Marketing Basics for Golf Clubs Golf SA Forum, 2011

1. Marketing
Basics
A Quick 9-Holes
Golf SA Club Forum
April 2011

2. HOLE 1
Create an effective Website
Par 4

3. Hole 1 – Tips
 Trust your website development, hosting and
maintenance to specialists
 Install Google Analytics to monitor your traffic
 Take the search engine test – type in “Your
Name Golf Club” or a golf related search
phrase like “golf courses in my town” and
make sure your site is listed at the top
 List your website on all club printed materials,
including your scorecards
 List your website on course signage and on
the front door

4. HOLE 2
Email Databases & Marketing
Par 5

5. Hole 2 – Tips
 If you currently keep your email database in a
traditional address book like Outlook, Hotmail etc,
switch to an automated system that automatically
handles remove and change email requests. Manually
managing a traditional email system is a time
consuming job.
 Dip your toes in the water with an online program like
MAIL CHIMP (www.mailchimp.com) which offers up to
12000 emails a month free of charge

6. HOLE 3
Internet Marketing Plan
Par 4

7. Hole 3 – Score
 Assign a budget
 „Cross link‟ with other websites
 Advertise on other website
 Generate income through your own site
 Establish a regular schedule for updates

8. HOLE 4
Customer Loyalty Programs
Par 4

9. Hole 4 - Tips
 Offer the benefits and discounts to your loyal, regular
players in appreciation of their regular patronage.
 Check out the big online database selling „stores‟ such
as Scoopon (www.scoopon.com.au) and Cudo
(www.cudo.com.au) but make sure you are able to
utilize the customer database for future
correspondence and ongoing loyalty offers

10. HOLE 5
Programs for Businesses
Par 3

11. Hole 5 - Tips
 Offer business related services (on course tabs, wi-fi,
meeting rooms)
 Specifically advertise „Business Groups Welcome‟
 Business card draws – build your contact database
 Utilise your business group database to market your
„Come & Try‟ golf clinics or create special events
especially for business groups

12. HOLE 6
Public Relations & Media
Par 5

13. Hole 6 - Tips
 Build your media database
 Link with Councils, Tourist Centres, Information Centres
 Do your research on local websites, bloggers and other
„new media‟ outlets

14. HOLE 7
Search Engine Optimisation
Par 4

15. Hole 7 - Tips
 Try the optimisation search for yourself: Go to Google
(www.google.com.au) and type in the name of your
course (ABC Golf Club). Make sure your website appears
at the top of the list or at the very least on the first page.
 Now type in a common search phrase for your course
(e.g. golf courses in my town). Again make sure that your
site is displayed prominently in the search results.
 If you are not seeing the results you expect – contact
your website administrator

16. HOLE 8
Monitor your existing advertising
Par 4

17. Hole 8 - Tips
 Make sure advertising has a call to action
 Make sure staff monitor responses
 Give priority to your member retention strategies over
external advertising
 Build your database under all circumstances
 Ask for editorial to supplement advertising

18. HOLE 9
Image make over
Par 4

19. Hole 9 – Tips
 Ask for an external opinion
 Make over your logo and have it available on request
 Touch up your signage.
 Pay attention to your photography

20. Cost savers – who are your members?
 Photographers
 Graphic Designers
 Signwriters
 Web designers
 Journalists
 PR consultants
 Students

21. Your Score?