You can learn a lot about someone when you point a camera at them—especially when it’s a video camera that captures their every movement and sound. You can also learn a lot about people from how they react to filmed messages. And in the case of The Briar Club in Houston, everything that’s been learned about the club’s staff, and members, after it launched its own YouTube video channel last September has yielded nothing but positive lessons.

Noting that the ever-evolving world of technology keeps presenting clubs with an unlimited supply of new, cost-effective resources for engaging and building relationships with members, The Briar Club set out to fully embrace one of those resources: the ability to post videos through a free YouTube account. And as part of that, it was also determined to maximize the fun that could come from the embrace.

Using a handheld video camera, the club began to prepare a series of short filmed messages that capture memorable happenings or promote future events. The videos are posted to a free YouTube account—http://www.youtube.com/user/BriarClubComm—and links are also shared in weekly e-blasts and posted on the club’s website.

Casey Newman, the club’s Director of Communications & Marketing, says the “process” of making the videos boils down to three simple steps:

• Step One: Get your camera ready for action!
• Step Two: Pick your promotion, and involve club staff!
• Step Three: Create a free YouTube account, upload and share with members.

Newman also adds a “helpful hint” for a fourth important key to success: Have fun with it! And certainly, that’s been the case for many of the “stars” who have emerged from the videos that have been made to date. “The club staff has embraced their creative side in skits to promote upcoming events or other exciting happenings around the club,” Newman reports.

As a result, Briar Club members have “enjoyed a laugh or two” from the filmed messages, Newman adds. Even better, the videos have helped to make staff more familiar to members, by putting “a name to the face”
and further strengthening relationships around the club.

Best of all, the messages in the videos are clearly getting through and having the desired effect. The club’s first video, of its chef introducing Hatch Chiles as a promotion for upcoming seasonal specials he would be featuring, is credited with generating enough viewership to cause the club’s adult dining room, The Lounge, to be sold out for two solid weeks.

GPS technology is used at Shadow Wood CC to give golfers and staff advance warning of the probability of an impending lightning strike.

When storm clouds bear down on a golf course or resort, time is of the essence to ensure that guests and staff are safe.
Horns and strobes strategically located across a course used to be the only warning device for lightning and other issues. Today, courses can gain precious time by arming themselves with a full arsenal of the latest technology, from computers to GPS systems to smart phones.

Technology can greatly increase warning time, according to William Wagner, General Manager of Shadow Wood Country Club, a member-owned facility in Bonita Springs, Fla.

Shadow Wood now has a weather-planning system in place that features GPS technology on all golf carts. Rather than warn members that a lightning strike has occurred, the system helps to forecast the probability of an impending strike.

“It doesn’t respond after the fact,” Wagner says. “That’s one of the advantages of the technology that is available. It tells you the likelihood of lightning occurring.”

As a result, the staff at Shadow Wood can be proactive rather than reactive when threatening weather approaches.

“When the system [issues an alert], a message goes to all of the carts and warns golfers to get off the course,” Wagner explains. “They have time to get to the cart barn.”

Such weather warnings apply across the board, and not just to golfers out on the course. Similar messages are dispatched to computers inside the club, which warn staff responsible for other facilities, including the pool and tennis courts.

“When you evacuate the course, you also evacuate the pool, tennis courts and other outdoor activities,” Wagner explains. “It also applies to all of our employees, too.”

In Florida, diligent attention to hurricane planning is also an annual necessity. At Shadow Wood, the golf course maintenance department takes the lead in that effort.

“They are in charge of shutters and getting any items and equipment off the course,” Wagner notes. “They also oversee any evacuation plan.”

But when it comes to hurricane planning, no department is left out. “It is something we are used to in Florida,” Wagner says.

“Everyone has a job to do, and we go about it. Everybody knows just what to do.”

Aside from hurricanes, Shadow Wood is fortunate to be free of many of the other weather issues that can plague courses across the country. Some facilities have to brace for potential flooding, extreme heat or even a tornado.

Another technology that has enhanced weather planning for these dangers is the proliferation of smart phones. Everyone on the Shadow Wood staff now has one, Wagner says, as do many members.

The GPS systems installed on golf carts can also be a lifesaving tool in case of a medical emergency, when precious minutes can mean the difference between life and death.

“The units enable first responders to know just where the person is on the course, and they can get directly to them,” Wagner notes.

From the business aspect of club management, Wagner says some courses and resorts might balk at employing all aspects of available technology for weather planning and other emergency purposes. “I’ve heard of places that are hesitant to have this kind of technology because of the cost,” he notes. “It is a little different when you are talking about member-owned clubs. Regardless of the cost, we have to do the right thing.”

While the comprehensive weather-planning system that Shadow Wood now has in place is less than a year old, Wagner says the system will be reviewed every year, and upgrades and adjustments will be made as needed.  “I think the technology exists, so we should all use it,” he says.

Properties are finding that the social networking site is effective for communicating with existing members—and for attracting new ones.

With an estimated 845 million users worldwide (at least at press time), the power of Facebook is too large for businesses to ignore. But for private clubs that need to walk the line of marketing activities and respecting the privacy of members, harnessing that power is not always an easy task.

C&RB recently spoke with four club and resort social media managers about their very different approaches to Facebook:

Elizabeth Todd, events coordinator for Blackstone Country Club, Peoria, Ariz., says her property’s Facebook page has been online for a couple years now, as a way to share information with members and potential members. As the bridal coordinator for the club, she keeps an eye out for the photographers who post photos of weddings held at Blackstone to their pages, and shares the link on the club’s page, too. Because the photographer has taken care of the copyright and privacy concerns with the couple (usually having them sign an agreement to that effect), it’s a win-win.

“Many photographers use Facebook as a sort of online portfolio, so potential customers can see what they do,” she says. “But it also shows off our property to great effect, too.”

Beverly Marler, Club Manager of Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C., agrees that photos are key: “The post is simply a start, but that photo adds a special touch that can really spark interest in your club. Sedgefield is part of McConnell Golf, which has seven other properties in the Carolinas, and social media has been a major focus for our clubs over the past year.”

Kathie Pedit, Director of Lifestyle Enrichment and Activities for Colonial Country Club, Fort Myers, Fla., notes that the original reason for her club’s presence on Facebook a couple years back was simply for photo storage.

“Our website can only host so many photos, and we have more than 400 albums on Facebook right now,” she says, noting that the club’s official presence is actually a Facebook personal profile (“Colonial Kathie Pedit”) than a business page, so she can control who sees the information by only accepting members as “friends.” “We wanted it to be a place where members could see photos of themselves and their friends, tag themselves and help promote future events—‘We have to do that again next year’ or ‘I can’t believe I missed that, I’ll definitely be there next time.’

