Author: Tom Lynch

59club USA to Provide Mystery Shopping, Member Survey Tools and Virtual Training Services

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they added Ruark Golf Properties to their client roster. Ruark Golf owns and operates four of the premier golf clubs in Ocean City, Maryland including the 36-hole GlenRiddle Golf Club (Man O’ War and War Admiral), The Links at Lighthouse Sound, Rum Pointe, and Nutters Crossing. 59club USA will use their industry-leading proprietary software and objective data analysis tools to provide mystery shopping services, member, guest and employee survey tools and their exclusive my59 Mentor on-line training platform for Ruark Golf Properties.

“Ruark Golf prides itself on providing the highest level of customer service possible and that doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” said Chris Harrison, director of business development, Ruark Golf. “Our team is constantly looking for ways to improve. With 59club’s services, we hope to more easily identify areas in which to enhance our guest experience and quickly and efficiently implement real solutions. We’re excited to get started.”

59club is a service-based management tool and customer service provider which uses objective data points and images to measure, improve and then maintain standards of customer service, in turn increasing visitor and member retention. Results of on-site testing from 59club are a boost to customer satisfaction, revenues and profits for clubs who use their services such as customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping services and employee training – both virtual and on-site.

“We’re thrilled to showcase our suite of services and bring Ruark Golf into the 59club family,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “Ocean City is a bright, vibrant and established golf destination, and these properties are some of the best around. We look forward to working with Ruark Golf and helping their team take additional steps in elevating their customer service techniques.”

Already, 59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 30 well-known golf clubs and resorts in North America including 14 TPC properties, Reynolds Lake Oconee, The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, Haig Point in South Carolina and Bobby Jones Links – one of the world’s largest golf management companies.

Kathy and Rodger Cole searched sporadically for a second home for the past several years with their sights set on Lake Tahoe. The couple, who live in the San Francisco Bay area, accelerated their plans when the pandemic hit, and switched gears to look at Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, California.

“We knew it was time to get serious about a vacation home that we could easily drive to once Covid-19 hit,” said Rodger Cole, a 51-year-old lawyer. “We went to The Preserve in Carmel, which is 65 miles from our house, four weekends in a row to play golf and to look at houses.”

The Coles purchased their home, which features 4,000 square feet, three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a patio with a fire pit and a meadow view, for $3.45 million.

“We’ll likely spend as much as three-fourths of our time at The Preserve because our kids, who are in middle school and high school, are doing virtual learning this semester,” said Mrs. Cole, who is 48. “The whole family plays golf, and the kids can ride horses at the equestrian center. And even though this place is so secluded and serene, the internet service is better than at our home in Silicon Valley.”

Golf course communities, which had been losing popularity for a few years, have seen a resurgence in interest since this spring. The states with the most golf courses include Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North and South Carolina and Texas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. .

“Most of our clients are having record years in rounds of golf played and golf club memberships sold,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner of the 59 Club USA, a consulting company based in Statham, Georgia, that analyzes customer service and makes recommendations in the hospitality industry, including golf for courses. “Those that are selling real estate into these environments, especially those in more vacation-like settings away from bigger cities, are also seeing great results this year.”

Golf is one of the few activities that people could continue to participate in during the pandemic because it is played outdoors and was allowed in most states, Mr. Kelly said.

“The membership and real estate side of the business is growing due to the trust the market has put into the care given by a private club or community,” Mr. Kelly said. “People simply feel it is a more secure environment than going to a facility that is open to the general public, including the restaurants, pools and kids programming.”

At Santa Lucia Preserve, for example, the community anticipated selling 30 new club memberships this spring and summer but sold 70 new full golf memberships and another 43 social memberships, said Jen Anello, director of sales for The Preserve. Initiation fees, which are required to join the private golf club, range from $60,000 to $160,000. Annual dues, minimum spending requirements and maintenance fees are also charged to golf club members and vary widely.

“We’ve seen interest in The Preserve change exponentially since the pandemic started,” Ms. Anello said. “Usually it takes people at least two years between their first visit and their decision to buy, but now people are making the decision within weeks or months.”

Seclusion and Golf Entice New Residents to Island Life

At Haig Point, a golf course community on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, far more potential buyers inquired about property between March 1 and May 15 this year (795 inquiries) compared to the same period last year (472), according to Adam Martin, vice president of sales and marketing there.

“We have the lowest number of homes on the market than ever, which is partly a reflection of the fact that a unique form of security and safety is baked into the community because it can only be reached by boat,” Mr. Martin said. “The number of rounds of golf played in June and July was up 150% compared to last year because golf is a naturally socially distant sport that’s played outside.”

