59club’s spotlight shines as the 2023 Eminent Collection is announced.

The latest properties and leaders from the world of golf & hospitality have been welcomed into 59club’s ‘Eminent Collection’ at two exclusive events, hosted at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and at Wentworth Club, England on the 21st and 23rd of November 2023, respectively.

The ‘Eminent Collection’ was established in 2022 to honor long-serving standards of customer service excellence delivered over a minimum of 5 years; with 59club Flag Designations, along with individual and team accolades, all contributing towards the global Eminent benchmark of excellence.

Recognition by 59club is unbiased, independent, and non-subjective, the only industry award of its kind, symbolizing a true badge of honor for those venues and people consistently delivering the finest levels of customer service,during 59club’s vigorous mystery shopper program.

The intimate ceremony, saw 59club welcome nine industry ‘leaders’ who join twenty-two individuals honored with Eminent Status in 2022. The newcomers receiving the enviable Eminent titles were; Casper Schonfeldt, Discovery Land Dubai; Chris Eigelaar, The Belfry; Chris Fitt, Moor Park; Clinton Southorn, Troon; Francisco de Lancastre David, Finca Cortesin; HoussemBelabed, Gleneagles; Jason Adams, Rockliffe Hall; Matt Aplin, Goring & Streatley; and, Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles. 

With only one new property having met the demands synonymous with the Eminent Collection in 2023; as Saadiyat Beach Golf Club join twelve existing ‘properties’ from within 59club’s international network. The elite Collection now represents The Belfry Hotel & Resort; The Celtic Manor Resort; Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Forest of Arden; Foxhills Club & Resort; Gleneagles; Golf Son Muntaner; The Grove; Rockliffe Hall; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas links, Abu Dhabi.

Of the honors, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said; “What an incredible celebration of ‘excellence’! The Collection all came together to welcome our newcomers to this elite group of industry champions, whilst we honored our existing members for a second term. The Eminent Collection is the ultimate accolade we can bestow on any venue or individual, and it remains 59club’s honour and privilege to continue to shine a light on the people who are shaping the direction the industry continues to take, by maximising the experience that every single customer can enjoy.”

59club’s signature partner; Club Car once again extended their commitment to the Collection, in true reflection of their devotion to honor customer service excellence; with both Reesink Toro & Golf Genius also aligning their brands with this unique portfolio of industry professionals.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort
Delta by Marriott, Forest of Arden
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Emirates Golf Club
Foxhills Club & Resort
Gleneagles
Golf Son Muntaner
The Grove
Rockliffe Hall
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Trump International Golf Club Dubai
Yas Links Abu Dhabi

Andrew Whitelaw, Aronimink Golf Club
Angus Macleod, The Belfry
Anna Darnell, The Grove
Barney Coleman, Burnham & Berrow
Bernat Llobera, Arabella Golf Mallorca
Brad Gould, The Grove
Casper Schonfeldt, Discovery Land Dubai
Chris Eigelaar, The Belfry
Chris Fitt, Moor Park
Chris May, Dubai Golf
Chris Reeve, The Belfry
Clinton Southorn, Troon
Craig Haldane, Gleneagles
Francisco de Lancastre David, Finca Cortesin
Fraser Liston, Forest of Arden
Gary Silcock, Murrayshall
Houssem Belabed, Gleneagles
Jacques Hobson, The Belfry
Jason Adams, Rockliffe Hall
Jim Mckenzie MBE, Celtic Manor
Jonathan Wyer, Rockliffe Hall
Matt Aplin, Goring & Streatley
Phillip Chiverton, The Grove
Rob Rowson, Forest of Arden
Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles
Sean Graham, Foxhills
Simon Howell, Forest of Arden
Stephen Hindle, Worsley Park
Stephen Hubner, Jumeirah Golf Estates
Stuart Collier, Stoke Park
Tom Hughes, The Belfry

59club is all about detail & data, and our technology plays a vital part in all of that, providing you with the ability to collect survey data direct from 1-1 survey invitations, or the simplicity of a well-positioned QR code or shareable link. We’ve also made some loyal friends along the way via mutual clients, and working together we can generate even more intelligence, while eradicating human error – that’s right, today we’re opening your eyes to CRM & POS hook-ups!  

For the average golf & hospitality business, that simply means each time member and guest data is entered into your software, 59club’s survey platform will ‘auto-invite’ the customer to complete the venues custom satisfaction survey based on their recent encounter. For example; having joined the club, paid to play, visited the spa or F&B outlet, attended a golf club fitting appointment, made a retail purchase, or having relinquished their club membership.  

The functionality can even track a customer’s experience at significant landmarks during their journey, auto generating a ‘series’ of questionnaires, in sequence at set intervals, as programmed by the venue; measuring a new member’s experience over a set timeframe, or even a ‘get into golf program’ as a guide. 

Over the years we have managed integrations with a number of the leading CRM & POS providers globally on behalf of our mutual clients. 

Most recently we have been linked with Lightspeed; a global innovative ePOS system, and we have also delivered integrated surveys for many clients with the help of other leading providers such as Concept, EZLinks, imaster.golf and Premier Software, all with the ultimate goal of supporting our shared clients to maximize the intel they receive from their customers. 

With technology always at the ready, and a wealth of flexible survey templates that cover all areas of the hospitality industry, club staff can save valuable admin time, with elements of human error also eradicated, as the POS & CRM takes over. That means more time to spend on analyzing the data, utilizing the industry specific benchmarking comparisons, and ultimately; on the important parts of customer experience – spending time with the customer and subsequently around planning improvements! 

And while our survey platform is all algorithms, metrics and values, there’s no bots here! We are human, with expert servicing teams located in 9 international regions – from ideation and build support, to launch assistance, data analysis & next-level advice – when you need us, we are with you every step of the way.  

We’ll even support your CRM & POS provider with all the necessary’s tech-talk to maximize your data-capture. So, what are you waiting for? Talk to us about your provider, and let’s get you hooked-up and away to go.  

Never again will you make decisions blindly or be left wondering why… because you’ll have the hard and fast data at your fingertips, as we open your eyes to the wonderful world of wisdom…  

As always; reach out to your regional 59club Manager for more information and to get started…  

WARNING!!! Please be assured that 59club will guide you through the process of becoming a tech wizard – no former data-geek experience necessary – full 59club support provided, we have an open API, we’re friendly like that, and we’ll even manage the integration process with your CRM & POS provider as required.  

The greatest thing about golfers is that they like to play in groups. No one likes to play golf alone and that gives us a huge advantage, whether that’s a monthly seasoned away day, or an annual group of 40+ visiting golfers, we want them to choose to visit us, right?! But are we consistently hitting all the high notes during their inquiry? After all, they’re probably canvasing a few other venues for the best rates.

But does rate really matter?  

To some, absolutely! Rate may be everything – but when you consider;

Value = Experience less Cost, it’s the experience that we really need to pitch, and that’s where excellent customer service and call management will always win, but how do you know what to pitch?  

Well, I’ll let you in to a little secret – it all comes down to following a solid sales process – none of this wishy-washy stuff – and at 59club we’re experts at mapping out the perfect journey, so here’s some helpful hints & tips, just for 10.  

Phone rings – so where do you start? 

1. Has the group been before? 

2. What’s their previous experience, where did they visit; what did they enjoy; and what are the most important factors to ensure a successful event?   

3. Discuss their previous budget and typical spend. 

4. Sniff out the competition; who are we up against, have they made other inquiries, have they been given any package prices? 

5. Discuss the frequency of the event? 

6. Data collection – name, email, number, address, how did they hear of us, what prompted them to call – we want it all…  

7. Event data – date, times, number of golfers and their level of flexibility 

8. Establish the parameters of their budget? 

9. Understand the event specifics – and boy there’s a lot of technicalities to cover here, from F&B requirements, on-course services, and prize tables, to golf clinics and leaderboards. 

10. Demonstrate that you truly value their business.  

Promotion begins…  

Then it’s a simple case of delivering a ‘tailored’ promotion to exceed expectations; as you discuss the venue, your product and your USP’s – demonstrating added value along the way!!! And please ALWAYS give more…   

Sales close & Follow up…  

Finally, you start your ‘sales close’ and agree your follow-up protocol, because we’re going to be proactive with our next steps. Whether that’s still attempting to convert the business, offering to hold space, or issuing a personalized proposal; or simply providing pre-visit advice having secured the booking.  

Yes, the rate may be high on a specific day or time, but by simply understanding the flexibility of your group; you may well be able to come up with an alternative tee time to help shape a great package for them. That’s what group golf is all about, keeping the group happy, and if we can be seen to value their business, tailoring our offering to accommodate them, tweaking this and that to give them the very greatest experience for their buck, then we are hard to beat! 

Stop thinking of golf as a solid flat rate – how can it be, when there are so many SPECIFICS to navigate with the group organizer, and added extras that may well cost you nothing, but make the group feel like a million dollars.  

If you start out with a solid sales process, designed to glean the information necessary to over-pitch your offering, then you’re on to a winning formula.  

• Contact us at info@59clubusa.com to learn more about our Group Golf Sales audits, education and survey tools. There really is a better way to do things, and we are here to help guide you through initiating that sales process…  

From the second an employee arrives for work, and even before they’ve slipped their coat off and settled into their daily duties, there are customers waiting to be supported & served, and we expect that interaction to be delivered with a smile and genuine interest to help. (As well as hitting all the high notes within our Mystery Shopper audit criteria)  

On the whole, performance is true to form, but from time-to-time standards slip – employees may feel the pressures of their role, they may feel undervalued, they may have unknowingly inherited bad traits from other team members – and slowly that smile becomes strained.  

The customer may not even notice the difference in behavior at first, but over time it starts to show, you may even hear customers speaking of the uncharacteristic behavior of their favorite employee. 

“Motivate them, train them, care about them, and make winners out of them… they’ll treat the customers right. And if customers are treated right, they’ll come back.” 

J. Willard Marriott, American entrepreneur, businessman and founder of the Marriott Corporation

To consistently deliver exceptional service, you must nurture your people, inspire their behavior, support them with the right tools and training to perform well within their role, predict their needs, and listen to their woes.  

