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First Off continued from page 11 forcing the White Sox to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader. “I have seen some promotions literally go up in smoke,” said Veeck, the keynote speaker at the 2013 NGCOA Annual Conference. “But it’s never stopped me.” Veeck has worked for a number of Major League Baseball clubs and is a partial owner of several minor league teams, including the Charleston (South Carolina) RiverDogs, the Ft. Myers Miracle and the St. Paul Saints. He encouraged golf course owners and operators to think creatively to create promotions that tempt the outrageous while building their businesses. The key elements of a successful promotion include planning, research, media support and testing. Effective promotions do not have to be expensive, Veeck said, but they do need to be grounded in a great idea. “Nothing I say here today will cost you a nickel to do, but you do have to have an idea,” said Veeck, whose zany promotional ideas have included hiring a blind announcer in 1995 to call a Chicago Cubs-Florida Marlins game and bringing in a group of mimes to perform instant replays. Great ideas share three characteristics, according to Veeck: They are unique, they create a dramatic difference in your business, and they give fans a reason to believe they should participate. “If you just have two of those three things, you’ll get at least 240 percent return on your investment,” he said. In addition, Veeck said great promotions should be complemented by strong customer service. “We’re in the experiential business, and service drives the experience, which drives the memory.” As an example of his commitment to customer service and satisfaction, Veeck sends handwritten notes to each of his season ticket holders. Meanwhile, one of the best ways to improve service and satisfaction is to welcome complaints, Veeck said. “Nobody wants to get them, but they’re the best information we can get.” Most importantly, Veeck said, don’t stop promoting, even when times are tough. “Research shows that the companies that continued to invest during the recession are growing at more than 200 percent today, much faster than the ones that pulled back because they didn’t think they could afford it,” Veeck said. A progressive spirit and the willingness to challenge convention—much like the ill-fated-yet-wildly-effective promotion that jump-started Veeck’s career—can change a company’s fortunes and keep customers coming back for more. “The people who succeed are the ones who take Extra the time to look at Extra Want more highlights their business and from the 2013 NGCOA tear it apart,” Veeck Annual Conference Turn to page 46 said. —Bill Bryant Educational opportunities like Answers On the Hour abounded at the Golf Industry Show. MAKING A MARK ON THE INDUSTRY TALK OF A FISCAL CLIFF WAS BUT A DISTANT MEMORY as convention center aisles were crowded and conversations were constant at the Golf Industry Show, which was held in conjunction with the NGCOA Annual Conference in San Diego. “Having been in the golf industry for such a long time, I haven’t seen much that surprises me,” said Mike Hughes, CEO of the NGCOA. “But the level of vibrancy on the trade show floor—from the enthusiasm of the exhibitors to the exuberance of the attendees—caught me off guard just a bit. And I consider myself an optimist.” Final numbers support Hughes’ claim. The Golf Industry Show attracted 6,018 qualified buyers, who spent time with 515 exhibiting companies covering 172,700 square feet of exhibition space. Total attendance eclipsed 13,000. In addition to walking the trade show floor, attendees took part in a variety of on-site educational programming. Offerings ranged from Tech Tips on the Half, which featured such topics as using technology to drive revenue and customer relationships, and tips to avoid credit card fraud, to Answers On the Hour, with programming that ranged from strategies for buying and selling a course to redesigning pro shops to meet changing customer needs. Collectively, the exhibit/educational format appealed to trade show-goers and exhibitors alike. “The trade show industry as a whole is struggling, but I was very impressed with how much organizers have changed the show and how they’re constantly working to implement changes that will keep the show fresh,” said Matt Shaffer, superintendent of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Perhaps more importantly, the buzz generated at the Golf Industry Show—particularly coming on the heels of positive reviews from the PGA Merchandise Show (see page 14)—bodes well for the coming year. “The feedback I received was extremely positive,” noted Rhett Evans, executive director of the GCSAA. “There is optimism for 2013.”
