HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAP 2014-11-25 Item 2 - Discussion - Foster Golf Course Marketing Plan Update / Draft 15-Year Capital Improvement ProgramTO:
City of Tukwila
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
Mayor Haggerton
Community Affairs & Parks
FROM:E Rick Still, Parks and Recreation Director
BY: Dave Johnson, Recreation Superintendent
DATE: November 17, 2014
SUBJECT: Foster Golf Links — Marketing Plan Update
ISSUE
Provide an update to the Committee on the Foster Golf Links (FGL) Marketing Plan and draft
15 -year Capital Improvement Plan.
BACKGROUND
In November 2013, staff presented information on ways to increase revenue at Foster Golf
Links, including a Marketing Plan. In April 2014, we provided a follow -up. This memo and
attachments provide an update on the status of those efforts along with a draft of a 15 -year
Capital Improvement Program.
DISCUSSION
Staff has looked at ways to increase revenue, which includes a number of different methods
including: Implement an updated Action Plan; Lengthen the golf season; and Improve golf
course playability.
Staff has worked to implement the Action Plan which includes programs to retain and
strengthen our core golfers, and also includes strategies to engage lapsed golfers and create
new golfers. Attachment A shows the Plan and it's progress.
Staff has also prepared a draft 15 -year Capital Improvement Program (Attachment B) that
outlines course improvements and equipment replacement based on life expectancy.
RECOMMENDATION
Discussion only.
ATTACHMENT
A. Foster Golf Links — Action Plan
B. Foster Golf Links draft 15 -year CIP
1
Attachment A
Foster Golf Links - 2014 Action Plan
The vision of Foster Golf Links (FGL) is to develop a golf facility that creates a welcome environment and
is a source of pride to the Tukwila community.
The purpose of this action plan is to identify key ways to increase revenue through maximizing
participation. By utilizing a mix of strategies and tools we can develop a targeted approach to increasing
participation at FGL by each of these key user groups:
Strategy 1: Retain and Strengthen Our Core
Strategy 2: Engage Lapsed Golfers
Strategy 3: Attract New Customers
Strategy 4: Course Playability (new)
In order to increase overall participation, FGL needs to create awareness of its value within its core
customer base, and then build that awareness outward into the regional golf community where we can
engage the lapsed golfer and attract new golfers to our product.
In order to accomplish this, FGL must develop an action plan that focuses on collecting customer data
and streamlining systems in the winter months, and shifts to actively marketing opportunities as we move
into the high season in May. This will allow FGL to be ready to take on the new business it is sure to
attract with a well - planned strategy to market to each of the key user groups. All the while, FGL is looking
to improve the playability conditions of the course.
3
Strategy 1: Retain and Strengthen our Core
Retaining and strengthening our core will be our top priority. According to the National Golf Foundation
(NGF), the core golfers, those who play more than 8 times a year, account for 57% of all golfers. More
impressively, these golfers account for 94% of rounds played and money spent on industry related
products and services. In addition, their greatest asset to any facility is their ability to serve as
ambassadors for the facility and the game of golf. Statistics show that it takes 20 new golfers to replace
the loss of one core golfer.
As with most municipal golf courses, FGL relies heavily on our core customers. At FGL we have
approximately 3,500 core customers. To further engage our core customers and to further increase
participation, we will implement a Customer Loyalty Program by offering a FGL Rewards Card. By
providing our core customers with discounts, hosting exclusive events, special sales and creating a more
communal atmosphere, FGL will reward our core customers.
UPDATE
In its first year, the Customer Loyalty Program yielded 362 participants and over $7,000 in revenue. We
anticipate some moderate changes to the program for 2015 to make better use of our sZen POS system.
4
Strategy 2: Engage Lapsed Golfers
According to the NGF, 90 million Americans describe themselves as lapsed golfers. Those lapsed golfers
offer several reasons for "leaving" the game. Money, time, the difficulty of the game, and family are the
reasons most cited.
By its own design, FGL is a great facility to re- engage the lapsed golfer. FGL recognizes that the primary
audience for our facility is the beginning to intermediate golfer that is looking for a fun, walk -able course.
Professionals agree that the more rounds someone plays, the more likely they are to keep playing, work
on their game, and invest in new equipment.
Strategies to engage lapsed golfers include:
1. Utilize existing systems to capture data to analyze frequency of play.
Currently FGL utilizes 3 different systems for different data functions:
o Golf Now - on -line tee time booking and marketing to the regional golf market.
o Cybergolf - hosting of FGL website and also allows for online tee time bookings.
o sZen — point of sale transactions and as a customer data tool.