With so many customers to serve and departments to oversee, time often slips away, and every good intention becomes lower down the priority order, but it doesn’t need to be that way. 

Just like your customers, there is also a ‘need’ to survey your employees, and for that matter we created a bundle of HR Survey Templates, to make analyzing employee wellbeing that much easier, whether they are an existing employee, new recruit or a leaver. 

There’s a whole load of pre-set questions for you to include – as always, we try and take the guess work away, but there’s also the freedom to add any custom questions to your surveys – you’re always able to do that within any of our golf & hospitality templates, you can even make a survey entirely of your own if you prefer.  

What always captivates me with the inclusion of a templated question, is the ability to compare your own outcomes with the global industry & podium set averages, that’s what fascinates me the most. How other employees’ experiences, preferences, willingness and loyalty compares to yours, and what you can take from the wisdom of stepping out of your own four walls.  

The venue will also be able to identify what motivates individuals, and how they can support continued growth within their employees existing role, also providing clarity and vision over personal career progression. 

There may be other survey providers out there – heck one google search and you can find a ton of them! But what you don’t get from any of them is the specialized industry expertise, the flexibility, and the miniscule analytical data that only 59club is synonymous for.  

We aren’t just here as a survey provider like some of our competitors are, or as a mystery shopping company either, we are here for the greater good. We don’t just help you to spot flaws or celebrate excellence with you, we give you the solutions to perfect experiences.  

Circling back to Mr. Marriott, our very own mantra is cut from the same cloth, we exist solely to help you to motivate your team, to care about them, to train them, and every year we make winners out of them. Your people are the foundation to achieving customer service excellence, that’s the business we are all in, and we’re all in it together!  

The Human Resource Survey Templates are free to use within your Survey Platform, they address all areas of the employment roster – from measuring the New Employee Experience, general Employee Satisfaction, plus an Employee Exit Survey.  

So, while we’ve got your attention, take some time out today, look into the HR Survey Suite. Contact us at info@59clubusa.com, and let’s set some time aside to prioritize employee wellbeing, as we look forward to enjoying the perks of increased customer service delivery.

59club’s ‘Eminent Collection’ celebration is set to return this fall, as we continue to recognize the finest properties & leaders across the world of golf & hospitality, for their unwavering dedication to Customer Service Excellence.  

With exclusive events taking place at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, and at Wentworth Club, England on the 21^st and 23^rd of November 2023 respectively; 59club are delighted to announce that their signature partner; Club Car has once again extended their commitment to the Collection; with both Reesink Toro & Golf Genius also aligning their brands with this unique portfolio of industry professionals, as the 2023 inductees are set to be announced. 

Eligibility into the ‘Eminent Collection’ is based solely on achievements across the 59club Service Excellence Awards, with individual and team accolades, along with 59club Flag Designations, all contributing towards the Global Eminent Benchmark of Excellence; measuring performances over a minimum of 5 years.  

In 2022, just twelve ‘properties’ from within 59club’s international network had achieved the required benchmark synonymous with the Collection, with a further twenty-two ‘leaders’ honored with Eminent Status.  

Of the impending celebrations, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said;

“The ultimate accolade 59club can bestow on any venue or individual is to grant them entry into The Eminent Collection. The calculation is fair, transparent, objective, and open to all industry professionals, and by design showcases individuals and venues who not only invite independent scrutiny, but who then deliver outstanding and consistent performances across a minimum of five years.  

“It is my honour and privilege to continue to shine a light on the people who are ultimately shaping the direction the industry continues to take, by maximising the experience that every single customer can enjoy.” 

As the wider industry waits on bated breath for the 2023 announcement to be made later in November; 59club are preparing to host a full house, as the entire Collection reconvenes to officially welcome the newcomers as they join this elite group of industry champions.  

For more information about the Eminent Collection, or to learn about 59club and their plight towards elevating service standards and profitability across the golf & hospitality industry; please visit www.59club.com  

In the competitive world of golf and country club management, staying ahead of the curve requires a combination of dedication, innovative strategies, and utilizing the right tools.

Today, we bring you insights from an industry leader who’s making headway in optimizing member experiences, Jason Hanna, COO of the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Canada. We talk about his vision, 59club’s transformative role in their operations, and the future of golf clubs in the region. 

The Visionary Path

Under Jason’s stewardship, Credit Valley aims to grow its member service standards by “creating means to measure our progress year over year and benchmarking with similar clubs in our market.” This ensures they’re either meeting or exceeding industry standards and expectations. 

Jason highlights the significance of 59club’s industry benchmarking services, calling them “an invaluable tool, not only for club managers but for committees and Boards to better understand industry standards.” 

Striking a Better Club Experience

Credit Valley is focusing on enhancing locker room and outside golf operations. They’ve found an ally in 59club, whose survey software and mystery shopping audits has resonated with the club’s team, mainly due to its granularity. This has facilitated more accurate evaluations, streamlined internal communications, and enriched staff training. 

“Benchmarking and surveys have been instrumental in setting targets. We have used the HR survey templates exclusively on staff to date in order have a sense of their comfort heading into a busy season, and a peer assessment method with our management team that folds into their appraisals. We will also be expanding to use surveys for Board and committee effectiveness,” Jason shares. This bespoke approach has been pivotal in understanding Credit Valley’s unique aspects, and driving continuous improvement. 

On Course for Continuous Improvement

When asked how they intend to capitalize on data, Jason expressed that the information gathered has already contributed to shaping their operational plans, especially around staff engagement. 

He also emphasizes the role of mystery shopping services in evaluating customer experiences, stating, “Receiving a timely, comprehensive report covering all areas of interaction at the club allows management to make real-time adjustments, or seek further inquiry into areas performing below standard.” 

Industry Influence and Future Forecasts

As a leader in the golf industry, Jason believes that 59club’s insights will contribute significantly to the growth of golf clubs in Canada, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, that holds about 20% of the nation’s population and many of the top-tier clubs. 

“Implementing new operations or software can be daunting at times, but working with 59club makes implementing new protocols and services fairly routine,”

He advises other golf clubs considering a partnership with 59club; “Due to the ability to build services around the specific needs and nuances, 59club will capture data and measure service standards at any club.” 

On the horizon for Credit Valley is further integration of these performance management services, especially in terms of member satisfaction surveys on targeted areas of the club’s amenities and additional mystery shopping across other areas of the business such as member onboarding. According to Jason, 59club’s regular training and support will make this a walk in the park.  

“Implementing new operations or software can be daunting at times, but working with 59club makes implementing new protocols and services fairly routine,” said Hanna. “59club is with us every step of the way, not only helping us read and interpret mystery shopping data, but also recommending and helping us with our employee education and training plans, as well as providing operations support, they are always focused on identifying opportunities for growth.” 

The partnership between Credit Valley Golf and Country Club and 59club paints a picture of progress and promise. With a vision to improve, the right tools in place, and a commitment to service excellence, the future seems bright for Credit Valley and the Canadian golf club industry as a whole. 

The world of golf and country club management, as observed through Jason’s lens, is one of relentless innovation, continuous improvement, and unwavering dedication to service excellence. As we navigate the future, these insights serve as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration, and the drive for progress that defines leaders like Jason Hanna and organizations like Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. 

In the world of club operations, having the right people, in the right places, behaving in the right way is paramount to success. A customer only has to receive one bad experience to disassociate themself with a brand or organisation, while spreading news of that poor experience far and wide. 

To some, the notion of reinvesting surplus back into operations specifically to educate and develop the team may seem groundbreaking, but could it potentially become the standard for future budgeting?  

Now, imagine we shift our perspective slightly and ask: what if a ‘specific portion’ of your overall revenue is dedicated to staff training and development in your budgeting process, just like McDonalds, Starbucks and other enormous global companies earmarks a particular amount for advertising each year? 

Although training and development have always found a place in your annual expense report, how can you be certain that your investment is enough, and how can you be sure that it’s paying dividends?  

Over the past three years, Club Study has conducted multiple surveys via its industry network to understand the investment trends in staff training and development. 

Interestingly, the Club Study industry peers report that their investment seems to have slightly dipped since 2021, as seen in the graphic below. 

Surprisingly, these numbers seem rather underwhelming for something so crucial to club operations. Observing the expenditure as an absolute dollar value, however, changes the narrative.  

A club with a $3 million turnover will spend less than $30k on average on training & development. Given the financial constraints that club budgets often have to grapple with, including break-even targets, slim profit margins, and increasing inflation, this amount suddenly seems justifiable, even generous to some. But can we really justify increasing this budget? 

In the wake of a recent increase in club activities and longer wait lists, many clubs may not see the immediate need for investing more in staff training. The decision-making process is typically reactive rather than proactive, and clubs often prioritize preventing losses over seeking gains. But wouldn’t you agree that the clubs investing more than 2% in staff training probably enjoy a more robust staff culture, leading to better relationships, longer staff tenures, and an overall happier environment? Ultimately, selling and servicing customers to better degrees. 

We are pleased to report that we have seen an increased appetite for staff training in recent times, with many 59club clients who receive ‘mystery shopping’ audits investing heavily in training, probably for the same reason they are challenging the golf industry by delivering some of the finest customer experiences in the world of golf.  

59club handles enormous quantities of live data and insights, so much so that we are the only authority in golf who can go out on a limb and make such bold accusations about global CX benchmarks and industry trends.  

Surprisingly, these numbers seem rather underwhelming for something so crucial to club operations.

Just as we support our clients to understand their customers, we know our clients and we know them very well, and we can whole-heartedly confirm that they take education extremely seriously – so much so that we have witnessed a 166% increase in the number of training sessions delivered by the 59club UK team between 2021 & 2022.  

Taking it back to the wider industry, the Club Study network reports that the largest proportion of development dollars is spent on middle management. So, where exactly do these training dollars go? The most logical answer seems to be conferences, organised by various associations and governing bodies at national and regional levels. Conferences can provide inspiration, reflection, and innovative ideas, not to mention the fantastic networking opportunities and the fun that they provide.  

