Page 34 - GBC summer English 2025

We decided to focus on the
totality of the experience. When
you strip away everything, we
truly only offer an experience that is
fulfilling, worthwhile, and wanting
to be repeated. An experience that
people want to enjoy each time
they come to the golf course. It
did not matter if they came once
a month, once a week, or every
day, the experience needed to be
replicated each time to the best of
our ability. Here are the numbers
that surprised us and have made
us even more committed to
continuing to work on improving
the overall experience.
Our club’s social media star
and data mining wizard Luke
Nieuwland, put together the
following numbers that spanned
four years. There are two sets of
data, one set deals with the number
of times new golfers visited
Whisky Run GC. For those who
had no basic golf instruction, they
visited 12 times, and for those with
instruction visited 60 times (a 500%
increase) in the four years. The
second data set is the dollar value
spent by the same breakdown.
Those who did not take any golf
instruction spent on average
$468.05, compared to those who
took the basic instruction offered
spent on average of $2,215.78 (a
473% increase).
SHARING BEST PRACTICES
What we considered “basic golf
instruction” at Whisky Run GC
was not the typical meet-up on the
driving range for thirty minutes
and focused solely on the golf
swing. We concentrated on what
the new golfers need from the time
they entered the parking lot until
the time they decided to leave.
It was my pleasure to take
these new golfers on a tour of the
facility first. Letting them know
what to do when they come to the
course, checking in with the Pro
Shop, how to sign out a power
cart or purchase range balls for
practice, or how to book a tee time
in person or online. We moved to
the clubhouse, introduced them
to the team members and let them
know that the clubhouse was open
even if they did not come to the
course to play.
34
Golf Business Canada
When taking a new couple
through this tour, I will never
forget how sincere the husband
was when he announced that they
could not go in there since they
were not members. One of the false
perceptions we struggle with when
new people come to the course
for the first time. These mini tours
take about 15 to 20 minutes but are
invaluable to the new golfer.
Golf can be intimidating for
beginners. Think of the one thing
you had to do that took you out of
your comfort zone and then when
you did it once, you gained the
confidence you needed and that
allowed you to do it again. No one
wants to embarrass themselves
right off the start. Working to
eliminate that from happening
right from the start is greatly
appreciated by our newest golfers.
Our basic golf instruction also
takes into consideration the need
for beginners to feel some instant
success. We run a five-week one-
hour clinic multiple times during
the week. Late afternoons and some
evenings. This helps accommodate
those who are working. We break
the clinics down as follows:
•
 Week One; we walk them around
the facility first. We explain why
there are so many golf clubs in
their golf bag, and some simple
driving range etiquette. We
introduce them to what we call