In an era of fast-evolving member expectations, golf clubs stand at a critical crossroads. Your club may not have the benefit of the traditional membership model (golf-focus) which is no longer sufficient to attract and retain dynamic, experience-seeking golfers.
As we step into 2025, successful golf courses and clubs must transform from mere sporting venues to comprehensive lifestyle destinations that offer cutting-edge experiences, personal growth opportunities, and holistic well-being.
I've selected five innovative member experiences that represent a different approach to golf club membership events. These experiences are designed to address the multifaceted desires of modern golfers—combining technology, wellness, skill development, family engagement, and personalized learning.
1. Mindfulness and Golf Performance Retreat
It will come to no suprise to your golf instruction team that mental performance has become the hidden differentiator in golf. It's always been used by the sport's elite, but becoming much more mainstream with everyday golfers.
Creating a mindfulness program goes far beyond traditional coaching by integrating sports psychology, meditation techniques, and advanced mental training. Think of a half-day or full day-work shop where members will work directly with specialized sports psychologists to:
- Develop personalized mental resilience strategies
- Learn meditation techniques specifically designed for golf performance
- Undergo biofeedback training to understand and control physiological responses during play
By addressing the psychological aspects of golf, you can offer your golf-centric members a unique approach to performance that recognizes golf as a mental game as much as a physical one.
Not to mention, this program is group-friendly.
GG POV: In an increasingly stressful world, golfers are seeking more than just physical skill development. A mindfulness program addresses the growing demand for mental wellness and performance optimization. By providing scientifically-backed mental training, you can meet the holistic health needs of golfers today who view golf as a form of mental and physical meditation.
2. Drone-Assisted Course Exploration and Coaching
This next example showcases the power of golf courses and clubs, which have the innate ability to bring together members who have niche interests (think book clubs, wine or bourbon tastings, etc.).
With drone photography being a common form of content for golfers today, there's likely a group of members who would love to learn and try this hobby for themself. This unique experience could provide your members with:
- A unique, hands-on experience led by an experienced drone photographer
- Opportunity to attract younger members to events who value technology
- Provide you with a wealth of content for your course marketing :)
In short, your golf course is an amazing visual asset - use it! So, whether it's drone photography or nature photography, you can uniquely use this asset to harness the interests and passions of your community in a new way.
GG POV: What I love about this is that it will demonstrate your club's commitment to innovate and go beyond the stereotypical interests of country clubs and their members. The modern club is a club for people of all interests to meet and form a community.
Imagine the reaction from a non-member who hears their friend say "I learned how to operate a drone at my country club." Now think about how your club just forged a brand new positioning in the non-member's brain to be so much more than just a country club.
3. Guest Chefs
New restaurants, up-and-coming chefs, and trending dishes are common topics in the conversation of your members, so why not bring those conversations to life at your course/club.
Introduce a guest chef experience. Invite these local chefs to host and create a night just for your members. No waiting for a reservation, and give them the ability to dine with their close friends at the club. Not to mention, you're giving them the social currency that they've had an experience with this buzz-worthy chef or culinary dish.
Why do I love this?
Members want to feel connected to something larger than themselves (which is one reason they joined your club).
Each meal becomes a journey:
- Ingredients sourced from local farms near the golf course
- Dishes that reflect the region's culinary heritage
- Chefs sharing personal stories behind each recipe
- Creating a narrative that extends beyond the plate
Modern members are lifelong learners who view experiences as personal growth:
- Understanding local agricultural practices
- Learning about sustainable food systems
- Connecting food to the landscape of golf
- Transforming dining from consumption to education
GG POV: By connecting food, local culture, and golf, you can create memorable experiences that extend far beyond the course, appealing to members who view the club as a lifestyle destination that is current and up-to-date on the latest trends in the area.
4. New Member/Family Golf Academies
When people think of country club memberships, I'd imagine the sport of golf (and their familiarity with it) is a primary inhibitor of membership.
As a club, if you recognize these new member roadblocks, and build platforms to assist in their onboarding, it can make the path to membership frictionless (or at least a little easier).
Let's think more about this type of event/offering...