Yet, it remains hard to precisely calculate the ROI from these events. 

The crux of the matter when justifying expenditure lies in quantifying the return on investment (ROI) from training and development, which is no easy task. If we don’t measure it, it’s likely to be overlooked. 

To quantify improvement in training and development, we need a benchmark. This is where “mystery shopping” comes in. As an unbiased, ground-level measure of your customer service, it provides the perfect service benchmark. After a period of conducting such audits, you’ll have a robust dataset highlighting your strengths and weaknesses, confirming (or disproving) your suspicions. 

So, what’s next? The answer is simple: Train! Use the data, celebrate the successes, and develop strategies to address the weaknesses. Department-specific training, consistent programming, and building an ongoing relationship geared to enhance club culture, audit after audit, will make a world of difference. 

Your focus should always be on measuring. Once you start doing that, you’ll start viewing training as an investment that yields a return. This brings us back to the heart of the industry: relationships. 

As the world continues to blaze the digital frontier, there are now more ways than ever to book a tee time or make a dinner reservation at your club. At face value, that’s a good thing. Additional ways to sell tee times and restaurant covers mean more ways to make your club more accessible and potentially profitable.  

But new digital pathways also create opportunities for digital missteps. Mainly, customers want to know their credit card information is secure and they want to know when you have reserved their spot – whether that be for a tee time booking, a dinner reservation or even a treatment at the health spa. And if you’re not providing a written record of their place on your tee sheet or a table at your restaurant, customers may start to feel uneasy about the entire process.  

More importantly, an inquisitive written confirmation – which we’ll discuss below – eliminates common customer service problems and opens additional upsell opportunities at your club and restaurant. 

Golf Visitor Experience Mystery Shopper Insights: 

The global golf industry failed to request an email address during 40% of all tee time reservations made during 2022.  

17% of all email confirmations went astray; either the incorrect email address was recorded, or possibly never sent.  

Only 56% of golfers ever received their booking confirmation…  

What’s the point? 

The initial purpose of a written confirmation is to acknowledge the correct date and time of the reservation. Simple. The bare minimum.  

If you ordered a widget from Amazon without a confirmation of the purchase, you would be left wondering if Amazon is, in fact, fulfilling the order. That kind of digital misstep creates enormous uncertainty and is unlikely to be the first impression you want to convey to your customer.  

With email fields being mandatory, most online tee-time and restaurant booking engines provide immediate and automated written confirmation, allowing customers sight of their booking details and the opportunity to spot any potential errors. When the reservation is booked over the phone the duty of collecting the email address sits with the reservations agent. According to Matt Roberts, 59club’s Director of Training & Education, the absence of a written confirmation can lead to uncertainty and potentially some level of confrontation, not to mention the potential loss of revenues.  

“If you’re taking the reservation by phone, it’s imperative to take the customer’s email address and ensure it is correct by repeating it back to your guest to avoid errors. From our experience, you would be amazed at how many people show up at the wrong time or even on the wrong day. This leads to an awkward conversation at the check-in counter trying to figure out how the error may have occurred.” 

Additional Components  

“My customer has booked, my software generated an immediate written confirmation, or my staff have access to send a ‘templated’ email. Done and done. Right?” Not exactly. For many places around the world, golf and secondary revenue channels like restaurants and bar are seasonal. Operating hours, menu items, club dress code and practice facility access and other large parts of the overall golf experience can change and be different from week to week. How often do you rehash the templated message? – and does it contain everything you’d expect?  

Small additions to a written confirmation with updated restaurant hours, dress code or practice facility access, for example, ensure customer expectations match your club’s operations. According to Roberts, clubs who don’t include this information in their written confirmation are leaving themselves open to poor customer experience.  

“Everything in the written confirmation has to match the customer expectations,” said Roberts. “The last thing you want to happen is someone arriving at your club expecting to eat breakfast and the restaurant is closed or wishing to hit some balls prior to play and it just happens to be that one day the range is closed for maintenance!  

Worse yet, and the one that can cause confrontation, is when a player arrives wearing an outfit outside of the club’s dress code policy. The staff are now faced with an undesirable dilemma: do I make a concession to this one visitor and risk others perceiving this as special treatment, or do I force this customer to purchase attire from the club shop to then adhere to the dress policy? A bad experience either way. Both are avoidable with an informative written confirmation.”  

Revenue generation  

Asking questions or providing additional information within the written confirmation also creates upselling and subsequent marketing opportunities. A common example is the promotion of a golf cart/buggy if one hasn’t been reserved at the call stage. Just by offering a link or a contact to the consumer for them to be able to reserve prior to arrival is imperative for increasing revenue. It also allows the club to prepare this hire item for the arrival of the guest.  

Any operator will tell you that the whole check in experience can be busy, but then throw in additional needs of the customer, such as buggy hire, club rental, use of a caddy, or even a personalized gift that the club wasn’t aware of, will lead to more time servicing the guest’s needs and a delay in an already busy operation.  

Multiple course operators can also promote the options of an upgrade or highlight other courses within a group. The booking confirmation can also promote elements such as accommodation either on-site, or at other local establishments that offer preferential rates when booked via the club. 

And, let’s face it, the opportunities to upsell are endless, when you consider other services and facilities such as high-ropes, custom-fitting, score card marking, leisure & spa usage, private dining etc that can be accessed either on the day, or that may tempt a future return to the club. 

Directions or a link to an interactive map, potential transfers and how to book them as well as any information about how to access the club are always useful for any visitors who may be unfamiliar with the area.  

Finally, and possibly the most important, are the Terms and Conditions of the club which are there to provide clarity on payment and cancelation, pairing up policy, bad weather and course closures must also be included within the confirmation. You will always be in a more comfortable position, when facing any confrontation, if your T’s and C’s are set in place.  

Of course, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to customer service at your club, and your fellow 59club manager can guide you through industry best practices.  

Last year, 59club announced its commitment to become carbon neutral across its global operations by 2030, and is unbelievably excited to have taken a huge step on that journey, with its UK & Ireland business now officially accredited with achieving neutrality in 2022. 

To help guide them through the transition to carbon neutral, 59club found solace in the services provided by “Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ)” – a leading consultancy, management and certification platform. 

“Strategically we decided to start with the UK business as it is our most mature business. If we can achieve carbon neutral here, we know we can share best practice and achieve it in our Asia, Australia, Canada, European, MEA, Nordic & USA businesses.” said Simon Wordsworth, Founder and CEO of 59club. 

Over the last 16 months, Alan Stenson & Krys Stanton from NCZ supported Will Hewitt, Andy Etherington and the 59club UK team to adopt NCZ’s three scope structure to tackle the key areas of emissions, by creating strategies for every emission line, either at the company’s cost or simply behavioural changes within the business.   

59club even went further than ‘required’ to help its team members tackle their own carbon emissions through their personal travel and home energy use. 

“We reviewed emissions directly generated by the company’s activities, emissions that are indirectly generated by energy purchased by the company, and lastly emissions that arise from organizational activities, but from sources owned or controlled by other organizations. 

“It’s taken time simply because of the complexity of our business, as it’s not just our office and our people, but all the emissions created by our mystery testers and auditors as they move around the UK & Ireland, the events that we host such as the annual awards ceremony, client golf days, the servers that our software runs on…the list could just go on.” continued Wordsworth. 

The business even went further than ‘required’ to help its team members tackle their own carbon emissions through their personal travel and home energy use. 

To date, 59club’s UK & Ireland division has completed the first phase of its pledge, having received the results of a recently commissioned carbon footprint assessment, which measures the carbon emissions generated by the organisation’s activities. The assessment is the critical first stage of a comprehensive and commercially focused carbon management plan. The measurement of 59club’s carbon emissions follows the internationally recognised standard ISO-14064-1:2006.  

Wordsworth added; “As we progress through this journey, will start to change company buying decisions to ‘fellow green businesses’ who are positively seeking neutrality – where we stay, where we eat, who we buy from etc.”  

Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2030 across 59club’s Global Operations

“For 59club, the pursuit of excellence extends beyond exceptional customer service; it encompasses a responsibility towards our planet. Today, we proudly reaffirm our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across our global operations by 2030. With this effort, 59club is dedicated to creating a brighter future, where exceptional experiences coexist with a greener world. 

“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone in 59club’s journey towards global carbon neutrality. We firmly believe that every long journey begins with a first step, and this commitment to becoming carbon neutral across our entire global operations by 2030 is just the beginning.” 

Wordsworth concludes; “Some of our operations that cover huge geographical areas are going to find this really difficult whilst still trying to grow and be profitable, but we believe this is an absolute necessity for the preservation of our planet. Over the coming decades, we will continue to forge ahead, implementing innovative measures and collaborating with partners worldwide to ensure a sustainable future. We have always tried to be amongst the first/early movers, tried to be creative and innovative and this journey allows us to flourish, playing our part to inspire positive change for generations to come.” 

In the ever-evolving world of golf club and hospitality management, being a successful manager involves juggling multiple roles. In the whirlwind of these responsibilities, there isn’t enough time to play guessing games about your member or guests’ needs. The best way to learn what your customers want at your club?  Ask them !!! 

Over the years, we have witnessed a significant shift in customer behaviour within our Survey Software. What started out with aspirations of becoming the most comprehensive pick & mix survey tool in the golf & hospitality industry, has inspired a new-age of club managers who stretch beyond the realms of typical club surveys, to solicit feedback on a whole host of areas to help inform their decision making and the direction the club chooses to take.  

Some of those uses border on being radical – a phrase that doesn’t usually appear in the context of Customer Service Management or in Golf in general… but then again, we’ve always been a magnet for those in the industry who like to do things better, and in doing so we like to support them to behave a bit differently…  

So, what exactly are these new radicals up to?  

They’re putting the club’s destiny in the hands of their members, guests and employees, they’re not just seeking opinion, they’re making instant ‘data-driven’ decisions to help guide the most suitable offering for their customers without prejudice and based on science.  

