In their own words: Wales Golf CEO Richard Dixon on winter ‘grow golf’ initiatives

The chief executive of Wales Golf, Richard Dixon, writes exclusively for The Golf Business about what his organisation does in winter to grow the game

January is a quiet time on many golf courses, but behind the scenes there is usually plenty of preparation going on to boost clubs going forward.

Wales Golf is involved in two key initiatives over the winter to help clubs do just that. These two development courses will help clubs get more members, through recruitment and retention, and then improve customer service.

A key message is that we are getting an ever greater understanding about how clubs can maintain or increase membership levels – and results that show where clubs work in specific ways they can achieve just that.

The last few years has seen golf clubs having to change to avoid decline in a challenging economic situation, combined with different social trends, but those clubs which have embraced the changes have been able to go from strength to strength.

January 2018 saw the launch of our second club development workshop with the topic of ‘Recruitment and Retention’, delivered by industry expert Jane Carter.

The workshop helps clubs to better understand how they can increase their membership, but more importantly retain those they already have.

The courses have been held in Cardiff, Conwy and Machynys in Llanelli at the end of January and beginning of February.

Jane Carter has worked extensively with Wales Golf and our clubs, as well as England Golf, to develop all aspects of pushing our industry forward.

She worked with us on a business support scheme which helped more than 70 clubs over a four year period so we are pleased to be taking this work forward.

The courses focus on basic recruitment methods, how to take someone through from a first introduction through to full membership, but also how to engage, communicate with and understand current members to improve retention.

It is obviously easier and more reliable to keep a current member happy rather than going out and having to find a new one.

Then in March we will be running courses to improve customer service at Welsh golf clubs. It will be our third and final club development workshop, delivered by consultant and former club manager Kevin Fish.

This workshop will focus on helping clubs to identify how they can deliver excellent customer service at their club and is perfectly timed leading into the new season.

These are great opportunities for Welsh golf clubs to make themselves more attractive and build a more solid base for themselves. It is part of the work going on at Wales Golf over the winter to help make everything run smoothly once the better weather returns and everyone gets much busier.