Holiday Marketing Revenue Ideas

All hands on deck for the holidays.  It’s time to start planning your club’s marketing strategy to maximize revenues in order to finish the year strong.  Below is a list of income generating ideas including some for members, pro shop, merchandise, outings, along with a couple of must make New Year’s resolutions.  Happy Holidays!

Holiday Ideas

1. Reconsider any type of guest programming especially if the holiday season falls in your high season.  There shouldn’t be any kind of guest specials for days such as the day following Thanksgiving or Christmas week as these are often some of the busiest days of the year. 
   
2. Consider a house guest program for families with visiting relatives.  Charge a onetime flat rate for their stay ($50 - $100) per relative whereby they only pay a cart fee when they play.  High guest rates will discourage relatives from repeat plays. 
   
3. Give the "Gift of Golf" – Bundle several things together for a holiday gift such as a round of golf with lunch and a lesson along with a shirt, glove and hat.  These can be given to family, friends, and business associates if your club allows unaccompanied guest play during designated times. 
   
4. Have Christmas Golf Camps for Kids including clinics and a tournament during their holiday break.

Golf Pro Shop Merchandise Ideas   

1. Have a Balloon Sale (10, 20, 30, 40% Off) - do in conjunction with your member Christmas Party and Breakfast With Santa.  Buyer breaks a balloon at the time of purchase and receives that discount.  Of course, you will have far more 10% and 20% balloons than 30% and 40% ones. 
   
2. If you are over stocked, try to get members to buy more than one item by offering discounts for multiple purchases.
   
3. Host a Men’s and Ladies Holiday Shopping Night where they can shop alone and have your staff available to help with ideas for the respective spouse.  Send out post cards to the membership informing them of the respective dates.  Have a space on the card where the attendee can have their spouse write down their ’wish list’ on it.
   
4. Invite the salesmen or local rep from your vendors (Callaway/FootJoy/Nike/Ashworth etc.) to be on hand the night of your Golf Shop Open House.  He/she can really talk up the new products, assist with questions, and help write up special orders.
   
5. Plan a "Champagne Shopping" event.  Invite your members and guests to an evening of champagne and hors d’oeuvres while they shop. Have a champagne tray passed and a display of cheeses and fruit.  Offer a discount and again ask your vendors to attend.   Include a raffle with merchandise (great way to get rid of dead inventory), rounds of golf etc. and sell tickets.  Coordinate this around a previously booked member function to ensure participation.   Don’t forget to advertise this event in the newsletter as well as around the club along with an e-blast.
   
6. Private clubs can offer a night for the public when the club is closed.  Get with the local home owners association, send postcards or place flyers in neighborhood mail boxes. 
   
7. Offer gift-wrapping on the spot or boxes and bows that shoppers can take home with them.
   
8. Put statement stuffers in November’s bill. Place a discount coupon for purchases in the golf shop before Christmas. The discount coupon should catch the members’ eyes and get them thinking about holiday shopping.
   
9. Promote personalized golf balls from Titleist or other golf ball vendor.  Have a simple order form limited to 4 types of balls and at 4 prices.  Talk to your golf ball rep about the specifics of this as they must be ordered early to ensure delivery before Christmas.
   
10. Let your members know, particularly ones with their own companies and businesses, that you can do any type of personalized, logo’d or quantity items such as shirts, hats, etc.  especially for them.
    
11. Have all members fill out a Santa or wish list.  These can be put in member lockers or can be out on the counter and then submit it to the pro shop that will then discreetly let a spouse or parent know about a desired gift.  Pros should make some suggestions to spouses and parents if they see something appropriate.

Private Event Guest (Non-Member) Merchandise Opportunities

The holiday season is not only the perfect time to host a party; it’s also the perfect time to shop!  With thousands of non-members not only attending holiday events at your club but hosting them as well, you may have an opportunity to generate merchandise sales and develop and strengthen your relationships with your non-member clients.

There may be appropriate non-member private events that you might make a "magic moment" for and generate new income. The host and attendees may find it quite a privilege to be invited to shop in your "member-only" golf and tennis pro shops, especially if member pricing or a preferred offer was extended to them.  Of course your idea must be shared with and approved beforehand  with the event host and presented in a very clubby way to the host’s guests if allowed.

