January 23, 2012 - Change In Underwear May Not Be Real Change - There's an old sea story about a ship's Captain who inspected his sailors, and afterward told the first mate that his men smelled bad.  The Captain suggested perhaps it would help if the sailors would change underwear occasionally.  The first mate responded, "Aye, aye sir, I'll see to it immediately!"  The first mate went straight to the sailors berth deck and announced, "The Captain thinks you guys smell bad and wants you to change your underwear."  He continued, "Pittman, you change with Jones, McCarthy, you change with Witkowski, and Brown, you change with Schultz." THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Someone may come along and promise "Change", but don't count on things smelling any better.  If "It Is All About Golf", PGA Professionals are the ones that are going to make real change happen.  Maintaining the status quo is not acceptable as Clubs need new Members and it is not happening with being what we were yesterday.

January 22, 2012 - The Art of Looking Away - If this were the first time it has happened, it would not be so troubling.  However, it happened again today.  Have you ever been the recipient of the art of looking away?  Yes, when a customer is walking toward you, if you would just look away, the customer will just disappear.  The problem with this art of looking away is that it hardly ever gets rid of the customer.  If "It's All About Golf" at your Club, this would quickly become a lost art.

January 22, 2012 - The Question - Here are the answers, see if you can figure out what the question may be:

• It is much better in the morning hours when the Staff is fresh
• The Board of Directors do not give us the direction to provide this
• Members do not really want it
• It is difficult to have a line-up to discuss because everybody starts at a different times of the day
• Employees clock in and start work immediately and don't have time for to give this a lot of attention.
• It is much better in "Season"
• Employees just get complacent
• They are just not paid enough
• It is better if you are a big tipper
• If you think it is poor for men, you should see it for women
• It just isn't a big priority

The question:  Why is customer service is so poor in the Golf Department.  If "It's All About Golf", a Club would stop making excuses and correct this injustice.

January 09, 2012 - F&B Staff Person Assigned To Me As A Nonmember - I just completed a Club Tax Network Conference at a Private Club in which I am not currently a Member.  We were there for a two day event, needing breakfast, lunch both days and one dinner. One staff person was basically assigned to my event to make sure if there was anything I needed, just let Joe know.  We did have unexpected needs and Joe responded exceptionally well.  If "It's All About Golf" at your Club, I wonder why a Golf Professional is not assigned to me as a Member to talk about my game and to respond to my needs?  If it works so well in F&B, why not copy the theory into the Golf Department?

January 09, 2012 - Guest Names On Lockers - Todd Dufek at DC Ranch is proving my point about WOW! customer service in the Locker Room.  "Since our busy season began the last month of 2011 I've been putting up 10-20 names 3-4 days a week, primarily in the men's locker room.  On most days as many as 50% of the guest lockers might be used and often less.  That may leave many of you wondering if making the effort is really worth it.  Personally, I think that even if you take the time (15-20 minutes) to create and put up 10 or 20 names and a guest only uses one, it's worth it to make a great impression on the one person that uses it."  If "It's All About Golf" here is the response you should be receiving:  "Usually when a guest sees his/her name on a locker they respond by saying what a high-end Club our facility is and tell their Member friend that their Club or others they visited never do such a thoughtful thing for their guests.  And it wouldn't surprise me if they told the Members at their Club about it while sitting in the men's grill at their own facility.  Now that's leaving an impression!  Please note that I've heard of such a thing happening . . . i.e. a Member bragging about the great experience he had at another Club to his buddies while interacting with them at his own facility." Why is this not happening at your Club?  Your Locker Room Manager does not really get how important they are to the TEAM.

January 02, 2012 - Daily Huddle - Club Resources International, suggests daily huddles.  Is your full Golf Department engaged?  "If It's All About Golf", you must be:

December 23, 2011 - Golf Guest Fees Vs. Food Minimums - Ever wonder why Clubs go out of their way to tick-off the golfers?  I experienced the lost food minimum a couple of years ago.  I lost the minimum fee because I play golf in the late afternoon, after food service is closed and even after the bar is closed.  Any time I wanted to eat dinner or have a function at the Club, they were closed or some nonmember group was there. Thus, I spent very little in food and beverage for one full year.  I did, however, lease a golf cart regularly and paid guest fees for my golfing buddies. Thus, my question:  Why not a golf guest fee minimum for the full equity golfer?  How much of the guest fee goes to the bottom line?  How much of the cart fee goes to the bottom line?  When guests are there, don't golfers often eat and drink?  Where do you think you can obtain a list of potential new golfing Members?  "If It's All About Golf", run the numbers on this alternative thinking.

