For a club which celebrated its centenary in 2013, Hazel Grove GC enjoys its reputation for being progressive, and it is why the club has become one of 250 clubs to install the Eagle club members’ app, writes Charles de Haan. The members’ reactions have been very positive and more than 30% were using the app within 2-3 weeks of launch.
Hazel Grove’s contemporary outlook is down to adapting to the trends in the marketplace, as Chairman Bill Dootson explains, “We give our members what they want and what they require. We’ve never really been a ‘traditional’ club as such, but we are a very friendly place that attracts likeminded people. As Chairman it’s my responsibility to see it stays that way. We always like to move forward with the latest solutions that not only fulfil our needs, but which our members find easy to use. The Eagle app made perfect sense for our club.
Bill continues, “Over 150 of the club diaries for 2014 were never claimed, and thanks to the app we won’t be printing any diaries for 2016. Eagle’s team gave us a great deal, offering us enough 2015 diaries for those members who aren’t yet online, whilst the app took care of everyone else’s needs in terms of providing online members with up-to-date fixtures, membership contact details, etc.”
Bill comments, “We’ve always been very open about our Council decisions and meetings, which we’d communicate by e-mail to try and push the members to log on to the club website. Now we use the app as well, as it reaches all our online members immediately whatever their platform – PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone – and it’s just two clicks for them to reach the content. Our latest club update has all sorts of information ie. the club Council’s thinking on CASC, new members, monthly prize draws, even a notice about logs for sale from the latest tree management work on the course.
“We have several volunteers handling updates and news content in the app which they’re finding simple and fast to upload. It saves time in other ways too. The members’ contact details can now be updated by the members themselves directly in the app, instead of our Assistant Secretary having to amend each and every contact detail on a separate database.”
Bill continues, “The app’s user-friendliness means members running various sections and matches can use it to communicate with their team squads. This will be a major benefit in the match season by making it far easier to put teams together more quickly.
The app has also meant we send out less e-mails now, which is a real benefit. The app only communicates the messages sent by the club, and because it works across all platforms, messages are picked up on PCs, laptops and tablets, as well as smartphones,
We’re also working on some sponsorship deals. Potential sponsors have noticed the app enables viewers to go directly to sponsors’ websites, whereas traditional offline methods only generate brand exposure and awareness.”
Bill summarises, “Eagle’s support, guidance and service is excellent. There’s no question the Eagle app is certainly one of our better ideas, and it’s enabling Hazel Grove GC to enhance our reputation for being the sort of golf club people choose to belong to in the 21st century.”
Hazel Grove GC http://www.hazelgrovegolfclub.com
Eagle http://www.eagle.uk.com
Read more stories about Golf Management Topics and latest list of Most-read stories