Golf Course Marketing Plan Services

The Vendor is required to provide consulting services in order to evaluate the current financial and operational marketing practices at the golf facility as compared to the golf industry’s best management practices in operating an “open to the public” municipal golf course.
- Provide the basic facts and data necessary to generate a report that addresses future marketing investment recommendations, reviews current operational data with specific recommendations for marketing changes to meet industry best practices for municipal golf courses, enhance the service level and that assesses the effectiveness of the future marketing programs.
- The consultant will:
•    Evaluate the future viability and profitability of golf course. 
•    Conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of the golf facilities as outlined and specified below in the work plan. 
•    Provide an overview of the current national and local golf market including demographics and a summary review of the competition. 
•    Provide an analysis of the food and beverage operations to include maximizing the profit and guest satisfaction of the grill. 
•    This includes how many weddings are booked annually as well as maximizing any banquet usage through tournaments and local groups. 
•    Provide recommended course(s) of action to increase exposure in local and non-local areas. 
•    Provide recommendations regarding strategic initiatives that would be beneficial towards formulating a 10-year golf marketing plan. 
•    Provide an analysis of current rates, passes, trail fees, discounts and primetime tee times and recommend any changes.
•    Present an executive summary and supporting documentation of the recommendations to the leadership team. 
•    Compare resident vs. non-resident rounds and provide an analysis.
- Work plan
1. Financial analysis of golf operations
•    Conduct a review of current rate structures and pass holder levels. 
•    Assess how fees, fee structures and pass holder levels may be modified to maximize revenue streams. 
•    Provide opportunities or recommend changes to strategically implement rate and pass holder structure changes. 
•    Identify financial goals and objectives that the golf leadership team should expect to achieve in formulating a 10-year marketing plan.
2. Golf course asset analysis
•    Evaluate the physical assets (buildings) of the golf facilities. 
•    Identify strengths and weaknesses of each facility with recommendations for improvements that provide for a welcoming atmosphere for users and guests of the golf courses. 
•    Evaluate the equipment assets of the golf facilities. 
•    Identify optimal and any excess level, of equipment necessary to adequately maintain the quality of the course play. 
•    Identify strengths and weaknesses of participating in an equipment fund, a leasing program or a combination of both. 
•    Provide opportunities and recommendations that optimize asset values and minimize equipment maintenance expenses. 
•    Identify strengths and weaknesses of the golf facilities in relation to the “public value” local market. 
•    Provide opportunities and recommendations on course conditioning and maintenance practices that the city may consider that would change the market segment of some or all the golf courses to “public premium”. 
•    Provide strategic recommendation that the city may consider in developing a 10-year master plan.
3. Golf course management analysis
•    Golf course hours of operation 
•    Customer service practices
•    POS system and integration 
•    Tee time reservation system and integration 
•    Course policies and procedures 
•    Staff analysis including optimal staffing levels, roles, responsibilities and training 
•    Evaluate the benefits and detriments of existing or potentially new league play programs including marketing and services offered or needed 
•    Evaluate benefits and detriments of golf school and instructional programs including review of existing programs, profitability and opportunities for additional services. 
•    Determine the opportunity to host tournaments including marketing and services needed, benefits of hosting as well as cost expected to be incurred. 
•    High school and collegiate golf programs including marketing and services offered 
•    Complete a comprehensive analysis of historical golf rounds and benchmark the golf facilities performance to like industry facilities and competing facilities within the local market that share a similar rate structure. 
•    Analyze historical daily play including utilization rates as they pertain to the day of the week and time of the day. 
•    Provide an in-depth analysis benchmarking performance to like industry facilities and competing facilities within the local market that share a similar rate structure and compare to industry best practices. 
•    Daily green fee rate structures - peak, non-peak, and prime times. 
•    Season pass rates structure 
•    Cart rental rate and private cart trail fees structures 
•    Program rate structures - including leagues and lessons 
•    Tournament rate structure 
•    Miscellaneous service and rental rate structure 
•    Current specials rates (veterans seniors)
•    Prime time tee time rates including Monday through Friday rates and weekend rate differentials 
•    Resident vs. non-resident rounds on an annual basis 
•    The possible reduction of existing rates to simplify them 
•    Analyze pro shop operations and procedures at the golf facilities and benchmark to like industry facilities and competing facilities within the local market that share similar rate structures and compare to industry best practices. 
•    This analysis shall include, but is not limited to the following: 
•    Selection, adequacy, quality and appropriateness of the resale merchandise provided at the facilities, including both hard and soft goods 
•    Pricing strategies for resale golf merchandise 
•    Inventory procedures and controls of resale golf merchandise 
•    Display, rotation and appearance of resale golf merchandise 
•    Management decisions on promotions, sales and clearances of resale golf merchandise 
•    Review procedures that ensure resale merchandise is being purchased at lowest possible cost that meets industry best practices for municipal golf courses 
•    Analyze food and beverage operations and procedures at the golf facilities and benchmark to like industry facilities and competing facilities within the local market that share similar rate structures and compare to industry best practices. 
•    This analysis shall include, but is not limited to the following: 
•    Daily operational practices, including policies and procedures that pertain to the safe serving of food and beverages and minimize spoilage 
•    Hours of operation vs. revenue earned
- Marketing analysis
•    Provide an overview of the current golf market including demographic trends and how they impact the local golf industry. 
•    Provide analysis on opportunities to grow market share, revenues, and provide different and alternative programming based on local demographic trends. 
•    Provide an overview of key competitors in the state market including benchmarking key results from the golf course operations to similar municipal golf operations. 
•    Provide analysis on opportunities to increase revenues, or provide different and alternative programming bases that takes advantage of local industry demands and grows market share. 
•    Evaluate current marketing strategies and procedures at the golf course and benchmark to like industry facilities and competing facilities within the local market that share similar rate structures and compare to industry best practices for a municipal golf course.
- Recommendations for golf marketing plan
•    Continued operation of the golf facilities as they currently exist within the local “public value” market 
•    If deemed appropriate, recommended changes of current golf facilities. 
•    Strategic changes to the golf course that allows for a mixture of “public value” and “public premium” course that will improve the financial viability and profitability of the facility. 
•    Identify strategies to increase profitability of the facilities while maintaining or improving the quality of services and course conditions without adding additional wear and tear. 
•    Identify potential future issues and opportunities at the golf facility with specific recommendations that address preventative measures that may be undertaken that help us to market our course. 
•    Minimize issues from occurring and recommendations that capitalize on potentially identified opportunities at the facility. 
•    Provide in-depth analysis of recommendations that establishes a strategic year by year schedule that produces a 10-year golf marketing plan. 
•    The plan shall include descriptive in-depth recommended changes in facility assets, service levels, and programming with current costs identified for those recommended changes that include inflationary cost adjustments based on the future year recommendations. 
•    Provide pro forma financial analysis that would support all recommendations to be incorporated into a 10-year golf marketing plan. 
•    Include cash flow analysis as well as cost and benefit analysis for revenue enhancement and cost saving recommendations. 
•    The city recognizes that the consultant cannot guarantee the results of their recommendations; however, the city insists that any and all recommendations be supported by reasonable and verifiable data and analysis.