The initiation fee for golf membership at Haig Point is $20,000.

At Haig Point, about 50% of residents stay year-round, but this year, that has shifted to about 70%, said Doug Egly, the CEO there. Haig Point’s buyers come from nearby Southern states, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and New England, especially cities that have a direct flight to Savannah or Hilton Head.

“We’ve definitely seen a resurgence of interest in golf and a change in who plays, too,” said Mr. Egly. “It used to be just the husbands, but now the whole family plays. The number of golf clinics for kids and ladies has gone way up. Instead of people playing once a week, our residents are playing three or four times a week, especially parents playing with their kids.”

Ted Lape, a 55-year-old business owner from Columbus, Ohio, and his wife Kelly, a 50-year-old former lawyer, visited Haig Point for decades before the Covid-19 pandemic nudged them to buy there. They closed on a $904,000 property in June.

“We have a sophomore in college, a freshman in college and a ninth-grader who were all doing virtual learning from a rented house in Haig Point in April,” Mr. Lape said. “We were playing golf every day in between virtual school and remote work, and we decided it was time to buy here.”

The golf course at Haig Point is playable for all skill levels, which makes it easier for the whole family to enjoy it together, Mr. Lape said.

“What makes Haig Point unique is that it’s a great golf community combined with privacy and the beach,” Mr. Lape said. “It’s always possible to get a tee time and you don’t even see other people or the other holes while you’re playing.”

Arizona Acreage with Seven Golf Courses

In Scottsdale, Arizona, the Desert Mountain golf course community saw golf rounds increase from 27,438 played in May through July last year to 39,579 played in those same months in 2020, according to Nicole Forbes, the community’s director of membership sales. In addition, 50 new golf memberships were sold in June, July and August this year, compared to 31 during that same period in 2019. The initiation fee for golf membership is $30,000 at Desert Mountain.

“We’ve seen a change this year in our homebuyers, too,” Ms. Forbes said. “It used to take people two to five years to visit and buy a home, but this spring and summer, people are buying in a 30- to- 60-day timeframe. Most people used to buy second homes here and then eventually move here full time, but now the majority of buyers plan to make this their primary residence.”

The increase in golfers includes more women and children than in the past at Desert Mountain’s seven golf courses, said Kim Atkinson, director of marketing and communications for the community.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen a shift to more families with younger children moving here, so during the pandemic, we converted our youth activities center to a socially distanced virtual classroom, offered tutoring and more kids activities,” Ms. Forbes said. “The golf courses are a big driver for home purchases, not only for players but also because people like the canvas of all the year-round green grass outside their windows.”

Texas Hill Country Enhanced with Golf

At Cordillera Ranch in Boerne, Texas, about 20 minutes north of San Antonio, the number of inquiries into buying homes started to climb beginning in mid-April and continued on an upward trajectory in May, June and July, according to Charlie Hill, president and chief operating officer of DH Investments, developers of Cordillera Ranch.

“About 90% of our buyers live here full-time, with a lot of young families, especially, moving here in the past few years,” Mr. Hill said. “Golf is the cornerstone of the community, especially this year. Normally, we see the number of rounds played go up 2% to 3% per year, but this year, the number of rounds played so far is up 50% over 2019.”

Most buyers at Cordillera Ranch purchase golf memberships, Mr. Hill said. The initiation fee for membership is $70,000.

“Golf is the major draw, but this year, especially, people also like the access to parks, trails, the equestrian center and the river,” Mr. Hill said. “Most of our properties are on one to three acres and we have lots of outdoor activities. Our buyers are happy to get away from the confines and chaos of cities.”

59club USA to Provide Full Suite of Services to Big Canoe, Hope Valley Country Club and The Champions Club.

59club USA announced today they added three more Bobby Jones Links managed clubs (Big Canoe, Hope Valley Country Club and The Champions Club) to their client roster. Just one hour north of Atlanta, GA, Big Canoe is a private, gated, masterplanned community. Hope Valley Country Club is a member-owned private club located in Durham, NC and The Champions Club is a private club nestled at the foot of the White Oak Mountain in Ooltewah, TN. “We’re excited to continue our relationship with the Bobby Jones Links team and are looking forward to developing a relationship with each of the managers at these three new clubs” stated Mike Kelly, Managing Partner of 59club USA.