A new age of club managers are delivering surveys for a whole multitude of reasons, some even to establish where their members would prefer grant monies to be spent – on the course, or in the clubhouse?  

We’ve seen a club make their entire stock selection based on responses to a simple ‘one question’ survey to establish which brands members would prefer to see in the pro shop – giving different supplier options to both male & female members. 

Many clubs are now turning to their members requesting feedback on the club’s competition calendar in an attempt to increase participation, with others collating data to help shape their social events calendar, based on likes and dislikes from previous years, whilst ascertaining interest on potential new themes. 

There are so many daily decisions that as managers we face, but the new-age of club managers are involving their members, guests and employees, after all it’s their club and we need them to enjoy it to the absolute maximum, if we want to secure their loyalty.  

We’ve always been a magnet for those in the industry who like to do things better, and in doing so we like to support them to behave a bit differently…  

We’ve witnessed members inspire seasonal menu changes, and on occasion beer and wine suppliers being switched to the delight of those thirsty members. And then there’s a whole bunch of clubs who made member driven changes to their tee-sheets.  

There’s so many survey templates to choose from, and so much data to gain and take inspiration from, but there’s one that remains a favorite, always topping the usage charts – and that’s the new member survey. Designed to ensure all newbies are integrated into the club community from day one. Some club managers go one step further using the intelligent software to send their new members a ‘series’ of surveys at specific landmarks during their first three months at the club – monitoring their journey into club life, and addressing any weaknesses along the way.  

But let’s not forget the most important people within your business – your employees!!! Forward thinking managers are gathering critical data from the HR survey template bundle, to analyse new and existing employee’s satisfaction levels, along with finding out why some chose to leave.  

We’ve noticed a huge shift from being reactive to pro-active, and that in itself is pure 100 percent karat gold, gone are the days of making assumptions of what will sell in the shop, or what events members may enjoy attending, or why suddenly a loyal group of members went AWOL.  

The best way to learn what your customers want at your club?

Ask them!!! 

Big shout out to all our radical customers – you know who you are!  

And if you’re just starting out on your journey with us – let us guide you to get the best out of your customers, and to give the best back.  

The game of golf has seen significant changes over the past few decades and so have the people who play it. Once stuck with the stigma of being stuffy and elitist, golf is now showing signs of getting younger, more inclusive and available to players of all abilities.

As a result, what was expected of a golf course in the past – in the way of customer service and player experience – is changing at the same rapid rate. In phrase: the days of focusing only on turf conditions are coming to an end.  

In this 59club Spotlight on Service, we head to Mallorca, Spain to catch up with Bernat Llobera, Area Golf  Director at Arabella Golf who echoes the importance of providing exceptional customer service across the board, and uses 59club’s industry leading services to objectively evaluate their customer experience, drive continuous improvement, and establish a club-wide culture of service across their three golf properties on Spain’s largest island.  

“We see nowadays that it is not only about having a course in great shape. It is about a journey, a full experience.” – Bernat Llobera.  

For Llobera, identifying growth opportunities – for revenue and service operations – begins with understanding the experience from the player’s perspective. Working with 59club has made that objective infinitely easier through regular mystery shopping services at Arabella Golf. 

“59club’s evaluations are incredibly valuable assets as they provide a client’s perspective which resembles a real guest experience,” said Llobera. “The objective insights provided by 59club are far more valuable than internal assessments. The ‘extra bonus’ is being able to compare ourselves, our three courses, and the ability to compare this to the wider industry benchmarks. And once we have identified areas for growth, 59club’s training and education services allow us to make improvements to our systems and protocols extremely quickly.”  

Llobera went on to say identifying and fixing problems as they arise is only half the battle. A commitment to continuous improvement must be the driving force behind changes to customer service protocols.  

“Once we receive our evaluation results, we immediately sit down to discuss them as a group,” said Llobera. “We look at everything from comments and images to objective ratings and begin to identify trends and long-term solutions, something that wouldn’t be possible if every team member wasn’t completely committed.”  

That commitment to improvement at Arabella Golf, and regular training through 59club has created a culture of customer service at the club. Employee training sessions are completed every year in many aspects of hospitality service, including phone skills, upselling options and retail protocols. 

“We see nowadays that it is not only about having a course in great shape. It is about a journey, a full experience.”

“Our team members love the training sessions,” said Llobera. “It’s clear to see that everyone takes them seriously and strives to improve. The common feedback from the team is that 59club knows and understands the intricacies of the business, and from what I know, there is nothing that can be compared to what 59club offers. Most recently 59club training sessions have been instrumental in improving our reservations department – often the first impression with your customer.”  

Another goal for Llobera this year? Pick up a few awards. 

“We were extremely proud of all three of our properties’ recognition at the most recent Service Excellence Awards, with Son Muntaner leading the way with a gold flag,” said Llobera. “It encourages you to keep working hard. Ultimately, our team members are the ones who create an incredible golf journey for our guests, so it’s especially gratifying to see the entire team recognized for their commitment and hard work.” 

The age old saying goes, ‘that great managers lead by example’; and 59club are quick to point out that Llobera was recently invited into 59club’s Eminent Collection, joining only twenty-two managers spanning 59clubs global territory – and the very first in Europe – having achieved this international benchmark of excellence, which recognises the finest individuals who are leading the industry in the customer experience realms. 

Eligibility into the Eminent Collection is based solely on achievements across the 59club Service Excellence Awards, with individual and team accolades, along with property flag designations, all contributing towards the Eminent Benchmark of Excellence; measuring performances over a minimum of 5 years. 

Golf experience in Spain is being elevated by managers such as Llobera who seek analysis and feedback to support their team to strengthen their proposition in the marketplace. The advice that he would give to other club managers in Europe and across the wider golfing landscape is that “59club’s wide range of services and solutions improve the business, and therefore, the bottom line. Through personal experience they understand the golf operation and the hospitality industry better than anyone we have met before; they are a great support specialising in customer service; I highly recommend them and their services.”  

Golf club managers are always looking for ways to improve their operations and keep their members, guests and staff satisfied. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by utilizing satisfaction surveys. In particular, 59Club USA’s survey tools have proven to be an invaluable asset to golf clubs across the country. Here are ten reasons why golf club managers need 59Club USA’s satisfaction surveys:

Actionable Insights Through Rolling Surveys

Onboarding new members or employees can be a significant challenge for all clubs. Thankfully, 59club USA’s rolling surveys eliminate some of the guess work regarding your newest addition. These survey tools automatically ask your new members and employees a set of questions regarding their new position at set intervals to measure how a new person at your club (member or employee) is feeling about their choice to join your club. This not only gives you a chance to correct any negative feelings, but also identifies trends over time regarding your entire onboarding process.

In the same vein, member and employee exit surveys provide insight into the real reason behind why someone leaves (whether they are a member or an employee). A few well thought out questions placed into a survey like this will, over time, give the leadership of the club great insights on why people leave and identify trends to make necessary changes.

Benchmarking

59Club USA’s survey tools also allow golf clubs to benchmark their performance against industry standards. This provides golf clubs with a clear understanding of where they stand relative to their competitors and helps them identify areas where they need to improve.

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of utilizing 59Club USA’s satisfaction surveys is that they help improve customer satisfaction. These surveys provide valuable insights into what members and guests like and dislike about a golf club’s services, facilities, and staff. Armed with this information, golf clubs can make necessary improvements to better serve their members and guests.

Better Operational Efficiency

59Club USA’s survey tools also help improve operational efficiency. By identifying areas where operations can be streamlined, golf clubs can reduce wait times, improve communication with members and guests, and generally create a more efficient and effective environment.

Increased Revenue

Happier members and guests mean more revenue for golf clubs. By improving customer satisfaction, golf clubs can attract more repeat business and new members and guests. In addition, members and guests who are satisfied with their experience are more likely to spend money on additional services and merchandise.

Competitive Advantage

Golf is a highly competitive industry, and golf clubs are constantly looking for ways to gain an edge over their competitors. By utilizing 59Club USA’s satisfaction surveys, golf clubs can identify areas where they excel and areas where they need to improve. This information can be used to differentiate themselves from their competitors and provide a better overall experience for members and guests.

Customizable Surveys

59Club USA’s survey tools are highly customizable, which means that golf clubs can tailor their surveys to meet their specific needs. This allows golf clubs to focus on the areas that are most important to their members and guests and operations.

Easy to Use

59Club USA’s survey tools are also easy to use. Golf clubs can easily distribute surveys to members and guests and collect data in a timely manner. This allows golf clubs to quickly identify areas where they need to make improvements and implement changes.

Staff Development

59Club USA’s survey tools also provide valuable feedback on staff performance. This feedback can be used to identify training and development opportunities for staff, which can improve overall customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Continuous Improvement

Finally, 59Club USA’s survey tools promote a culture of continuous improvement. By constantly collecting and analyzing customer feedback, golf clubs can make ongoing improvements to their operations and services. This helps ensure that they are always providing the best possible experience for their members and guests.

Club managers should consider utilizing 59Club USA’s satisfaction surveys to improve customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and revenue. With customizable surveys, actionable insights, and benchmarking capabilities, these survey tools provide golf clubs with valuable information that can be used to make meaningful improvements.

Running a golf club located in one of the most luxurious destinations in the world, Abu Dhabi, certainly puts a premium on excellent customer service. The city attracts a diverse range of visitors from all around the globe, from business executives to leisure travelers, all of whom expect a high level of service and experience and are accustomed to top-notch treatment wherever they go. In a place like Abu Dhabi – and for general manager of Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Rhian Lobo – investing in customer service operations is crucial to meet the expectations of both local and international guests.

“As a premier golf destination in the region, we understand the importance of delivering a world-class experience for our members and guests,” said Lobo. “By investing in our customer service operations, we can ensure that we meet and exceed the expectations of our customers, and maintain our position as a leader in the industry.”

One of the key investments for Lobo and his team was partnering with 59club, to work on many aspects of their customer-facing operations.

“We strive to provide our members and guests with the best possible experience, and 59club has been instrumental in identifying not only areas of improvement, but also how to capitalize on things we already do well. They’ve been instrumental in helping us achieve our goals,” said Lobo.