Industry Pulse December 2012 Monthly Average Rounds Played / Days Open Comparison The Power of Print D ESPITE REPORTS OF ITS DEMISE, the printed word remains an extremely relevant outlet for marketers looking to reach the golfing public. So says a National Golf Foundation survey of media preferences. According to the report, core golfers overwhelmingly prefer golf magazines for “golf travel news and articles” and “equipment news and articles.” The Golf Channel outpaces golf-related magazines for “golf-related instruction,” with Web sites, other television outlets and mobile apps trailing further still. “To me, the research validates that over the last seven or eight years the pendulum has swung way too far, way too fast away from print,” says Greg Nathan, senior vice president of NGF. The findings, which fly in the face of many mainstream reports that suggest print readership and advertising are going the way of dinosaurs, didn’t surprise some course operators. “Magazines provide informative editorial about cool destinations, accompanied by great photographs,” says Kris Strauss, vice president of sales and marketing for OB Sports. “Our magazine budget obviously focuses on golf publications, not non-golf magazines, because our audience is golfers.” For course owners searching for a quick takeaway, the lesson is clear: “You have to seek out the best audiences to deliver the best ROI,” Nathan notes. And, in most cases, that includes print. continued on page 15 Facility Type % Change % Change Average Rounds Average Rounds Average Days Average Days Played 2012 Played 2011 Open 2012 Open 2011 All Facility Types 829 860 -3.6% 15.9 15.9 0.0% Private 725 743 -2.4% 16.7 16.6 0.5% Daily Fee 828 866 -4.4% 15.1 15.2 -0.7% Muni/Mil/Univ 976 1,021 -4.4% 16.7 16.3 2.2% Resort 1,006 988 1.8% 16.5 16.2 1.8% 2012 Year-to-Date Average Rounds Played / Days Open Comparison Facility Type % Change % Change YTD 2012 YTD 2011 YTD 2012 YTD 2011 Rounds Played Rounds Played Days Open Days Open All Facility Types 24,884 23,383 6.4% 290.5 272.8 6.5% Private 19,402 18,323 5.9% 284.7 269.4 5.7% Daily Fee 26,071 24,394 6.9% 291.2 271.8 7.1% Muni/Mil/Univ 31,527 29,681 6.2% 299.1 281.0 6.4% Resort 23,102 22,094 4.6% 289.3 275.5 5.0% December 2012 Median Golf Fee Revenue Per Facility Facility Type Median 2012 Median 2011 % Change Sample Size All Facility Types $27,506 $28,387 -3.1% 1,154 Private $18,834 $17,840 5.6% 282 Daily Fee $26,656 $28,231 -5.6% 413 Muni/Mil/Univ $28,599 $30,351 -5.8% 363 Resort $104,850 $107,634 -2.6% 96 December 2012 Median Gross Revenue Per Rounds Played Median Merchandise Fee Facility Type Median Golf Fee Revenue Median F&B Revenue Revenue Median Total Revenue All Facility Types $23.45 $17.02 $68.36 $248.64 Private $17.78 $38.82 $156.11 $648.84 Daily Fee $24.53 $5.40 $10.04 $53.99 Muni/Mil/Univ $23.46 $4.50 $3.45 $37.50 Resort $55.10 $54.13 $441.06 $590.42 December 2012 NGCOA Competitive Golf Marketplaces RevPATT* 3.6% Kentucky RevPUR* 8.6% Pennsylvania RevPATT* RevPUR* 15.6% 26.0% Percent change vs. same period last year *RevPATT = revenue per available tee-time *RevPUR = revenue per utilized round What about my state See more details on your market by registering at www.pgaperformancetrak.com All Rounds Played averages are starts per 18 holes. Detailed data provided based on sufficient response. Responses are from all participating facilities with 9 holes or more. Data presented was submitted by the 22nd of each month for the prior month’s data. Rounds Played are weighted by facility type. Some rounds played data included in this report have been collected and supplied by NGF and Golf Datatech. Learn more at www.ngcoa.org/benchmark. For more report details, visit www.pgaperformancetrak.
Page 2 and 3: TO AUGUSTA Bill Stevens buys the Te
Page 4 and 5: Greensmaster ® TriFlex TM & TriFle
Page 6 and 7: Viewpoint From the CEO T he unsung
Page 9 and 10: CONTENTS March ‘13 20 24 FEATURES
Page 11 and 12: THE STAKES ARE TOO BIG TO SETTLE FO
Page 13: First NEWS, VIEWS, [ TRENDS & ANALY
Page 17 and 18: Industry Pulse December 2012 Averag
Page 19 and 20: Long On the Range The Hype: Trojan
Page 21 and 22: parcel, the Lemons had something di
Page 23 and 24: marketing and advertising agency, a
Page 25 and 26: THIS CAR HAS IT ALL BATTERIES WITH
Page 27 and 28: hese days, you can’t grow revenue
Page 29 and 30: Runs in: Mar, Jul, Oct Consider a g
Page 31 and 32: Hills Golf Course in Fullerton, Cal
Page 33 and 34: © 2013 Illustrations by David Cutl
Page 35 and 36: “You just NEVER KNEW when you wer
Page 37 and 38: “Bentgrass has RUN a lot of good
Page 39 and 40: diately. When Elwinger approached h
Page 41 and 42: “I don’t think there will be mu
Page 43 and 44: ommunity A positive Outlook can hel
Page 45 and 46: Keeping Guests Happy s the battle t
Page 47 and 48: Playin’ In the Sand he shortest d
Page 49 and 50: southern California by many, Spinel
Page 51 and 52: Creating a New Labor Model Jeff Spa
Page 53 and 54: MEMBERS IN MOTION Purchasing Networ
Page 55 and 56: C L A S S I F I E D S (Pinehurst ar
Page 57 and 58: d Index Interact with the companies
Page 60: [ Who Says Three’s a Crowd ] Ther

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