Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about St Enodoc Golf Club in North Cornwall, England, and it’s been a rewarding experience.
Undoubtedly, being so close to nature and focusing on golf drew my attention. I was curious how St Enodoc Golf Club could leverage its unique and advantageous features to attract more members and guests.
Therefore, I was thrilled when George Tunbridge, the General Manager of St Enodoc Golf Club, agreed to my interview invitation.
What marketing campaign in 2024 stands out as St Enodoc Golf Club’s most successful?
We are in a fortunate position where much of our marketing is via word of mouth, paired with people who love to holiday in Cornwall!
This year, we have worked more closely with Tour Operators and collaboratively with local hotels.
Helen Heady PR has helped connect us with international clientele, hoping to create new visitors to experience St Enodoc Golf Club and the other Clubs in the county.
We will continue to drive St Enodoc Golf Club to the international market in the years to come.
What innovations have you implemented for a better customer experience in 2024?
We have increased the resources in our Member Service team. This means that when members and guests arrive at the Club, there is a friendly face to welcome them!
The staff member can build a better rapport with the guests and focus more on orientating any visiting players around the Club.
This has been combined with ensuring our Rangers are on the first tee to meet visiting players before they start their round.
The Ranger has the opportunity to update players on course information for the day and share some history about the Club!
Do you have an employee advocacy program?
All department heads are aware of the club’s strategy and values. This has been at the forefront of our weekly Heads of Department meetings.
The Club’s mission statement is to provide “excellence in our golf and social facilities.” staff members are therefore encouraged to consider what excellence is before deciding about our service.
We encourage our staff to post about Club life and their achievements on LinkedIn, which are shared via the St Enodoc Golf Club account.
Staff are engaged with the direction of travel of the Club, and all staff can positively contribute to where we are going.
How have you enhanced the personalization of services & communications at St Enodoc Golf Club?
We have been constantly reviewing customer touchpoints at the Club. One communication touchpoint we have improved is utilizing our booking notes on the system.
When someone books with one of the Member Services team, data about any previous visits and the reason for visiting this time is captured.
When visitors who have never met them wish them a happy birthday on arrival, they can only be impressed!
Therefore, the most effective tools in this space are teamwork and effective communication across all departments, which means we can deliver excellent experiences to members and guests.
How do you work with influencers to promote your club and sell memberships?
The Club works with Helen Heady PR to attract influencers to experience the rugged North Cornish links course that we are.
In the past 12 months, we have also reached out to more social media influencers, which has had success.
We have not used influencers to drive Memberships but rather to increase visitors.
We are very fortunate that the last time we opened our Membership waiting list, we had over 400 people apply in a 2-week window – we must be doing something right!!!