Finding a golf club that is the right fit for you goes far beyond the quality of the course.
With so many options now available, ranging from social clubs to full club memberships, golfers truly are spoilt for choice when it comes to accessing golf in Australia. With that comes intense competition between clubs to convince the punter that their club is better than the one down the road, and we are now seeing the club with the most to offer snagging the most members.
Of course, as with most golf clubs, food and beverage and corporate events tend to be the focus of these additional non-golf revenue streams. While this is a necessary evil, resources should also be directed to services that enhance the health and wellbeing of the membership base.
In the past couple of years, we have seen a trend in Australian golf clubs towards investment in areas other than golf. Clubs are building world-class gyms, tennis courts, pools and many other facilities, ultimately turning their club into a destination for the golfer and their family, and doing so with great success.
Now, it’s all very well to splash some cash on an amazing facility, but a facility is only as good as the services offered.
Some examples of services that a club that invests in health and wellbeing facilities are group exercise programs such as yoga, pilates and aqua-based classes, one-on-one strength and conditioning, high-performance programs and a healthy nutrition offering to complement these. By delivering these types of services, there is a significant benefit to both the member and the golf club. The members become healthier, fitter and are more likely to play better golf. The club benefits through increased member engagement and satisfaction, resulting in extended tenure, as well as increased revenue opportunities from memberships and food and beverage.
Golf is a very time-consuming sport and clubs that allow members to find the balance between social and physical health, as well as family interaction and entertainment, are the clubs that are really thriving in today’s ultra-competitive market.
So when deciding on what golf club you’ll call home, choose the club that is committed to enabling you to be the best version of yourself, on and off the fairways.
*With nearly 20 years’ experience as a player, Oliver Yourn’s interests now lie in helping other golfers achieve their goals through specialist golf fitness programs and training. As a strength and conditioning coach, he has worked with Asian Tour and tier 1 Australasian Tour professionals. See FitGolf.com.au for more.
Read on for more Healthy Golfer tips from Oliver Yourn and Australian Golf Digest.