KCM Group Wraps Up California Project
KCM Group, a San Diego-based construction management and consulting firm, has completed construction management services for Hodges Golf Improvement Center in Escondido, Calif., which opened last August. KCM Group was involved in the pre-construction and construction phases of the $4.5 million, 17-acre driving range, clubhouse and instructional facility. From a project management standpoint, the facility’s development included several challenging elements including multi-jurisdictional environmental restrictions, separate site development contract management during architectural design and implementation of a storm water pollution prevention plan pre- and post-development.

Las Vegas Golf Digest School Nearly Complete
Construction of the Golf Digest School at SilverStone Golf Club, a 27-hole golf course that opened last summer in Las Vegas, is in the final stages. When completed, the learning center will include two practice greens, a large lesson tee with target areas, an academy building with sheltered hitting areas and high-tech video and computer equipment for swing analysis. The school is set to open this spring.

PGA Tour Golf Academy Selects GolfLogix Technology
GolfLogix Inc., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has been selected by the PGA Tour Golf Academy at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., as one of the primary technology systems for instructional programs. GolfLogix’s distance and performance tracking system will be used for on-course instruction by providing detailed statistics on performance and equipment under different playing situations. GolfLogix can track real-game performance data automatically, produce a full-color map of the player’s performance following his or her round and upload the data to a personalized Web site for further analysis. The academy opened Jan. 18 and is the only teaching facility to bear the PGA Tour name.

Get to Know Your Customers
Make time to find out more about the people who are your customers. It doesn’t have to be a formal or lengthy process. Just talk to customers when they come into the clubhouse. Find out who they are, where they live and what they do for a living (this will give you some idea of how far they drove and what their disposable income might be).

—How often do they use your facility?
—What time of day and on which days do they practice?
—Why do they come to the golf range?
—How did they hear about/locate you?
—What prompts them to come?
—What do they like/dislike about the facility?
—What improvements would they like to see?

Don’t assume that you know any of the answers or that your customers won’t answer any of the questions. People like to be asked their opinion, and when they are asked, they often provide surprising and insightful answers.

Any and all of these questions can spark an idea for new services, new sources for customers and new promotions. Get customers involved in your range activities and growth plans. People usually like to help when asked.

—Shelly Murphy, president of Precision Communications, Lincoln, R.I.

Mid-Atlantic Golf Center at Norbeck Receives Second-Place Honors in Best New Range Contest
Opening quality golf centers is becoming old hat for the partners at Mid-Atlantic Golf. Owners Tim Kampa and Doug Rice have opened another winner in golf-friendly Silver Spring, Md. Their new $2.5 million facility, Mid-Atlantic Golf Center at Norbeck, opened its doors in February 2001, and although the center is still a quality work in progress, it earned second place in Golf Range Times’ 2001 Best New Range Award contest.

Read about Kampa and Rice’s formula for success in the March/April issue of Golf Range Times.

Also in the March/April issue:

—Strategies for becoming a favored venue for corporate group outings
—Advice on developing and profiting from par-3 and executive courses
—A rundown of new equipment for range owners introduced at the PGA Merchandise Show

Plus, industry news, new products available in the marketplace and a product roundup of artificial turf and golf mats.

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.