December 23, 2011 - Golf Professionals Greeting Members On The First Tee - I have heard about this activity but have not experienced it first hand.  The way I understand it is that the Director of Golf occasionally dons a dress shirt and tie and greets the Members as they arrive on the first tee.  Really?  This is the last place that I usually want to see my golf professional. On the practice tee, absolutely!!  But on the first tee as I am trying to keep my ball in bounds, out of the bunker, over the water or just off the tee itself?  It is hard to yell "Mulligan" with the Pro watching.  "If It's All About Golf", Please, greet me at the practice tee after the round to assist in improving my game.

November 10, 2011 - Educational Line-Ups Good For F&B, Why Not Golf? - Ever hear about the F&B Departments having daily line-ups?  I asked a server at The Birmingham Country Club why they needed daily line-ups?  I asked: "Are your F&B employees that stupid that they need training every day?"  Her response was classic: "Sir, we can always do things just a little bit better."  WOW!!  She is absolutely right.  So I ask Golf Departments around the country how often they have a line-up for training purposes?  Some ask me what is a line-up?  Others ask why they need training?  "We schlep bags from the car to the cart and back to the car.  How difficult is that?"  "If It's All About Golf", shouldn't you be training just as much as F&B?

November 10, 2011 - Creating Instant Rapport With Prospects and  Guests - When taking sets of golf clubs out of the trunk of a car at the "Bag Drop", do your attendants try to create instant rapport by glancing at the bag tags to see if the recognize the Club, the city or some commonality and build on a connection immediately?  If so, WOW!!  This can be trained if you were interested in doing so. "If It's All About Golf", bag drop attendees should probably go even further to see if all 14 clubs are in the golfers bag and clean them off as they count them to make sure everything is ready to go.  Counting clubs before a guest plays can eliminate a problem of thinking a guest lost their clubs at your place.

November 9, 2011 - Thin Straws For The Golfers - Ever go to McDonalds, Chick-fil-A and other fast food establishments?  Check out their straws.  Fat straws that allow a customer to take a huge gulp of their favorite beverage. Ever wonder why they buy fat straws?  Ever wonder why at most golf courses your straws are thin?  I think I have now found the reason.  The fast food establishments test everything that moves and take nothing for granted and I assure you they tested customer satisfaction regarding the straws. WOW!!  Test everything that moves?  At one Private Club I just visited, the person ordering the straws for the golf operation is the bartender.  "If It's All About Golf", why do we allow somebody outside of the golf operation to dictate our full golf experience?  When it is 100 degrees on the golf course, wouldn't a golfer want a big gulp of their drink?  Just wondering why????????????

November 2, 2011 - Golf Caddies Now Rare As Double Eagles - "Caddies have vanished from the everyday game of golf." So writes Mark Decotis for Florida Today. It is sad to say that I agree.  What a shame.  I grew up as a caddie myself so I miss those days gone by.  However, when I get to play a round of golf using caddies with Bob Plybon at his Private Club in North Carolina, WOW!!  There is nothing like goofing off in the middle of a work day, walking down that first fairway with your absolute best friend, having somebody be a helper and strategist to you on the course. "If It's All About Golf" at your Club, is there a way to recreate this experience for your best Members?  Could this be a reason to join your Club?

November 2, 2011 - Close Down The Course Nightly - The Inn at Spanish Bay understands "It's All About Golf".  You do not need to pony up the dough for a room at the expensive Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, CA to enjoy the beautiful coastal view and a sunset serenade from a Scottish bag piper at dust.  WOW!!  As an accountant experiencing this event this past week with my wife, I looked around at all of the people flocking in to the area surrounding the fire pits and then looked at the line at the bar and started doing a mental calculation of income being generated.  I think they do more than pay for the bag piper, if you know what I mean. What exceptional experience are you creating at your Club?

November 2, 2011 - Disabled Golfers - Statistics should show that your Members have persons in their family that are disabled.  Have you ever considered that golf may be a perfect game to bring those individuals out to the Club?  The National Alliance for Accessible Golf www.accessgolf.org offers a Club some terrific resources on how to bring another part of our population to the Club.  If "It's All About Golf", have you ever sat on a single rider golf cart and tried to play golf sitting down?  If so, WOW!! because it really is not that difficult.  I have tested a number of single rider golf cars and have found that SoloRider www.solorider.com is the absolute best.  The footprint of the tires on a putting green is less that then of a full grown man.  Yes, drive up onto the green and enjoy this game.

