A Little Birdie Told Me

by C&RB Staff (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
May 2007
 

Stone Ridge Golf Club’s par-four signature 18th hole proves to be a challenge for golfers and a promotional victory for management. Photo courtesy of Stone Ridge Golf Club www.stoneridgegolfclub.org

Stone Ridge Golf Club, a semi-private golf club located in Bowling Green, Ohio, has started a unique promotion where the words “free golf” actually mean good things for the operator. The club is currently offering a promotion to public golfers whereby any player who makes a birdie on their notorious par-four 18th hole receives a free round of golf. In order to help drive weekend rounds at rack pricing, the birdie must occur on a Saturday or Sunday during the 2007 season.

Stone Ridge saw over 750 rounds during the first 3 weekends of the promotion and has recorded only 3 birdies. Choura notes, “the exposure we’ve received already far outweighs the certificates we’re providing for those birdies. Our research told us we would be distributing a relatively limited amount of certificates, so we decided to not cheapen the experience. Golfers seem surprised once they realize there are no strings attached to the free round.”

The promotion has been gaining steam as the centerpiece of the club’s public marketing campaign on radio, television and in print. “We have at least 2 or 3 golfers mention it per day,” says Choura. “It’s even helped us track how effectively some of our advertising dollars are being spent.”

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