In the last couple of weeks, I asked club managers of leading golf clubs what their plans are for the post-coronavirus crisis period. Maybe one, a Belgian golf club manager, had an idea regarding how they could mitigate their green fee revenue losses.
The coronavirus crisis illustrates how technology will impact society and ultimately how business is done. We smoothly adopted Zoom and WhatsApp as communication channels and now we can’t envisage a world without mobile payments, etc.
My expectation is that tee time bookings and green fee sales will happen in real-time from now on as golfers become even more connected and self-interested.
This high level of connectedness is affecting customer behaviour in such a way that golfers, golf travel agencies, hotels will not want to return to those cumbersome ways of conducting business with golf clubs.
Are you and your golf club prepared for such a change?
If so, I will show you an idea (Zest.Golf) that can help you transition your existing markets and channels to online and reach new markets and sales channels meaning you no longer have to rely solely on Google AdWords and Facebook ad campaigns.
Whenever the coronavirus crisis ends you will not be able to rely 100% on those traditional tee time booking & green fee sales methods (e.g. tee time bookings via email or phone). I dare to say these methods will not be lucrative and cost-effective anymore.
Even more advanced golf clubs (not necessarily the top-notch golf clubs & resorts) already using golf club management software (e.g. Chronogolf), will have to look for solutions that exploit their golf club management software more effectively.
To succeed in the future, golf courses must have the ability to learn, unlearn, and improve and invent. Therefore, do not encourage your B2B customers (e.g. golf travel agencies, hotels, DMC’s) to use those outdated tee time booking methods.
You need to think where your customers are likely to be and how your golf club business must change to be in the right place at the right time for them.
Expand your market reach and generate additional green fee revenue with Zest.Golf’s solution.
I am shocked to hear that in todays world a very large majority of trade (B2B) tee time bookings are still managed via phone calls and emails.
How many opportunities these golf clubs and resorts are missing just because they are not able to handle every single RFPs due to lack of workforce (and sometimes due to the language barrier).
The lack of manpower will be even more severe after the coronavirus and golf clubs and resorts may not be in a position to bring back all their employees let alone, hire new ones.
This is why I believe Zest.Golf’s universal and open channel manager will help the global golf tourism industry.
The good news is that golf clubs and resorts do not have to modify anything in their own IT set up and golf club management software to use the Zest.Golf Channel manager solution.
It is my understanding the Zest.Golf platform enables golf clubs/resorts to connect with golf tour operators, hotels, golf apps and many more channels in a simple and seamless way, meaning you can better control your tee time inventory and also avoid barter deals.
Zest.Golf & Zala Springs Golf Resort – a real-life example
Let me give you a real-life example. The Hungarian Zala Springs Golf Resort wants to primarily attract golf tourists to the resort and their Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed golf course.
At the moment Hungary is not in the minds of golfers as a golf destination like Portugal or Spain. So how they can attract more guests to make their business profitable?
Well, easy, by connecting to the Zest.Golf platform they can reach business partners in a cost-effective manner who may not have otherwise considered promoting this Hungarian golf resort.
By having a presence in the Zest.Golf dashboard, Zala Springs Golf Resort will easily be found by channels, and bookings will flow seamlessly under agreed conditions and rates.
This article is brought to you by Zest.Golf.