Golf Surprize wants to help prevent golf clubs from racing to the bottom
By Anthony Robinson CEO – Golf Surprize
Online golf tee times and barter systems are growing in Australia, but not at the same rate as in the U.S. That means, in Australia we still have the time to prevent problems before they occur by learning from what has transpired in the U.S.
According to Jay Karen, CEO of the Golf Course Owners Association in the USA, the Online Tee Time Agencies (OTTAs) claim to serve both the supply side (primarily through technology and marketing services to golf courses), and the demand side (primarily through easy booking of tee times for golfers).
Karen says, “…I don’t believe golf courses need the marketing services of OTTAs to meet the natural demand for golf, nor do I think they stimulate incremental demand for golf. But that’s me.”
He then goes on to say the following in his article: “Unfortunately, despite the positive contributions to the game of golf from the organizations affiliated with the OTTAs, the dominating push by the OTTAs to sell the lowest priced tee times, is an albatross around the necks of the golf courses who provide the inventory.
While incurring the costs associated with discounted golf, the golf courses received no income and attracted customers whose primary motivation was to pay as little as possible.
This could very well mean millions of rounds of free golf being played all across the land, while golf courses continue to bear the burden of the significant fixed and variable costs needed to keep courses running. The shrinking effect on the bottom line will be harmful at best and devastating at worst, leading to greater struggles and possibly more closures of good golf courses. How is this good for anyone in golf?
What the golf industry desperately needs are these OTTAs to emulate the restaurant industry’s “OpenTable”, which facilitates no discounts or free meals.
GOLF SURPRIZE
At Golf Surprize, we can prevent the need for OTTAs in Australia to emulate the restaurant industry’s “OpenTable” solution, IF Golf Surprize is adopted by clubs as a new and common sense way to sell green fees.
Until the end of March, Golf Surprize is offering clubs a tremendous incentive to try out the REWARDS SOLUTION, pioneered to increase club revenue.
HOW IT WORKS
Any club that signs up and uses Golf Surprize before the end of March will see all its members entered into a draw to win a trip to Ireland on a golf tour valued at $20,000 this August.
The draw will take place in less than 30 days!
There will be 1 spot on the tour for the winning member, and 1 spot for the General Manager or Golf Professional who introduced Golf Surprize to the club.
*Conditions apply
WHY GOLF SURPRIZE?
Why would a golf club want to use Golf Surprize?
In a nutshell, Golf Surprize increases revenue from green fees. If you sell a $50 green fee minus a $3 discount, you get $47 in revenue. Simple!
If you sell a $50 green fee including a $3 reward you get $54.80 in revenue. Financially, Golf Surprize is sound and proven.
To implement Golf Surprize is even easier than the financial decision to use it. There are no risks and no out-of-pocket expense.
- What the patented system does is allocate $1,500 – $3,000 from green fees ($3 – $6 each of 500 rounds) back to customers (who will experience it as a ‘win‘ for playing) and who will then spend it as credit in the club, but at a rate of $3,900 – $7,800 (2.6 times the amount won on average).
- The club agrees to let Golf Surprize know when to allocate barcodes to customers through the green fee register (which can be done automatically).
The decision to stop travelling down the slippery slope to cheaper and cheaper green fees, and eventually the graveyard for some, should be an easy one.
We look forward to assisting in returning real value to green fee sales.
Contact on Anthony@golfsurprize.com or www.surprize.golf
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