how to market golf courses

by Selina Gulgowski Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

The Best Golf Course Marketing Ideas to Use

Fire Up Your Email. Email marketing is a great way to stand in contact with local people and promote events that are going on at your course.
Run Several Events. Having several competitions run every week is a great way to get people involved with your golf course.
Host Charity Events. ...
Loosen Up the Rules Sometimes. ...
Create a Team Building Package. ...

Full Answer

Do you have a marketing strategy for your golf course?

Before you go start your marketing campaign, you need to assess your branding strategy. Understanding how your brand will fit within your golf course’s market is critical for planning your marketing strategy. Not all courses are created equal and your golf course has a specific fit within your area’s golf market.

How to choose the right golf course for your business?

You need to consider how well your golf course suits the demographics needs, whether your offering is realistic or attractive, and whether this demographic is lucrative enough to be worth chasing.

Is technology the key to digital marketing success for golf courses?

Yes, there is a clear correlation between your digital marketing campaigns and technology, but even a tee time distribution strategy can be aided and monitored with the help of modern software. Some tools golf courses can use to improve their marketing campaigns might be: These tools all perform specific functions to aid a variety of tasks.

How can you promote your golf course?

With a little bit of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, you can generate more interest and rounds at your golf course. Here’s a list of fresh ideas that incorporate new technology, modern thinking, and the human desire to share. We’re certain you’ll find something new to try. Now, let’s dive into these g olf course marketing ideas.

How do golf courses advertise?

BrandingPick a signature hole. ... Advertise Your Course Layout With a Drone Video. ... Take Quality Course Pictures. ... Run a social media contest. ... Remarket your customer list on Facebook. ... Leverage your pros on social media. ... Update your review profiles. ... Encourage customers to post about your golf course.More items...

How can I attract more golfers?

Below are five sure-fire ways to help attract newbie golfers in 2020.Social Media Management. Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to businesses today. ... Host Free Beginner Golf Lessons. ... New Golfer Memberships/Rewards. ... Pre-Paid Practice Range/Balls. ... Video Meet-ups For New Golfers.

Who is the target market for golf?

4.1 Market Segmentation The breakdown of participation in golf is as follows: 1% Professional, 63% men, 32% women , 4% youth, with 81% recreational golfers. Our products are targeting the lady golfer/recreational group, because they are the fastest growing segment in the golfing industry.

How can I make my golf course more profitable?

Strategies to Boost Revenue at Your Course This SeasonSell packages.Custom memberships.A well-designed loyalty rewards program.Branded merchandise.Sponsorships.Add an eCommerce page to your website.Open up an online booking channel.Upselling and cross-selling.More items...

How do you attract millennials to golf?

6 Easy Ways to Attract Millennial Golfers1: Offer free club rentals with PGA lesson or round of golf. ... 2: Different style of play. ... 3: Social media interaction. ... 4: Have a social tournament for local young adults. ... 5: Incentivize your golf round with local business. ... 6: Inbound Marketing.

Do golf courses make a lot of money?

Profitable golf courses are generally selling for six to eight times EBITDA, while courses that aren't profitable tend to sell at 0.8 to 1.4 times revenue.

Is the golf market growing?

With the substantial growth of the golf tourism industry, the market is anticipated to have a positive outlook in the coming years. European countries are expected to invest heavily in the infrastructural enhancements pertaining to the game and host many international golf events and competitions.

What are golfers looking for?

favour and reward good shot making by providing consistency. reduce environmental impact by lessening requirements for water and chemicals. reduce the area of regularly maintained turfgrass, by adjusting mowing practices, balancing this with the need to retain an enjoyable golf experience.

What is Callaway's target market?

Buyer Persona Because of Callaway's focus on innovation and engineering, and its positioning at the high-end of golf equipment, its customers are among what are called “core” golfers, the folks that play regularly, as well as professionals.

What is the profit margin on golf clubs?

After all expenses, the best golf retailers rarely profit more than 2-3% of the total cost of a club. However, as a whole, we can say that around 33.33% of the cost of a golf club is the markup from the retailer.

How do golf clubs generate income?

How much can you make owning a golf course?

Golf Course Owners make between $30,000 to several hundred thousand dollars per year. However, golf course owners sometimes will lose money if the course has a bad year. Overall, the golf course industry is very volatile, and there is no guarantee that money will be made.

How to get more visitors to your golf course?

Consider using pay-per-click, or PPC, to get the attention of golfers who use the Internet to look for courses.

Why is SEO important for golf clubs?

As a golf club marketing strategy, SEO helps your golf course stay in front of your best prospects and reach them where they are already searching online. This also means that SEO yields some of the most targeted leads, since they are already searching for golf courses in their areas.

What is WebFX marketing?

WebFX is a leader in the Internet marketing industry, and our team of specialists will work with you to create and implement a custom plan designed to help you reach your business goals .

Is online marketing good?

But as people continue to rely on the Internet for an increasing amount of information, online marketing is one of the best ways to reach new customers.

Can you post videos on YouTube about golf?

You can also consider creating and posting videos to YouTube that demonstrate golf techniques or equipment that you sell. This can give viewers an inside look at your course and encourage them to check it out in person.

Can golfers take photos on social media?

If golfers on your course take photos, they can upload them directly to social media and tag your course. This is great free advertising, and takes minimal effort to set up. In addition, your social profiles are great places to make announcements, connect with customers, and host reviews.

Why create your own golf course app?

