Golf Marketing Strategy

Following are the steps a golf club should take to improve their business plan in 2011.

* Step 1

Review past performances. Analyze the previous year's financial results, operations effectiveness and personnel attributes. Determine which revenue streams met or exceeded the forecast and which fell short of the plan. Exam where operations improved and where it needs improvement. Review how the club's personnel improved club members' morale and where they need to step up their influence. Search for root causes not reasons for a problem. Take a critical look at the overall quality offered the membership. Most clubs will find the golf course and clubhouse itself needs updating, upgrading or complete replacement to compete with newer facilities. Once the details of all the challenges the golf club is facing are laid on the table the plan to overcome them all can be made.

* Step 2

Evaluate the competition. Through out the year have staff members from each department visit major competitors' facilities to compare their services offering, including the quality of the facilities, customer service and the prices charged. Determine what competitors are doing well and where there maybe a definite competitive advantage.

* Step 3

Analyze golf industry trends, and trends in the local economy. Obtain data from verifiable sources, in and out of the golf industry, on current trends in the golf economy. Review forecasts on whether the number of golfers in the area are likely to increase. Look at the economic conditions in the local area surround the club and how that will affect the growth of the club's membership.

* Step 4

Set departmental goals to match those of the club's overall approach to improving. Establish plans that work toward increasing the golf course's occupancy during weekdays when play is normally light. Set reasonable obtainable goals for increasing clothing sales in the pro shop. Support all departments initiatives with relevant marketing.

* Step 5

Tie all goals to strategies that match the club's operations capabilities. A golf club is a natural for business golfers. All goals should be focused on getting business people out on the course during the day, after work and for special business golf events. Tie all activities to press coverage about the course's beauty, challenge and advantages the club presents to business golfers' operations.

* Step 6

Take a more operational approach to forecasting how the profit and loss statement will be forecasted. Take the revenue goals and convert them into a forecast for each business segment of the club. Forecast the expenses necessary to attain these goals.