1. Depending on the type of private event, and if your pro shop(s) are within close proximity to your banquet space, open the pro shop(s) for the host’s guests immediately before or following their scheduled holiday event. Have a sign out that specifically invites that private event’s guest into shop.  Or let the host know that during their cocktail portion of their party, you would be happy to open up the pro shop to allow their guests to "shop" while mingling. Put small card reminders on each table if it has been okayed with the host. 
   
2. Extend a "shopping pass", positioned as a "thank you" for past loyalty/patronage, for a specific day or days. These could be mailed or emailed out to appropriate corporate events and event hosts.
   
3. Let every corporate event know that your club offers personalized or logo’d merchandise. Most corporate holiday parties give some type of logo’d gift to all of their employees. Offer to put their logo on any number of items that can be ordered through your pro shop – shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, caps, etc. Check with your pro shop for a full list of the appropriate items that may be offered.

 Member Merchandise Opportunities

1. Schedule a tour of your pro shop during an upcoming club committee in December. Present each member with a preferred offer (% off, etc) that the member could use for a stated period of time as a thank you for their help and support. Possibly offer a toast during this tour in the pro shop to thank them for all they do for your club.
   
2. As part of any scheduled New Member Orientations through the end of the year, include the same concept as above as a way of thanking them for being a member.
   
3. If you have any scheduled New Member Receptions scheduled in December, bring the group into the pro shop as part of the evening to provide part of your already schedule refreshments with the same or similar offer as above.
   
4. If you normally provide a thank you gift for any committee or board members, provide them with gift certificates to the pro shop.
   
5. In lieu of an Angel Tree, do a golf tournament and have part of the proceeds go to a children’s "Angel Tree" charity. Provide a preferred guest fee price to encourage members to bring guests to this new event.

Last Minute Outing Ideas

1. In warm weather clubs, host a hospitality outing for restaurants and other hospitality industry workers for the holiday.  Their businesses are too busy in the month of December to host their own events so it’s a nice way to your appreciation.  Provide a fun and relaxing day during the holiday season to folks who are a great source of referrals while driving some additional revenues at an off peak time.  Let them bring guests to ensure a full field.
   
2. Host a Vendor Appreciation tournament.  Invite all your vendors (check your Accounts Payable list), and anyone who services your establishment.  Allow them to invite their vendors, clients and guests as well for an "appreciation" event at a great price during an off peak time.
   
3. If time and scheduling permit, have an Employee Appreciation Day on a closed Monday where employees can bring as many family members and guests for a round of golf and a boxed lunch or post golf get together for a nominal fee.  Include a merchandise discount certificate for shopping in the pro shop that day.  **This may be done in lieu of a Christmas party thus eliminating the ’alcohol factor’. 
   
4. Create a special holiday golf event for your non-member database and e-blast invitations about the selected day.  Have contests, prizes, refreshments, raffle, etc.  Allocate a portion of the fees to the purchase of dead inventory and raffle off to participants in the event.  Give each participant a discount certificate to shop in your pro shop that day.
   
5. Advertise Healthy Holiday Parties -- Let Members and non-Member groups know that more folks now would enjoy a small 9 hole golf outing followed with a celebration rather than the usual 3 hour cocktail party.  It’s more fun and healthy to recreate instead of intoxicate.

Golf Revenue Resolutions for 2009

1. To do a better job with tee time management of tee sheet for outings.  Look to do more 8 am and 1:30 outing starts to maximize inventory on closed Mondays for outings instead of the 11 am shotguns which blow the whole day.  (Throw in a complimentary clinic or other closers to entice your tournament hosts into either a morning or afternoon slot.  If they are going to tie up the course for a full day then charge accordingly.
   
2. If you don’t have one now, then institute a promotional cart fee that is higher than your regular cart fee.  This should be used whenever you do a promotion that waives guest or greens fees such as donation certificates or bounce back invitations.  Having a promotional cart fee is a great way to get a few extra cart fee dollars when you offer a complimentary round for cart fee only such as a Member for a Day or Preview Round.   This promotional cart fee should be $20 - $25 and have its own key in your point of sale system.