In every business, gathering information and measuring metrics are keys to business intelligence. Knowing the current state of the business helps to develop goals and activities to move the business forward. The same can be said for golf ranges. And since no two ranges are the same, how does a club or course know if they are maximizing the potential for the range?
This is very important because costly resources such as labor and diesel, and equipment are used to maintain the area. The return on the space should be, at the very least, a willingness to do more with a range than simply warming up before a golf round. The range is a business area and thus should be treated as such.
How does a range develop business intelligence? The first step is gathering statistics. With Range Servant and GolfMore, key metrics such as (1) revenue (2) balls dispensed (3) most used payment type (4) busiest days and times of day, and (5) opportunities for improvement.
Let us take the example of a Swedish Golf Club, with 25 bays. During the month of June, this club had the following metrics:
- 150 000 SEK
- 200 000 balls dispensed
- Credit Card most preferred payment type with 65%
- Busiest Day: Saturday
- Opportunity Day: Friday
- Busiest Time: 5:00 – 6:00 PM
- Opportunity Time: 7:00 – 8:00 PM
What could a range do with the information above?
Depending on the club’s goals, here are a few examples of how to use business intelligence to improve operations.
- Price strategy. Is the range meeting the revenue goals?
- Golf ball quality. If the range is hitting 1,000,000 balls per season, is the quality holding up?
- Can the club develop partnerships with financial institutions to create the best deals for members?
- Can the club use the busiest days and times to promote other business areas, such as the pro-shop or restaurant? Is there a way to create interest?
- Should the club use opportunity days to drive traffic or scheduled maintenance? Sometimes, the quiet times are perfect for other jobs that improve the range of experience. Knowing these will reduce conflict in other areas so that total balls dispensed, and revenue can be maximized.
There are many other ways to improve the experience of the range, but it always starts with the current situation. Knowing where your range is now will create the foundation to move the range in the desired direction.
Read more about GolfMore here.
