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2 Jul 2009 admin

Marketing Your Teaching In Todays Economy

Photo by danperry.com

By Dr. Tom Kubistant, CSP Contributing Writer, Reno, Nevada

The economic collapse has affected many business enterprises. There are fewer and fewer services which are seen as “essential” anymore. Basic services like haircuts, auto repair, and even dentistry are increasingly being seen as elective. So, where does that leave us in the golf teaching profession? We all know that people need golf now more than ever, but how do we convince golfers to invest their precious resources in lessons? The key marketing strategy is to convey that playing golf is an investment which reaches far beyond the lessons. Simply put, we need recreation more. In essence, golf provides “re-creation.” Now, many of our courses and clubs have been implementing their downside marketing strategies and tactics. For the most part, these approaches are separate from lessons. So, this article is for you! I will present low-cost, cost-effective, and proven marketing tactics to enhance your lesson business. The first step is to become aware of those approaches which do not work. I am sure most of us can plead guilty to wasting money on risky, ill-conceived, and expensive ideas. Especially during these down times, some teaching marketing approaches do not have acceptable returns on investment: presentations to service clubs (with one exception cited below), associations with club “demo days,” working with high school golf teams, and even blogging. Granted, a few of you might have found success with the above, but for the most part these offer poor returns on investment. Never confuse activity with efficient action.

The following are proven marketing tactics which can enhance your teaching business. You might have to adapt them to your region and golfer demographics…and they do work!

• FOLLOW UP WITH EXISTING STUDENTS. You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel.” You have a grand resource with previous students who already know you. You should always have regular follow-up phone calls with all former students. Follow my “Rules Of Three”: after the lessons are done, regularly follow up in three days, three weeks, and three months. Ask questions about implementation and integration. Especially in later calls, encourage them to book a new series of lessons. Sell them on the benefits of how satisfying it is to keep progressing.

• USE FORMER STUDENTS AS REFERRAL SOURCES. Even if these students don’t want to renew, offer them a free playing lesson if they refer a friend who books a series of lessons. Share the benefits of such a playing session so they become excited to actively promote you.

• EMPLOY “ONE-SHOT” SEMINARS. A series of lessons initially may be too much of a commitment for new students. However, a specific one session seminar might appeal to them. Offer a one-hour group seminar on such specific topics as: short game, putting, course management, or making the high school team. Present great information, but also recommend how they should follow through with it.

• OFFER A FREE VIDEO SESSION. For those of you with the equipment, offer a free 15-minute video session. This should include brief feedback. Some video software also have the capabilities to include a split-screen comparisons with Tiger Woods or Lorena Ochoa. Many golfers love to see themselves, and this can provide the impetus for future lessons.

• DEVELOP A LAMINATED REMINDER CARD. Such little cards are magic! Create a laminated (people don’t throw away laminated things!) card summarizing a key dimension in playing golf. Sample topics could be: how to become ready to play, how to transfer one’s game, how to employ swing cues, how to salvage a round, or how to cope with pressure. Whenever you hand one out, give four of them so golfers can pass them along. (If you would like samples of my three reminder cards, please send me a SASE to USGTF RC, P.O. Box 13309, Reno, NV 89507 and I will be happy to send them to you.)

• DONATE A LESSON SERIES TO YOUR LOCAL PBS AUCTION. Such a donation will receive a lot of air time during auction week. You will gain grand exposure as both a top teacher and a community supporter.

• DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL MEDIA. Television and print media are always looking for local experts to utilize. Especially during the majors or a new item about Tiger Woods, media like a local slant on these national stories. Buy them breakfast (they are always hungry!) and regularly send them pertinent information so you remain in their minds.

• WRITE A GOLF ARTICLE! Write an interesting and relevant golf article which you can offer to multiple local businesses’ and organizations’ newsletters. Common topics can be: business golf etiquette, common playing errors, how to transfer one’s game from the practice area onto the course, how to relax, how to cope with slow play, and of course, the recreational benefits of golf. Always include your “trailer” at the end of the article where you can be contacted.