“Some people use one of our photos as their profile picture,” she adds. “We’re pretty proud of that.”

Over time, Pedit says, the page has also served as a reminder for members to sign up for upcoming events, pick up their newsletters, get the word out on staff accomplishments and awards, link to websites of interest, etc.

Know Your Audience

At press time, the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., boasts 124,201 fans on its Facebook page. Social Media Strategist Ryan Chartrand attributes the big number, at least in part, to knowing the audience.

“Our most engaged audience is female, so we have a lot of success with posts regarding slot machines, dining or entertainment. We find photo posts work best with this audience, as photos speak to them much faster than a text or video post,” he says. “Women are busy and have a lot of friends to talk to on Facebook, so your content has to look good and attract them immediately while they are scrolling. We try to avoid posts that are too heavily male-centric, such as boxing or table games posts. While women enjoy both of those topics, the engagement rates are much lower and can result in ‘unlikes.’”

Coordination and Communication

Communication among leadership, marketing and every department is key, Pechanga’s Chartrand says.

“We act as an internal marketing agency, so we’re always working directly with each part of the casino and resort and finding creative ways to promote their events and news,” he continues, noting that the other communication strategies, such as management meetings and daily newsletters, strengthen the property’s overall marketing muscle. “As for the posting schedule, it’s primarily in the hands of the social media team and marketing—and, much like a news organization, it’s all about timeliness and what we think will impact or entertain our ‘readers’ the most.”

Pedit says that Colonial’s activity schedule is so jam-packed, she’s never at a loss for what to post. “We make sure there’s something for everyone,” she says.

She usually is able to outline what she wants to post one to two weeks in advance, using her well-worn copy of the activities brochure to highlight deadlines for registration.

“Under status update, I type in text for the main info from the flyer of an event, but then also post the PDF flyer as a jpg file,” she says. “It’s a great enhancement, because it draws people in much more than simply text about ‘please sign up by next Tuesday.’”

Todd is in touch weekly with other club staffers, as well as with the real estate development side of the business.

“It’s really easy to check on the page throughout the day, because notifications can be sent straight to my phone, plus I usually have the page open on my desktop,” Todd says, noting that she prefers to make the posts manually instead of using a scheduling program because it gives her a chance to “triple-check” her info before it goes live.

“We don’t post member-only events, because we have a members-only section of our website for that,” she says. “Facebook is more in line for potential members, weddings and real estate buyers. We get to easily show off this beautiful venue.”

Marler says she believes the best topics to post are member activities and accomplishments. “If a member makes a hole in one, post it!” she continues. “Post the winners of your golf and tennis club championships. Making it about the members creates a great feeling for your membership, and generates curiosity from prospective members.”

Tread Lightly

Marler cautions there must be a balance between keeping the page “fresh” and overposting: “The feed needs to be relevant and updated regularly, but not overbearing.”

Chartrand agrees. “So few marketers are willing to take the risk of simply having fun, without understanding that Facebook is a getaway for people,” he says. “It’s that thing they whip out on their phone in the middle of the day to see what their friends are doing. You have to be one of those friends, and you have to share and create content that is going to make them smile, laugh or join a relevant conversation—and no, ‘What are your plans for the weekend?’ is not relevant.”

He advises properties to not rely on traditional advertising techniques with social media. “Most marketers read that tip and think, ‘Of course, I would never do that,’ and then go on to post on their Facebook page: ‘10% off at John’s Burgers tonight, sure sounds yummy!’ It seems as though 90% of Facebook marketing is boring, traditional and repetitive,” he continues. “The only way to let go of this painfully brutal marketing style is to simply be yourself. And if you’re not interesting, hire someone who is. Our success with engagement rates on Facebook is entirely because we have fun with it and we act like ourselves. We crack jokes, we post silly photos, we make informative and funny videos that people actually talk about, and we simply talk to our fans about what they love: gaming. We’re honest, and people appreciate it. We’re people you can talk to, not a daily deal.”

There are two points every marketer should think about with Facebook, he says: 1.) If you’re not having fun, they aren’t, either; and 2.) You have to become a friend.

“You know all those brands you have consuming your newsfeed? And you know how you skim over them until you find an actual friend’s update to read? That’s because brands aren’t friends,” he says. “Once you’re a friend and you’re talking to them that way, and having fun with them like their friends do on Facebook—whether through social games or conversations—you’ll start to see the success we have in creating community.

“If we as marketers are not careful,” he adds, “we will destroy social media marketing by forcing people to go to social networks to get away from brands. One might argue that clearly everything must be working well because so many people ‘like’ brands on Facebook. But most people ‘like’ brands to get a deal—and although that has proven to be a great way to drive business for us and many other companies, it’s causing people’s newsfeeds to get cluttered and bombarded with trash content. And whether you look at MySpace or Hotmail as examples of what happens when trash enters the scene, we are on the verge of disaster if marketers don’t understand what being a connection on Facebook, or any network, really means.”

Because Facebook continues to evolve, Chartrand stresses the importance of staying informed. “Blogs like InsideFacebook.com, AllFacebook.com and Mashable.com are great sources for what changes are happening on Facebook, in regards to newsfeeds, pages, ads, etc., and what’s coming,” he advises. “Knowing the changes helps you know how to build your promotions and posting strategy.”

From golf carts to smart phones, global positioning systems technology continues to find, and expand, its place at club and resort properties.

The Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, maintained by the U.S. government, has been fully operational since 1994. Since then, it has been expanded from being primarily a military and space technology into being a useful tool for everyday life, from online banking to cell phone use. Today, many people associate the term with mapping capabilities, whether it’s the device they use in their cars to get them to their destination quickly and efficiently, or the app on their smart phone that can discern their precise location at any given time.

GPS has been particularly beneficial to clubs and resorts. Not only has the widespread use of GPS cut down on the number of desperate “We need directions to your building!” phone calls from lost motorists, but its precise coordinates for golf courses has given golfers (at least those who want it) a leg up on playing strategies.

Then there are the practical perks for properties and their return on investment in a GPS system or smart phone app development.

GPS, a la golf cart

Many clubs find it makes sense to have a GPS system installed on their golf cart fleet. As Jay Miller, President of Hidden Valley Golf Club, Norco, Calif., notes, “It is way more than just a system to give the player yardage information. It is a golf cart management tool.”

Hidden Valley’s course has 600 ft. of elevation change, and with that comes many areas “that we do not want our carts to go,” Miller points out. “The system has a Red Zone feature, where from our computer we can assign the areas that their cart will not go into or shut down when these areas have been trespassed; when this happens, the carts must be put into reverse and backed up into a safe area before it will go forward. The system also shows us where the cart has been for the last 5 hours, and any damage done to our cart will be shown on the computer and where it happened.”

