Northwood Golf Club is off to a good start for 2020 even with the COVID pandemic. But competition and marketing will continue to be challenges
. During a recent presentation by management firm Green Golf Partners, Kyle Christian, General Manager-Head Golf Professional said the course is on track to turn around nearly two decades of losses. He says a key factor is this is the last year of an $80,000 payment on the clubhouse. He says the numbers have been above projection even with COVID...
"May we were budgeted to make $14,000 and made $47,000. We just got a rough draft for June. We budgeted $110,000 and we ended with $117,000. So that just shows the course with COVID is being used very well...."
Christian said long-term he's looking to make the course a bit easier. He says they're working to simplify the rate structure and keep them competitive with neighboring courses. He says membership has grown by 32 percent.
The Rhinelander common council wanted to find out more about what could be done to market their municipal course. Green Golf Partners CEO Matt McIntee says while the course is appealing to local trade, marketing must also be toward people from outside the area...
"It's more than 50 percent of the people who play that golf course are coming from somewhere else. We're pretty reliant on them. It does come down to the economics of supply and demand and what are the underlying demographics up here..."
McIntee says only about 18 percent of the population plays golf. He says the COVID outbreak has driven many people to return or try golf for exercise. McIntee says the task is to make this uptick sustainable.