At Hallbrook Country Club in Leawood, Kansas, 2022 marked a shift toward innovative marketing strategies to reach a broader range of members —including both golfers and non-golfers. Leveraging weekly emails, Instagram posts and a monthly video newsletter provided to be effective in promoting golf shop sales and events.
However, Kyle Capps, the 2022 and 2023 Midwest PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year for private facilities, has elevated the club’s marketing efforts even more by integrating technology like E-Z-GO Pace GPS screens on golf cars and digital screens on cardio equipment in the fitness center.
The GPS screens on the club’s new fleet of golf cars target golfers directly. As players finish their rounds on the 18th green, a screen displays high- lights of the latest merchandise arrivals, encouraging them to visit the golf shop. Similarly, fitness center treadmill screens showcase weekly updates on new apparel and promotions, effectively introducing social and tennis members to the shop’s myriad offerings.
“This approach ensures that members who aren’t regular golfers are still engaged with the club’s retail operations,” Capps says. “Going beyond that, we’ve also diversified shop inventory to connect with the varied lifestyles of Hallbrook members.”
With the average member playing approximately 40 rounds annually, providing apparel for the other 325 days a year became a focal point. Featuring brands like lululemon, Faherty, Rhone and Tasc, the shop now offers hoodies, joggers, leggings, tennis skirts and more, catering to both men and women.
“It has paid off significantly,” says Capps. “Over the past year, sales to social and tennis members have doubled (specific tennis displays are pictured), and the number of non-golfing members making purchases has risen by 70 percent.”
By expanding inventory beyond traditional golf attire and using creative marketing platforms, Hallbrook has grown its customer base and achieved a substantial revenue increase ($450,000 to $1.2 million in three years), proving that engaging all segments of the membership is a winning strategy.