While Mark Laviano, General Manager of Quail Ridge Country Club, Acton, Mass., notes that his current property doesn’t have GPS on its golf carts, his previous employers did make use of them.

“To me, the best value of GPS when I was at those courses was the ability to monitor pace to play,” he says. “We could monitor where people were driving and if they were going somewhere that was restricted, we could send them a message from the pro shop to ‘please go back to the cart path.’”

Another benefit, Laviano says, was while he couldn’t see the ninth or tenth hole from the shop, if someone wanted to start at either of those holes, he could simply look on-screen to see whether it was occupied.

Miller says Hidden Valley has had the system for about three years, with frequent updates. In fact, they were the first property west of the Mississippi to have their particular system. He says there has never been a problem with its maintenance or operation.

“Our golf cart provider is responsible and runs checks every week from their computers to our system,” he says. “And the Red Zones, we can change from our computer any given day if we chose to do so.”

Miller says he believes the investment in the system has paid off, as it has deterred players from driving the carts in restricted areas or in a careless manner.

“I’d estimate that it has saved us more than $5,000 of damage done to the carts, by proving simply that the driver actually did the damage,” he says.

Still, Miller estimates that about 75% of Hidden Valley’s golfers have their own GPS-enabled device. That’s why earlier this year, the club developed its own GPS app that can be downloaded from its website right onto the user’s smart phone.

“There’s an app for that”

In 2008, the Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood, Ill., went from being a private country club to a public one. As part of this sea change for the facility, says General Manager & Banquet Sales Director Ashley Smith, the club decided to create an app to get its name out to a new, younger audience.

The process took about three to four months, Smith recalls. “We developed the pages within the app, what the content would be and how they would read,” she says, noting that the majority of the work was done through an online file sharing system, as the developers were off-site. “We tried to mimic the website.”

Similarly, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa near Traverse City, Mich., took about six months from drawing board to deployment for its smart phone app. Director of Marketing Steve Timmer notes that the goal was to have a tool to improve both communication and cross-promotion with the guest.

From the start, Timmer says, the guest’s point of view was the most important. “We had to think about what they want to know. Because ultimately, if they don’t use the app, it’s not useful to us.”

Timmer says that just about every staffer had a hand in the look and feel of the app. “We brought in the key revenue departments into the process early on.”

Smith says Ravisloe’s free app includes GPS of the golf course, and allows call-in orders to the Halfway House and Clubhouse, so that drinks and appetizers can be enjoyed right on the greens. Another popular feature is the wedding planning guide, which features a free checklist for brides.

“We heard from lots of brides saying how helpful it was,” says Smith, adding that wedding business has increased 80% since the app debuted. “At a bridal shower, for example, a bride could just show her friends and family photos and information about our club, right there from the app on her phone, instead of going online to the website.”

Once the app was ready to go, Smith says, Ravisloe embarked on a marketing campaign that included spreading the word on its website, local advertising, email blasts and a looped Powerpoint presentation on monitors stationed in the lobby. Timmer says that Grand Traverse also promoted its app through several venues, including a QR code built into all the advertising so that the audience could capture the code with their smart phone and get more information about the app.

The results, both properties say, have been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’ve done exclusive promotions on the app, as an incentive to download,” Timmer says. “We’ve received great response, especially with spa customers. They simply show the app at the spa reception desk, and they receive special offers that others don’t.”

What’s really caught fire with Ravisloe’s members, Smith says, is the ability to book a last-minute tee time through the app.

“We have a very challenging golf course with lots of trees — it’s a challenge to amateurs and a treat for the more experienced golfer,” she says, noting that the option to book an outing on a whim has been popular.

What does the future hold for Ravisloe’s app? For now, Smith says, the content is slated for another update next month for the 2012 golf season: “It’s sustained itself with the business we do daily.”

GPS is an important component of Grand Traverse’s app, but perhaps not in the manner one might think. “We’re using GPS so we can target by market,” Timmer says. “A certain promotion may only appear to users who are in Chicago, for example. Alternatively, if you’re in Traverse City, we’ll send an invite for users to come dine with us tonight.”

Are you maximizing the abilities of your point-of-sale system?

Today’s point-of-sale (POS) systems can do much more than punch in and cash out orders. But while many clubs and resorts have made substantial investments in POS technology to try to maximize efficiencies and enhance service, too many still make poor use of the valuable time-saving and reporting features these systems can provide—and as a result, their POS equipment remains little more than an expensive cash register.

When Brian Gillespie, General Manager of Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Conn., was recently given the opportunity to purchase a new POS system, efficiency was definitely among the deciding factors. The club’s previous POS system could take as much as 30 minutes to complete a report, Gillespie says. But his new system is the “best fit,” he continues, because “it is very easy to use, and able to meet all of our demands for the dining areas, as well as the golf and tennis shops.”

Tamarack’s new system is user-friendly, Gillespie says, with the look and feel of a web browser. It’s so easy to use, in fact, new staff is trained by existing staff, and the learning curve is a short one, he says.

Even better, Gillespie says, the data-mining capabilities are vast—and simple to use and understand. “When I e-mail reports to any committee chair, they are now able to drill down on the information and view the backup behind the numbers,” he explains.

The quality and depth of data that the system now makes available has had a positive impact on both the club’s marketing efforts and membership levels, he adds. “It all comes down to the old saying of ‘garbage in, garbage out,’ ” says Gillespie. “We try to keep all of our census information current, so when we run a report on dependents or spending per a certain demographic, we know the information is correct.”

No Need to Start Anew

In other cases, a completely new system is not necessary—simply upgrading to a newer version or related product can make a big difference. For example, in November 2010, the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, in Whistler, British Columbia, went live with an upgrade of a system it had used for several years. The improvements, IT Project Manager Yolanda Foose reports, were almost immediately noticeable.

“Previously, we were able to combine all front-line reservations into one solution, except for F&B,” she says, “but this program includes F&B.”

The new POS system also offered many functional improvements, Foose says, including sales channels, payment plans, loyalty voucher tools, and analytics. Not surprisingly, she admits, “We are still working to utilize all of this new functionality.”

Among Foose’s favorite features with Whistler Blackcomb’s upgraded POS solution is the component for flexible payment plans that the system makes available on the resort’s website. “They allow our guests to easily add complimentary product to their cart on the eStore, and pay a down payment in the spring and the final payment for their season pass in the fall,” she explains. “This is a great convenience for the guest, and has made transaction time at the front line quicker as well.”

