Issue
Effective communication is essential between a golf facility and its superintendent. Golfers are very interested in information about current course conditions, scheduled maintenance practices and any other factors that could affect how the course plays. If golfers do not have a clear channel to receive this information they may be caught by surprise, which can lead to frustration and the spread of inaccurate information.
Action
At the Country Club of Naples, Superintendent Bill Davidson, CGCS, utilizes a blog to keep golfers informed and up to date. Blogs were once considered valuable only for a select group of individuals with a devoted fan base. However, blogs quickly became an excellent way for superintendents to get accurate information into the hands of interested parties at a golf facility.
Davidson created his blog in 2009 to keep golfers informed about a major renovation project at the golf course. He posted weekly pictures of the project and the blog quickly developed an avid following among golfers at the facility. He learned that his blog posts were a tremendous education tool so he continued to provide regular updates after the renovation was complete.
New blog posts are emailed to golfers who choose to receive them so that they do not have to log onto a website to find updates. The posts are concise, informative and usually contain several pictures. The entire post can be created on the golf course with various smart phone applications, making it fast and easy to provide golfers with current information. Along with the shorter, more-frequent posts he also periodically posts a more in-depth discussion on a topic of interest.
Results
Davidson’s blog has been very well received. Golfers are happy that they can receive real-time information efficiently and effectively. Davidson is also able to provide accurate and up-to-date information to all golfers at one time rather than having the same conversation with various groups and potentially missing some golfers. He continually receives positive feedback from golfers about how much they learn through his blog posts.
Additional Resources