“Bobby Jones Links has secret shopped our properties and surveyed our customers and members for years. When the time came to elevate our practices allowing for better analysis of our data against industry standards and our competitors, 59club USA was the ideal partner to engage. We believe what gets measured gets done, and 59club USA’s tools provide our properties feedback for effective improvement” stated Amy Buchanan – VP Marketing and Sales for Bobby Jones Links 59club is a service-based management tool and customer service provider which uses objective data points and images to measure, improve and then maintain standards of customer service, in turn increasing visitor and member retention. Results of on-site testing from 59club are a boost to customer satisfaction, revenues and profits for clubs who use their services such as customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping services and employee training. Click here to view a complete list of 59club USA’s suite of services.

Already, 59club USA has established and developed relationships with nearly 40 wellknown golf clubs and resorts in North America including 14 TPC properties, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Scottsdale, The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, Haig Point and Sea Pines Country Club in South Carolina and The Hideout Golf Club & Resort in Texas. See a full list of their clubs at https://www.59clubusa.com/venues-tested/.

59CLUB PROVIDES COMPLIMENTARY DATA TO CLUB INDUSTRY

STATHAM, Ga. – The North American arm of customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club announced today they have gathered data from over 100 clubs within the states of Georgia, Texas, Colorado and Wyoming. All of the data relates directly to the operational decisions that club managers are facing right now as they begin to prepare for the reopening.  

“Since none of us has dealt with an issue like this before, club managers are curious about what their peers are doing to prepare for reopening. Having data they can share with their Boards, and their teams, is critical right now,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner 59club USA. “Club managers are a very creative group. We want to assist in the collection and sharing of the best ideas and also share the data that we’ve created. We’re in this together. We want to do our part and help as much as we can.”

59club’s proprietary survey tools enable club managers to identify member and employee needs, strengthen customer retention and recognize a clear direction on ways to improve the overall experience at their respective clubs. Managers and decision makers can use this service to pick and choose from a wide variety of questions already available within the platform, and/or choose to add custom questions of their own. 59club is providing specific COVID-19 survey questions as part of their complimentary offering of the survey tool.

Click here to sign up for complimentary my59 survey tools.

Click here to get a copy of the data collected.

About 59Club USA

59Club USA is specifically designed to elevate sales and service standards. 59club USA provides mystery Shopper Audits, Customer Satisfaction Surveys, and Training Services, empowering venue managers to analyze their entire visitor and member experience, enabling them to set targets, monitor performance and ultimately make informed decisions to enhance their guest services. To learn more about 59club USA, visit https://www.59clubusa.com/.

The very best individuals, teams and venues in golf unveiled for 9th annual awards celebrating excellence in sales, service, operations, retail and management

The nominations for the 59club Service Excellence Awards have today been revealed, with some of highest-profile and best-loved venues across the globe in the running for a golf industry sales and service excellence ‘Oscar’.

The glittering affair, to be staged this year at The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, will see the good and the great of the golf industry come together to honor individuals, teams and venues for their industry-leading performance in sales, service, operations, retail and management. The evening will be hosted by Alan Tait, on course commentator for BBC Radio Scotland and 59club’s very own Area Manager for the North of England and Scotland.

In a shake up to the historic awards format, and to reflect their international appeal as 59club continues to extend its footprint overseas, seven new categories have been introduced, ensuring the ceremony continues to reflect the very best performances, regardless of size, scale or location at home and abroad.

For 2019, an ‘overseas’ category has been introduced to no fewer than seven awards: Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year, Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance, Golf Operation Team of the Year, Golf Retail Manager of the Year, Food and Beverage Manager of the Year, Greenkeeper of the Year and Golf Manager of the Year. As has been the case in recent years, five of these seven will be further segmented, creating two categories for UK nominees in each, based upon average green fees; above or below £75 per person.

The awards are determined by scores collected from an independent visitor panel who evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members in accordance with 59club’s non-subjective benchmarking criteria. Each venue is judged on performance in the following areas: sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management.

The Belfry and Dubai Creek are the frontrunners among this year’s nominees, each of which is up for 11 nominations. The four-time Ryder Cup venue can boast a return to the reckoning for The Ultimate Golf Resort – a title it last picked up back in 2014 – Golf Operation Team of the Year and Greenkeeper of the Year, the latter courtesy of 2018 title-holder Angus Macleod’s re-nomination.

Dubai Creek, meanwhile, will see three team members go head-to-head for just one prize, as Dougie Gair, Michael Major and George Weardon compete for the Leading Individual Leisure Membership Performance. No surprise, then, that George Weardon is also up for the Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance and Dubai Creek, the Golf Membership Team of the Year (Overseas).