Identifying needs and opportunities are one thing. Collecting and implementing actionable data is another. Using data collected through 59club’s survey tools, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club was not only able to identify that their customers wanted improvements to their driving range, but also used data to create a pitch to their governing board. With the help of such intel, they now have ball tracking technology on all 48 bays, something their members & guests greatly valued.

Lobo adds, “The reports from 59club has given us a fresh perspective on our operations, enabling us to focus on the areas we might have otherwise overlooked. We’re thrilled with the impact it’s had on our driving range, and we look forward to implementing further changes based on new reports down the line.”

In addition to their unbiased mystery shopping audits and survey data, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club has also benefited from on-site training sessions with 59club. These sessions bring the team together and provide them with the tools they need to excel in their roles.

Lobo explains, “Investing in our team is crucial to maintaining our high standards of customer service. The F&B, golf operations, membership sales and retention training sessions provided by 59club have helped us identify our team’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling us to provide targeted training that has ultimately improved the customer experience.”

The investment in 59club and commitment from Lobo’s team has already paid dividends. According to 59club’s data comparisons over the course of the last three years, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club’s customer service satisfaction scores have shown double digit increases in eight different categories, spanning; staff sales & upselling aptitude, customer engagement, facility management, on-course service standards, and the food and beverage operation to name a few.

“The ability to measure our investment and see our success through these reports has been absolutely incredible,” said Lobo. “It can be easy to implement a new program as a manager and simply forget about it. When you forget about it, so do your staff. With regular mystery shopper reports from 59club, we make sure we’re always focused on what matters to our customers, and we are able to reward our staff for achieving measurable success.”

Abu Dhabi City Golf Club has come a long way in their customer service journey. Starting from a Bronze Flag Designation, they have progressed to the 59club Gold Flag standard, a testament to their commitment to excellence.

Lobo concludes, “59club has been an integral part of our success, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without their support. We’re excited to continue working with them to provide the best possible experience for our members and guests.”

59club USA announced today Logan Smith has joined the team in an administrative operations role. Smith will help manage the recruitment, training, and coordination of 59clubUSA’s Mystery Shopper team and assist with marketing and social media for 59clubUSA. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Logan to our team. Her background in recruiting and patient advocacy, combined with her passion for process improvement and customer satisfaction, make her an invaluable asset to our organization,” said Mike Kelly, Managing Partner of 59club USA. “We were impressed by her dedication to teamwork and building trust among colleagues, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on our administrative operations.”

Smith has a background in recruiting and patient advocacy and is passionate about teamwork and building trust among her colleagues. Logan’s interest is in process improvement to increase customer satisfaction and providing efficiency in all administrative operations.

Smith graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Georgia College & State University. She now lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Alexander, and son Elijah.

“I am thrilled to join this team and bring my passion for teamwork and process improvement to this role. My background in recruiting and patient advocacy has taught me the importance of building trust among colleagues and ensuring customer satisfaction. I look forward to utilizing my skills and experience to increase efficiency in all administrative operations and contribute to the growth of the company.”

59Club USA’s golf club survey tools are a powerful resource for golf club managers looking to improve their operations and enhance customer satisfaction. With customizable surveys, real-time reporting, and benchmarking against industry standards, these survey tools offer numerous benefits to golf club managers. Here are the top seven features of 59Club USA’s golf club survey tools:

Automated, “Never-Ending” New Member/Employee Survey Series

Arguably the most important feature of 59club USA’s survey tools is the “never-ending” survey including the “New Member Survey” and the “New Employee Survey” which significantly enhances your club’s onboarding process. These surveys ask different questions at specific intervals to the same person over time. The goal is to measure how a new member or employee feels about their experience at the club and identify any negative responses early on and quickly correct them.

Customizable Surveys

One of the most significant features of 59Club USA’s golf club survey tools is the ability to customize surveys to suit specific golf clubs’ needs. This allows golf club managers to collect targeted feedback on specific areas of their operations, such as customer service, course conditions, or food and beverage service.

Real-Time Reporting

Another compelling feature of 59Club USA’s golf club survey tools is the ability to generate real-time reports. This enables golf club managers to quickly access and analyze survey results and identify areas where improvements can be made. The real-time reporting also allows managers to address any issues immediately, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Benchmarking Against Industry Standards

59Club USA’s golf club survey tools also offer the ability to benchmark against industry standards. This means that golf club managers can compare their performance against other golf clubs in the industry and identify areas where they may be falling short. This feature allows managers to set goals for improvement and work towards becoming a leader in the industry.

Multiple Survey Delivery Options

59Club USA’s golf club survey tools offer multiple delivery options, including email, text message, and QR codes. This allows golf club managers to reach members and guests through their preferred communication channels, increasing the likelihood of receiving valuable feedback.

Actionable Insights

Another significant feature of 59Club USA’s golf club survey tools is the ability to provide actionable insights. The survey results are presented in an easy-to-read format, highlighting areas where improvements can be made. This feature enables golf club managers to make data-driven decisions and take actions that will have a positive impact on their operations.

Professional Support

Finally, 59Club USA’s golf club survey tools come with professional support. The team at 59Club USA is available to provide guidance and support throughout the survey process, ensuring that golf club managers get the most out of the survey tools. This feature gives golf club managers peace of mind knowing they have access to expert advice and support.

59Club USA’s golf club survey tools offer numerous benefits to golf club managers, including customizable surveys, real-time reporting, benchmarking against industry standards, mobile-friendly surveys, multiple survey delivery options, actionable insights, and professional support. These features provide golf club managers with the information they need to make data-driven decisions and improve their operations, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and increasing revenue.

59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools are a valuable resource for club managers looking to boost their bottom line. By providing insights into areas such as food and beverage service, customer service, and retail sales, these survey tools can help clubs improve their operations and generate more revenue. Here are five ways club managers can use 59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools to boost their bottom line:

Identifying Employee and Member Exit Trends

Any club manager will tell you it costs significantly more to onboard a new member or employee than it does to keep an existing one. With 59club USA’s rolling employee and member exit surveys, club managers can identify trends and make changes to current operations in an effort to keep employees and members on the roster.

Enhance Food and Beverage Service

Food and beverage service is a significant area for clubs to focus on when it comes to boosting their bottom line. By utilizing 59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools, club managers can gather feedback from customers on their dining experiences. This feedback can be used to identify areas where improvements can be made, such as menu offerings, quality of food, and speed of service. By improving their food and beverage service, clubs can generate more revenue from dining sales and attract more customers.

Boost Retail Sales

Retail sales are a significant revenue source for clubs, and 59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools can help club managers maximize their retail sales. By collecting feedback from customers on their shopping experiences, club managers can identify areas where improvements can be made, such as product offerings and store layout. This feedback can be used to make changes that will enhance the overall shopping experience for customers, ultimately leading to more sales and revenue.

Identify Marketing Opportunities

59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools can also help club managers identify marketing opportunities. By collecting feedback from customers on their overall experience, club managers can identify areas where they excel and differentiate themselves from their competitors. This information can be used to develop targeted marketing campaigns that highlight the club’s strengths and attract more customers.

Measure Success

Finally, 59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools can be used to measure success. By collecting feedback from club members and employees over time, club managers can track their progress and measure the success of their improvements. This data can be used to identify areas where further improvements can be made and to continue to boost the club’s bottom line.

Club managers can use 59Club USA’s hospitality survey tools in various ways to boost their bottom line. By improving food and beverage service, enhancing customer service, boosting retail sales, identifying marketing opportunities, and measuring success, clubs can generate more revenue and attract more customers.

For those of you who are new to 59club Study, the platform connects curious Club Managers and industry personnel from around the globe through quick, anonymous surveys. This creates opportunities to explore operational decision making from a wide range of operators in different locales, under different cultural norms and then learn from each other.

59club Study’s goal is to build a professional network, driven by data and club research, with a strict focus on collaboration and tackling tough topics together. As a 59club client, you now have free access to this incredible tool.

Built by hospitality managers for hospitality managers, 59club Study’s purpose is to provide qualitative and personal survey results that complement 59club’s unbiased and quantitative survey results. By utilizing 59Club Study, golf course operators and managers can gain valuable insight into the individual experiences of their customers and receive personalized feedback to improve customer satisfaction.

Having both quantitative and qualitative survey results is important for gaining a comprehensive understanding of customer satisfaction. While quantitative surveys provide important numerical data, such as ratings and rankings, qualitative surveys provide valuable context and specific feedback. By combining both types of surveys, golf course operators and managers can obtain a well-rounded view of their customers’ experiences and make informed decisions to improve their business. Furthermore, the personalized nature of Club Study’s surveys allows operators and managers to receive specific feedback on how to address individual customer needs and concerns, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Sign up today!

Members are the life-blood of many clubs; failure to convert them can prove expensive in both the short and long-term. But maximizing the opportunities which present themselves often comes down to having the correct person adopting the correct policies.

Yet one of the most overlooked aspects of converting a prospect comes at that very first stage: the answering of the call. Firstly, it’s essential that the correct person is available to answer the call. Those who hesitate are lost and so are those who are not there in the first place.

Ask yourself how many opportunities are lost if the phone goes unanswered? Or if the correct staff member is on holiday or sick? So when you consider that on only 58% of occasions did our testers get to speak to the correct person on the first attempt of calling – according to the 59club industry score – we begin to appreciate how many opportunities may be lost.

That’s effectively twice in every five calls a prospective member speaks to the wrong person, necessitating a call-back. Worse still, what if the prospect calls a competitor while waiting for your return call, and they went on to impress them so much that they signed up!?

One of the most important aspects in the initial enquiry call is building a rapport with the caller. This comes naturally to an engaging staff member but is lost when the wrong person tries to deal with an enquiry.

An engaging staff member will seek to build a rapport, asking them about their golfing background, how often they play, where, and what is their handicap … all simple conversation pieces. Yet the industry are only getting 28% of the picture, while the best-performing clubs glean a better understanding of their prospects, as they achieve 77%.

