As a golf course owner or manager,
you are always expected
to look for ways to increase your
bottom line and explore opportunities to promote your
facility. My question to you is this: have you looked at
all types of golfers to reach this goal?
I would like to introduce to you a larger, growing
group of golfers that has visited your facility at least
once a week for years. This foursome is made up from
one family, a grandfather, father, son and daughter.
Over time, you noticed the foursome went to three,
then two, then one.
One day you asked the daughter what happened
to her grandfather, father, and brother. The daughter
informed you that her grandfather had a stroke and
could not walk that well. Her father had been in an
accident and hurt his knee. As for her brother, while on
active duty serving our country, he lost his leg.
Like most people, your heart would ache for this
family. When asked if there was anything you could
do to help, the daughter asked if there was anything
you could do to bring them back together on the golf
course.
Here is my challenge – look at your facility and see
what services you have to offer to provide a golfer who
has a disability the opportunity to enjoy a day of golf.
Talk to your customers who may need some assistance
to see what they would like to have available. Then,
figure out how your facility could improve, from the
parking lot to the eighteenth hole.
You may already provide most of the things that
an individual with a disability would need-based on
zoning laws and the ADA (American with Disability
Act). Some suggestions may have an expense that you
will have to budget for, but most will have little to no
cost to you. In all cases, the rewards will be priceless.
In the scenario that I described, all of these individuals
have a walking and standing disability. I truly
believe that everyone would love to help this family
return to the game, and by doing so your facility would
increase its revenue. The best thing you could do is to
create a relationship with your disabled golfers and see
what they need. Encourage them to just visit the clubhouse.
With some time, they may start using the practice
facilities. One day they may transition to the course.
As managers, you have the ability to make the difference.
You may let them use the golf cart around the practice areas for little or no charge. When it
comes to the course, you may offer a flag on the cart
to designate that the golfer is allowed to leave the
path. In most cases, this is all that is needed to provide
access and keep pace of play.
Allowing the disabled golfer to get closer to the
tee box or greens will not hurt the grass. Educate the
golfer about ways to access the course and conditions.
In most cases, they will take care of the course better
than your regular users.
Here are a few suggestions that you can offer at
your facility. Have your instructors offer golf clinics on
and off the course for disabled and/or senior golfers.
Team up with therapists from local rehabilitation
centers or local disabled organizations. This type
of networking provides great resources, as well as
great marketing opportunities. There are also great
organizations that can offer you assistance in finding
information about a related disability. Just go online
and do a search, typing in the words disability and
golf, and you will find some great information. You
can also contact us at the United States Golf Managers
Association national office and we will get you in
contact with individuals who can help.
Ken Kramp is a USGTF contributing writer and long-time
Level III USGTF member. Ken is an amputee golfer, having
lost his leg to cancer. He has made a significant positive
impact on both disabled and non-disabled golfers.
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