At Tamarack Country Club, a new POS system helps management mine important data quickly and easily.

In addition, the system’s “Voucher” tool has let the staff process Whistler Blackcomb’s Pass Perks program much more efficiently, Foose says.

“We used to have to do a lot of manual tracking of Mountain Money numbers and manually assign items to guest,” she says. “Now, this is all possible in the original sales transaction. This has improved the process for our employees and guests significantly.”

And just because the new system was upgraded last fall doesn’t mean the improvements will stop. For example, Whistler Blackcomb’s POS supplier added a new promotions module this spring that has allowed the team to easily upsell to guests online, through the call center and at the front line.

“We implemented this new feature in the summer, and we hope to see a decrease in transaction time at the front line, and an increase in add-on sales,” Foose says.

Interfaces are still needed to link the POS system to software systems for retail back-office accounting, enterprise resource planning, human resources information, and time and attendance. But Foose looks at the relationship with the POS supplier as a two-way street, ever-evolving to meet the property’s individual needs.

Most recently, Whistler Blackcomb has been working with the provider on a new mobile solution that allows guests to track their ski runs, vertical distance and mileage on their mobile devices. Guests can also easily post their runs for the day on Facebook and Twitter, and can also access weather and lift-status information.

And there are still more mountains to be moved, so to speak, according to Foose: “We are continually working with our supplier to make improvements to the system that will streamline our processes for guests, and for staff,” she says.

The Whistler Resort’s POS system integrates a Pass Perks ski pass loyalty program. (Photo by Kevin Arnold) Basic Training It’s no secret that how both the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff are trained on the use of a point-of-sale system has a direct impact on getting full use and benefit from it. That’s a big reason why Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, in British Columbia, conducts extensive new staff training each spring and fall. “Each different division is responsible for designing and conducting this training, and the majority of it is classroom-style,” says IT Project Manager Yolanda Foose. “We have also been working to create online tutorials for the areas of the system that are the same across the divisions—for example, logging in, a simple sales transaction, discounting and cashing out. Our guest-service department uses this style of training for all their ticket-window and validation staff.” A new promotions module in Whistler Resort’s POS program has helped upsell guests on dining and lodging reservations. (Photo by Robin O’Neill) Being part of new employee orientation is one thing; maintaining the comfort level with established employees is another. Foose says providing easy access to instructions for how to deal with any system changes is paramount. “If we have changes to procedures during the season, we develop an online tutorial and send this out though our intranet, ‘The Landing,’” she explains. The internal site also houses procedures, documents and online tutorials that staff can refer to at any time. As a bonus, she adds, the intranet tutorials “also assist with new staff training.” The goal that Whistler Blackcomb is working toward, Foose says, is to continue to expand the online training. “We hope to get to the point where staff can learn about the system online, and we can track which staff has completed which modules,” she concludes.

Online platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can enhance your marketing cache — and build relationships with both members and future members.

At its most basic form, social media is simple. It’s a matter of spreading your message to followers, whose followers are then exposed to your message, and so on. A cancellation of a tee time can be a real-time opportunity for others when you announce the opening on Twitter. A posted photo of your property’s last beach party event can make your Facebook followers inquire about the next one. A tennis tip video from your resident pro, uploaded to your YouTube channel, can expose you to a target audience that signs up for more.

And it doesn’t stop there. More properties than ever are using social media for job openings, as well as doing background checks on potential employees on LinkedIn and Google.

Kristen Wenrick, Marketing and Communications Director for the Toll Brothers’ Golf & Country Club Division, notes that she was literally “discovered” on LinkedIn: Mitchell Laskowitz, vice president of Toll Golf, did a search of resumes there and found her previous social media success with The Longaberger Co. It was just the type of experience that he and Toll Golf President Dave Richey were looking for in a candidate for their newly created position.

Wenrick has been working with Toll Golf’s Marketing Coordinator, Maureen Kolodziej, to build a solid foundation of social media among Toll Golf’s eleven properties. The first step has been getting all the websites migrated over to a software provider that specializes in the club industry, with specific built-ins like social media plugins on the public site and the ability for visitors to share any page of any of the sites to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus and more. Each site also has the ability to do customer surveys and instant polls, to monitor feedback of guests and members through the member private website.

Next, Wenrick and Kolodziej have been helping division department heads fine-tune their profiles on LinkedIn, to make sure the brand messaging has been consistent and that they’re maximizing the benefits of being on the site (such as joining and participating in relevant industry LinkedIn groups, for example). And throughout the process, Wenrick is analyzing the results to ensure they’re headed in the right direction.

Tell Your Story

Laurie Hobbs, Director of Public Relations and Marketing Communications for the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Destin, Fla., notes that her property really put its social media use in high gear during the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill in 2010. “Our beaches were beautiful and we had hardly any oil impact, so we had to combat the perception that we were hit as hard as some of the other coastal areas,” she explains.

Sarah Brazwell, the resort’s Marketing Communications and PR Manager, says that social media gave them a voice. “People want the real-time story, what is really going on,” she says. “They wanted to see photos of the water. And we were able to give that to them, to assure them that what was going on in other parts of the coast wasn’t what we were experiencing here.”

Hobbs notes that she, Brazwell and Marketing Coordinator Brooke Scholl work like “gears in a machine” to make the different platforms — Brazwell on Facebook, Scholl on YouTube, Twitter and FourSquare — run smoothly. LinkedIn is also being utilized by the resort’s executives, and Sandestin recently unveiled a smartphone app for guests to interactively familiarize themselves with the property.

Michael Neumann, who was recently promoted to Social Media Director for Celebration Golf Management in Orlando, Fla., notes that his company’s restructuring of its social media strategy includes appointing a social media “champion” at each of its six facilities. “Our long-term goal is 100% daily updates across the platforms, with the exception of YouTube,” Neumann states. “There will be some cross-branding of major events and promotions, but because we believe there are a lot of members who follow us both on Facebook, and Twitter, for example, we want to keep the information fresh and different on the platforms.”

Patti Todd, the Marketing and Communications manager of Tubac Golf Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz., notes that her property has been engaged with social media for a couple of years. This year, the property’s social media committee has put particular emphasis on writing good content that has “legs.”

“If we are doing a tequila dinner, we talk about all aspects of tequila — not just the dinner,” Todd offers as an example. “There are always lots of stories around any single event, and that is where we have fun! By writing about your subject on a broader scale, you are able to connect with more people.”

Parkland (Fla.) Golf & Country Club, where Wenrick is based, was the first of the Toll Golf properties to be revamped a few months ago. By the end of the year, she says, all will be converted to a newer and more interactive website presence. But make no mistake: It’s not a cookie-cutter strategy being implemented.