Asking what has prompted the enquiry is likely to provide you with further valuable information, both spoken and unspoken. They may, for example, be a member elsewhere and be unsatisfied with the condition of the course or a lack of investment, allowing the staff member to respond with positives about the excellent course condition and raft of recent and future investments. This is designed to edge the caller towards a positive outcome, either now or later, after a visit.

There are a plethora of reasons why somebody will make the initial call, but without delving into them, it will be harder to persuade them to put pen to paper. The podium clubs have realised this and without fail, they ask this question every time (100%); the industry average is at 70%.

Furthermore, establishing the caller’s primary requirements for a membership – competitive golf, the social aspect, entertain clients, meet new people etc – leads to other opportunities to ‘excite’ later in the call. Again, the podium score reflects the success therein with 86%, while the industry average drops to 44%.

Effectively, taking the last three areas together, it’s clear that industry-wide we’re failing to establish the caller’s real needs on every other occasion.

A further vital question is required to establish whether the caller is also contacting other clubs with the same enquiry.

With relevant SWOT analysis of your competition, your staff are in an ideal position to stress your strengths over your rivals’ weaknesses, without the need to openly criticise them. The importance of this approach seems to be lost on many clubs, however, with a podium score of just 50% and, even more disappointingly, an overall industry rating of just 14%.

Using all of the personal information learned, you are now in a position to make a related promotion of the club’s members services, facilities and USPs, for how else is one to excite the caller? Yet, despite the obvious importance of this action, the industry comes in with only with a rating of 55%, and the podium not much higher at 72%.

Now that the prospect is excited at the thought of membership, the emphasis is to encourage the individual to visit the club in order to view the facilities and discuss member benefits further.

In the coming months we will look at how the appointment should be structured.

If you would like to take a closer look at the membership sales process, visit Mentor to fill any short comings in your membership sales enquiry process.

59club, the industry leading Customer Service Analysts and Training Provider has today announced its expansion into the Nordic regions of Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden & Denmark, bringing their wealth of Mystery Shopper Audits, Satisfaction Surveys and Employee Training Programs – created specifically for the golf & hospitality industry – to the fore.  

Impressive expansion plans have already seen local 59club divisions established, currently supporting hundreds of golf clubs, resorts and management groups within the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and most recently Australia & New Zealand. It was only a matter of time before the global leaders firmed up their support in the Nordic regions, as they work tirelessly to help clubs shape and develop their sales & customer service cultures.

After a long-standing engagement between 59club HQ and The Scandinavian Golf Club, alongside additional partnerships with European Tour Destinations within the Nordic regions; 59club are delighted at the prospect of having feet on the ground to further support these venues, and attract many more just like them who share the same focus of elevating customer service levels, with the desired effect of driving retention, revenues, and profits.

The new opening welcomes Sebastian Czyz Bendsen, as 59club Nordic’s Sales Manager.

Having graduated from Kent State University, OH, USA with a BA in Finance and a MA in Sport and Recreational Management, and after a well-spent career in golf – most recently in his home Country working with the Danish Golf Union – Sebastian joins 59club with a wealth of attributes and a self-confessed love of educating and guiding leaders towards innovative ideas.

Many would say he’s the perfect fit, offering industry experience and driven by his passion and excitement for connecting Golf Club’s within the Nordic regions, with the resource and global formula to excel their customer experience, and to create an even better community for their members & guests.

Of the announcement, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said “Sebastian is a real go-getter, and well versed in the role that Customer Service plays in growing the game of golf and keeping players enthused and loyal to the sport. And now as he joins 59club, he’s ready to take the support and intel he can offer to clubs a leap further. Sebastian appreciates the complexities of club cultures and has worked with similar principals when supporting the US collaborations with the PGA of America, ClubCorp (now Invited), the TPC Network and Kemper Sports. All private golf corporations, and all searching for means to optimize their business, as well as recent initiatives delivered by the Golf Union.

“We are all excited about the impact that 59club will make in the region, our global benchmarking data is second to none, and as always, we are spurred on by the rewards our clients enjoy, as we deliver the roadmap to measure, train, support and reward the individuals, teams, managers and groups we work with to perfect the art of delivering Customer Service & Sales Excellence – we can’t wait to get started!”  

• Opening offers are now being promoted, all clubs interested in becoming the first to sample 59club’s industry leading Mystery Shopping Services, Satisfaction Surveys and Training Tools are invited to reach out to Sebastian@59club.com to sign up for a demo and to unlock their FREE trial.

The holiday season is officially here, and for club operators, that means added stress in nearly every aspect of your business. Will you have the staff you need to provide the service your members and guests expect? Should you open earlier or later than usual? Do football games and World Cup soccer matches mean specials, promotions, advertising dollars, extra seating or new televisions? Should you offer a special menu for the winter holidays? Should you even open your doors at all?

My goodness, look at all these questions. If you’re not armed with advanced, unbiased data to help you make decisions, you might leave money on the table, or worse, disappoint some of your best customers and employees. 59club USA’s survey tools can simplify your holidays by providing you and your team unbiased insight into what your members, guests and staff need for a successful and fun Holiday.

Let’s look at a few examples.  

Special operations for special days

While many Americans use the holiday season to connect with friends and family over dinner and discussion, there are still thousands – especially empty nesters – who spend the day at your club. Using 59club USA survey tools, managers can identify what is most important for members who will dine at the club like special menu items, special holiday hours, or the ability to host large groups.

Once you’ve made a decision based on data collected from members and their guests, it’s now time to figure out if you’ll need extra staff to accomplish your goals. Who has availability to work and who would rather spend time with family that day? If you’re opening earlier than usual, will the same opening staff still be able to make it?

This type of actionable survey data eliminates the guess work and puts you and your managers in the best position to succeed.

Capitalizing on Data

For a while, the World Cup was in full swing, and for Americans, it’s was first time in nearly a decade to see the Red, White and Blue on soccer’s biggest stage. With the tournament hosted in Qatar – eight hours ahead of EST – many of the games were played much earlier than what we would consider a “normal” starting time.

To inquire about demand for the games, a daily fee club manager used 59club USA survey tools to figure out if his customers and guests have an interest. They do. A lot! In fact, it was shaping up to be one of the biggest F&B days of the year and his club didn’t know if they would have enough tabletops to host everyone and the two TVs in the restaurant aren’t nearly up to standard. Now what?

Obviously, capitalizing on customer experience may require capital expenditure, but the best in the world do what they need to ensure their customers have an even better experience than they originally expect. The difference between making monetary sacrifices for big events might be the difference between retaining a member or not. And as we know, it’s always easier to retain a customer than find a new one. Easier and cheaper.

For more information on 59club USA survey tools, click here.

Landscapes Golf Management has been making news lately with a handful of key developments, bolstering their position as one of the 10 largest golf course operators in the country.

In September, the company expanded its existing partnership with Swing King, which operates a fully automated hole-in-one contest at golf courses, country clubs and resorts. The partnership will expand to include more than 30 of LGM’s properties nationwide.

The company then teamed up with 59club USA over the summer and by fall had seen the fruit of that relationship. 59club USA offers satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping and employee training at 20 of LGM’s daily-fee and private properties. The datapoints gathered from these activities have helped LGM to fine tune the experience of going to their properties.

In November, the company was selected to operate the River Run Country Club in Davidson, N.C. River Run features an 18-hole championship golf course as well as event spaces and a sports campus. LGM will be in charge of every facet of the operation, including sales, marketing, staffing, merchandising and more.

LGM has made a career out of being the strong, silent type. Founded in 2007 as an outgrowth of Landscapes Unlimited, a golf course developer and construction company, the company has slowly expanded ever since. It’s portfolio spans 20 states, 54 properties and features a number of regional offices.

LGM touts its family-owned nature as one of the main reasons for its success. Not being subject to third-party constraints opens many doors in how the company can deal with its clients.

“Our teams take relationship building extremely seriously and smart training is critical,” said Tom Everett, president of Landscapes Golf Management. “After all, we recognize that it doesn’t cost us one extra dollar to provide warm hospitality to every golfer, member and guest at our properties. Conversely, we understand how detrimental only one instance of poor service can be.”

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they added member-owned St. Ives Country Club to the 59club USA client roster. 59club USA will use their industry-leading proprietary software and objective data analysis tools to provide mystery shopping services, online survey tools and access to 59club’online training tool, Mentor to increase member satisfaction throughout the entire club experience.

“St. Ives is an incredible property and we’re delighted to begin working with them,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “We look forward to showcasing our world-class customer service platform and provide knowledgeable insights into their current operations.”

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 extremely excited to use 59club USA’s mystery shopping services to help enhance our customer service, not only in our golf operations, but throughout our club experience,” said Mike Davis, GM at St. Ives. “As a member-owned private club, we’re only as good as the service we provide to our members and guests. We’re happy to employ these specific tools so we can continue to provide excellent service to our current and future members.”

St Ives Country Club is one of the premier private clubs in the Atlanta, Georgia area and provides a social environment for members, families. Located in Johns Creek, St Ives has provided golf, tennis, and swim programs for the entire family for over 30 years, offering high-caliber membership experience, while being one of the most warm, welcoming, and friendly country club in the area.

Already, 59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 80 well-known golf clubs and resorts in North America including 14 TPC Network properties, Reynolds Lake Oconee, The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, Haig Point in South Carolina, Bobby Jones Links, Landscapes Golf Management, Brown Golf Management and Hampton Golf – some of the world’s largest golf management companies.

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/.

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they added VICI Properties and their four golf courses to the 59club USA client roster. 59club USA will use their industry-leading proprietary software and objective data analysis tools to provide mystery shopping services to help audit and improve the golf experience, event sales and group-outing sales at all four VICI owned golf courses.

“We’re excited to be assisting the high-end properties in the VICI portfolio with their customer service operations,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner of 59club USA. “We’re thrilled to get started and look forward to providing detailed feedback for each of their four unbelievable golf courses.”

