The golf industry spent a lot of time and money inviting the masses to visit golf courses for the green grass experience. And starting in 2020, they accepted the invitation.
It was definitely boom times over the past 24 months for most facilities and it could continue into 2023. The pandemic brought a new cohort of participants to the game who will hopefully be back this season with a few million of their closest friends. And Tiger is back on the prowl, albeit in a limited supporting role; if he is on the leaderboard on Sunday at the Masters, it will be an additional magnet drawing people to the game.
Because we all feel so at home at a golf facility, it’s easy to forget how intimidating it can be at first. And if you came to the game at an early age, you may have never experienced that feeling at all. Most of the new players will be greener behind the ears than spring Zoysia and will need to be welcomed to the course with care and attention.
Here are a few things that can be done to help the new arrivals be as comfortable as possible and ensure that their first visit to the course is not the last.
Sign of the times. One thing many courses overlook is the first impression. The signage at the entrance. People are coming to play golf, but many facilities have signage that looks like it belongs at the entrance to a gated private community. Operators should consider putting images at their entrances that show people having fun. And it would be a plus to include families and diversity in those images.
Train ‘em up! Customer interactions with staff can determine whether you get a patron for life or a one-time visitor who tells all of their friends about their negative experience. Make sure staff are trained properly for courtesy, helpfulness, and patience with new arrivals.
We got you. Have an established program to assist new golfers. Offer a concierge type service where new golfers can get advice and support on equipment, apparel, rules of the game and especially on course etiquette. The support will likely be rewarded with lasting loyalty and a steady stream of referrals.
Teach ‘em up! Instruction should be encouraged and rewarded. PGA instructors are grounded in the fundamentals of the game, but they should also be grounded in the fundamentals of connecting with all kinds of people. Encourage group lessons that encourage making new friends and potential playing partners. Also, one thing golfers and operators both want is players to play better, faster and to have good on course habits. The best way to teach all of these things is on the course. Professionals should make ample opportunities for on course lessons where you can teach the game in the environment where it will actually be played.
The Name Game. General Manager, Head Pro, Director of Operations, Marshal, Ranger … none of these titles have the customer experience at the core of their job description. While there are some titles that are tied to certification (e.g., PGA professional), I’m a fan of facilities that dispense with titles and assign the role of “Ambassador” to all or most of the staff. It places equal responsibility on everyone for the customer experience and it also alleviates the idea that any one job is more important than any other.
Golf benefited from the lockdown days, but those days are over and the competition for the entertainment dollar (which include the piggy bank if the economy turns sour) is back. Golf facilities must do what it takes to turn first-timers into life-timers. As Rob Schneider said in The Waterboy, “You can do it!"