October 25, 2011 - Locker Room Oversight - I have been told that the Locker Room is often under the direction of the Club House Manager or other Department Head, other than that of the Golf Professional.  Interesting why such an important aspect of the golf experience is not under the direction of the Golf Pro.  Is it because the Locker Room is seen as a toilet, sinks, showers, etc. that must be cleaned regularly vs. an area where Members are WOW'ed by a Locker Room Attendant is the ultimate concierge?  If "It's All About Golf", your Club should have a "Larry", that is found at Eagle Point in Wilmington, NC.  Larry states "Absolutely! I can do that for you!  But, can I ask you just one question?  What is it that you want?"  WOW!!

October 20, 2011 - Locker Room Managers Association - If your Locker Room Manager is a Member of the LRMA, WOW!!  If not, why not?  Is it because neither the Manager nor the staff can learn anything more about Member service?  Or is it that they are only lowly locker room staff and how difficult can it be to clean sinks, toilets and shoes?  If "It's All About Golf" at your Club, I have a deal for you.  Visit www.yourlrma.com and in the comment section say The Tax Guy sent me and see if Todd Dufek, President, will provide you with a trial Membership.  At $99.00 annually, you probably need to just sign up.  Can your Club afford $99.00 for continuing education of key customer service employees?  Can your Club afford not to subscribe?

October 20, 2011 - Guest Lockers - Why is that at many Golf Clubs I have visited as a guest the locker room attendant struggles to find an empty locker for me to use?  Wouldn't you think that they would designate a couple for themselves to share with guests?  When an attendant directly walks me to an available locker, I am impressed.  When a locker already has MY NAME on the locker, WOW!!  If "It's All About Golf", doesn't the attendant usually know that a guest in coming since they are usually on the tee sheet daily?  My golf experience does not always start in the Pro Shop as some have suggested.

October 20, 2011 - Bag Drop Area - If your best customer is the Full Equity Golf Member and your Members, guests and prospective Members arrive at the golf course through the "Bag Drop" area vs. your front door where there is a beautiful floral arrangement on a beautiful table, etc., why is the "Bag Drop" area not the most beautiful area of the Club?  Come on Superintendent, you maintain 100's of acres of pristine golf course land and you can not figure out how to improve the looks of a 20 x 20 area next to the parking lot?  Send me some pictures of your before and after and I will publish them on this site.  If "It's All About Golf", give me something to say WOW!! about, please?

October 20, 2011 - Free Golf Lessons - Why do we charge for golf lessons at a Private Golf Club?  Why is that not the primary sales point to join the Club?  Now I would not take any money out of the PGA Professionals pocket.  I would find out what the Pro made last year in salary, what was made in lesson income and then give a $5,000 pay increase.  Now with this, I would say to the Pro: "Teach our Members to play this fun game".  Quit with the scheduled clinics on Tuesday morning when I have to work.  Actually talk to me on the driving range.  As David Eby of Banyan Golf Club in West Palm Beach said to me when I suggested he guarantee to drop Members handicap by 20%.  David said I was crazy.  He would guarantee he could drop my handicap 40%.  WOW!!  If "It's All About Golf", why not make this the central focus of your Golf Club?  Join here and we will guarantee you more fun at this game.  Bring your golfing buddies to join and we will guarantee then the same thing.

October 19, 2011 - Borrowed Set of Golf Clubs - It is much more difficult to travel with your golf clubs now, especially with the additional cost of checked luggage at the airport.  Thus, using a set of borrowed golf clubs provided by a Club is a more common occurrence when a golfer is out of town.  Why is it that a guest of a Member at a private Club often gets to use old, mismatched clubs and old worn out golf bags?  If "It's All About Golf", why not allow a guest to use the Director of Golf's set of clubs if they are not going to be used by the Pro that day?  Now I do not expect to get the current set used by the Pro, but why not last years model.  I have asked this question often and must commend Michael D. Hott, PGA and Head Golf Professional at Salisbury Country Club in Midlothian, VA for demonstrating WOW!!  When I informed Mr. Hott that I needed to borrow a set, he asked me my handicap and then my height.  What he provided was a great set of Titleist clubs, his clubs from last year.  Now that is something to brag about.  If you like this thought and can implement it into your golf operation, please write it down and use it.  Create WOW!! for your best customers and their guests.  Who knows, the guest may become your next Member.