• PRESENT TO PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S GROUPS. Especially if you are a woman teaching pro, such professional groups love hearing from you. Offer a short presentation to local women’s groups (especially your EWGA chapter) on such topics as: business golf, networking, how to play with the “good ole boys,” and the rights of women golfers. I know many women teaching pros who have positioned themselves to be the sole teaching resource for women professionals.

• ORGANIZE GOLF RETREATS. Depending on your target markets, you can organize a weekend golf retreat at a nice resort. Such weekends are usually for four friends or associates where you all play two rounds, have morning and afternoon practice sessions, and even mealtime roundtable discussions. I know teaching pros who package such retreats around how to play the game, how to score more consistently, and even mastering the mental game.

Which of the above appeals to you? All of these work, but I do not know which might work for you in your locale with your target populations. The important thing is to look “with new eyes” at other possibilities. A final key point is to always position you and your teaching services as unique. Joel Weldon is an iconic sales trainer. He is best known for this piece of advice: “Find out what everyone else is doing and then…don’t do it!” The last thing you want to be seen is as “me, too” teacher. Continually assess what your local colleagues are offering. Then do something different which positions your services as uniquely valuable. There are answers during these challenging times. Look for them. You very well might discover that you actually enjoy creating new services. Please keep me posted on what you have found to be cost effective. I will combine them and share with our fellow USGTF members in a follow-up article. Dr. Tom Kubistant is one of the original golf psychologists. He has written three books and over 350 articles on the mental game. He is also the leading expert for those poor souls afflicted with the yips. He loves talking to USGTF members and can be reached directly online at Kubistant@aol.com or in Reno, Nevada, at (775) 329-2215.

