Case Study: Dolphin Head Golf Club
Club Details
18-hole semi-private golf club in Hilton Head, SC. The club operates three private days (Tues/Thurs/Sat) and the balance of the tee sheet is sold as a daily fee course. Brown Golf has a long-term lease and owns the cash flow of dolphin head.
Period Evaluated
- Nov 2019 to March 2020
- Nov 2020 to March 2021
*This was a timeframe that we felt mitigated the Covid Impact on data while also understanding that the first GolfBack booking engines began being installed in October of 2020.
Underlying Question
Did the club’s overall total green & cart revenue grow as a result of eliminating relationships with third parties and building a direct booking channel to the club’s website?
What was tested?
The club installed GolfBack as it is the preferred booking engine on its club website. This booking engine was branded to the club and created a direct booking platform. The club then removed its inventory from other third-party platforms while utilizing all the GolfBack featured tools.
The Goal
To utilize GolfBack’s strategies and functionality to move online golfers back into direct channels, optimize profitability, and increase the overall collection of key customer data attributes.
What was reviewed?
We evaluated the total impact of:
- Website rounds & revenue
- GolfNow rounds & revenue
- Total online rounds & revenue
- Total green & cart fee revenue ***The most important metric by far***
The Results
| Date | Total Online Rounds | Total Online Revenue | APR |
|---|---|---|---|
|
11/1/2019 – 3/31/2020 |
1,141 |
$56,488 |
$49.51 |
|
11/1/2020 – 3/31/2021 |
3,103 |
$163,709 |
$52.76 |
| Date | Total Green & Cart Fee Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
|
11/1/2019 – 3/31/2020 |
$319,044 |
|
|
11/1/2020 – 3/31/2021 |
$414,599 |
|
Summary
The full results are in the attached excel spreadsheet. Total green & cart fees for the club grew $95,554.17 over the same lookback period in the prior year. Dolphin Head was able to substantially increase its online footprint, drive profitability, increase website stats, and grow its database while maintaining 100% of the club’s margin for online green & cart fee revenue.
