1. They don't collect enough data (golfer's names, emails and so forth). In marketing terms, data is king. Having direct access to the golfers in your market through email, in particular, will ensure that you have marketing power into the future, otherwise you are consigned to expensive,  and quite often ineffective, advertising campaigns every time you need to drive play. Simply put:  "He with the biggest database wins!"
2. They don't do enough with the data they do collect. Having indepth knowledge of your customers through intelligent surveys (or data segmentation) allows you to define different target markets and to send them targeted email or direct mail offers based on their stated specific preferences.
3. Their websites are ineffective. Your website needs to be much more than a nice online brochure of your golf club, it should be the very centre of all your marketing activity. It's primary function is to collect data and to get people to respond to your offers. It must be regularly updated to keep your visitors interested. It must be able to complete sales and should also be able to drive incremental income at all your events by up to 8%. It must be able to report on all your online and marketing activities and to communicate effectively with your members, customers and visitors in the language they understand: golf.  
4. They do not track their ads or promotional campaigns so they have no exact way of knowing which ads or promotions were really effective. We firmly believe in tracking all your marketing activity. Our Marketing Commander website will allow you to do this, giving you an accurate ROI on all your online and offline marketing efforts, helping you to identify those campaigns that work and saving you vast sums of money.
5. Their ads stink! Much advertising that is done today is based around the intangibles  of "image," "brand" and "positioning." These things are not bad in themselves, if you are looking to win design awards, but when it comes to actually delivering customers and income, their value is far outweighed by the importance of adding customers to your own database, see (points 1 and 2 above). On top of that, most advertising in the golf industry does not deliver response, simply because they have not been designed to. Nice pictures and bullet points that outline your best features will not compete with benefit-laden copy and direct calls to action that are directed at specific target markets, not just generic golf content.
6. They run campaigns that people say "look good" rather than ones that actually get the phone to ring. Unfortunately when it comes to your collateral, including all your print materials and your website, ego and confusion often get in the way. Instead of practising proven sales and marketing techniques, quite often the final arbiter of design is personal preference, this may help you to feel good about yourself and your club, but ultimately will cost you dearly in wasted marketing euros and lost income.
7. There is no written sales process or scripting or training of the people answering the phones and in charge of memberships, outings and banquets. Your front-line staff are your sales interface with your customers, having staff that are well-trained in sales can increase your closing ratio of all enquiries which can amount to tens of thousands of euros each year and similarly increase both repeat business and incremental sales across your whole operation. Nothing will increase your bottom line more than putting in place golf sales training for your staff.
8. Follow-up of all requests is not automated or systemized, so follow-up is poor. There are many parts to this issue of follow up: Having follow-up systems in place; having a good CRM (Customer Relations Management software); obviously having good contact information for all your customers and leads; being able to automate your follow-up with auto-responders on your website; follow up email campaigns;  enquiry forms and  thank you letters; automated member accounts...and much more.
9. They do almost the exact same marketing as ALL their competitors; they are afraid to risk being different. With a clear marketing plan, based on scientifically and experientially proven sales and marketing methods, you will no longer have to follow the pack, who themselves may have no clear idea where they are going. With clear, regular benchmarks,  tracking and reporting systems, you can ensure that your marketing is delivering for you, without having to look over your shoulder.
10. Brochures, ads and letters are written in boring, generic corporate-speak and wouldn't motivate a drunk to leave his seat to get a free beer. All of your collateral must be designed to create response with proven sales techniques, not just pretty pictures and fluffy text.  Get specific about your target market, your real benefits and your call to action.
11. They discount green fees to get more business rather than look for ways to add more value. Discounting is the slippery road to ruin, as only he who can afford to suffer the losses in the short to medium term will survive. Finding ways to add value will allow you to keep your price integrity and keep your customers happy at the same time.
12. Their budgets are based on a percentage of gross or a number someone handed down from head office instead of being based on the goals they are trying to meet. Budgets need to be designed around your clear income goals for the year ahead with realistic steps and costs needed to achieve them. We believe in reverse-engineering your budget to your goals, not the other way around, which is a sure-fire recipe for failure. Budgets need to be designed to create income, not primarily just to cut costs, unless you  are interested in shrinking your business year-on-year. Tracking your marketing spend is a far more effective way of keeping your marketing costs down.
13. They do  NOTHING to set themselves CLEARLY apart from other clubs in their market place. Most clubs do not have a well thought out USP (unique selling proposition) which allows them to stand out in their market. Many clubs are trying to be "all things to all men" and in the process compete with their business rivals on the same footing all the time which ultimately leaves only pricing to stand out, leading to more discounts.... While it is good to have some diversification, it is critical to identify  target markets and make your appeal directly to their interests and make sure your club excels in these areas.
14. Their service is really about 80 percent worse than they think it is! Great service is a very effective way of managing your marketing costs and growing your business. It gets customers coming back, it generates free  "word of mouth" marketing      (the most effective marketing), while also giving your own staff the satisfaction of a job well done and a better working environment. Cut back on service at your peril!
15. They fail to thank their customers with letters, cards and small gifts as is done in almost all other professional businesses. Along with good service goes expressed appreciation of your customers through thoughtful notes and gifts,  which generates "top of the mind" awareness, repeat business and referrals. This is very effective marketing that most golf clubs ignore.
16. They confuse "loyalty" programmes with discount programmes! LOYALTY is earned, NOT BOUGHT! Rewarding customers through various added value schemes will allow you to sell more to your loyal customers, while, at the same time rewarding that loyalty, discounting simply undermines the value you give to them. There are many innovative ways to add value which need not cost you very much.
17. They fail to outsource the things they don't do well (like Telemarketing).Your staff are not always going to have the time, training and even the talent to be all things to all men, outsourcing some of these tasks can be far less expensive and time consuming and deliver better results. Email marketing involves design, sales copywriting and indepth knowledge of golf and a lot of time, most clubs do not have these resources available in-house.
18. They don't capitalize on the automation that's available to help maximize their operations. Successful golf businesses have systems in place to run their operations smoothly. These days technology can help put these systems to work.  Managing your members and customers, having scheduled reports on all aspects of your operations including income and marketing effectiveness will help you streamline your operations, cut down overheads and improve your efficiency  and income generation, year on year. The more integrated all your systems are, the greater your efficiency and the more meaningful are your reports.
19. They don't spend enough time studying or doing marketing. Marketing has changed dramatically since the internet age began. New media has taken over traditional media as computer and internet usage has become more common-place. And new methods of doing business have emerged. Those who adapt to the marketing environment we live in will combine the best of scientifically proven marketing methodology with the new media and technology available and will leave the rest in their wake. Golf marketing is a very specific discipline, combining knowledge of the game and also of proven marketing methods and, indeed, technology,  and demands much time and training to master. The days of "build it and they will come" no longer apply.
20. They keep doing what they have always done because it's easier than changing to a more systematic approach that would actually work. While it is certainly easy to continue doing the things you have always done, it also ensures that you  keep achieving the results you have always achieved, although, even that is not guaranteed in today's competitive market and economic climate.  Most clubs  are  leaving money on the table year-on-year,  while also spending valuable marketing euros on ineffective and outdated methods.

SUMMARY

Now you have the key information why most clubs don't get where they want to go. You are ready to do things differently and the get the corresponding successful result!

If you find that this philosophy makes sense to you and you would like to find out more or put the world's only proven golf marketing systems to work for you call us today at 01 8464047

or click here for a  FREE CONSULTATION,  we welcome the opportunity to work with you...

"20 Reasons" originated in chapter 2 of The Golf Marketing Bible by Andrew Wood, click here to find out more or to order.