"... tidal wave of fat freaking unemployed middle-aged men that are declaring themselves “social media gurus”. Blew coffee all over keyboard reading that line.

Solid info... bottom-line, you gotta hook-up with the 800-pound Gorilla in the room.

Wow... I'm not sure where to even begin on responding to this.

If you're sitting on a newer course, hoping that a rise in greens fees is going to bail out a sagging real estate development and service debt...

Well, good luck with that!

Golfers have too many choices, fewer dollars in their pockets.

This NGF newsletter article illustrates how out of touch golf facilities are with their markets and marketing.

Raising pricing simply because you need higher prices to remain solvent, without adding any "perceived value" is insanity.

Likewise, lowing green fees to drive more golf visits without damaging your "perceived golf value" is a dangerous race to the bottom of the market.

Isn't it amazing that the golf industry's marketing response seems to be entirely "price" focused?

Golf facilities "stuck on stupid" and looking solely at "pricing" solutions in either direction, while ignoring golfer wants and what they truly value, are doomed in this market. You can have MBA- prepared spreadsheets looking at EBITDA all day and night, but if you fail to attract raving golf fans, get them to come back, get them to choose to spend money with you, you are toast.

To win golf fans takes much more than green fee pricing tricks. It takes showing golfers you're interested in delivering value and you care about them as golfers.

Let me ask a question fellow golfers:

How many courses have you played or that you frequent in your area really focus on delivering value and leave you feeling that they really care about you as a golfer? How many create a "perceived value" that will get you as a golfer to choose to play there vs. another facility, even at a higher green fee? How many golf facilities will cause you to change your non-golf spending habits so you can continue playing their course?

Pricing is only one piece of an overall marketing strategy and a marketing action plan.

Scot and all,

Here's a link to the Golf 20/20 2008 California Golf Economy Report.

http://www.golf2020.com/Reports/CA%20Golf%20Rpt_S...

Part of the problem...

Or, part of the solution?

PS... As soon as my web guy fixes my WP2.7 upgrade glitch, I'll blog a response on all this. Till then, I'll share thoughts here.

Scot,

Excellent post.

The biggest enemy of the golf industry is "Status Quo" thinking and rampant use of OPM.

Golf pros, resorts and CC staff, equipment reps lack innovative marketing thinking because they have no skin in the game. They are operating using Other People's Money.

Golf is an Entertainment and relationship-building business.

Investors, CEOs and business operators, instead of first looking to line their pockets, drive the current quarter stock price, and quickly recoup their investment ROI, must push down the dollars to the front line folks who deliver the Entertainment Value and build the relationships with members, resort guests, and equipment consumers.

Instead of brand advertising to get the first sale, more marketing investment must focus on the up-sell and the additional sale.

You only earn the up-sell and the additional sale when supply exceeds demand when you deliver a WOW entertainment experience and invest in truly building relationships.

How many golf businesses really do this? How many maintain databases of their guests, members, and buyers? How many consistently and effectively communicate? How many golf-related businesses are effectively using blogs and social media tools to build relationships?

Very few. They're too busy spending money on same and lame full page glossy ad spends.

Just like Norm on Cheers, I'm gonna go play "where everybody knows my name", and "Sam" will keep the beer flowing and listen to how I triple-jacked 18 to blow up my career best round, instead of trying to me a new Scotty Cameron.