Recently Golf Course Owner Guy lost an outing that had been here 10+ years. No sour grapes, just my side. The side you never get to hear. Evidently another course would save them a few bucks on the golf and cart. To all of you who played it that event at RSPGL, it was an awesome run, I thank you, and I’ll miss you.
As is customary in golf outing negotiations, your enjoyment was never considered. Your love of our conditions, our strategy, our logistics, our FUN, was never considered. The outing leadership thought courses are courses, grass is grass, pros and pros, carts are carts, food is food, your preference…well who cares about that…everyone will like that it’s a few bucks cheaper. Oh wait, they weren’t actually going to pass that savings on. You simply get a diminished experience for the same price you paid last year.
I say that to say this. One of the things that is massively over looked is the golf outing participant’s opinion. Book your event at Augusta National, charging $500 a person, you will be sold out in 30 seconds, book your event at some crappy dump, charging $20 a person, you will be lucky to get 15 people. Clearly the money is not the determining factor. Golfers care where they play. It’s not just grass to a golfer.
How I Justify My Side
Royal St. Patrick’s is a nice place. Pebble Beach it is not, but for the area, it has perceived value. My side is that we got there because I’m willing to go farther to appeal to the golfers. Where I don’t win all the time is the price for the coordinators. I have to be a little higher priced to pay for all the extras. It’s basic business, my side is golfer centric. It works.
So here is the question that every coordinator, soon to be coordinator, and golfer needs to consider when it comes to golf outings. If your goal is participation, and participation leads to money generation and goodwill, would you be better off at a course golfers WANT to play, or at a course golfers DON’T WANT to play. There’s more to outing success, than the price.
Nick,
I appreciate your insight on this subject. I think your assessment is fair and accurate. I wish you could share which outing it is that left RSP, but I understand why you didn’t. I play one outing out at RSP per year, and I sure hope it is still there this year. Thank you for sharing that the sponsor will pocket the savings. I’m sure the food and hospitality will not be up to your standard either. Let alone the condition of the RSP course.
Keep doing business the way your heart is telling you!
Jim, There are always things running in the background. No matter how hard I try, or how well I do, sometimes these outings are way out my control. Each one of these events is like a child of mine. I nurture them and grow older with them. It hurts when they think the grass is greener somewhere else. Trust me, it isn’t.
I really appreciate and like the way you think. The thing that stands out the most for me is that you bring country club perks (little green buckets to clean my clubs, employees who make every golfer feel special) to a public golf course.
Chip, I don’t want to feel too much like a private. I think there is a great feeling here that this course is accessible for everyone. I’m glad you notice the little touches that make people comfortable
You are the cream of the crop when it comes to golf Pros and golf course owners !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I KNOW BECAUSE I SAW NICK WHO HAD LOTS OF UNTAPPED TALENT.
The last 5-10 years has proved me right..
You, Jenni Olson and Jim Hasz were the top three employees of the 100+ employees I hired at Lake Breeze Golf Club.
THE THREE OF YOU MADE LAKE BREEZE A STAND OUT COURSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you,
Verne Olson
Thanks Verne! For those who don’t know Verne was the first golf course owner to give me my big break back in the late 90’s. He’s also the one who found me when RSPGL was being built and he wanted me to get it off the ground.
Wow, I didn’t know that history with Lake Breeze. Suffice it to say that since you left and Mr. Olson
sold it, that course hasn’t been the same…and not in a good way. I live in Oshkosh and love to play RSP but for various reasons it has become more difficult to get a group up there to play. (Sr. citizen) When my adults sons come home along with a bro-in-law we try to get the “Fearsome Foursome” up there for a round and love every moment of it. I also absolutely love your newsletter! Witty, candid, honest with a look behind the scenes of golf course ownership. Loved reading awhile ago about brands with minimum mark ups, etc. Never knew what went on. I truly hope the golf courses will be considered “essential” and can stay open during this craziness. Either you need to move your course closer to Oshkosh or I need to move up the Valley! Keep it up, you’re the best!
Thank Ken! I appreciate all your comments. If you love golf, you simply have to find ways to come up here a few more times each summer, sounds like you really enjoy it when you do. I’ll keep writing because educating and entertaining is just as much fun as providing you a great round of golf. See you soon! Government willing…