Emirates Golf Club follows closely behind on 10 nominations, including the potential for collective glory in two categories: Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year – Overseas and Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year. Forest of Arden is a short way further back with the potential for success in eight categories, which include a return to contention for two-time winner and reigning champion, Simon Howells, for the Golf Retail Manager of the year – Over £75 green fee category.

Other globally-recognised venues to receive multiple nominations include: Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Ashburnham Golf Club, Breadsall Priory, Celtic Manor, The Dukes St Andrews, Forest Pines, Foxhills, Gleneagles, last year’s Host; The Grove, Ladybank Golf Club, MacDonald Hotels, Monte Rei, Old Thorns, Royal Automobile Club, Rockliffe Hall, Royal Golf Club Bahrain, Sandy Lodge Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Stoke Park, Trump International Dubai and Worsley Park.

Another new introduction to the night’s proceedings will see 59club bestow accolades upon venues for their commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across the my59 software platform. 19 venues will be recognised within this category, including: Colchester Golf Club, Dunscar Golf Club, Ferndown Golf Club, Gog Magog Golf Club, King’s Lynn Golf Club, Langland Bay Golf Club, Maxstoke Park Golf Club, Orsett Golf Club, Radyr Golf Club, Sherbourne Golf Club, St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort. The 19 venues will all compete to win an Ultimate Service Excellence accolade.

Always a highlight of proceedings among attending guests, the evening will also see the 59club Industry Benchmark, its Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards, presented to golf resorts and private members clubs which have demonstrated distinction against broad criteria for both service and the quality of their facilities.

Looking ahead to a glittering evening in St Andrews, Simon Wordsworth, chief executive of 59club and a Fellow of the PGA, said: “Over the past 12 months, 59club members have again shown an incredible commitment to providing their members and guest with the golf industry’s highest service standards, and what better way to reward them than with what promises to be an evening to remember in St Andrews.

“There is no doubt 2019 has been the most impressive year on record, with many of the categories far too close to call. More than this, however, the evening will stand as recognition of those individuals and teams who go above and beyond to ensure the experiences they provide are nothing short of exceptional. Our awards are a tribute to their tireless work, and we can’t wait to join our guests in their celebrations.”

The 59club Awards are supported by: 3d-ifs, CGI Insurance, Golf Genius, Golfbreaks.com, Tacit, Toro, Club Car, Kennet, The PGA, England Golf, GCMA, Performance54, Albatross Digital Golf, BIGGA,Swatkins, Colt Mackenzie McNair, Foresight Sports, Crossover, Foremost, Golf Retailing, Golftell Member App, Design Elegance, Fluid Productions, PlayMoreGolf and Course Mate.

To book a place at the awards evening taking place at The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, on March 13, please contact: naime@theaspirationgroup.com

For more information about 59club, visit www.59club.com.

2018/19 59CLUB ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order by venue):

Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance:

Damion Gee (Ashburnham GC), Jack Bowen (The Belfry Hotel & Resort), Rachel Alford (Breadsall Priory), Joel Westwell (The Grove), Ben Stokes (MacDonald Hotels), Jennifer Jefferies (Stoke Park)

Golf Sales Team of the Year:

Ashburnham GC, Breadsall Priory, Forest of Arden, MacDonald Hotels, Stoke Park, Woodhall Spa

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year – Overseas:

Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Trump International Dubai, Yas Links

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year – UK:

Breadsall Priory, Forest of Arden, Foxhills, Herons Reach, The Mere, Ramside Hall,

Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance – Overseas:

George Weardon (Dubai Creek), Rhys James (Emirates GC), Beatrice Wambua (Trump International, Dubai), Khay-Gie Aniciete (Yas Links)

Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance – UK:

Luke Speed (Breadsall Priory), Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden), Aditi Auluck (Foxhills), Helen Roseberry (Ramside Hall), Ashley Freeman (Rockliffe Hall), Philip Stickler (St Pierre)

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year:

Celtic Manor Resort, Cranleigh G&CC, Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Old Thorns, The Vale Resort

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Performance:

Dougie Gair (Dubai Creek), Michael Major (Dubai Creek), George Weardon (Dubai Creek), Cian Hurley (Emirates GC),
Andy Meech (Emirates GC), Emma Jenkins (Old Thorns)

Golf Operation Team of the Year – Overseas:

Abu Dhabi GC, Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Monte Rei, Saadiyat Beach GC, Trump International Dubai

Golf Operation Team of the Year – Under £75 green fee:

The Belfry Hotel & Resort (The PGA National Course), Dalmahoy Resort, Forest Pines, Rockliffe Hall, Sandy Lodge GC, Worsley Park

