Changing the RulesThe Goal: The Country Club of Virginia was looking for a new way to attract more people to a Rules of Golf Seminar—and then hold their interest once they came. The Plan: Take the program outside and begin it with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and then move it to the teeing ground of the first hole. The Payoff: Participation nearly doubled and the response was incredibly favorable, with many participants noting that the hands-on, more casual format made understanding the concepts much easier. |
Every golfer can use a refresher course—or first-time instruction—in the Rules of Golf. With dozens of rules that are not enforced by penalties but pertain to etiquette and respect for other golfers, and that can have a direct impact on pace of play and others’ enjoyment of the game, conveying these rules to members and guests is an important responsibility for any club’s golf department.
Unfortunately, teaching (and learning) the rules can be a boring and often tedious process. Case in point (until recently, that is): the Country Club of Virginia, in Richmond. The club’s 18-hole “James River” course, which features all the hallmarks of Virginia golf, was as popular as ever. But having a membership base that was more familar with the rules would not only improve the pace of play, but also help to elevate all golfers’ knowledge base and further enhance the overall quality of the course.
Over the past few years, however, the CC of Virginia had found that participation in its indoor Rules of Golf Seminar was on the decline, which was not furthering its progress towards those goals.
By taking the Rules of Golf Seminar outside, and pairing it with a cocktail reception, attendance for the CC of Virginia’s program doubled. |
“Having the seminar inside was proving to be rather boring for members,” explains Tom Osborne, Assistant Clubhouse Manager. “We wanted to take the seminar and find a way to make it fun, memorable, and worthwhile.”
The first step to increasing participation and also making the instruction in the seminar more realistic, the club decided, was to offer an outdoor program.
The idea behind a wholesale renovation of the club’s approach to teaching the rules didn’t stop there, though.
“The best-attended events are paired with a cocktail party and hors d’oeuvres—food and drink of some sort,” explains Osborne. “We thought, why not start the progam with a little cocktail party?”
And so they did. The program began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the grand lawn (see photo at left), and was then moved to the teeing ground of the first hole.
The presenter—brought in from the Virginia State Golf Association—started with rules pertaining to beginning play, and then progressed as the group moved down the fairway, ending with rules for the putting green.
“The response was incredibly favorable, with most participants noting that the hands-on format made understanding the concepts much easier,” Osborne reports. Participation nearly doubled, and with such a great response, the club is planning the same approach for additional instructional events it has planned for 2008.
Enhancements are also being considered for the next installment of the “new and improved” Rules of Golf seminar, too—the club is now thinking of adding a “Golf IQ” test to future programs, or pairing them with wine tastings.
“No matter what we do next year, the goal will be to make the seminar both enjoyable and educational,” Osborne assures.
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