It`s Question Time!

Despite my cheery chuckle at Phil Taylor`s pompous career claims, the break from the weekly Blog and the quieter time over the Festive Period allowed me to pragmatically reflect on the Season past whilst also contemplate this Seasons future.

As someone who is constantly trying to improve and evolve I`m forever analysing (…or probably over analysing!) the good, the bad and the ugly of what I do and how I do it. Whether that be the wellbeing of my Business, the Professional Services I provide, my health and my work life balance. All of which are unavoidably connected! There is also a seasonality factor of all the aforementioned aspects of my world. So whilst dissecting these last few years at Portlethen GC I unearthed some interesting numbers!!

1083 - Days the Professional Shop has been open for business. (361 Per Year)
160 - My Total Days Off/Holidays. (53 Per Year Avg)
30 - Work Related Courses/Seminars I`ve attended. (10 Per Year Avg)
70 - My Avg Hours Per Week (April - Oct)
40 - My Avg Hours Per Week (Nov - Mar)
26 - Members Fun Events/Company Demo Days I`ve put on. (8.5 Per Year Avg)
69 - Added Value or Money Saving Promotions I`ve run In-Store. (23 Per Year Avg)
663 - Competitions the Professional Shop has co-ordinated. (221 Per Year Avg)
31,500 - Players Scorecards the Professional Shop has had to Collate. (10,500 Per Year Avg)

So with the new Golf Season tip-toeing towards us (we are only 11 Weekends away from Opening Day) I`m looking for your feedback to help me shape my proposition to you as The Club Professional so I can improve my Services whilst at the same time perhaps streamline what we provide, what we do, and how we do it to be more efficient and proficient.

If you`ve got a few minutes and wouldn`t mind answering the following few questions that would be great. Beneath those you can read about a few ideas, initiatives and events that I`m thinking about trying to implement for this upcoming Season.

• In your eyes what does the Club Professional do?
• If not part of your answer above, what do you expect the Club Professional to do?
• Are you happy with the level of Services we provide?
• Are there any services you`d like to see us introduce?
• Are you happy with the level of Staff we carry?
• Are you happy with the level and range of Stock we provide?
• Is there anything we don`t stock (Brands or Products) that you think we should?

Click Here with your replies.

One of my main objectives is to always encourage ‘Community’ among the Club, whether that be creating events to bring Members together or just little things like humanising people more by using their photo alongside Competition Results & achievements rather than just a list of names and scores.

So on the ‘getting people’ together vein I am hoping to organise 2 MAD Trips!! That`s Members Away Day Trips! Ideally these would be Pre & Post Season to bookend the Golf Season. The first would be a weekend in March just prior to Opening Day, the second would be a Weekend at the end of October.

I`m looking into some potential venues that could allow us to play a Saturday Round, Overnight stay and a Sunday Round. Travel time would be under 2 Hours so Members would have the option of attending a single round on either day if that suited. Obviously I know Costs will be a deciding factor but, as for instance I have been offered a round on each Course of an excellent Links Club with Breakfast Rolls & Overnight Stay for under £100! Would something like this be of interested? – Click Here and let me know.

One of my main priorities however is to strengthen my business and ensure a more sustainable livelihood.

To that end I am hoping to create the following which I`ve christened my:

The short version is: You scratch my back – I`ll scratch yours!

Here is the more detailed version and how I envisage my ISP to work.

• To become an ‘I Support’ Partner all you need to do is Invest £100 into your Shop Account (This can be done as part of your first purchase)
• With that you will receive a Special ‘ISP’ Poker Chip Marker declaring you an ‘I Support’ Partner, 100 ISP Points and the choice of 1 of the following (FREE Custom Fit/Club Analysis Session – FREE Yardage Gapping Session – FREE 30 Minute Lesson)
• Thereafter, for every Full Ticket Price Purchase you make you will accumulate 1 Point for every Pound (You will receive 0.5 Points for any ‘Shop Reduced’ Ticket Price Purchase – *Manufacturer Promotions will qualify for as ‘Full Ticket Price’)
• Once you accumulate 500 ISP Points you will be entitled to one of the following rewards: A 45 Minute Golf Lesson - £25 Shop Credit – 1 Dozen Balls of Your Choice – HALF PRICE Re-Gripping.
• ISP Points accumulated over 500 can be ‘Cashed In’ at any time for the equivalent of 5p Per Point in Shop Credit.