Golf Operation Team of the Year – Over £75 green fee:

The Belfry Hotel & Resort (The Brabazon Course), Celtic Manor Resort (The 2010 Course), The Dukes St Andrews, Forest of Arden (The Arden Course), Foxhills, The Grove

 
Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Overseas:

Giovanni Malcotti (Castelconturbia), Gregorio Gonzales (Dubai Creek), Juan Kramer (Emirates GC), James Durkin (Saadiyat Beach GC), Carmen Laguna (Son Muntaner), Sven Nielsen (Trump International, Dubai)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee:

Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort, PGA National Course), Gordon Robinson (Cardrona), Sandy Smith (Ladybank GC), Jonny Dye (Rockliffe Hall), Jeff Pinsent (Sandy Lodge GC), James Lambert (Worsley Park)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee:

Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort, The Brabazon Course), Simon Howells (Forest of Arden, The Arden Course), Sean Graham (Foxhills), Mike Shrieve (The Grove), Alasdair Good (Gullane GC), Tim Harris (Stoke Park)

Food and Beverage Manager of the Year – Overseas:

Sandeep Pandey (Abu Dhabi GC), Francois Roldan (Dubai Creek), Steen Simon (Emirates GC), Gloria Cortés (La Manga), Angélique Monteiro (Monte Rei), Candice Hall & Paul Gindra (Royal GC, Bahrain)

Food and Beverage Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee:

Jacques Hobson (The Belfry, PGA National Course), Caroline Lees (Ladybank GC), Moses Solomon (Royal Automobile Club), Ben Hunt (Rockliffe Hall), Andrew Williams (The Vale Resort), Chris Dinnage (Worsley Park)

Food and Beverage Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee:

Jacques Hobson (The Belfry, The Brabazon Course), Martyn Woods (Celtic Manor Resort, The 2010 Course), Matthew Penman (The Dukes, St Andrews), Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles), Christian Schindler (Hanbury Manor), Christian Tarca (Stoke Park)

Greenkeeper of the Year – Overseas:

Matthew Perry (Dubai Creek), Matthew Perry (Emirates GC), Joao Goula (Monte Rei), Jamie Faulkner & William Evans (Royal GC, Bahrain), Clinton Southorn (Saadiyat Beach GC), Ben Griffiths (Trump International, Dubai)

Greenkeeper of the Year – Under £75 green fee:

Paul Hopkins (Ashburnham GC), Jamie Wade (The Belfry, PGA National Course), Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC), Colin Powrie (Ladybank GC), Jon Wyer (Rockliffe Hall), Ian Brawn (Worsley Park)

Greenkeeper of the Year – Over £75 green fee:

Angus Macleod (The Belfry, The Brabazon Course), Jim McKenzie (Celtic Manor, The 2010 Course), Rob Rowson (Forest of Arden, The Arden Course), Scott Fenwick & Craig Haldane (Gleneagles, Kings Course), Phillip Chiverton  (The Grove), Ashley Allpress (Roehampton Club)

Golf Manager of the Year – Overseas:

Francisco de Lancastre David (Abu Dhabi GC), Stephen Hubner (Dubai Creek), Rhys James (Emirates GC), Darren Griffiths (Monte Rei), Phil Waine (formerly Royal GC, Bahrain), Francisco de Lancastre David (Saadiyat Beach GC)

Golf Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee:

Chris Reeve (The Belfry, PGA National Course), Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden, The Aylesford Course), Matthew Peacock (Forest Pines), Jason Neve (Royal Automobile Club), Ben Stockman (Sandy Lodge GC), Stephen Hindle (Worsley Park)

Golf Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee:

Chris Reeve (The Belfry, The Brabazon Course), Will Hewitt (formerly Celtic Manor Resort), Ayden Roberts-Jones (The Dukes, St Andrews), Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden, The Arden Course), Gary Silcock (Gleneagles), Brad Gould (The Grove)

Golf Group of the Year:

Almarose Group, Arabella Golf, Dubai Golf, Foxhills Collection, MacDonald Hotels, Marriott Golf.

my59 Service Excellence Award:

Ashburnham GC, Celtic Manor Resort, Colchester GC, Dalmahoy Hotels & CC, Dunscar GC, Ferndown GC, Gog Magog GC, King’s Lynn GC, Langland Bay GC, Macdonald Hotels, Maxstoke Park GC, Old Thorns GC, Orsett GC, Radyr GC, Sherbourne GC, Stoke Park, St Ives (Hunts) GC, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort.