Derek Sussner’s Post

The Open Championship is without doubt the biggest event in UK golf. It’s the fourth major of the year and the buzz around golf at the time increases massively, this means full golf courses and most importantly to us, even busier golf clubhouses as people watch the tournament! Open week begins on Monday 15th July, with the tournament starting on the 18th. The best players in the world will be over in the UK at Royal Troon to compete for the coveted Claret Jug. Golf Club Media currently has two spare slots in our D6 inventory that could provide excellent value for you in your summer media plan! Here’s our top five stats about the impact of The Open Championship week: 1. Golf Course usage: Many UK golf courses report a 20-25% increase in tee time bookings during the week of The Open. 2. TV Viewership Surge: The Open Championship typically sees a 30-40% increase in UK television viewership compared to regular golf tournaments. 3. Golf Equipment/Apparel Sales: Retail sales of golf equipment and apparel in the UK often see a 15-20% spike in the weeks surrounding The Open. 4. Golf Club Memberships: Golf clubs across the UK report a 10-15% increase in membership enquiries during and immediately after The Open. 5. Social Media Engagement: Golf-related social media posts from UK users increase by approximately 50% during Open week. Drop me a note for the latest media deck! #dooh #oohadvertising #mediabuying #theopen #summerofsport #marketing

For many golf clubs, societies (aka golf days) are one of their biggest revenue generators. So, why do most clubs wait until September / October to start this marketing for golf societies and then stop around February / March time? I understand there are peak 'booking windows', but what about marketing in the summer months too, when the sun is (supposed to be) shining and the appetite for playing golf is the highest for most people? 📈 Should you not try to keep your audience warm all year round so when the time is right for them to buy, your club is top of mind? Read the full article here of how one email sent in July generated 6 golf society bookings in August. 😱 Plus, 5 tips for increasing bookings at your golf club. ➡️https://lnkd.in/dru58R5q #yourgolfmarketing #golfsociety #golfdays

The Open Championship is without doubt the biggest event in UK golf. It’s the fourth major of the year and the buzz around golf at the time increases massively, this means full golf courses and most importantly to us, even busier golf clubhouses as people watch the tournament! Open week begins on Monday 15th July, with the tournament starting on the 18th. The best players in the world will be over in the UK at Royal Troon to compete for the coveted Claret Jug. Golf Club Media currently has two spare slots in our D6 inventory that could provide excellent value for you in your summer media plan! Here’s our top five stats about the impact of The Open Championship week: 1. Golf Course usage: Many UK golf courses report a 20-25% increase in tee time bookings during the week of The Open. 2. TV Viewership Surge: The Open Championship typically sees a 30-40% increase in UK television viewership compared to regular golf tournaments. 3. Golf Equipment/Apparel Sales: Retail sales of golf equipment and apparel in the UK often see a 15-20% spike in the weeks surrounding The Open. 4. Golf Club Memberships: Golf clubs across the UK report a 10-15% increase in membership enquiries during and immediately after The Open. 5. Social Media Engagement: Golf-related social media posts from UK users increase by approximately 50% during Open week. Drop Ben Phillips a note for the latest media deck! #dooh #oohadvertising #mediabuying #theopen #summerofsport #marketing

👀Do you listen directly to the young participants at your golf tour? Durham Junior Golf Tour did just that. Through the Players 1st Tour Organizer Survey, they unlocked the opportunity to remain relevant to the youth, improving and expanding DJGT in the 2023 season. ⛳ "The Tour Organizer Survey was exceptional. It helped validate the many changes that we implemented in recent years and provided us with feedback that identified areas of concern for our players and their families that we need to address moving forward."- Jeffrey Iceton , Tour Chairman, Durham Junior Golf Tour. If you manage a golf course or host tournaments, using the Players 1st Survey can help you identify your strengths and opportunities for improvement. 🏌️Increase your sponsorship revenue and bring back participants in the new season. 🔗 – in comments. #golf #experience #golfbusiness #customerexperiencemanagement

How can golf businesses attract and retain more non-traditional golfers (NTGs) by fostering a greater sense of belonging? Our 11th white paper landed in the inboxes of our subscribers this morning and looks at this very topic. Click the link below to learn about the two schools of thought that we've identified in this space. See our recommendations for what golf businesses can do to engage this audience more effectively, read more below: https://lnkd.in/eXRvRKPS

There are many ways to increase the number of members at your golf club. Creating a membership offer is one way to do this. And, it will more than likely give you a short-term boost of new members. But, what happens to these members when it comes around to your renewal and there is no offer? Will you then have to create another offer to fill the void again? And what do existing members think of this? Alternatively, you can look at implementing a flexible membership category. This creates a pathway for golfers into full membership, whilst also giving them flexibility, removing potential retention issues and creating better loyalty. 📈If your golf club is looking to increase its membership numbers this winter, which route will you choose? #playmoregolf #flexiblemembership #membershipoffers

Incredible stats coming out of the BRS participation report for 2023, with an 860,000 increase in rounds played compared to 2022 and a staggering 12.1 million, or 90% growth from pre-pandemic figures. With the game in such good health, let’s think about how we can retain these golfers in the game. What can each of us do to turn new golfers into regulars, or casual golfers into members? It’s great that we have a huge number of people playing, but what can we do to make sure they’re staying?! I’m not sure I’ve ever known such a consistent period of growth for the game. So let’s understand what is driving people, find out what they need to stay, and work together to deliver the experiences that will keep them in the game for the long term. https://lnkd.in/e-9vAwm8 #participation #golfbusiness #golfmanagement

Topgolf is relatable, relevant, and accessible. Innovation manufactures relevance. Relevance breeds relatability. Relatability leads to accessibility. Here’s the worst kept secret in golf (because it isn’t one): Topgolf is everyone’s game.

How we play Golf is changing. Alasdair Rae comments "gone are the days when one could easily spend six or seven hours on the course. Today’s busy schedules mean fewer people can commit to a full day of golf." 🏌️♂️ This shift is impacting clubs across Great Britain, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape. With varying membership costs and accessibility, attracting younger and more diverse members is becoming increasingly crucial. ⛳ At Custodian Golf, we’re diving deep into the data to understand these trends and help clubs adapt. Our latest research uncovers some surprising insights about the current state of golf memberships and the steps clubs need to take to secure their future. Curious about the full picture? Download our whitepaper to explore these findings and more. The time to act is now. https://lnkd.in/gaN3-Xaq #Golf #GolfClubs #CustodianGolf #MembershipTrends #GolfForEveryone Golf Club Managers Association Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE) The PGA The R&A UK Golf Federation

I've been doing some new and very interesting things relevant to planning, housing, land, data, and golf! Combining multiple professional and personal interests with Custodian Golf and uncovering some extremely useful and valuable data (as well as the odd bit of shocking data)