Reduces New Member Anxiety
- Reduces anxiety about entering a new social environment
- Creates a welcoming, non-judgmental learning space
- Builds confidence through structured learning
- Removes the intimidation factor of traditional golf instruction
- Demystify golf rules and etiquette
- Build fundamental skills without pressure
- Create social connections with other new members
Family Integration
- Breaks down generational barriers to golf participation
- Creates shared family experiences
- Develops multi-generational learning opportunities
- Positions the club as a family-centric destination
Skill Development and Framework
- Provides clear, structured path to golf proficiency
- Offers scalable learning for different age groups
- Develops fundamental skills in a supportive environment
- Creates progressive learning modules
And these are just a few of the benefits, as I'd imagine there's quite a few more.
Recognizing that golf is a lifelong journey best shared with friends and family, creating an on-boarding clinic or academy for new members could be the perfect value-add to your new membership package.
5. Wellness Retreat Weekends
Modern athletes are rewriting the playbook on athletic performance, and your club can lead the charge for how people today think about their performance.
Gone are the days when golf/tennis instruction meant nothing more than a few tips and drills, a pat on the back, and a see you next week.
Today's golfers —whether weekend warriors or serious competitors—understand that true performance is a holistic journey combining physical training, mental resilience, nutritional science, and personalized strategy. However, normal people (including myself) don't know anything about how to do any of this.
Imagine a weekend where your golf or tennis performance is analyzed through cutting-edge biomechanical assessments, your nutrition is tailored specifically to optimize your athletic output, and your mental game is refined through sports psychology techniques.
Your instructors are creating:
- Comprehensive performance blueprints for your members
- Participants may undergo metabolic testing
- Receive personalized nutrition plans
- Engage in yoga and flexibility workshops designed specifically for their activity
- Learn stress management techniques that translate both on and off the course
- Social groups with like-minded members
What you're offering is more than a retreat—it's an event that bridges the gap in their understanding of how to improve in the chosen activity. In a world where professionals are constantly seeking ways to optimize their potential, these wellness retreats can provide your members with a supportive, and transformative experience.
You're not just helping them play better golf, but you may be improving the quality of their life, which may pay dividends in their loyalty to you, your staff, and the membership at large.
Investment in Experience
While I acknowledge these events require investment in technology, expertise, time, and infrastructure, the returns may extend far beyond immediate financial considerations.
Think about what you're building:
- Deeper member loyalty
- Enhanced club reputation
- Attraction of younger, tech-savvy members
- A differentiated market position
- Opportunities for recurring revenue streams
GG POV: I'm not saying these are ideas that every club can and should execute. The purpose of this week's newsletter is to challenge you to think outside of the box and consider the types of events that your evolving membership doesn't know is possible at your club yet. Surprise them. Try something new to uncover interests of your club that you didn't know existed.
One More Thing...
These experiences represent more than just additional club offerings—they signify a fundamental reimagining of what a golf club membership can be. There's ways to create a comprehensive course/club ecosystem that addresses physical skill, mental performance, family engagement, technological innovation, culinary exploration, and personal wellness.
By implementing these experiences, you're not just offering golf - you can provide a transformative lifestyle offering that grows with your members, adapts to their changing needs, and consistently delivers exceptional value.
As we look to 2025, your golf club is not just adapting to change - you should be the one leading it. These experience ideas (and other similar ideas) can represent your commitment to reimagining what a golf membership can be. As a leader at your course, part of your job is to create a dynamic, engaging, and forward-thinking community that celebrates golf as a sophisticated, multifaceted lifestyle.
Now, let's Grow Golf in 2025!
✍️ Give Us Some Feedback?
| How do you like this post so far? |
|
|
|
|
🆓 Social Media Calendar UPDATE for April
I've updated the Social Media Calendar for April 2025 - including a number of ideas for your course or club to execute for The Masters this April. If you haven't download it yet, it's right here for you. Click to Download
Back in Two Weeks
That's it for Newsletter No. 8. I hope it served as a motivator for 2025, and to challenge yourself to think about the events at your club in 2025.
REMINDER: No CONTENT of the WEEK this week. I'm on vacation next week until December, and plan to spend this time with my family, and of course, watch some football.
Anyone watching The MATCH next week? I'm team Bargatze/Griffin.
As always, if you see any standout golf course marketing content on your social feeds, go ahead and tag us, DM us, or shoot us a note at hello@growgolf.co If you send us some content that gets featured, I'll be sure to give you a special shoutout!
As always, thanks for being part of Grow Golf. See you next week.
-Rich
ICYMI
Miss a week? Here's a list of Grow Golf's most recent newsletters:
