Over 200 new photos in photographer Andy Hiseman’s 2017 portfolio, now published online at www.magichourgolf.com, show the diversity to be found at today’s golf clubs.
And a third wave of visually-rich golf club websites is taking advantage of super-fast mobile speeds to display larger images which attract new members and visitors, says the photographer.
The 2017 portfolio offers both traditional and unconventional views of club golf, with most images also featuring brief notes giving the story behind the photograph.
Accompanying new photographs taken at classic golf clubs such as Wildernesse, Moor Allerton, Braintree, Kirtlington and Harrogate are many images which reveal how modern golfing facilities offer so much more than 18 holes and a bar meal afterwards.
“More golf clubs than ever before are commissioning new photography” said Hiseman, head of golf-specialist PR & advertising agency Magic Hour Media. “When I am out on a shoot, my main job is still to produce images which make even the humblest golf course look special, and which make you want to play the hole. In summertime that often means getting up at 3am to be in position when the first rays of the sun light the green – the ‘magic hour’ which the camera loves.
“But increasingly, golf clubs are also asking me to photograph other activities and attractions away from the golf course. This is evidence of how the industry is diversifying in the battle to attract new customers.
“In 2016, for example, I photographed a prom at Wycombe Heights Golf Centre, the new soft play area at West London Golf Centre, the Adventure Golf and FootGolf at Hoebridge, and even croquet at two different places – Tewkesbury Park and Roehampton Club. I took photos of weddings and wakes, conferences and charity dinners, and broke my duck on photographing backgammon, bridge, art classes, squash matches, aqua aerobics and Pilates.”
He continued: “The photographs I take are being used to deconstruct the old, stuffy image of golf clubs. Across the UK golf is rebooting itself, day by day, providing a more welcoming and accessible experience for the general public.
“If a special photograph makes a new customer walk through the door, it has paid for itself.”
Hiseman also sees a trend towards more visual golf club websites, which make better use of photographs. “We are well into the third phase of golf club websites now” he said. “At first, golf club websites were quite basic, given the limitations of dial-up speeds. Then post-broadband we saw a huge number of new websites being built, although they were generally quite text-heavy. Now, there’s a third generation of gorgeous, mobile-friendly golf club websites being built around large images, and less words.
“Visually-rich websites are very much where it’s at now as regards golf club web design, which means that good photographs are more important than ever.”
“Andy’s amazing photos have helped us to gain over 100 new members this year” said Craig Greason at Braintree Golf club in Essex. “I cannot stress enough how important it is to get professional imagery for your business, and Andy would always be my first call.”
Grace McLaughlin at Roehampton Club in West London said: “Andy’s photos are engaging, contemporary, and refreshingly different to those we had before. We illustrated much of our 2017 membership brochure with his fantastic shots. We are very, very happy.”
“From first point of contact to final delivery of photos, Andy was an absolute pleasure to work with” said Pam Smith at Kirtlington Golf Club in Oxfordshire. “His professional, knowledgeable, helpful and efficient manner made the whole process run very smoothly. We would highly recommend him.”
“Not only do Andy Hiseman’s photos show the golf course at its beautiful best, but he has also captured many other aspects of the golf club” said Andrew Lawrence at Wildernesse Golf Club in Kent. “I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone looking to enhance their marketing imagery.”
Patrick Jones at Tewkesbury Park said: “Andy offered complete flexibility as regards the weather, and showed great understanding of the brief we gave him. He then set to work morning, noon and night to maximise the opportunity. The result is stunning photography for Tewkesbury Park.”
A second trip to Azerbaijan to photograph the new Dreamland Golf Club provided the year’s biggest haul of photographs, with over 500 high-resolution, brochure-ready images delivered to the client. “Whether you’re in Baku or Bristol, there is increasing competition for people’s leisure time” said Hiseman. “The challenges which golf operators face are broadly similar the world over, and having a large collection of high-quality photographs clearly helps you to outpace your competitors.
“Golf club managers frequently tell me that their new photos produced a tangible return on investment within a very short time.”
Contact Andy Hiseman on +44 (0)7795 360112, or email andy@hiseman.com.
See the full portfolio at www.magichourgolf.com