“We are looking carefully at who each of the property’s audience consists of, and building on that,” Wenrick explains. “One property’s golf course updates might have a wider reach on Facebook than Twitter, for example, while their restaurant might focus more on FourSquare.”

Creativity is Key

Wenrick says that Toll Golf is looking at implementing a blogger outreach program, where they invite an industry blogger to review the golf course, for example. When the blog review is published, there may be a giveaway component involved where readers are invited to take action (“like” the property’s Facebook page, post a comment at the blog or tweet about the post, for example) and thus enter into a random drawing for a free round of golf or dinner for two at the club.

“There’s so much more to do besides just having a presence on a particular platform,” Wenrick points out. Texting to members and using QR codes in signage are just two marketing trends Toll Golf has already implemented, she says.

Todd reports that at press time, the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa is working with several local organizations, including the Center for the Arts, Historic Society and Chamber of Commerce, to formulate a social media strategy to jointly promote special events. “We are only in the beginning stages on this,” she notes, “but we’re very excited about the idea of pooling our social media resources for destination marketing.”

Hobbs says that because the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s business units are seeing the value in social media communication, contribution levels are very high — from the Beach staff sending in a photo for upload, to the golf team talking about upcoming events. The property also has a blog dedicated just to weddings at the resort, and a new service is being offered to brides on-site: Real-time tweets of your big day.

“If loved ones or friends cannot make it to the wedding, one thing we offer is to be present at the event and live-tweet as it unfolds,” Brazwell explains, adding that social media, combined with other strong marketing, has helped the resort booked twice as many weddings by the end of July 2011 than it had for all of 2010.

Wenrick’s advice for properties just dipping a toe into social networking is to start out small. “Start where your audience currently is, and focus on understanding what works best for them,” she says. And, speaking as someone who rented her townhouse through Facebook, she means it when she adds, “Get creative.”

Neumann agrees: “The sky’s the limit.”

A Delaware course seeks to make all the right connections.

Golf had its first technology boom when big hitters and long courses spawned space-age approaches to equipment and balls. The next high-tech wave promises to have more universal appeal, and some clubs are moving quickly to get at the head of the pack to capitalize on the growing prevalence of smartphones, wireless applications and social media.

Forewinds Hospitality now seeks to position Deerfield, a public course in Newark, Del. that is owned by the state of Delaware, as “clearly the region’s high-tech solution for golfers,” notes Steve Furman, Deerfield’s General Manager.

“We’ve enhanced what we’ve had in previous seasons with significant new investments like our iPhone app that make playing Deerfield even more fun,” Furman explains.
The new app, which can be downloaded through the iTunes Store or Deerfield’s website (www.deerfieldgolfclub.com) “has been getting rave reviews,” says Kurt Zolbe, Deerfield’s PGA Golf Professional.  “It allows our golfers with iPhones to do everything from make tee times and communicate with the pro shop to enjoy the GPS distance features and hole-by-hole course tour with pro’s tips.”

“We’ve seen players come to us for the very first time who learned of Deerfield exclusively due to our app.” —Steve Furman, General Manager

The app also “links right to our Facebook and Twitter feeds, which keeps all of our golfers up to date with the course’s latest news and events,” adds Jeffrey Robinson, Sales & Marketing Director. “In addition, there’s a photo gallery and information about dining or hosting catered events. Plus, the app lets you keep your group’s score on your phone, and e-mail it to yourself or your friends once your round is complete.”

“If it’s going to make it easier to get golfers here and then deliver more fun once they’re on site, we’re absolutely going to do it.” —Jeff Robinson, Sales & Marketing Director

The free app is also proving to be effective in introducing Deerfield to new golfers. “We’ve seen players come to us for the very first time who learned of Deerfield exclusively due to our app,” noted Furman. “This technology allows us to grow our customer base while continuously giving them added value when they’re on the course; that’s the ultimate win-win.”

Deerfield is also offering a “Mobile Club” that offers coupons and specials via texts to golfers’ cell phones, complimentary wireless Internet on the property, and the use of QR Codes so golfers can scan ads and promotional materials that link automatically to content on Deerfield’s website.

“Our approach is simple,” said Robinson.  “If it’s going to make it easier to get golfers here and then deliver more fun once they are on site, we are absolutely going to do it.

With as much as our guests now rely on their mobile devices for the rest of everyday life, why not allow it to carry over to their leisure time on the course?”

Cherokee Town & Country Club implemented comprehensive digital signage throughout the Town Club to keep members updated on all club happenings.

In November 2009, as Atlanta’s Cherokee Town & Country Club was implementing a renovation of its Town Club (a second location, the Country Club, is just a few miles away), the management team wanted to find a way to keep costs down when marketing the club’s various events and programs—and at the same time improve the impact and timeliness of the messages conveyed to members.

Because the renovation at the Town Club was all about creating a more contemporary and cutting-edge facility, the staff decided: Rather than continuing to rely on old-fashioned flyers and signs, why not integrate 40-inch LCD TV monitors into the new design, which could then be updated with custom-made announcements about happenings around the club?

Once the monitors were included in the renovation plan, says Matt Bragg, the club’s Assistant Manager, the next order of business was where to put them. One was installed just outside the cardio exercise room, which gets a lot of steady traffic, and the other two were installed back-to-back above the men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, so members could see the announcements regardless of whether they were entering or exiting the club’s fitness area.

The messages, featuring both text and images, play on all three screens in a 10- to 15-second loop.

“We’re fortunate to have an IT department that did all of the legwork in choosing the monitors and the software that we use to update messages online,” says Bragg. Communications Director Keisha Montaque now serves as the gatekeeper for fielding the various announcements from Cherokee’s F&B, tennis, swim and fitness departments that the club wants to publicize. Montaque then formats and uploads the announcements in an orderly fashion onto the screens. “She’s the one who makes it look amazing,” says Bragg. Training in the BrightSign Manager software selected for making the announcements was easy enough for the IT department to simply walk Montaque through one time, and she was posting the first announcements soon after, he adds.

“What’s really great about the software is that we can change things on the fly,” Bragg says. “Plus, because it’s an online program, Keisha can make the changes from anywhere.”

The return on investment in Cherokee’s new approach to signage and promotion has been significant, says Bragg. The entire project, including the software program and the custom boxes made for three monitors, cost approximately $3,000. “If we were to make a sign that was the size of the actual screen, to put it in color and in the kind of material that would make it presentable, just one sign would cost about $200,” he points out. “And if we put three signs around the club, that would be $600 just to advertise one event. So, the screens obviously paid for themselves within just a few weeks.”