Why not streamline a lot of your communication with your customers by creating your own Golf Course App ? Simply choose a template and your business information will be pulled from your website and social media pages, keeping your branding in the process. From here you can interact with business queries in real-time while you are on the go, offer loyalty schemes and discounts to tempt visitors into your golf club and even use push notifications that will promote specific offers to your app users if they happen to be nearby.

How to get a free golf course on your birthday?

Usually, this is enough to pique their interest and get the information you require. Takedown their name, address, date of birth and email address and ask if you can contact them with offers and deals . Chances are they will say yes, but if they’re not keen, don’t hassle them. That is one sure-fire way to lose custom. If your visitor is more than happy to let you contact them then ensure that you send a personalized follow-up email thanking them for their visit to your golf course. Being courteous and using the person’s name shows an interest in them and studies have found that this is more likely to gain a positive response.

How to encourage people to visit your golf club?

Effective email marketing can encourage people to visit your golf club, but first off, you need to capture your visitors’ email addresses. So how do you do this without it feeling intrusive? One of the easiest ways we find is to offer something in return for the information. If your customers feel that they are getting something free they are more likely to view the idea favorably. You may have to be a little persuasive but it should never feel forced.

Why do you need a golf blog?

Filled with engaging content that is aimed at a golf fan, your blog can act as a way of showing readers that you have a good knowledge of your industry and if posts are well-written they will encourage people to revisit your site on a regular basis and consider your golf course if they ever want to visit one.

What is the bottom line of running a golf club?

When it comes to running a golf club the bottom line is to attract as many members as possible. But how exactly do you do that? Well, while every golf course has its own strengths and weaknesses a good starting point is to look at those people coming through your doors.

Do golf clubs need a website?

While a website may be something you’ve never considered for your golf club, it’s essential to create an online presence so potential customers know of your existence.

Do golf courses use Facebook?

Amazingly, very few golf courses have successfully embraced the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to market their business, but the bonuses of signing up on these sites are huge. Imagine being able to reach huge amounts of people in a short amount of time and get your message out there.

What is aggregate golf?

Aggregate (based on state level averages) – all factors, calculate total number of golfers, play frequency, estimated total rounds up for grabs.

How long does it take to evaluate a private club?

Typically 2 – 6 months in evaluation stage for average private club (more for beginners and expensive clubs) – sales processes aren’t set up for this!

What is golf course marketing?

Golf course marketing encompasses all of the actions taken by a golf course to generate awareness, develop a branded experience, sell tee times, advertise pro shop and restaurant items, and delight customers. Golf courses typically use a mix of tools, channels, and strategies to accomplish their marketing and revenue generation goals.

What are some marketing strategies for golf courses?

Posters, flyers, banners, radio, billboards, and even television advertisements are a tried and true marketing strategy that many golf courses have used in the past. It makes sense, golf is a very traditional industry and consumers have long received marketing communications from golf courses in these formats.

How to get more out of email marketing?

The trick to getting more out of your email marketing is to make sure every communication you send is on brand, contextually relevant, and meaningful.

Why is social media so popular in golf?

Part of the reason why social media is an attractive marketing channel for golf courses is due to their appeal with younger audiences, especially millennials.

What is marketing plan?

Your marketing plan is the jump-off point for creating a branding strategy. It develops a message, identifies marketing channels, and generates interest in your business.

How long does it take to develop a marketing plan?

A standard marketing plan typically spans the course of one year, and is divided by each quarter.

What is the most important part of marketing?

The most important part of marketing is measuring ROI.

Why do golf courses need to market themselves?

Some golf courses, however, need to market themselves in creative and effective ways because their competition is fierce. That’s what these essential golf course marketing ideas are designed to do: to help you stand out! It all begins with your ability to provide that quality experience. If people don’t have fun on your course, no marketing effort can save you.

Why do not everyone want a full membership?

Not everyone wants a full membership to your club because not every golfer is avidly addicted to the game. Some might just want to use your range. Some might just want to use your clubhouse! Sell your memberships in tiers instead of full packages and you just might see your revenues increase as time goes by. 8.

Is a golf course a business?

In some ways, a golf course is one of the easier businesses to run. As long as you maintain your course and provide a good value for a fair fee, you’ll have golfers of all skill levels headed your way to enjoy the course. Some communities only have one golf course as well, which further adds to the scarcity of the product ...

2 – Deploy A Marketing Strategy

Many golf facilities are operating with little to no marketing. It’s often the case when the leadership has not established a brand.

4- Utilize Social Media Strategy

Social media is an opportunity for golf facilities to communicate directly with their guests. Building an engaged following on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok can show off the facility while building awareness of events, sales, careers, etc.

5- Experiment With E-Commerce

If your golf facility does not have an online presence, it will be missing out on a large market of potential customers. Potential customers are researching facilities and other golf businesses to find what fits their needs best.

6- Invest in Customer Relationship Marketing

A well-thought-out social media strategy utilized consistently will allow you to build an organic customer base of golfers that may become loyal customers. A strong relationship with your guests creates brand loyalty and raises the chances of returning to play again at your facility.

Conclusion

The golf market is competitive, and you need to have a strong marketing strategy in place if you want your business to succeed. These are just five common mistakes that can cause problems for the long-term success of any golf course.

About The Author

Paul Bonenfant has been a proud PGA of Canada member since 2003. Out of the gate, he quickly developed an affinity for teaching the game of golf. This was a bit of foreshadowing when his focus switched to becoming a golf business consultant. Paul uses marketing as his primary tool to help golf industry businesses achieve their new highs.