Even with all the challenges that Covid-19 and 2020 have brought, most golf club owners were already rethinking their business model and embracing diversification ideas to help boost recurring revenue and profits.
Key Areas Of Interest Revealed In A Recent Survey
In 2017 a survey at The Golf Business Innovation Show revealed key areas golf club owners were interested in for diversification ideas for their golf club business included:-
- Adventure golf – to attract more families & a younger audience. Foot golf has become immensely popular since the survey took place.
- Conference & business facilities – this has always been where golf clubs in America have put a lot of effort into providing.
- Simulators & Indoor Golf – technology today to improve your swing & your game.
- Marketing – social media marketing, websites & attracting new golf club members.
- Planning permission and new development – golf villas, guest lodges & event guests.
- Events & festivals – probably one of the key growth areas over the last few years hugely affected by the Covid-19 social distancing situation but a certain to bounce back.
A recent survey revealed that in total, 2 million people in England play golf at least twice a month. With the highest areas of increase in golf club memberships being adult men and the over 65s. (source Golf-monthly)
So some big challenges for golf club owners going forwards (with or without Covid-19) include:
- What key areas would increase revenue?
- How to attract more families & a younger demographic?
- How to increase each visitor’s spend and improve their experience to keep them coming back?
- How to plan and develop their marketing strategy to attract new players & members to their club?
Wedding Venues
With up to 300,000 weddings consistently in the UK every year (according to Statista) beautiful golf course locations offer the ideal opportunity for a stunning day to remember for the bride and groom and their families.
With acres of green countryside, lakes and white sandy bunkers as a backdrop it’s a photographer’s dream location.
From late Spring to late September outdoor weddings are becoming an increasingly popular way to have guests experience a wedding day they will never forget.
Here are the top 10 wedding spends for 2019: (source Hitched.co.uk) totalling an average spend of over £31,000 per wedding
- Venue hire – £5,406
- Honeymoon – £4,645
- Food – £3,887
- Engagement ring – £2,419
- Drink – £1,587
- Wedding dress/outfit – £1,313
- Photography – £1,155
- Mini-moon – £1,135
- Entertainment/music – £1,005
- Video – £968
With the venue, food and accommodation available at one spectacular venue, it’s a winner for golf clubs looking to explore weddings as a great diversification idea.
Family Fun
If you have children or grandchildren in your life today you will know how much of their entertainment comes in the form of super gaming entertainment today. From being a Marvel Superhero battling in Fortnite to driving a formula one car through the streets of Monaco gaming today is a bigger industry than the music and cinema industries combined.
So attracting their attention away from that exciting world is a challenge for modern day parents looking for ways for them to put down the controllers and take up a golf club instead!
- Adventure golf is a very child friendly way to attract them and keep them entertained.
- Simulators will be second nature to them!
- Footgolf has become very popular over the last few years and can be easily enjoyed as a family.
- Pitch & putt
- Child friendly bistro pub style menus in the club house.
The great thing about children is their willingness and ability to learn. And by introducing them to holding a golf club in their hand at a young age they might well see it as a sport that with regular practice can also become an exciting career option in the future.
Corporate Events & Retreats
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of playing a round of golf in the USA you’ll usually find a hospitality or Corporate event is going on at the Golf Club almost every day.
Whether it’s Corporate team building days, training days or a speaking event, attracting more Corporate clients on a regular basis can have a positive effect on your overall profits.
Offering a venue where audio and visual recording of the event for your Corporate Client is made super easy can be a real attraction.
And when you have a Corporate audience you know lunch and refreshments will be part of the agenda.
Corporate clients that are introduced to your golf club may well want to become members in the future, play golf at the weekends or enjoy your gym & leisure facilities themselves.
Making them ideal connections for a diversification idea that can be really easy to implement with your existing club house bar, restaurant and facilities.
Guest Lodges And Golfing Villas
With the current level of UK staycations booming as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect foreign travelling, the next few years can potentially be a huge boost for any venue able to offer self-catering style accommodation like our Dovecote Guest Lodge (pictured above).
Taking inspiration from the USA once again where golf club homes are a regular addition to many neighbourhoods, waking up to a golf course view is one many of us would love to experience.
As a golf club owner you already have one of the best and most exclusive opportunities to cash in on the staycation boom and increase recurring revenues for many years to come!
We offer exclusive commercial lease-to-own packages that can help you quickly establish your own guest lodge business on your existing premises and we can even handle your planning permission too as part of our turn-key approach.
It’s like a hole in one solution packed with value for you. To find out more, just get in touch.
Marketing Visibility For Your Golf Club
With a following of over 21,000 on Facebook and a high-traffic website to be featured on, we have your best interests at heart. As part of our exclusive Right Support approach to our commercial clients we will actively promote your Guest Lodges and Golf Club venues to our Facebook audience and website visitors every month.
If You Are Thinking About Starting A Guest Lodge Business & Don’t Know Where To Start Talk To Us First!
All you have to do is CONTACT US via our website or simply give us a call for an informal chat. The number is 01952 460 658 for a great way to explore golf club diversification ideas that flat out work.