The club even touts the promotional tool as being environmentally friendly—after all, electricity is a renewable resource, and there is less waste stemming from extra signage and flyers. The club’s Town facility now mainly uses the screens and the club’s monthly magazine, Cherokee Life, to spread the word about its upcoming events and programs, with the messages on the screens often serving as valuable extra reminders for members.

“We’ve received a lot of feedback like ‘I had forgotten about making reservations for Fourth of July, but I saw the screen, and thought I’d better make them today,’ ” says Bragg. “It’s something so simple, but it really makes a difference.”

Toll Brothers stays on the leading edge of wireless technology for 11 golf properties nationwide, including the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, VA.

Whether it’s texting, talking or surfing the Internet on a smartphone, getting movie tickets or flight confirmation at a kiosk, or watching a full-length movie on a tablet computer, wireless technology use is in full force. No longer are we tethered to a desktop computer. Although the debate continues whether convenience beats safety, especially when talking about issues like texting and driving, today we literally have the world at our fingertips.

But what does that mean to the country club setting, which members historically have sought out as an oasis, a place where a ringing phone and other distractions could be pushed back for a little while?

According to Maurice Darbyshire, vice president of operations for Philadelphia-based Toll Brothers, Golf & Country Club Division, it’s a bit of a balancing act to ensure members who want to get away from it all can still do so, while others who want to remain connected to the outside world also get their wish.

Darbyshire is also General Manager of Toll Brothers’ flagship, the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Va., and he notes that over the years, technology has gradually infiltrated into the daily lives of members.

“We still ask members to be respectful of their fellow members by taking phone calls in more common areas, rather than the dining room itself,” he explains. “However, we have ensured that our restaurant and bar and pool areas are Wi-Fi hotspots, and we have no issue with members and guests using their smartphones or tablet computers to check e-mail or surf the Internet. It has become an expectation, versus a want, that the club have free wireless capabilities.”

Darbyshire says that at all Toll Brothers country club properties, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of members who allow their children to use their tablet computer or smartphone to play games, etc., prior to their dinner arriving. It keeps the children engaged and gives the adults the ability to converse and relax before their meal. “Therefore, it is our corporate policy that our clubs be wireless in all areas of the clubhouse and pool for the convenience of our membership,” he says.

The Belmont Country Club is unusual in that its clubhouse is actually the Belmont Manor House, which is more than 200 years old. Aesthetics were a concern when installing the wireless routers to enable Wi-Fi capability, but the IT team was able to keep the hardware out of public sight.

“The Manor House is a treasured historical artifact that employees and Belmont Country Club members are proud to share with others. However, that is the true beauty of what Toll Brothers has created — respect for the history of the site while functioning in a much different time,” says Darbyshire. “While history is an undeniable and appealing aspect to the site, we must be able to compete in today’s market. The wireless routers are undetectable to the naked eye, but very functional nonetheless.”

The golf course is not completely wireless, although most mobile devices allow the user to connect via a cellular signal if desired. Darbyshire says Toll Brothers’ strategy is to keep the spacious feeling both on the course and in the adjoining residential communities. “We do not crowd the course with homes or create a lot of ‘up and back’ holes,” he explains. “Our courses truly roll throughout the community.  That makes wireless a little difficult without significant cost issues that would have very little return.”

Streamlining Operations

Darbyshire says that one aspect of Wi-Fi technology in particular has helped him do business more easily and cost-effectively: videoconferencing.

“Because corporate headquarters is located in Philadelphia, and with 11 nationwide Toll Golf properties, this has allowed us to host all of our monthly operation meetings, annual club reviews, budget and employee reviews via videoconferencing rather than phone or traveling,” he explains. “We also take advantage of a see-and-share application that allows the hosts of our weekly sales call to lead the group by sharing their desktop with their fellow sales associates. This has proven to be a valuable tool when sharing prospects with one another, and how to overcome potential objections during the sales cycle.”

At Belmont, Darbyshire says they are currently exploring ways of incorporating wireless technology for its beverage carts and patio dining, and eventually into all of the property’s point of sales systems. Even today, front-line employees can bring up member profiles — photo identification as well as individual preferences — so as to ensure they maximize the member experience.

“We also made it a priority to ensure we can segment our membership for marketing purposes, and continue to improve this area in all of our clubs,” says Darbyshire. “We take preference sheets from members at orientation and continue to segment further, based on attendance at events via surveys. In my opinion, this will be a vital part of business going forward.”

Two clubs share their stories of disaster recovery

hink “it could never happen to you”? That’s what Bill Ochsenhirt, Vice President/General Manager of Inverness Country Club in Birmingham, Ala. thought until June 2007, when arson destroyed his property’s clubhouse (“Inverness CC Rises From the Ashes,” C&RB, December 2007). It’s also what Joey Hickman, Golf Pro and General Manager of Old Hickory (Tenn.) Country Club, thought until May 2010, when Nashville’s 100-year flood ruined parts of his course.

But in times of crisis, people pull together. That’s what happened both in Birmingham and Old Hickory, and while the road back to normalcy wasn’t always easy, it was attainable.

‘Are we still on for tomorrow?’

Literally hours after he watched Inverness’ 34-year-old clubhouse burn down to its foundation — taking with it 18 years’ worth of the hard-copy files that were stored inside — Ochsenhirt was receiving calls from members who, after expressing their sympathies over the loss, wanted to know whether their scheduled tee times were still going to happen in the morning.

It was then that Ochsenhirt realized he had to keep things as normal as possible during the recovery and rebuilding process, no matter how daunting that task might be. While all of the hard-copy records were gone, online records had been stored on an off-site server, and could be accessed from his home computer. He credits his wife, Pamela, with helping Inverness cope with the fire’s aftermath. Day after day, she stood curbside at the club, helping the Inverness staff answer the questions and concerns of golfers, members and even curious passers-by.

“We literally worked from a tent for the first three months,” says Ochsenhirt, noting that the intense Alabama summer heat didn’t help matters.

For many members, he says, coming to the site was “almost like going to a funeral. People were married here, celebrated their kids’ birthdays here. The building had 30 years of memories,” he says. But soon, sadness turned to excitement, when members learned that the clubhouse would be rebuilt.

Because the clubhouse wasn’t running at full capacity until 2009, it had to lay off about 45 employees. “We had such a great outreach from surrounding clubs, though,” Ochsenhirt says. “All of our employees literally had jobs the next day, with the understanding that they were welcome to come back here when we reopened. But by then, they had established new roots at their jobs.”

Ochsenhirt also credits his colleagues with helping him relocate weddings and other events that were scheduled in the first months after the fire.