2. Utilize the collected data to specifically market the PGA's "Get Golf Ready" program.
Get Golf Ready (GGR) — is a group lesson package offered at an affordable rate. In order to
promote this program, we will utilize the national marketing platform to reach the regional golf
community, and develop specific marketing promotions, such as email blasts and social media, to
our e-Club members, Rewards Card members and Billy Baroo's customers.
➢ Besides the lesson revenue stream created from the GGR program, what we are really
trying to cultivate is a long term relationship with the golfer. The GGR graduate has been
shown to have an 80% retention rate and will spend nearly $1,000 annually at the facility.
3. Develop specialized programs and packages for market segments.
Specialized programs could include a mix of packages and events such as:
o Opportunities to improve their game through individual and group instruction;
o Opportunities for socialization through play and dine events; and
o Opportunities for competitive play through leagues and tournaments that match up
appropriate skill levels.
Women golfers, senior /retiree golfers, youth and families are just a few of the market segments
we would target with specialized programming.
UPDATE
Through the use of the above systems, we have access to a customer data base to over 56,000 golfers.
By using these tools, we have been able to broadcast weekly or 1 -time specials to fill gaps in the tee
sheet, segment or target market to a certain group (i.e. promote a weather update to those that play in
Wednesday leagues), and are beginning to look at individual spending and playing trends and ways to
market towards that. An example of how we've put this to work is our "12th Man Special ". The excitement
that comes with the Seahawk success has had a serious impact on our rounds played on game days. On
their first Sunday game in September (an absolutely beautiful day), we had 2 paid rounds during the 3+
hours. Staff took this challenge as a marketing opportunity. Through our databases and using Social
Media, we promoted our $12 Special. As a result of that, we have had over 50 rounds in each of the 3
subsequent game days.
Using this data, we were also able to market and promote the PGA's Get Golf Ready" program. In 2014,
we hosted 35 new golfers in this program and anticipate this to grow in 2015 and beyond.
5
Strategy 3: Attract New Golfers
1. Increasing youth access to golf is very important. With that in mind we will be working on the
following initiatives to promote golf to youth in Tukwila:
a. Develop a Junior Golf Academy program. The Academy will focus on developing interested
and motivated junior golfers through a system of instructional clinics, camps and competitive
play among golfers of similar skill level. The Academy will have a tiered system to identify
and cultivate all levels of junior golfers.
• Beginning and intermediate players begin in the camps and enjoy limited time on
the golf course. Once they show that they are capable of playing at an acceptable
pace, understand the rules and etiquette, and are motivated to better themselves
they will be moved up accordingly.
• Advanced players will compete against their peers to bring out the best in their golf
play. By doing this, a stable of players competing in Washington State Golf
Association events, high school golf and beyond.
b. Develop a Golf Specialty Camp. Work closely with the Recreation Division staff to develop a
golf camp to be included in their summer specialty camp program. The program can be a
stand -alone golf camp, or it could be integrated into the existing summer day camp program.
2. Tournaments are a great revenue source and opportunity to develop new customers. In order to
increase tournament and league participation we will:
a. Develop a downloadable tournament package on the FGL website. This will allow each
league and tournament to have their own site to promote their event. It also will allow us to
collect valuable player data which can be used to reach out to golfers who do not generally
frequent FGL.
b. Develop an outreach plan. FGL will develop a plan to outreach to local businesses,
community organizations, and networking groups including, but not limited to:
• FGL Men's and Ladies Clubs
• Billy Baroo's patrons and eClub members
• Seattle Southside Visitor Services — area hotel guests
• Rotary Club members
• Southwest King County Chamber — member businesses & organizations
• Starfire Sports — patrons and facility visitors
3. The development of specialized programs and market segments, as noted previously in Strategy 2,
could also be utilized to attract new golfers to FGL.
UPDATE
FGL had over 25 juniors participate in our beginner youth camps this year. We also participated in the
inaugural PGA Jr. Golf League which allows us to field junior golf teams to compete against neighboring
golf courses. Our first ever specialty camp provided an introduction of the sport of golf to 200 campers
through the Camp Tukwilly program in the Recreation Division.
While staff are currently working on the tournament package information for the website, there has been a
lot of focused outreach to a variety of organizations. Staff have forged a great relationship and
partnership with the Men's and Ladies' Clubs, and Billy Baroo's in cross - promoting services. We have
worked to get FGL added into the Southwest King County Chamber's Business Directory. With the
introduction of FootGolf (see below), we partnered with Starfire Sports on a marketing agreement.