October 19, 2011 - Cleaned My Golf Shoes Before I Played - Why is it the standard to clean a golfers shoes after they have played a round of golf but not pay attention to the persons golf shoes before they tee it up?  If "It's All About Golf", why not establish a practice of the Locker Room Attendant to make sure a person's golf shoes are clean before they play?  I must commend the Locker Room Attendant at Seminole Golf Club for noticing that my golf shoes had not been cleaned in some time and cleaned them before he placed them at a guest locker.  He did this without my asking and without an assumed tip coming his way.  WOW!!   Of course I tipped him for his service but more importantly, I am still talking about it 15 years after it happened.  What is your Locker Room Attendant doing to create WOW for your Club to sell?  If you like this thought and can implement it into your golf operation, please write it down and use it.  Word of mouth marketing is invaluable.

October 19, 2011 - Reading Program - What is your reading program for your Golf Department Staff?  If you do not have a reading program, I would suggest you get from your staff exactly what you should expect.  Readers are leaders and leaders are readers.  With so many great golf related books on the market, I continue to see men at the bag drop sitting in a cart staring at the sky.  Why wouldn't you want to help your staff grow as a man and woman as well as an employee?  If you have had your staff read The Mulligan by Wally Armstrong and Ken Blanchard and Seven Days at the Links of Utopia, WOW!!  If not, why not?  What would your golf staff look like if they became mentors to your Members children.  What if the Director of Golf were looked upon as "The Old Pro" sharing the secrets of playing the good game - in golf and in life.  I want my grandchildren to have an "Old Pro" in their lives.  We need to thank Wally Armstrong for suggesting we need a few mulligan's in life.  If "It's All About Golf", you could even include my book as part of the reading program.

October 19, 2011 - Self Serve Drinks On The Driving Range - Ever notice when you sit down for lunch or dinner in the Club a waiter often automatically brings you a fresh glass of ice water?  It is 65 degrees in the dining room and somebody thinks you could use a fresh glass of water.  WOW!!  Now go to your golf driving range and stand in the heat for 30 minutes banging ball after ball in the 90 degree heat.  It is self serve drinks out there.  Why is this?  If "It's All About Golf" what would your Club Members think if they were treated the same way on the driving range as they are treated in the dining room?  What if a staff member walked up to a Member and offered a fresh cup of ice water, or better yet, a freshly made "Arnold Palmer"?  WOW!!  Oh, we can't spend that amount of time and money on Members at the driving range but we can in the dining room.  Maybe we should just make all drinks self serve everywhere at the Club, even in the dining room.  Some McDonald's went this way, didn't they?  Is the Member not entitled to WOW!! service from the Golf Department?  Ask your Dining Room Manager for some hints regarding customer service.

October 19, 2011 - Raking Bunkers More Than Once A Day - I have been told there are some bunkers on your golf course that just get a lot of use during the day and even when raked by conscience members they become less than desirable to be in, (Of course all bunkers may be less than desirable to be in unless the water is the other option.)  When one Club analyzed this issue, they found that it was only a very few so they set up a schedule to send somebody out in the afternoon to clean them up.  Being concerned about the afternoon golfers and not just those morning players?  WOW!!  If "It's All About Golf", isn't the afternoon Member as important to those playing in the early morning hours?  Could you make the afternoon experience as memorable as other parts of the day?  Experience what Members experience.  Get out of the Golf Shop at all times of the day and look around.  You may be surprised to see how trashy things look in the afternoon.

October 19, 2011 - Yellow Spalding Golf Balls - Tiger plays Nike and Titleist is the #1 ball in golf.  Who on the PGA Tour plays a yellow Spalding golf ball?  Why would a Private Club have yellow Spalding golf balls on the driving range?  Give me a break, you can not get more negative from WOW!! than this. (You might as well have yellow Sponge Bob Square Pants golf balls!)  If "It's All About Golf", the least you can do is get something your Members can have some pride in.

October 19, 2011 - Pinnacle's Two For The Price Of One Titleist - A North Carolina Golf professional was proud that he was able to obtain two Pinnacle range balls for what they were paying for the price of one Titleist range ball.  I suggested that you can obtain two lesser quality NY Strip steaks for the price of one top notch NY Strip in the dinning room and try to pass them off in the dining room to your Members as #1 Choice.  Do you think your Members will notice the difference?  If cheap is who you are, go cheap.  However, what is your impression of a Golf Club that has Titleist range balls?  WOW!! is probably the comment.  If "It's All About Golf", don't you think your Members deserve more?  I want to hear your responses to this but not that your Members will steal the balls.   Actually, your Members own the balls.  Give them all a sleeve of balls a month and ask them not to take the ones from the range.  Again, they are the owners and they pay dues for something?