On Sept. 1, 2007, the Inverness staff moved into an air-conditioned, temporary structure, which was wryly referred to as the “modular palace.” And on July 3, 2009, Inverness Country Club reopened its clubhouse bigger and better than ever (“A Hot Property Again,” C&RB, August 2009).

‘Nobody thought it was going to flood’

Joey Hickman recalls watching the Nashville flood on TV, feeling sympathetic for colleagues at the Gaylord Opryland resort who were in the thick of the event. But because Old Hickory was northeast of the city, nestled between Old Hickory Lake and the Cumberland River, he really didn’t expect to see damage to his club, too. Within hours, however, his water pump and five of his greens were submerged.

Hickman characterizes the days immediately after the flooding as “humbling.”

“We did not have any ability to wash off the mud residual, and we went a full nine days before we were able to get the pumps back up to run water,” he recalls, noting that the team didn’t even know what kind of sediment was left behind. “After the rains, it got very hot —we could have lost all the greens in a weekend.”

That was not to be the case, however, thanks in no small part to a member who is also a lawn-care professional and brought his 1,500-gallon truck to the course and watered the greens.

Like Ochsenhirt, Hickman worked hard to get the club back to as close to normal operations as quickly as possible. “We were closed that first week, then we opened nine of 18 holes on the higher elevation,” he says. Where a typical May for the club sees about 2,750 rounds, May 2010 was down to about 1,400. Because Old Hickory’s clubhouse sits on a hill, indoor events, dining and other club functions were not affected, he says.

Hickman is particularly grateful that the three golf outings that were scheduled at the club in the first few weeks after the flood could all be rescheduled. “That would have been a huge impact, at least $20,000 in revenue we would have otherwise lost,” he says.

In September, Old Hickory hosted a PGA state match.

“We played 16 holes, then holes 1 and 3 again, to make 18 holes,” says Hickman, who was on the PGA Tournament Committee and had explained the circumstances to his colleagues. “Everyone was patting me on the back and saying, ‘It was a lot better than what you said it might be.’ ”

Still, Hickman is glad that “2010 is in the rear-view mirror.”

“My faith grew even more this year,” he says. “I have not only grown as a golf pro, but also as a person who can handle adversity. “

In today’s hyper-connected online society, what does it take to get a property’s website noticed — and used — by members, guests and prospective customers alike?

If your club or resort property is like most these days, your online presence is likely to include the following:

• Online reservation capabilities for everything from tee times to roomnights, and from the initial meeting with the staff wedding planner to joining the next tennis tournament
• A password-protected section so members can interact on forums, receive exclusive package offers, and even post photos
• PDFs of your menus, updated frequently and available for download
• Social media links to cross-promote the site on Facebook and Twitter

Chances are, as well, that a third party specializing in hospitality-themed websites designed your site. However, unlike most of the industry’s sites of the 2000s, you are probably

no longer beholden to an outside vendor when you want to make changes in copy or imagery for your site. Instead, you now have a content management system tool that lets members of your staff update the site whenever they want—and from wherever, as long as an Internet connection is available.

Many properties are now also taking advantage of a helpful expiration feature that’s built in to many of today’s sites—so that when your golf outing is over on Saturday, its description disappears from view online, as well.

But while these similarities are now shared by most club and resort websites, best practices continue to evolve. Here’s a look at three especially successful sites, and what they’re doing to set themselves apart from the crowd.

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Acme, Mich.

GrandTraverseResort.com

Winner of the 2010 Web Marketing Association 2010 Outstanding Website award

• Web provider: TravelClick Inc.
• Last major redesign: 2008; planning for next redesign in fiscal 2012
• Staff member primarily responsible for content: J. Mike Agostino, Public Relations Manager
• Biggest benefit to site: Great selling tool for phone reservationists talking with potential guests who are exploring the site online; great public relations tool and resource for journalists, too.
• Biggest challenge to site: Easy navigation while showcasing all of the property’s features

“The site’s function is a lot about what the property looks like, a description of each golf course [the resort has three), and a downloadable PDF of each scorecard,” say

s Grand Traverse’s Public Relations Manager, J. Mike Agostino. A link to the golf section takes visitors looking for available tee times to a third-party handler, he adds. Links are divided into available times for Grand Traverse members, resort guests, and golf-only guests. Another link from the home page takes the visitor to a third-party vendor to buy a gift card for the property.

But, Agostino is quick to point out, not every customer wants to simply point and click. “With groups, we can send a promo code to a group meeting planner, who can then share that with potential attendees,” he explains. “But we still have our 800 number posted prominently on the site. Some people still want to speak with a reservationist; it’s important for them to still have a conversation with a real-life person.”

Improved navigation was a priority for the 31-year-old resort in the most recent redesign of its site. Its web provider assessed the needs of its then-new client, provided template choices, and worked with the Grand Traverse team to modify the templates to suit their needs. Training for the new content management tool included a Web conferencing meeting, a training guide, and phone and e-mail support as needed, Agostino says.

Using the site to market weddings at the resort has “really come to the forefront the past couple years,” Agostino notes. Special Events Manager Rachelle Grockau oversees the content of that section, making sure there are plenty of on-site photos from previous weddings and other events, so couples can get a good idea of what they would see in-person during their visit.

If there’s a challenge with the site, Agostino says, it’s that there’s so much story to tell. Among its many amenities, Grand Traverse consists of 900 acres, 600 roomsuites/condos, 86,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a health club and a spa.

“We want to ensure we make it easy for the end user to find what they’re looking for,” he says.

In-house, the property maintains BarefootGrandTraverse.com, a companion website to its annual lifestyle magazine.

“We update specific areas of the site on a seasonal basis,” says Agostino. “The front-page story is what’s currently happening at the resort. Right now, it is touting our winter activities. Come April, I guarantee it will switch over to golf!”

The property just shifted its social media strategy a few months ago, he adds. “A vendor is helping us manage our content with Facebook and Twitter,” he explains. “We’re also in the process of creating a mobile app for the resort.”

Deer Creek Golf Club, Deerfield Beach, Fla.

DeerCreekFlorida.com

• Web designer: Golf Course Web Design
• Web history: Initial site launched in 2001. Template has evolved since then — most recently, switching from solid background to gradient
• Staff member primarily responsible for content: Lana Goldstein, Marketing Director
• Biggest benefit to site: Reinforces the brand identity
• Biggest challenge to site: Keeping current on SEO and social media initiatives
• Approximate budget: $500/month, $6,000/year

Lana Goldstein, Marketing Director, notes that when Deer Creek Golf Club marked its 40^th anniversary in January 2011, new urgency was created for updating news and events, special menus, videos and photos on the club’s website. For videos, she usually posts to a YouTube channel, and posts the link on the site itself.

