MT3’s 10 Golden Rules of Golf Course Promotion

1)  Do Not Oversell – Billing a course as a “masterpiece,” a “gem” or an “unparalleled golfing experience” sets the bar way too high for most facilities and often results in visitors either A) Laughing condescendingly and looking elsewhere, or B) Trying your facility and leaving disappointed.  We believe strongly in marketing accurately, to the appropriate class of golfer, because developing frequent/permanent customers is the goal – and nothing works against that more than golfers plunking down their money off a big sales pitch, then feeling misled.

2) Maximize Your History – Golf is a game which honors its past like no other, and this provides marketing opportunities galore.  Having hosted significant amateur or professional events, being built by an architect of note or, in many cases, just being old allows a facility to create an image steeped in the game’s rich and colorful past.  We believe in highlighting architects, past tournaments and, where appropriate, past members/players in a detailed and meaningful way – and we possess the historical background (and research skills) necessary to tie those people and events to your facility in the most flattering light.

3) Be Unique – Golf’s greatest charm is the uniqueness of its playing fields, so place some significant website emphasis on what makes your facility different/more appealing than the competition (e.g., location, setting, architecture, history, etc.).  This is especially true for public courses, who must continually differentiate themselves in the hunt for the transient golfing dollar (whereas private facilities only need to close the sale on a prospective member once).

4) (Over) Invest In Your Website – In today’s technology-driven world, your website is the first (and often only) contact that many a potential customer will have with your facility – so do NOT sell it short!  A first-class website largely represents a one-time, relatively inexpensive investment that can pay dividends daily.  Indeed, while your golf course may not be top-100 quality, your website absolutely can be.  And remember: Golfers may feel misled by unrealistic claims about a golf course, but no golfer anywhere ever said “They misled me by making their website too nice.”

5) Be Professional (Especially On Golfing Details) – It is remarkable how many golf course websites use incorrect terminology, descriptions, etc., a surefire way to lose the attention of the serious/avid golfer.  In most cases, this is due to the copy being written by P.R. people who aren’t golfers but regardless of cause, mistakes in matters of rating, slope, agronomy, names of course designers, etc. are an instant turn-off to many a potential customer.  Avoid clichés and get the details right!

6) Pictures Really Help – The more visually appealing your course looks, the more people are going to want to play it – so posting pictures of your most photogenic, famous or challenging holes makes a difference.  For older facilities, historical photos also draw the attention of website visitors.  And for more ambitious facilities, some form of hole-by-hole tour/description greatly helps to engage the potential visitor/member.

7) Highlight Your Best Holes – They, more than anything else, are what make your facility unique.  Marketing your most famous, unique, scenic or testing holes gives people a reason to want to play your course specifically – because those holes can’t be found anywhere else.

8) Highlight Your Architect – Golfers of all types frequently seek out courses based on who designed them.  Even if your layout wasn’t built by Ross, Tillinghast or MacKenzie, its architect can often be a central selling point.  Profiling the designer can help give your course an easily definable identity – and if your layout doesn’t happen to rate among that designer’s very best, noting some of his other more famous creations can still create a sort of prestige-by-association.

9) Post Maintenance Issues – Few things upset a visiting golfer more than discovering significant maintenance issues after they’ve started their round.  Particularly for public-access facilities (where visitors are less in-touch with the nuts and bolts of your day-to-day operation), letting golfers know ahead of time where issues may be encountered will give them a far better image of your business and make everybody’s life a lot easier.

10) Boast About Ancillary Subjects That Matter – In addition to your course and history, highlight things that you have the ability to control (service, staff friendliness, cuisine) as well as secondary things that help make your facility unique, such as weather, playing surfaces, tournaments and leagues, discounts, your clubhouse, an exceptional on-staff instructor, a signature dining room dish/drink…  Pretty much anything that might help differentiate you from the competition.