If you can say ‘I Support’ my Professional – then ‘I Support’ you back!

All ISP Partners Accounts will be highlighted to track the Point Accumulation so it is important to note that if you are on the Loyalty Scheme and want any transactions to count towards your Point Total that you make whoever is serving you aware that you would like that sale against your account, for instance small purchase like Tees, Drinks, Confectionary, Hire Items, etc.

*PLEASE NOTE – This concept is still a work in progress and I am awaiting clarification from my EPOS Provider as to whether my System will be able to administer this Loyalty Scheme so won`t go ‘LIVE’ before 1st April if viable.

Unfortunately even if it does go ahead the Coffee Machine is excluded. I`m sure that won`t make any difference to the joker who keeps thinking he (or she!?) is so smart in continuing to use the Old Pound Coin to buy my Takeaway Drinks!! So heed this, I will be monitoring the payments usage extremely closely and will have no qualms about publicly exposing whoever it is.

If you really want to give me something old (hopefully not too old) then why not take advantage of this!? Not quite like the Car Industry but I thought I`d give you guys the chance to create some ‘Credit’ out of any unused Golf Equipment you have hoarded away.

If you bring any used but not too old Golf Equipment (Less than 8 Years old, Clubs & Trollies) I will give you a Trade In Value for them which you can Bank on your Account or use In-Store. (If I get the Green Light for the ‘I Support’ Program then YES of course you can use that money towards your Sign Up Payment! – This will not go ‘LIVE’ before 1st April though)

‘OUT with the Old and IN with the New!’ – So why not start this New Year with some New Gear – Everything Reduced To CLEAR!’

Here are a few examples:

- All Clothing HALF PRICE or LESS!
- Footoy Contour Shoes – ONLY £49! (That`s a £50 Saving!)
- Galvin Green Waterproof Suit – ONLY £220! (Yip, that`s Jacket & Trousers!)
- Waterproof Golf Bags – ONLY £99! (That`s a £100 Saving!)
- Waterproof & Outerwear Jackets – FROM ONLY £40! (Ladies & Gents)
- Club Crested Clothing – FROM ONLY £15! (Ladies & Gents)
- Club Crested Accessories – ALL HALF PRICE!
- Golfbuddy GPS – FROM ONLY £99!
- TaylorMade M1 Drivers – ONLY £229! (That`s a £200 Saving!)
- PING Putters – HALF PRICE! (That`s a £65 Saving!)

Well, I suppose the start to the PGA Tour Season was a little bit like my Sale – Out with the Old to make way for the New – But only if we were talking about the equipment these guys are using, because when it came to the performance of the Players there was a certain familiarity with the outcome!

Dustin Johnson proved he`s still the DJ that calls the tune out on Tour! Thanks in no small measure I`m sure to his new TaylorMade Driver he bombed his way around the Kapalua Course to an impressive 24 Under Par, 8 stroke victory.

As I mentioned last week all the TaylorMade Staffers were rolling out the new Range of Drivers & Fairways. With Dustin Johnson putting in a performance that was the TaylorMade Marketing Managers Dream! A Driving Masterclass from Big D was encapsulated by an almost Hole In One Albatross on a 433 Yard Par 4!

Dustin was pounding it miles and looked like he had it on a string, but he was heard a few times commenting on how he hadn`t quite hit it out the middle – again music to the ears of the R&D guys who came up with TaylorMade`s latest concept technology – TWIST FACE.

The technology that encourages off centre hits to fly straighter and further! Coming soon to Portlethen Pro Shop.