Have Your Members or Guests “Play Like a Tiger”

There’s no downside to kids’ play. In fact, you should embrace it, as the best strategy you can employ to secure the future of the game—and your business.

by Dan Ramella (dramella@clubandresortbusiness.com)
July 2007
 

I like Nike television ads, in general.  ESPN’s, too, for that matter. But I particularly liked the most recent Tiger Woods ad where club manufacturers at Nike tooled up a set of mini-golf clubs, complete with bag and all. 

Tiger, the expectant or new father (depending on when you saw the ad), received the box of mini-clubs from the delivery man at his front door, with a grin on his face from ear to ear. Do you think Sam Alexis has golf in her future?

In the past six or seven years, Father’s Day has been especially enjoyable for me, because I get to play golf with my three sons in a father/son best-ball tournament at my club. My 16-year-old and I finished in the money this year (he’ll like the fact that I mentioned it in this column).

The tee sheet was booked solid for the event, which included a few members bringing their own fathers as guests. I see new faces every year, but I rarely see kids on the course for the rest of the year. That’s too bad; if your best prospects are your current customers, we should be doing more to promote and encourage kids’ play on both private and public courses.
Year-to-date results through April show 2007 rounds down nine percent compared to last year, with virtually every region of the country reporting a decline. So, tee times must be available.

I applaud junior golf programs; in my experience, they are active and well-run at most private clubs. My kids (my sons and one daughter) were junior golfers, and while they drifted away from the game as teenagers and young adults, they are now finding their way back. Junior golf planted the seed, I nurtured it a bit, and the desire and confidence in their ability to play made it relatively easy for them to get back in the game.

But private and daily-fee clubs can, and should, do more to get kids on the course—along with their parents—on a more regular basis. There’s no downside to kids’ play. In fact, you should embrace it, as the best strategy you can employ to secure the future of the game—and your business.

• Promote it.
• Time it in a way that won’t interfere with “regular” play.  
• Price kids’ play favorably.
• Get your pro staff actively engaged with lessons, on-course tips and marshalling of the play.

Rounds will increase. You will attract more play from parents, including rounds without the kids, if they enjoy the course. And the use of club facilities, including food and beverage sales, will go up, too.

I expect that many of you have kids’ programs in place, in some form or another. I’d like to hear about them.  We’ll take the details of your programs and share them with others on our Idea Exchange on the C&RB website

Members and guests don’t have to be Tiger, but they can play like one—with their kids.