
C+RB: How, if at all, has COVID changed the way you communicate with members?
Forney: Before COVID, a lot of information was communicated by e-mails, mailed newsletters and face-to-face contact with staff. Now information is more accessible through social media, QR Codes and videos. I believe COVID has certainly made us become more creative in how information can be presented.
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