How the pro shop and club can work together for membership retention

Stuart Kerr, Business Development Consultant at Foremost Golf, discusses the importance of the professional shop and golf club working together to optimise membership retention.

The first and most important point within this article is ‘TEAM’. The word team can be broken down further into the following:

Together

Everyone

Achieves

More.

It’s imperative that the professional shop and the golf club work together as a ‘TEAM’ to optimise member retention.

The first impression

The golf professionals’ shop is often the first point of contact for members, guests and visitors at the golf club. Therefore, it’s of paramount importance to set the right impression from the outset as it sets the tone for the whole experience at the club. A friendly greeting and that all important smile will go a long way. Added to that a clean, well merchandised retail environment will allow that desired initial impression to be achieved. By having this simple aspect covered will achieve twofold. Firstly, your members will be proud to be associated to that golf club and will be encouraging their golfing companions to come and visit. Secondly, it provides the best opportunity to showcase a flavour of what guests and visitors would experience if they were to join the golf club.

Any golf professional who realises the importance of creating that first impression to elevate the experience will always go the extra mile and ensure their staff follow suit. Which in turn will assist the club’s retainment levels but will have a positive effect on the retail business.

Member loyalty – integration and enjoyment

Over the past 12 to 18 months there is no doubt golfers have been looking at their financial outgoings, we need to ensure that their golf memberships aren’t part of their financial cuts. The professional shops that regularly host membership engagement events, play with members and generally go above and beyond to create that sense of community and being a part of the club will help retain members.

Pro shop teams can play a huge part in ensuring that new members are integrated with the club from the very outset by organising new member get together events or by simply pairing them up with members that share similar interests. Another great way of looking to welcome a new member to the club is by sending them a welcome letter from the professional team. Showcasing the support and services that are available to them for being part of the golf club.

Will Johnston Photography – 19th June 2023 – Foremost – Foremost Professionals’ Championships at The Oxfordshire, 2023

Creating the digital community

In the modern era it’s imperative for golf facilities to talk to its customer base on a regular basis, given our recent weather conditions there are many members who haven’t visited the club, so keeping them up to date with all that’s going on and any potential offers is so important. Without this, golfers are susceptible to marketing from rival retailers, coaches and golf clubs.

This need not be a scary prospect though. Retail groups like Foremost help catch consumers’ attention with newsletters, social media posts and special mails, and join-up the retail chain with professional signage, automated in-store video monitor content and displays, providing the tools to take a spark of interest through to an educated purchase. In addition, the professional shop should look to promote and support club events through these digital channels ensuring key events are well supported and fully optimised.

Professional services

There is simply no other person within the golf club that can have the same impact on a member’s enjoyment of the game than a PGA professional. The PGA professional can assist a golfer’s performance through coaching, custom fitting or both. As a result, if a member is playing better golf they will certainly be enjoying it more, which can only have a positive impact on member retention.

The golf club and pro shop may trade as two separate entities but should always come together to share the common goal of providing the very best experience for members, guests and visitors alike and ensure they are enjoying their golf to the maximum.

For further information on how Foremost Golf can assist you and your business in 2024 simply email membership@foremostgolf.com or call 01753 218890