Exclusive Range Users Number 6.2M
About 4.9 million adults and 1.3 million juniors (ages 5 to 17) are estimated to have been involved in golf exclusively at practice facilities in 2004, reports the National Golf Foundation. But about half of these dabblers (47 percent) report visiting a range only one time during the year. The average number of range visits is 3.1.


SofTee Restarts Manufacturing Operations
After halting production of the Fairway Series golf mat earlier this year, SofTee Manufacturing LLC has restarted manufacturing operations. The company reports that problems with its primary turf vendor resulted in a shortage of the woven nylon turf needed to manufacture the mats, and the company opted not to use knitted or tufted turf as an alternate surface. “A woven product holds up much better around the tee holes,” says Tom Moore, owner of the Southport, N.C.-based company. SofTee has since resolved its vendor issues and will continue to use woven nylon turf. “We are ramping up production to have mats in customers’ hands by the end of the year,” says sales manager David Moore.

Marketing Strategies for Tough Times
It’s been another tough year for the golf industry, and the outlook for 2006 is not much better.
The “macro trends,” as economists refer to them, are not very positive, and generally speaking, Americans have a negative, or neutral at best, feeling about the economy. Gas prices have risen, and heating costs are expected to increase dramatically. War, natural disasters, terrorism, rising interest rates, rising housing costs, job cuts, and company bankruptcies all have a depressant effect on the economy and consumer spending habits.
Higher costs on necessary items mean consumers have less disposable income, and for all but the super-avid golfer, the game of golf is not a necessary purchase.
Further, within the golf industry, the trends are not positive. Golf participation rates are down, as are the number of golfers and rounds played. You may even be facing some micro market issues, such as a new competitor, resulting in more businesses fighting for a piece of a smaller pie. Sounds bleak, doesn’t it?
The range operator who sees these signs coming and doesn’t make plans to address them is likely headed for a rough year. But it is not all doom and gloom. There are things you can do to mitigate the impact of the soft market. Here are few strategies that you can use to have a profitable 2006:
• Focus on your best and loyal customers. Invest in efforts to retain your most profitable customers.
• Use low- and no-cost advertising vehicles such as e-mail to keep in touch with your customers.
• Send direct mail to your in-house mailing list. You can narrow the list down further to just those who you know are responsive or live within five miles of your facility. That will generate a higher return on your investment.
• Do not cut prices. The last thing you want to do is roll back your prices. Rather, focus on creating added value for the consumer. You can do this by offering volume bundles of your products/services. This creates a larger purchase but at a value price (i.e., a volume discount). Promote these deals through in-store signage and e-mails to your customers.
• Do not cut you marketing spending. When times are tough, that is the time to step up your marketing efforts.
• Hit the streets. Invest your time and go out and promote your facility, particularly to businesses. This is a low out-of-pocket expenditure that will bring in customers.
• Use bounce-back coupons. Whenever customers buy something, give them a coupon to use on their next visit.
• Upsell. Increase your dollars per transaction by asking each customer to buy more. You should always be doing this, but it becomes even more important to be diligent in tough times. It is your best opportunity for generating incremental sales and profits.
The economy may be down, but it doesn’t mean business has to be bad. Implement these strategies and you’ll find that 2006 will be much more enjoyable—and profitable.

PGA Merchandise Show Takes a ‘Convention-al’ Turn
The 2006 PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 26-29, is emerging as a “convention of golf solutions” with new programs designed to grow the game and the business of golf. Once again, Orlando, Fla., will play host to everything golf for some 1,200 participating manufacturers and more than 40,000 golf industry professionals eager to preview, test, learn and network among friends and colleagues.
New programs are being introduced such as “teach-the-teacher” clinics featuring Butch Harmon and Rick Martino, a PGA Experience pavilion, learning labs on the show floor, Golfweek’s Golfest and the inaugural Play Golf America conference.
Proven programs such as Demo Day, the Equipment Test Center, daily fashion shows, education seminars and networking areas are being enhanced. Show organizers say the new and enhanced programs are designed to provide everything attendees need to be more professionally effective, more profitable in business, more satisfied in their careers and more successful in growing the game.

For a complete list of upcoming events in the golf industry, check out the Industry Calendar on Golf Range Times' home page.

Safety in Numbers
Group lessons provide a low-cost and less intimidating experience for beginners, so naturally, ranges that offer a variety of instruction programs have increased opportunities to create more golfers. They also increase their odds of creating new customers. Read the November/December issue of Golf Range Times for ideas on how you can use group lessons to remove the fear factor and create a low-risk entry point for aspiring golfers in your market.

Sell Used Equipment Fast
Got pickers, washers, balls, mats or tee dividers taking up space? Convert them to cash with a classified ad in Golf Range Times. Special low rate for range owners: $50. Plus, we’ll help you extend your reach by posting your ad online—for free! Contact Sally Schall, advertising representative, to place your ad in the January/February 2006 issue. Classifieds are sold on prepaid basis only.

