Dennis Smith’s Daughter Just Got Engaged....Now What?

Perhaps you have a Dennis Smith at your club. He’s been a member at Rolling Oaks Golf and Country Club for 30 years. He runs a successful commercial insurance agency. He’s quietly one of the wealthiest people around. You would never know.

Mr. Frugal

To save $1.75, Dennis Smith drives five miles to buy golf balls at a discount golf store instead of the pro shop. He’s a millionaire but he flies coach. He drives a third-hand Taurus. He always goes to the grocery store with a wad of coupons.

Mr. Smith is generous when charities come calling but he’s as tight as a tick and proud of it! You know the guy, don’t you! He’ll quibble over the cost of a hot dog!

Revenge!

Chelsea, the Smith’s daughter, just announced that she’s engaged. The reception is at Rolling Oaks. Mrs. Smith has told Mr. Smith that there’s If Chelsea wants a horse-drawn carriage with eight horses, then Chelsea’s going to have a horse-drawn carriage with eight horses. Chelsea and her mother are about to outspend an unlimited budget...At Rolling Oaks...

Thousand of Dollars for the Club

All in, Chelsea’s wedding is going to cost upwards of $100,000. The reception ’set up’ fee is $20,000 and the cost of a glass of wine or gin and tonic at the reception adds up to about . Imagine the damage the 16 ’thirsty’ groomsmen are going to do at the bar! Ouch! Bad news for the frugal Mr. Smith but great news for the club’s coffers.

Big Weddings Mean Great Greens

Ten years ago, Dennis Smith was president of Rolling Oaks. At the time, the club had no wedding business. Desperately needing new revenue to renovate the patchy greens, Dennis realized that Rolling Oaks had to get into the wedding business.

So he started a marketing program, spruced up the clubhouse, taught the club manager how to close sales, and, SHAZAM! Rolling Oaks was soon rolling in cash and had the money it needed to re-do its greens.The Wedding Cash Cow

Country Club members will moan when dues go up and assessments roll around. Want to keep the members happy? Bring on the wedding train! Let’s say you generate $1,000,000 in reception revenue in two years. How many rounds or new members or hot dogs will it take to generate that sort of cash? That’s a ton of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Is Your Club in the Club?

In each market, about 20 per cent of golf clubs get 80 per cent of the wedding revenue. Are you in the top tier? If not, why not? Wedding receptions are the closest thing to free money in the golf business. In each market, hundreds of thousands of dollars are going begging each year. A golf club or country club is a wonderful place to hold a wedding reception yet many brides end up at the Elk’s Club or the Yacht Club when they should be at your club.

Where Do I Apply?

Getting into the wedding business AND getting the wedding business you want is not rocket science. However, you must have a commitment and an organized marketing system. You have to build a database and contact that database 14 times a year. That’s a start. You may have a wonderful facility but it’s useless without an organized marketing system. It will not cost a fortune. Get a plan and get organized and you’ll soon find yourself in a place few have been able to get to—Dennis Smith’s wallet!

Happily Ever After... Chelsea had her horse-drawn carriage with eight white horses. The club organized it and made a tidy profit.

Scott Martin is the author of 15 books and has contributed to numerous local, regional, and national publications including The Charlotte Business Journal and Golfweek. He has worked on projects with several Top 100 golf instructors including Jim McLean and Robert Baker. He does not drive a third-hand Taurus.