2 Jul 2009 admin

Defining Today’s Golf Teaching Professional

Photo by borisvolodnikovBy Andrew Penner USGTF Level III Member, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I know a famous golf writer (sorry, I can’t divulge his name) who has never, and I mean never, sat down in front of a computer. To this day, still writing for some of the top golf magazines, he hand-writes every single sentence. Then, he painstaking bangs out the final drafts of his work with his two index fingers on an old typewriter. I said to him the other day, “You’re a relic, you know that, don’t you? Nobody does it like this anymore.” He just laughed and kept punching away. He’s one of the finest writers I know. His three books are all amazing and beautifully written travelogues on UK golf courses. (By now, some of you may have a good idea who I’m talking about). Just as the writing game has evolved into a technologically-savvy little craft – with the exception of a few dinosaurs still out there! – the golf teaching profession has made some strides, too. While the basic goal remains unchanged, to get people playing better golf, today’s teaching pros look, act, and talk a lot differently than they did 25 years ago. The business, thanks mostly to technological advancements both on and off the course, has evolved. Things like video playback, teaching software, digital storage, superior golf equipment, short-game specialization, greater fitness and flexibility awareness, increased competition, longer and wider golf courses, training devices, psychological training, innovation in clubfitting, increased knowledge of kinesiology and biomechanics, and a vibrant golf economy have all contributed to the many changes in the golf teaching industry. But, perhaps the biggest change in the past 25 years is the fact that a golf teaching pro is exactly that – and usually nothing more. In the past, “the pro” wore many hats. For the most part, teaching wasn’t a full-time gig. The pro was a manager, a clerk, a retailer, a buyer, and so on. Obviously, there are still many golf pros (some who are classified as “teaching pros”) who do a lot more than teach. But, suffice to say, if you’re a teaching pro, your income is made from teaching the game.  It’s what you do. It’s pretty much all you do. A large part of this revolution has to do with the USGTF. Prior to its founding in 1989, there was no organization of golf professionals that specialized solely in teaching. The PGA required its members to wear many hats, and those who simply wanted to teach were shut out of that organization. The USGTF stepped in to fill this void, changing the golf teaching industry permanently, and even prompting the PGA to change its programs in order to stay current. Obviously, yesterday’s golf pro worked with equipment that was considerably different. And, on that front, the game itself has changed significantly. Laminated woods, small sweet spots, and softer balls that didn’t go as far and curved more contributed to a style of play that was quite different than today. Golf was a little more clever and crafty. Players couldn’t hit the ball as far, so there was more creativity in style and shot selection. Swings were more varied:  look on the Champions Tour for some pretty unique “old-style” swings. Today, the rule of the day – and you can see it firsthand on the PGA and Nationwide Tours – is bomb it out there as far as you can (fairway or not) and pitch it onto the green. With a power game – thanks to titanium, higher CORs, bigger sweet spots, etc. – many courses can be conquered, their nuances, hazards, etc., not nearly as lethal. So, not surprisingly, we teach more on “power positions” than we ever have. Turning way behind the ball and eliminating any unnecessary movements (e.g., Adam Scott, Tiger Woods, and other young bombers), to obtain ideal launch conditions for the “new” equipment is the order of the day. We have in our minds – and on our computers – models of “the perfect swing.”  And, there is more and more pressure on those with unconventional swings to get more “conventional.” While “conventionalizing” (producing cookie-cutter golf swings that look very mechanical and similar) might be the norm, and for many players, beneficial, it’s still the instructors who can truly adapt to each student’s abilities, body type, learning styles, etc., who will be most effective and will have the potential to go to the top. Unquestionably, though, the greatest change in the golf instruction business has been the introduction of computers and computer software programs specifically geared for golf instructors. “Without a doubt, golf instructors today are much more technical and analytical,” says 30-year instructor Darren Gallagher. “I can see things today on computer screens that I never in a million years would have picked out with the naked eye before. Things just happen too quickly in the golf swing.” While there can be no arguing the fact that computers have helped instructors do their jobs better, it’s the ever-present end goal (making golfers better, remember?) that’s key. And computers don’t spit out the magic formulae that gets a student from A to B. It’s all fine and dandy burning a CD of a student’s swing, drawing fancy lines and circles to remind them of certain angles and positions, and so on, but corrections have to be realized, and, obviously, they need to be attainable. There has to be clear, effective, and “doable” instruction that will make them better. Otherwise, the computer age can be a detriment, leaving students, and if we’re not careful, us, more baffled and confused and on an endless search for answers that cannot be found simply in the bits and bytes. There is no doubt that today’s pro is more knowledgeable and better prepared to analyze the various swings that come through the door. The teaching industry has made significant advances in the last 25 years in so many areas. We now operate in a competitive, business-like environment and our role in the industry is only getting sharper and more important. Just like the successful pros before us, we’ve got to be well-rounded, personable individuals who don’t speak one language to all students. And, all of us should never overlook the advice of Harvey Penick (whose teaching was often very simple and non-technical): “The short game. Those are the magic words.”

25 Jun 2009 admin

100 Tips for Golf Managers Book “Coming Soon”

Photo by longhorndaveThe purpose of this book is to present to you thoughts and ideas on golf management in order to motivate, encourage and guide you in the industry.

Here are a few excerpts from the upcoming book.

• Golf management provides a great opportunity to learn and grow personally. Therefore, take advantage of this. You will be the same today as you will be in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet.

Many golf club managers have earned their way to the top by actually doing many of the jobs that need to be done. Good golf management is rooted in meaningful experiences relating directly to the golf facility you are managing. One manager from the factory is worth ten from law school.

• Constantly challenge your employees to develop new skills. Ask them to put themselves into situations where they can grow personally and professionally. In other words, take your employees on a journey with a specific outcome.

• You don’t need to be an accountant, an agronomist, a lawyer or have a degree in marketing to manage a golf facility. You will, however, require people skills, know how to delegate and empower and be inquisitive and knowledgeable in many of these areas.

