Do golf clubs really need our money?

[timd77]

I'm looking at joining a club and having some lessons, and being a modern chap I took to the Internet to see what's about. I found that the ones I was interested in didn't quote a price but they had a 'contact us' form or an email address to send an enquiry to.

2 weeks later I've not heard back off any of them, and have today booked lessons via a a great deal I found on Groupon.

Is it about time clubs caught up with a changing society? I know if I was running a club I'd make sure I communicated with my customers in whichever way they wanted!

 

[brendy]

Some clubs begrudgingly get dragged into the 21st century, having websites built etc but then do not maintain/utilise it to make the best of what they can offer. Best bet is phone or call in. You might get lucky and get a free round or two to help make up your mind.

 

[pbrown7582]

It is one area where quite a few do let themselves down for whatever reason many are not making the most of t'internet thingy.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

I'm looking at joining a club and having some lessons, and being a modern chap I took to the Internet to see what's about. I found that the ones I was interested in didn't quote a price but they had a 'contact us' form or an email address to send an enquiry to.

2 weeks later I've not heard back off any of them, and have today booked lessons via a a great deal I found on Groupon.

Is it about time clubs caught up with a changing society? I know if I was running a club I'd make sure I communicated with my customers in whichever way they wanted!

Where do you live. Which area out of interest.

 

[Foxholer]

Some clubs begrudgingly get dragged into the 21st century, having websites built etc but then do not maintain/utilise it to make the best of what they can offer. Best bet is phone or call in. You might get lucky and get a free round or two to help make up your mind.

Absolutely spot on. the state of some Club websites - with the latest news being early 2012 - shows how ludditic they are!

 

[timd77]

Where do your live. Which area out of interest.

In the west midlands, on the border of Shropshire Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

 

[CliveW]

Is it about time clubs caught up with a changing society?

You'll be wanting them to allow women in next!

 

[timd77]

You'll be wanting them to allow women in next!

You're being silly now!

 

[Hacker Khan]

Big bug bear of mine as well. Even if the average golf club committee can't get their head around this new fangled thing called the internet, you'd have thought they would have some kids, or even grand kids that could knock up a decent site for them. Plus there's so many companies offering to do it for people nowadays, and all you have to do is upload some simple updates now and then. You'd have thought they woudl have time to do it due to the number of retired people in these places.

As I have said many times there seems to be a good correlation between things like the quality and friendliness of the web site and the welcome you get at the club. And don't get me started on golf club web sites that take great pleasure in listing what you can't wear and how you must behave, even before they tell you the green fee.:angry:

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

When I got started I emailed about half a dozen local clubs. I got one response, from the one I expected to be the stuffiest and least accommodating, and in fact they were extremely friendly and straightforward.

About a month later I started getting mailshot emails from one of the others, so they had clearly received my email enquiring about lessons, but had decided not to bother.

It's not particular to golf clubs. Loads of companies don't ever respond to their info@... email address. I know of one organisation specifically that has missed the opportunity to quote for major work because of it.

I have since spent about £1500 with the people that got in touch (lessons, equipment etc).

Our business is very hot at responding to the email address on our website. Within a few working hours you would have had a personalised email saying your email has been received, and giving the details (including name, direct line, mobile number and email address) of who it has been passed to to process. You will be contacted by that person pretty swiftly. A fair proportion of our new clients come to us this way.

The clubs are missing plenty of opportunities, I am sure. New enquiries should be top priority, very closely followed by looking after existing clients to make sure they stay clients.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Some clubs begrudgingly get dragged into the 21st century, having websites built etc but then do not maintain/utilise it to make the best of what they can offer. Best bet is phone or call in. You might get lucky and get a free round or two to help make up your mind.

^^^This is unfortunately the case - but much less so these days. If you can find an Email address for the Club Secretary I'd always use that rather than a 'general enquiries' Email address - the Inbox for the latter will probably get less attention.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Absolutely spot on. the state of some Club websites - with the latest news being early 2012 - shows how ludditic they are!

Unfortunately it seems that some clubs don't take down old websites when they have a new one built - well at least not immediately. So Internet searches can pull up their old website and you don;t recognise it as such will makes the club look bad as it will be out-of-date - and sometimes very considerably.

Also depending upon your search you could get direcgted to pages that have not been updated for a while - even although the home page and first level navbigation pages may well be up-to-date.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

I have been informed that my golf club definitely doesn't, allegedly!

The driving range "allegedly" pulls in enough money to support the entire company, and as such, the green fees and memberships are just a bonus! I'm not sure how true this is, could just be gossip, but I wouldn't be suprised, it's got a fair few bays and it's nearly always busy!

 

[Slab]

^^^This is unfortunately the case - but much less so these days. If you can find an Email address for the Club Secretary I'd always use that rather than a 'general enquirers' Email address - the Inbox for the latter will probably get less attention.

But unfortunately the email address for the former is only accessed by one person and they're on their 2 weeks in the Costa sunshine forgetting to activate the out of offices message while the office bod and two asst pros are all wondering why the general enquirers mailbox that they share access to is so quiet

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

But unfortunately the email address for the former is only accessed by one person and they're on their 2 weeks in the Costa sunshine forgetting to activate the out of offices message while the office bod and two asst pros are all wondering why the general enquirers mailbox that they share access to is so quiet

Ah, but are they assistant pros, assistants to the pros, or just sales people?

 

[Slab]

Ah, but are they assistant pros, assistants to the pros, or just sales people?

They can do what they like really its not as if there's any e-mail to be answered!