Story, Kevin and Bronkey, Tam - Practice + Operation 36
Property: Eagle Crest Resort
Location: Redmond, OR
Program Contact: Kevin Story and Tam Bronkey
Contact Phone/Email: 541-504-3877
Name of PD Program: Practice + Operation 36
Type of PD Program: Adult Beginner
Details of Program
We are reaching golfers that have likely gone through our 8 week Academy Semesters and want to retain the instruction along with practice habits they have developed. Our target has been primarily women and to date we have registered over 30 into this Practice Plus program. The overall commentary has been that this program has allowed students to retain and implement comprehensive practice plans that make the most sense and are time-efficient.
- Keep Academy Students Engaged
- Provide Relationship build with students
- Grow Ladies participation
- Social Interaction and Skills development
Results of Program
This program is part of our Operation 36 platform. In Operation 36, students can track their progress with a personal login. Students commonly post items such as practice sessions or on-course information. As coaches, we also have an online portal with Operation 36 that allows us to closely interact with our students. Examples of coaches tracking are numerous (e.g. strokes gained, rank ups, awarding badges, etc) and since all are using the Operation 36 platform the data points are easy to document, understand and interpret.
Total Revenue Generated
The results have been outstanding. The curriculum is followed, customized practice plans are implemented, and drills/games are recommended. The 8 week approach ensures that every area of the game is addressed and accounted for. Long-term, we encourage students to remain in our Academy setting and continue to invest appropriately into their golf games. With over 30 students we have added close to 5k to our Academy revenue in 2019.
As mentioned, the addition of this program added 5k to our revenue. Several students have added club purchases as we learned their current clubs were not fitted correctly or didn't fit their personal characteristics. In any event, with this Practice Plus program we have implemented a cost effective option that has helped us retain students and also introduce our Academy to others.
Recommendations
Our recommendation is to adapt a long-term approach to coaching rather than merely give lessons. This approach helps us consistently engage our players, assess accurately their improvement, and adds revenue. The student gets a comprehensive approach, learns to practice properly, receives a much lower cost per session, and receives constant interaction with their coach(es). It's a win-win for everyone and we really appreciate receiving this grant to help us achieve a vision for our Golf Academy!