About six years ago, Deer Creek piloted an initiative that has since served it quite well: free Internet membership.

“The site’s interface gathers the name, phone, address and state,” Goldstein says. In return, the members — all 10,000 of them, and counting — receive weekly coupons to use when they’re in town. There has even been some conversion, Goldstein says, of Internet members to full-fledged club membership.

Online tee-time reservations account for not quite half of all reservations, but Goldstein believes that will soon change, as the number is “growing each year.”

Goldstein updates the site weekly, but monitors the working links and often makes new posts in between the regular updates. She also solicits feedback from members.

“We get a lot of compliments on what we’ve done with [the site],” she says. “The comments are often the same: They like how the buttons and fonts are big, and that it’s easy to navigate.”

Pinehurst Resort, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

Pinehurst.com

Winner of the Web Marketing Association 2010 Outstanding Achievement in Web Development award

• Web provider: Sabre Hospitality Solutions
• Last major redesign: late 2009; site debuted around 1999
• Staff membes primarily responsible for content: Kerry Andrews, Director of Marketing Communications, and Abby Pinter, Communications Coordinator
• Biggest benefit to site: More-informed customers know what they want when they call or reserve online
• Biggest challenge to site: The site does not currently book tee times
• Approximate budget: 3% to 5% of marketing budget

“A website is not only a living, breathing thing, but a front door for prospective guests,” says Kerry Andrews, Director of Marketing for the world-renowned Pinehurst Resort. “It’s important to maintain current standards, but also to ensure [the site is] fresh and makes sense to the user.”

Evolution is all well and good, Andrews adds, but after a while, so many layers on a legacy site can take its toll. Sometimes, it’s good to take it all down and start from scratch — which is what happened for Pinehurst in late 2009.

And not just Pinehurst.com, but also ShopPinehurst.com, the resort’s online gift shop; PinehurstResortRealty.com, its real estate site; and the golf academy’s online presence at Pinehurst.com/golf-schools/about-golf-academies. Pinehurst’s digital newsroom, PinehurstMedia.com, is maintained separately.

A template approach gave each of the sibling sites a similar look and feel.

One big change, Andrews notes, is the ability to retail individual-event ticket sales. “For example, we host a Jazz festival for which guests don’t necessarily stay the night,” she says. “That was handled through our guest services desk, but it’s now online, freeing up our staff for resort guests.”

Andrews says that she and Pinter work as a team to regularly audit the site. They also “ask everyone on the communication team to go through the site as if they’re a visitor.”

The redesign dedicated part of the site to weddings, a segment that Pinehurst only recently put focus on, Andrews notes. “We work with preferred photographers, put their work online, and then refer brides to them,” she explains. “It’s given us a wonderful showcase for our different wedding packages.”

In addition, the site offers what internal surveys have shown to be the most important information for meeting planners, such as meeting space specifications. Packages for the spa, which opened in 2005, are updated frequently as well.

Members are treated to frequent online updates on the redesign that is currently in progress for the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course, and can delve in slightly deeper on the password-protected site, PinehurstMembers.com.

The Granite Club in Toronto already had two wired workstations available for its members to use, located in the Meeting Resources Centre within the club’s private dining area. But this setup was not proving particularly accessible or visible to the majority of the club’s members.

The club’s IT Department looked at options for providing multiple computers for member convenience in a more visible and active area of the club. At the same time, with a nod to the realities of the 21st Century, the club took the step of installing wireless service throughout the building, so members could have access for personal devices such as BlackBerries and iPhones. Various member locations in the club, such as social areas and meeting rooms, were  identified as “Internet-friendly,” while WiFi access was restricted in other areas, especially where the club’s playschool is located, for the protection of younger members.

Adding wireless capability also gave the IT technicians, working in conjunction with the management staff, more flexibility to find the optimum location for additional computing stations that could be made available for public use. Eventually four additional stations were located within one of the designated wireless access zones on the club’s third floor, near the entrance to its Fitness Centre, Curling Lounge, and Sports Desk.

Members now actively use the four new workstations, with more discovering the system by the day. “This is a great place to get away from the hectic household and find a quiet place to do e-mails after working out—hooray, Granite Club!” one member commented.

At the same time, the support workload of IT staff members who were frequently asked by individual members to help them set up their personal computers for Internet connections, wired or wireless, has decreased significantly.  C&RB

The Club at Admiral’s Cove, Jupiter, Fla., reports that it has “dramatically reduced paper consumption, increased departmental efficiencies and encouraged interdepartmental communication” through a Digital Document Management system that saves “time, money, paper, energy…and your sanity.” As the graphic below shows, the Admiral’s Cove system uses central servers to exchange and share these documents generated, and needed, by the club’s various departments:

• Human Resources (employee files, payroll forms, 401k enrollment, training, SOP manuals)
• Golf & Golf Maintenance (purchase orders, inventory, agenda and minutes)
• Spa, Salon & Fitness (member files, health history, workout charts, release forms)
• Accounting (purchase orders, accounts payable and receivable, AP/GL lookups, vendor routings)
• Engineering & IT (work orders, project bids, contractor insurance certificates)
• Marina/Inn (member and transient history, slip and inn contracts)
• Food & Beverage (event orders, menus and archive files)

Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club has been using its current systems integration model for nearly five years, but it’s by no means the same as when it was installed in 2005. Rather, it has grown and evolved with the needs of the facility.

The primary vendor has upgraded the system with patches and enhancements as needed. As with any equipment maintenance, says General Manager Tom Wallace, it’s best to schedule the process so as to disrupt as few operations as possible.

“Unless it is critical, we typically limit these updates to Mondays, when the club is closed, and then generally mid-month so we don’t have any conflicts with our month-end closing process,” he explains, noting that the slow period in January is often the ideal time for a major maintenance effort.

Most of the Oakmont system’s recent upgrades have focused on hardware, server and operating- system needs. Wallace likes the fact that the system allows the property to add or move point-of-sale (POS) units whenever they want, at no additional cost.

“This has proved to be very beneficial as we have expanded [food and beverage service] into our new pool facility and the porch area,” he notes.

Smart Strategies
Whenever an upgrade is planned, Oakmont’s vendor first upgrades the club’s training system—which uses real data, but does not affect the books. “In this manner, we can have our line managers and/or our accounting staff work through the planned updates to see how these changes will take effect, and what, if any, operating changes we would have to make,” says Wallace.

Another prudent measure Oakmont has taken is to remain one level behind the vendor’s general releases: “We let someone else be the first-responders with their latest offerings,” Wallace says.

With Oakmont’s hosting duties for the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open now just a few months away, it’s a good tactic to take.