FGL was the 1st course in King County and 2nd in Washington to incorporate a new program, FootGolf, on
June 7t". FootGolf is a combination of Soccer and Golf. We partnered with Starfire Sports to market and
promote in addition to using our existing database and social media tools. It was also featured on the
cover of Inside Golf magazine, was a feature story on the cover of the Tukwila Reporter, and an article
written in Tiempo Deporte. FGL has hosted a number of youth teams, the Seattle Reign women's pro
team, and the Emerald City Supporters — The Seattle Sounders supporters group held a 90- person
FootGolf tournament following by a Sounders viewing party at Billy Baroo's. This soon -to -be annual
event was their largest fundraiser in their history.
6
We incorporated 18 holes of FootGolf onto the front 9 of the course. With limited tee time availability,
FootGolf at FGL has logged over 1,000 rounds of play in 2014. Revenue from FootGolf, including
merchandise and ball /cart rental exceeds $18,000.
The vast majority of FootGolfers that have played have never set foot onto FGL before. FootGolf at FGL
is a great example of increasing access to recreation opportunities.
7
STRATEGY 4: Improve Course Playability
Participation Trends
While the number of rounds played overall in the United States has declined in recent years, rounds
played at FGL have steadily remained above the national average.
The factors that influence golf participation include:
• Course condition
• Weather playability
• Customer service
As shown by the image below, participation at FGL is highest during the months of May through
September. This can be attributed to better weather, the return of "snowbirds ", and the beginning of the
league play season. During the shoulder seasons (March, April and October) participation levels are
heavily affected by the playability of the course which is impacted by weather. In the low season
(November — February), participation on the course is primarily from our core customer.
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UPDATE
One of the major challenges the golf course faces during the rainy season is the "softness" of the
course. FGL is a riverside course and with that charm also comes the reputation for being a wet course
in the winter. After multiple days of precipitation, the course becomes too wet to mow the fairways and
maintain the facility to our high standards. With the wet surface and tall grass the playing conditions
become less than desirable. This year, we began a long -term commitment to drying out the golf course
with our aeration program. The new Core Aerator allows us to begin a topdressing program to keep the
course healthy and more playable in the early spring and late fall and create a better environment under
the playing surface. By aerating the tee boxes, fairways, and trouble areas we create space for better
drainage and growing conditions. Immediate results can already be seen on the areas which have
already been aerated through the spring and summer. Tee boxes and green surrounds are much
heathier and drier. We will continue to work on this program to help lengthen future playing seasons.
Before
8
After
With our "core golfer" inventory depleting during the winter months, we have to do our best to retain those
golfers that are willing to brave the elements. One of the biggest issues we face is golfer dissatisfaction
in the amount of golf balls they lose as they plug in the soft turf. Once again we met this challenge with a
unique solution. Earlier in the year, the maintenance staff came upon several boxes of "lost golf balls"
that had been stored on their shelves for the last 10 years. We offered a few of these golf balls to each of
those that played through the wet conditions. The response was overwhelmingly positive. "Never heard
of a golf course doing this before ", "Really ?! ", "Wow, that is really nice ", were just a few of the responses
we heard during that 10 day period. It really helped mitigate the customer's perception to the
conditions. It also allowed them to leave with a "wow" moment from their Foster experience.
Foster continues to adapt to the weather conditions. After nearly a month of daily rain, we are now faced
with the next challenge...frost delays. Those beautiful cloud -free nights with temperatures 36 and below
are not fantastic for the golf course. Frost can be a mortal enemy to grass. Grass is almost all water, at
the right temperature the water in the grass cells freeze and form "frozen dew" on the blades. If you were
to walk on the grass blades while they are in this state, the blade would shatter and over the next 48 -72
hours the grass would become brown wherever someone had stepped.
In addition to the winter month sunlight opportunities, the end of daylight savings time, and now morning
frost delays we have had a serious impact to our tee time inventory. Recently, the starting tee times for
that given week were 9am — 9am — 7am — 11am. We will continue to look for opportunities during this
newest challenge.
9
1 0
Attachment B
15 -year CIP
FGL has several greens that have been in use since the course was built in 1925. While nostalgic, the
greens are not built to modern standards — they have a poor root system, don't drain well, and are not
very smooth. In addition to contributing to soft playing conditions, the older greens require more
maintenance time and resources to provide a surface the meets the expectations of the golfers. Over the
next 15 years, FGL will be re- building 6 greens and their surrounding areas, rebuilding bunkers to
improve drainage and playability, and replacing lifespan capital items such on pond liner, water heater,
etc.
We have incorporated this into the proposed 2015 -16 budget and beyond.
11
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Comments
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Project
'CAPITAL BUDGET
Pond Liner
PVI Boiler
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Drainage pump #18 fairway
River irrigation pump
Irrigation pump /panel - pond
Cart Barn Heater
Weather Station
Exterior Painting
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