There is a separation of power underway among golf courses and facilities in the U.S., according to Henry DeLozier, a principal of Global Golf Advisors, and a keynote speaker at this week’s 2013 Asia Pacific Golf Summit.
“The winning clubs are doing what winners do in competitive markets. Clubs in the middle are not doing enough to compete, and the lower-tier clubs are hunkered down in their fox holes, hoping for the best and fearing the worst,” DeLozier told Asia’s largest gathering of golf course owners, operators and managers. “In other words, the A team is out-playing everyone else and separating themselves from the pack.”
Top performing facilities in the U.S. are positioning themselves for future success by adhering to five guidelines, DeLozier said.
- They understand that golf is only one facet of a successful operation and they provide additional health, wellness and social outlets for their members to enjoy.
- They value market research as the most accurate way to understand their markets and make informed decisions.
- They establish and live up to extreme quality standards.
- They personalize their service to members.
- They continually improve their facilities.
DeLozier said Global Golf Advisors, which is a leading authority on successful ownership and management practices for golf and private club businesses, advises its clients to follow three strategies, which are applicable regardless of location.
- Know your real market and don’t waste your marketing budget trying to influence anyone who is not a true prospect.
- Make a commitment to quality, which starts with a first impression. “Instantly, people need to discern what type of club you are, so they can begin to draw conclusions about the value you represent and whether you are right for them,” DeLozier said.
- Differentiate on a personal basis. “You have to know what your competition is offering and how you can offer something different … something valued by your customer. To find out what that is, talk to your members before, during and after their rounds, conduct surveys and host focus groups.”
Golf facilities in the emerging Asia-Pacific market have an opportunity to create unique brands and attach the qualities and values that are most important to their members.
“The best way to do that is not by memorizing the five characteristics of top-performing clubs or the three strategies that our firm encourages,” he said. “The best way – in fact, the only way – is to put these ideas to work. What the A teams do better than their competitors is execute. That’s their secret formula.”
For a copy of the “Postcards from America” presentation, please contact Barb Ralph at bralph@globalgolfadvisors.com
Global Golf Advisors www.globalgolfadvisors.com