2005 Article Index

January/February — 2004 Best New Range: The Practice Tee Driving Range. With a clubhouse that’s more like a friendly neighbor’s living room and a tee line comfortable enough to be a back yard, the Practice Tee Driving Range wins customers and the 2004 Best New Range title. — Creating Diversions. Knowing your customer is the key to success in any business, and when it comes to adding go-karts and bumper boats, you need to know families—lots of them. — Shape Up. This year, resolve to keep your facility in peak condition with a maintenance plan that will trim the fat from your operations. — Newfound Money. Although some range developers may doubt their ability to recover the expense of buying or building a golf practice center, there is a way to create a higher level of positive cash flow in the initial years of investment. — Making Customer Service Priority One. After 10 years of range ownership, Charlie Johnson, president of Tualatin Island Greens Golf Center, shares what he still loves about the business and why customer service is so important. — Ask the Experts: Lighting — Parting Advice: Short on cash, but need equipment? Lease it. — Equipment Guide: Mowers and Utility Vehicles March/April — Breaking the Slump. Give sluggish batting cage sales a needed boost by implementing marketing strategies that get families, youth and teams out swinging. — A Work in Progress. New range owners Sam and Kate Altiero made a decisive business move when they opened the Clubhouse Golf Center & Grille before renovations were complete. — Lights, Camera, Action. New products and services took center stage at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show, as the Golf Channel gave viewers an inside look at the annual industry event. — Ask the Experts: Artificial Turf Golf Mats — Parting Advice: Do you want a bucket of balls with your burger? Advice on F&B operations. — Equipment Guide: Ball Dispensers May/June — Recruiting Women. In 2003, 1.2 million women answered the industry’s call for female players, beating out men to become the fastest growing segment of golfers. But they’re also quick to drop out, creating a need for programs that attract women and also encourage them to stick with the sport. — Scoops of Success. First opened in the 1950s as Middleton Golf Range, Golf Country has slowly and steadily added amenities and become a model golf range, parlaying parfaits and a great location—next door to a popular ice cream shop—into a regional fixture for family fun. — Work Hard, Play Hard. Leaving a corporate career for range ownership, Larry Kwiat, co-owner of Golf Quest Family Sports Centers, shares what he loves most about being his own boss as well as some of the unexpected challenges. — Ask the Experts: Netting — Parting Advice: Sell customers more than they came for — Equipment Guide: Ball Pickers July/August — Just Right. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to miniature golf. The secret to success is finding a design that fits your market. Luckily, there are several types of courses—and companies that design and build them—for range owners to consider. — Diversified Dome. By branching out into other sports, Matt Johnson, owner of the Sports Bubble, has created a successful industry of year-round fun with offerings in football, softball and soccer, in addition to golf. — Who’s Liable? Errant balls flying at more than 200 mph can pose a serious threat. And rarely will an individual golfer own up to hitting a shot that struck someone or caused property damage, leaving the range as the sole party responsible for the incident. — Ask the Experts: Go-karts — Parting Advice: Open houses aren’t just for selling homes — Equipment Guide: Ball Washers September/October — Worth a Second Swing. With startup costs keeping many range owners from investing in target game systems, manufacturers are turning the tables, buying or leasing practice centers to set up their expensive automated gaming systems. — Making a Splash. Thanks to a two-year, $250,000 renovation, Aqua Golf Range & Learning Center, site of a key scene in the movie “There’s Something About Mary,” is reprising its role as South Florida’s premier practice facility. — Direct Effect. Old-fashioned snail mail may seem like a thing of the past, but really, that’s to a range owner’s advantage. In an age of digital and electronic forms of communication, potential customers may appreciate the personal, tangible delivery of your message. — Ask the Experts: Tee Covers — Parting Advice: Support the community that supports your business — Equipment Guide: Artificial Turf November/December — Safety in Numbers. Group lessons provide a low-cost and less intimidating experience for beginners, so naturally, ranges that offer a variety of instruction programs have increased opportunities to create more golfers. They also increase their odds of creating new customers. — Growing the Game. From conducting research on alternative facilities to creating player development programs, Golf 20/20 Executive Director Ruffin Beckwith shares his thoughts on the initiative’s first five years, and its next. — Teaching and Technology. Little promotion is needed for the wildly popular junior programs and camps at Connecticut’s Copper Hill Golf Academy & Driving Range—word-of-mouth has generated many registrants, as have the e-mails owner Paul Banks sends to his growing list of regular customers. — Ask the Experts: Miniature Golf — Parting Advice: Proving your customers are who you think they are — Equipment Guide: Netting Missing an earlier issue of Golf Range Times? Or looking for reference articles on adding amenities, insuring your facility or hiring qualified and committed staff? Click through all back issues of the magazine to find these topics and more here.

The Only Directory You’ll Ever Need
The 2005 edition of the Golf Range Times Buyers’ Guide and Directory is now available. It’s the only directory published exclusively for the golf range industry, and the one resource you’ll refer to all year long as you make important purchasing decisions. More than 180 alphabetical supplier company listings are cross-referenced by product category, making it easy to find the equipment and services you need. In addition, the directory includes information on purchasing large equipment such as pickers and washers and what various suppliers offer, as well as a checklist outlining smaller equipment needs. All Golf Range Times subscribers receive a complimentary copy of the directory. To purchase additional copies for $35 each, download an order form here.

About the Golf Range Times e-Newsletter
The Golf Range Times e-Newsletter is a free bimonthly publication sent to range owners and developers who have provided e-mail addresses. You can subscribe online here.

Don't hesitate to forward a copy of this newsletter to friends and associates or to let them know that they can subscribe at www.golfrangetimes.com.

Have a tip or idea?
Contact Marshall Norton Jr., Golf Range Times managing editor, at 804-272-9100, ext. 112, or by e-mail at marshall.norton@douglasmurphy.com.

© Copyright 2006 Golf Range Times