The mystery shopping services provided by 59club USA will capture the golf experience from start to finish and provide industry-leading, unbiased feedback on hundreds of data points that fully encapsulates the customer experience at each club.

“We are excited to partner with 59club USA as our teams strive to offer the best customer service at each of our VICI Golf facilities,” said Jeff Krohn, VP of Golf Operations for VICI Properties. “Using 59club USA tools, our teams will have the best resources available to WOW our guests during each visit. The team at VICI Golf is very excited to get started.”

VICI Properties owns and operates four golf courses in the United States including Rio Secco in Las Vegas, Nevada, Grand Bear Golf Club in Biloxi, Mississippi, Chariot Run Golf Club in Laconia, Indiana and Cascata Golf Club – touted as the 8^th Wonder of the Golfing World – in Boulder City, Nevada.

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.

Already, 59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 80 well-known golf clubs and resorts in North America including 14 TPC Network properties, Reynolds Lake Oconee, The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, Haig Point in South Carolina, Bobby Jones Links, and Landscapes Golf Management – two of the world’s largest golf management companies.

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 www.59clubusa.com.

About VICI Properties Inc.

VICI Properties Inc. is an experiential real estate investment trust that owns one of the largest portfolios of market-leading gaming, hospitality and entertainment destinations, including the world-renowned Caesars Palace. VICI Properties’ national, geographically diverse portfolio consists of 28 gaming facilities comprising 47 million square feet and features approximately 17,800 hotel rooms and more than 200 restaurants, bars, nightclubs and sportsbooks. Its properties are leased to industry leading gaming and hospitality operators, including Caesars Entertainment, Inc., Century Casinos, Inc., Hard Rock International Inc., JACK Entertainment LLC and Penn National Gaming, Inc. VICI Properties also has an investment in the Chelsea Piers, New York facility and owns four championship golf courses and 34 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip. VICI Properties aims to deliver sustained income and value growth through its strategy of creating the highest quality and most productive experiential asset portfolio in American real estate investment management.

A unique question was posed of PGA TOUR star Marc Leishman during his 2018 BMW Championship appearance – do you know what you don’t know? The philosophical, almost Zen-like inquiry left the Aussie star perplexed and confused, but he eventually answered the riddle with charming befuddlement, stating with a chuckle “No. I don’t know what I don’t know.” Lucky him.

When it comes to their on-course game, Leishman and the rest of the PGA TOUR’s best might have the luxury of blocking out the riffraff, choosing instead to focus only on winning – the one component of their career that matters. But for the remaining 99.9 percent of golf industry professionals like course operators, hospitality managers, F&B personnel, outside service members and others who use the game of golf to make a living, knowing what you don’t know is the difference between providing a valuable golf experience or receiving an angry Yelp review. 

Golf course operators and managers cannot be everywhere at once to ensure every single element of the golf experience at their club matches the price point. But with many clubs operating at high price points, excellent customer service is not the exception. Excellence is expected, and the reason why high-profile daily fee clubs and private clubs alike rely on third-party customer-service expert consultants to figure out what they don’t know and fix it.

“An independent mystery shopper audit allows managers to view their club through the eyes of their customers,” said Mike Kelly, Managing Partner of 59club USA. “Feedback will pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, while the ability to make service comparisons to not only chosen competitors, but also the 59club industry and best performing clubs, gives operators actionable data, goals and opportunities to evaluate their tactics.”

Mystery shopping audits measure all service offerings at the club and are not solely limited to turf conditioning or bunker presentation – although that is a large component of the program. Staff attitude, sales and upselling prowess, facility management and general operating procedures also are factored into the mystery test – which gives club managers a real-time snapshot of their entire customer-service presentation. 

59club USA has helped more than 80 high-profile clubs collect customer-service data and elevate their golf experience all over the country including the TPC Network which operates 32 golf properties was one of the first to adopt 59club USA customer service benchmarking techniques, using the collected data to increase customer loyalty and provide employee feedback. But Kelly suggests the tools provided by his firm are not reserved for only high-end or private properties.

“Investment in bricks and mortar do not sustain and grow reputations,” said Kelly. “It is people who build reputations. You may or may not be the ‘biggest’ club in the area but you can definitely achieve, deliver and then maintain outstanding customer service.”

As we slowly come out of the pandemic and get back to what serves as a new normal – whatever that might mean – we have a little breathing room to reflect on silver linings. The golf industry enjoyed a mini boom over the last 15 months, drawing a large number of first-time players and overall participation not seen since the early 90s. And with that newfound reinvigoration, the game itself is in a unique position to renew its focus on elevating the game from standardized commodity to an elite-level golf experience. And it seems as though 59club might be the best way to know what you don’t know.

59CLUB USA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH THE OLD CLUB

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they have added The Old Club to their client roster. The Old Club, located in Harsens Island, MI, is a member-owned, exclusive island resort and yacht club surrounded by the pristine, freshwater of the Great Lakes delta known as the St. ClairFlats. 59club USA will use their industry-leading proprietary survey tool to assist the Club in gathering information that will allow the General Manager and the Board to be able to make strategic, data-driven decisions.

“As a Board, we wanted to get our members’ thoughts on certain key strategic issues we were facing,” stated Sean Southers, The Old Club Board Member. “We also wanted to gain some insights on several key operational issues. Mike and the 59club USA team did a great job helping us formulate the right questions to ask and executed the survey in a very timely manner. They also left us an easy-to-use survey tool to continue to gather our members’ thoughts on a variety of issues going forward. Part of our plan is to begin surveying all of our new members on how they are being integrated into the club as well as collecting data on why our exiting members are leaving.”

“The Old Club had not done a survey of their membership in several years,” said Mike Kelly, Managing Partner of 59club USA. “Their members were eager to give input on certain key decisions the Board and Management are facing, as evidenced by the high participation rate of members in the survey (63%). That is one of the highest participation rates we have seen, and they received some great data as a result”.

59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 60 well-known clubs, communities and resorts in North America including 14 TPC properties, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Fenway Golf Club, The Mid Ocean Club, Palmetto Bluff, Reynolds Lake Oconee, Ruark Golf Properties and Bobby Jones Links golf management company.

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/.

About The Old Club

The Old Club enables old time values, honors decades of tradition yet anticipates the need and necessity to stay current and positively evolving – a collaboration that encourages innovation & supports future development. To learn more about The Old Club, visit https://www.theoldclub.com/.

59CLUB USA RENEWS AGREEMENT WITH HAIG POINT

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they have reached an agreement to extend their partnership with Haig Point located on Daufuskie Island in Hilton Head, SC. The extension allows 59club USA to continue to use its proprietary, industry-leading software and objective data analysis tools to provide Haig Point with valuable, quantitative, and unbiased customer service feedback.

“We’ve chosen to renew with 59Club for another year because we continue to improve and want to be a podium club,” said Adam Martin, VP of Sales & Marketing at Haig Point. “Member retention and recruitment are our top priorities and providing a world-class member experience is our most important strategy in reaching our goals. Our net promoter score has increased 52 points since we began surveying and mystery shopping ourselves. It would not have been possible without the help from the 59Club team.

“The team at Haig Point does an unbelievably great job taking action on the data we provide for them,” stated MikeKelly, Managing Partner for 59club USA. “From the very first mystery shop, they had a written action plan they presented to their Board to address each area that could be improved”. They also survey all their new members regarding how they are feeling as they settle into their new lifestyle. They do this by sending a few, short, thoughtful surveys at appropriate intervals within the first few months after joining to ensure that each new member is getting engaged at the club. They are extremely focused on taking great care of their members”

59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 60 well-known private golf clubs, communities and resorts in North America including 14 TPC properties, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Cuscowilla on LakeOconee, Fenway Golf Club, The Mid Ocean Club, Palmetto Bluff, Reynolds Lake Oconee, Ruark Golf Properties and Bobby Jones Links golf management company.

About 59Club USA

59Club USA is specifically designed to elevate sales and service standards. 59club USA provides mystery ShopperAudits, 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/.

About Haig Point

Haig Point is a historic private community located on Daufuskie Island in South Carolina. From 1735 through the founding of our club in 1986, our land has been of great importance to the surrounding island. With endless opportunities, Haig Point Club has become a premier destination for members with its 29 golf holes, tennis and fitness facilities, swimming, and beach recreation.

CONTACT:
Jonathan Crist
480.348.7540
jcrist@commlinks.com

Mike Kelly
706-347-0331
mkelly@59clubUSA.com

59CLUB USA ADDS A NEW BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER TO THE TEAM

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they have reached an agreement to extend their partnership with TPC Network which operates 30 high-end golf properties in North America many of which are featured on the PGA TOUR. The extension allows 59club USA to continue to use its proprietary, industry-leading software and objective data analysis tools to provide TPC Network with valuable, quantitative and unbiased customer service feedback. 59club USA will provide these services to 14 of TPC Network’s 30 golf properties.

“The training and testing platform created the much-needed visibility into our sales organization that we’ve wanted for a long time,” said Vic Aliprando, VP of Business Development of PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties. “We now have a consistent sales training program for all new hires which allows us to focus our retraining efforts specifically on those that need it and on the areas that they need. Mike and his team are incredibly responsive and have done so much to help our sales team.”

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.

“TPC Network and their team understands the importance of consistency when it comes to sales and customer service,” said Mike Kelly, Managing Partner of 59club USA. “We’re extremely excited to continue our relationship which has already paid dividends for their tremendous properties.”

59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 50 well-known golf clubs and resorts in North America including 14 TPC properties, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Scottsdale, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, Haig Point in South Carolina, Ruark Golf Properties in Ocean City, Maryland, and Bobby Jones Links – one of the world’s largest golf management companies.

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/.

About TPC Network

Owned, operated, and licensed by the PGA TOUR, the TPC Network is comprised of 30 premiers private, resort and daily fee golf properties designed by some of golf’s most elite architects. Twenty of the clubs are operated by affiliates of PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties, Inc. Each TPC has hosted or has been designed to host TOUR-sponsored golf tournaments. Since TPC Sawgrass first opened its world-renowned PLAYERS Stadium Course in the fall of 1980, TPCs have provided the PGA TOUR with rent-free venues for tournaments, helping to boost championship golf purses and increasing charitable donations to grass roots non-profit organizations. At the same time, TPCs have provided recreational golfers with the unique opportunity to test their skills on the same layouts where the world’s best golfers compete.