• Regular meetings with the entire staff are essential. Plan in advance for these. Proper planning prevents poor performance. Have a message and a goal in mind. Each meeting should begin with a follow-up of the results of the previous meeting. You can keep these meetings upbeat and even fun and still ensure that your objectives are achieved.

• Pay close attention to fostering a good relationship with the teaching professionals at your facility. They are unique ambassadors to the industry. Their ideas, input and suggestions can be very valuable to a successful operation. Always try to ensure their success.

• Members need to know that if there is an issue, you as the general manager, are going to face it. Anything can be solved as long as you are open to communication. Most things in golf management can be summarized in two words: Challenge, Response.

• Be a student of your industry; trends, competition and niche opportunities. If you are not continually learning about golf management, you won’t be in first place.

• When you happen to play golf with a member or guest, never allow yourself the opportunity to be judged negatively. A well-adjusted person is one who can play golf as if it were a game.

19 Jun 2009 admin

Golf Management Info Regarding Aerifying Greens

Photo by ShellVacationsHospitalityGolf greens are usually aerified with 3/8 inch hollow tines and 1 ½ inch spacing from hole to hole. These are some of the advantages and disadvantages of Aerifying golf greens:

Advantages:

• Relieves soil compaction • Allows deeper, faster penetration of water, air, fertilizer, and pesticides in the root zone. • Allows for the atmospheric release of toxic gases from the root zone. • Improves drainage, helping to dry out saturated soils and prevent the formation of puddles. • Improves water penetration into dry or hydrophobic soils. • Penetrates the soil layers that develop from topdressing with dissimilar materials. • Provides thatch control by stimulating the environmental conditions that promote healthy soil microorganism activity for thatch decomposition. • Increases rooting by constructing a medium more conducive to active root growth.

Disadvantages:

• Temporarily disrupts playing surface. • Increases turf surface desiccation as roots are exposed. • Produces coring holes that provide a better habitat for cutworms and other insect pests. As you can see, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for the long-term health of the green year round.

12 Jun 2009 admin

A Golf Management Primer on Golf Course Design

Photo by dMap Travel GuideBy Patrick White USGTF Contributing Writer, Middlesex, VT

Nature’s Intentions

It’s no insult to today’s golf course architects – who as a group are exceptionally talented and knowledgeable in the fields of art, science, and design – to point out that for all of the technology, financing and modern earth moving equipment at their disposal, they seldom are able to match Mother Nature when it comes to crafting golfing rounds. It’s the courses on the sandy, barren, Scottish linksland that have served, directly or indirectly as the inspiration for all golf course architecture. These layouts were built by wind, water and other natural forces, while grazing sheep and burrowing animals seeking shelter gave the layouts their character and provided ready made hazards.

History of Design

Still, even the most revered of these venues were improved by man. While golf has been played at St. Andrews since the 15th century, it was the imagination of golfers over several centuries that sought out routings to take the best advantage of the natural topography. And when the game advanced beyond what the site would allow, golfers didn’t hesitate to make changes. In 1764 at St. Andrews, four existing holes were combined to form two, resulting in an 18 hole course that would become the standard for the game. Later in the 1830’s, club maker and top golf professional Alan Robertson was commissioned to widen the fairways on the course and improve a green on the Road Hole – the first known putting surface to be designed by man. Bolstered by the experience, Robertson would go on to “design” other rudimentary courses in the British Isles, helping to lay the cornerstone of the golf architecture profession we know today. Robertson’s protégée’, Old Tom Morris continued the work on the St. Andrews course, and added further to the legitimacy of golf design by continuing to improve the Old Course and building the New Course at St. Andrews. Others, notably the Dunn and Park families of Mussel burgh, Scotland, began to hear the calling of course design and their work began to spread the game of golf throughout the British Isles and beyond.

Architecture Expands

It was during this expansion of the game that the practice of golf architecture truly came into its own. Faced with sites that lacked natural characteristics of the Scottish sea sides, architects were forced to do more to the land and rely less on Mother Nature. Most prominently, this transition took place in the Heathlands near London in the late 1800’s. There, course design pioneers such as Willie Park Jr., H.S. Colt and H.S. Fowler proved that, with some tree clearing, a bit of earth moving and a little imagination, inland sites could provide a satisfactory and even impressive environment for golf. Such adaptation and improvisation proved prescient, because around the same time golf was gaining popularity in the U.S. – where the landforms had little in common with the Scottish linksland. Among the earliest pioneers to build courses in North America was Scotsman Willie Davis, who laid out such seminal courses as Royal Montreal in Canada, the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island and Shinnecock Hills on Long Island. Others, mainly Scottish immigrants, were frequently contracted to construct courses, often on the estates of wealthy patrons new to the game. Beyond the few highly respected courses of the day, most of the earliest American golf architecture was rudimentary at best. In a recent book entitled “18 Stakes on a Sunday Afternoon,” golf architecture and historian Geoffrey Cornish documented the fast and furious nature by which many courses were “staked out” by Scottish transplants traveling through town. Some of these courses contained ridiculous 700 yard holes while others were just a mundane collection of greens and tees placed out on non-descript land. Even so, these rustic courses helped to spread the gospel of golf in this country. One of the figures to call for courses of greater design quality was Walter Travis, an Australian who came to this country and established himself as perhaps an amateur golfing champion, accomplished course designer and leading writer / editor on all topics golf. His work, along with a largely Scottish contingent, helped rectify the situation in the first decades of the twentieth century with scores of improved layouts.

Old Meets New

Ironically, if there was a father of golf architecture in America, it was Canadian-born Charles Blair Macdonald. Macdonald was among the first to intensively study the greatest golf holes of Europe and adapt (not to be confused with “copy”) them to sites in America. In 1907 he penned an essay setting forth the criteria by which a golf course could be evaluated, including such factors as soil, natural terrain, and quality of turf, as well as the length and variety of holes. His methods for judging one course against another represented an early precursor to the modern infatuation with course “rankings” that today seems to color any discussion of golf architecture. The essence of Macdonald’s approach can be found at The National Golf Links on Long Island, a collection of what he considered the world’s best golf holes. Among these specimens are interpretations of such holes s the Rhedan, Sahara and the Alps. Obviously, both at The National on other courses, the natural topography necessarily altered the holes slightly, sometimes allowing for new interpretations of the great holes considered even more impressive than the originals. Some setting in America, though a far cry from Scottish linksland, proved just as ideal for golf – albeit with more effort required to prepare them. When businessman and amateur golfer George Crump saw the sandy soils and natural movement of the land in the pine forests of southern New Jersey, he made it his life’s calling to design and build a golf course there. The result, Pine Valley Golf Club, is universally acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest courses. With input from some of the world’s most accomplished architects of the day, Crump hewed out a course far different from those Scottish golfers were accustomed to. Pine Valley was one example of a new style of golf architecture that was emerging, dictated in many ways by the landforms available. In the place of open, hard, fast ground of Scotland that encouraged bump-and-run approaches came greens and fairways surrounded by trees, sand or water, many times requiring aerial approaches. Fortunately, equipment improvements at the time helped facilitate this type of shot making. And many American courses were less influenced by wind than their Scottish counterparts, again, allowing greater emphasis on higher shots. The 1920s proved to be a glamorous period for golf architecture in America – figures such as Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, William Flynn, Seth Raynor and other were all active during this time. And with the national economy booming, there was increased financing available to purchase land and build courses. Still, even during this ere, architects were limited by a lack of mechanized earth moving equipment and were forced to mostly rely on the natural contours of the site. As Ross stated at the time, “God created golf holes. It is the duty of the architect to discover them.”

Technology Brings Innovation

In the middle of the century, as prime building sites became more scarce and heavy equipment more commonplace, golf architects found themselves moving beyond largely “discovering” and improving golf holes to, in many cases, actually constructing them. Around this time, Robert Trent Jones, a golf architect and born self-promoter, brought a new consciousness of course design to the golfing public and a new stature to the profession. His innovations went beyond marketing, however. Jones was a pioneer in the design of tee boxes and other course features to accommodate various golfing abilities. “It’s easy to set up a golf hole and golf course for the professionals in this manner. But setting it up for the professional, the average club member, the senior player and the woman player at the same time is another matter,” wrote Jones in his book, Golf’s Magnificent Challenge. “Flexibility in tee placement would seem to solve the problem, but it really doesn’t. Place the bunkers for strong players and sometimes women can’t get over them on the second shots. String multiple bunkers along the fairway’s edge and the women then are playing the better men. Often there is no total solution, no way to accommodate all classes of golfers. But the conscientious architect will devote careful attention to achieving the best possible compromise.”

4 Jun 2009 admin

Praise employee’s effectively.

Photo by rsepulveda A golf club manager’s most powerful tool is the ability to praise your staff effectively. “The sandwich technique,” in which you couple a piece of praise with an item of critique is a good way of getting the results that you want. For more information on “the sandwich technique” please refer to Golf Teaching Pro magazine, Summer edition at usgtf.com Try to be specific in your praise. A vague statement like “You’re doing a great job,” is less meaningful then a precise description such as “The pro shop has never looked better, keep up the good work.”

4 Jun 2009 admin

A good golf manager plans his week in 30 minutes.

Photo by chispita_666It is a well known fact that to manage a golf facility takes a certain amount of planning. Simply ask yourself these questions • What results do you want to see by the end of the week? Write them down and rank them according to importance. • What do you have to do to achieve your goals? List the necessary activities, and put them in sequence. • How much time will each activity require? To plan realistically, allow yourself more time than you think you will actually need. This gives you flexibility if unexpected problems develop. Take a look at your calendar and decide when you can accomplish each activity. Most people underestimate the power of a schedule, but you won’t get much accomplished in the golf management industry if you don’t schedule time to plan your week.

4 Jun 2009 admin

Tactics to boost morale

One of a golf club manager’s most important jobs is to keep spirits up in the work place. With stress levels sometimes high on busy days at golf facilities, this is not always easy to do. However, there are some strategies that a good golf manager can use. Liven up your memos. Find a book of one liner’s, and include a joke at the bottom of your memos. Take pictures! Every office has an aspiring photographer. Ask that person to take candid shots of employees, and add them “Humor Corner.” Bring your smile to work. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes especially in the golf industry. If the manager consistently has an upbeat attitude, the staff will as well.

4 Jun 2009 admin

Managing with questions.

The art of golf management often involves asking questions, lots of them. Here are several questions to ask as you manage your facility. If you ask these questions as part of your routine, you’ll teach your staff that their opinions matter. • What caused complaints today? • What was misunderstood today? • What cost too much? • What was wasted? • What was too complicated? • What job involved too many people?

4 Jun 2009 admin

Wisdom of Golf Management

If you gathered 100 experienced golf managers together and asked for their advice, this is what you might hear. “No task is beneath you.” Don’t think you are above anything. Be the good example and pitch in — especially if the job is one that nobody wants to do. “Ask for Help.” If you think you’re in over you’re head, you probably are. Before it gets out of hand, ask someone for help — most people enjoy giving a hand. Besides saving yourself from embarrassment, you’ll make a friend and an ally. “When you don’t like someone, don’t let it show.” Especially if you outrank them. Never burn bridges or offend others as you move ahead. “When you are right, don’t gloat.” The only time you should ever use the phrase “I told you so” is if someone says to you: “You were right. I really could succeed at that project.”