TPCs are known for their history of hosting PGA TOUR-sponsored golf tournaments, their outstanding conditioning and amenities, as well as a commitment to environmental excellence. The TPC Network is also distinguished by its unwavering commitment to further the PGA TOUR’s giving back mission through support of charitable and community-based programs. For more information, please visit www.tpc.com. For the most up-to-date news, follow the TPC Network on Twitter (@PlayTPC), Instagram (@PlayTPC) or Facebook.com/TPCNetwork.

59CLUB USA RENEWS CUSTOMER-SERVICE ANALYSIS PARTNERSHIP WITH TPC NETWORK

STATHAM, Ga. – North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they’ve added three private golf communities which Storied Development’s actively involved with  to their client roster including The Grove in Nashville, Tennessee, Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas and Talisker Club in Park City, Utah. 59club USA will use its industry-leading proprietary software and objective data analysis tools to provide feedback on Member satisfaction and utilize their exclusive my59 Mentor on-line training platform for Storied Development.

“The core of our business is ensuring our members receive a world-class, luxury experience in all areas and aspects of our communities,” said Mark Enderle, Partner, Storied Development LLC. “By engaging 59club, we receive the actionable and unbiased feedback from our residents and property owners we need to achieve our goal of consistent customer service improvement, continued success and growth.” 

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.

“Storied Development’s incredible properties are some of the most beautiful and luxurious private golf communities in the country and we’re delighted to begin working with them,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “We look forward to showcasing our world-class customer service platform and provide knowledgeable insights which will help shape future plans and achieve customer service excellence throughout their portfolio.”

Already, 59club USA has established and developed relationships with more than 45 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, Ruark Golf Properties in Ocean City, Maryland and Bobby Jones Links – one of the world’s largest golf management companies.

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/.

About Storied Development

Storied Development, LLC, is a partnership of seasoned real estate executives with a 30-year track record of success in the development, marketing, sales and operation of private club communities throughout the continental U.S., Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii. The leadership team currently has an active role in three private golf communities, The Grove (College Grove, TN), Boot Ranch (Fredericksburg, TX) and Talisker Club (Hideout, UT). To learn more about Storied Development, visit https://storiedliving.com/.

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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.

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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.”

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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/.

59club USA announced today the company will provide its finalized employee survey tools to golf clubs and other hospitality venues amid the COVID-19 crisis for free. The employee survey tools capture employee challenges, concerns, and potential opportunities all in one easy-to-use snapshot. 59club USA has previously made available survey tools intended for club guests and members. The complimentary survey tools will be available throughout the current crisis.

“Many clubs are asking themselves if surveying their employees is appropriate during this time,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “The long-term implications of mismanaging employee needs are insurmountable, and there is data available that shows employee feedback and direct communication is not only appropriate, it’s necessary during this crisis. Top-performing clubs consistently search for ways to make themselves and their employees better.”

59club’s proprietary survey tools enable club managers to identify both employee and guest needs, strengthen customer retention and recognize a clear direction on ways to improve the overall experience at their respective clubs. The smart dashboard allows clubs to analyze data in a clear and concise manner and provides demographic filters to further segment information from employees, creating a comprehensive, manageable and immediate snapshot of employee opinion and attitude. 59club has created COVID-19 specific survey templates as part of their free offering of their survey tools. Managers and decision makers have the freedom to create additional custom questions of their own to better fir their needs and goals using the software.

“Effective feedback, both positive and negative, is very helpful anytime,” said Kelly. “It may be more important now than ever during these ever-changing times. Top performing clubs are top performing clubs because they consistently search for ways to make their best even better. Top performing clubs are not only good at accepting feedback, they deliberately ask for feedback. And they know that feedback is helpful only when it highlights weaknesses as well as strengths.”

Click here to gain complimentary access to this important tool

59club USA announced today they will offer additional complimentary COVID-19-specific survey templates amid the ongoing global crisis. Additional survey templates include two direct-member communication surveys – dependent on whether the respective facility is currently open or closed for business – as well as two golf instruction templates also dependent on the current state of the respective business. Golf clubs and other hospitality venues may use the complimentary survey tools to communicate directly to their membership and identify member and guest needs through May 31, 2020.

“We’re doing everything we can to empower those in our industry that have been so greatly affected by the pandemic,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “These special COVID-19 survey templates include insightful questions covering all aspects of a venue’s professional services. Right now, it is absolutely imperative club managers open efficient and consistent communications channels with their members and guests to accurately identify their needs to plan and respond accordingly.”

The complimentary COVID-19 survey tools now include four specialized and unique approaches to direct member communication including “club member: facility open,” “club member: facility closed,” “golf instruction: facility open,” and “golf instruction: facility closed.” These surveys accurately reflect the differences between clubs in different regions across the country which have adopted different rules based on their specific circumstances.

59club’s proprietary survey tools enable club managers to identify member and guest needs, strengthen customer retention and recognize a clear direction on ways to improve the overall experience at their respective clubs. 59club will provide specific COVID-19 survey templates as part of their complimentary offering of the survey tool. Managers and decision makers can use this service to pick and choose from pre-set questions already available within the platform, and/or choose to add custom questions of their own. The ability to gather data from one’s own members and make direct comparisons based on the current situation facing the industry will provide clarity and vision on a global scale when its needed most.

Click here to sign up for complimentary survey tools.

59club USA announced today they will offer complimentary use of their proprietary survey tools amid the current COVID-19 crisis. Golf clubs and other hospitality venues may use the survey tools to communicate directly to their membership and identify member and guest needs through May 31, 2020.

“Obviously, the tourism and hospitality industries have been greatly affected by the pandemic,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner 59club USA. “We want to help these clubs communicate with their members and guests so they can be best prepared to accommodate special circumstances until things get back to normal. 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 guest needs, strengthen customer retention and recognize a clear direction on ways to improve the overall experience at their respective clubs. 59club will provide specific COVID-19 survey templates as part of their complimentary offering of the survey tool. Managers and decision makers can use this service to pick and choose from pre-set questions already available within the platform, and/or choose to add custom questions of their own. The ability to gather data from one’s own members and make direct comparisons based on the current situation facing the industry will provide clarity and vision on a global scale when its needed most.

“These are extraordinary times. Many managers are trying to figure out if their club should remain open or what, if any, services should still be available,” said Simon Wordsworth, founder of 59club. “Clubs themselves are navigating uncharted waters trying to determine what their members actually want or expect from their club. Relying only on substandard communication tools like social media and non-reply emails does a disservice to the club, its members and guests. We want our friends and colleagues in the tourism and hospitality industries to have everything they need to weather this storm.”

Click here to sign up for complimentary survey tools.

59club USA to Provide Employee Survey Tools for the Exclusive Club

59club USA announced today they added Reynolds Lake Oconee to their client roster. Reynolds Lake Oconee is a private residential lake and golf community on Lake Oconee just 70 miles East of Atlanta, Georgia offering spectacular lakefront residential properties, unrivaled and adventurous sporting grounds, more than 40 distinct member clubs and six incredible golf courses designed by legendary architects like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Rees Jones. 59club USA will provide employee survey tools and services for Reynolds using their proprietary software and objective data analysis tools.

“We’re excited to be assisting such a high-end club as Reynolds Lake Oconee with their employee survey tools,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner of 59club USA. “The ability to understand employee needs, set expectations and deliver necessary incentives and training is crucial to providing exceptional customer service to existing and potential members. We’re thrilled 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. 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 well-known 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 in South Carolina and Bobby Jones Links – one of the world’s largest golf management companies. Click here for a list of testimonials.

59club USA to Provide Mystery Shopping and Customer Service Benchmarking Tools for the Club

59club USA announced today they added Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee to their client roster. Cuscowilla is a private residential lake and golf community on Lake Oconee just 70 miles East of Atlanta, Georgia offering unrivaled lake views, true southern hospitality and Georgia’s No. 1 residential golf course designed by world-renowned architect duo Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. 59club USA will provide mystery shopping services for Cuscowilla using their proprietary software and objective data analysis tools.

“We’re extremely excited to use 59club USA’s mystery shopping services to help enhance our customer service, not only in our golf operations, but also our food and beverage operations,” said Jarrod Clark, general manager of Cuscowilla. “As a private club, we’re only as good as the service we provide to our members. We’re happy to employ these specific tools so we can continue to provide excellent service to our current and future members.”

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.

“Cuscowilla is an incredible property and we’re delighted to begin working with them,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “We look forward to showcasing our world-class customer service platform and provide knowledgeable insights into their current operations.”

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 Plantation, The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, Haig Point in South Carolina and Bobby Jones Links – one of the world’s largest golf management companies. Click here for a list of testimonials.

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59club USA to Provide Mystery Shopping and Other Customer Service Benchmarking Tools for the Club

North American customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club USA announced today they added Haig Point to their client roster. Haig Point is a luxurious, sea island community off the coast of South Carolina between Hilton Head and Savannah, Georgia with two Rees Jones designed golf courses, as well as tennis, equestrian and outdoor recreation amenities. 59club USA will provide mystery shopping and membership benchmarking services for Haig Point using their proprietary software and objective data analysis tools.

“Haig Point is an incredible property and we feel that our partnership with 59club USA will help us take our service to the highest level,” said Adam Martin, director of sales and marketing for Haig Point. “We’ve been self-evaluating using survey tools and comment cards, but our hope is that this software will give us instantaneous feedback and comparisons to some of the world’s top clubs/resorts.”

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.

“We’re very excited to bring another unbelievable property into the 59club USA fold,” said Mike Kelly, managing partner, 59club USA. “We look forward to working with Haig Point and helping their team take the next step in elevating their membership service levels.”

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 and Bobby Jones Links – one of the world’s largest golf management companies. Click here for a list of testimonials.

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.