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How to Tell Your Course's Story
Published about 1 year ago • 7 min read
Newsletter No. 7 | November 12, 2024
Telling Your Course's Story
In last week's Content of the Week, I highlighted how Portrush Golf Club historical content caught my eye and why its important to share this content as part of your content strategy. This got me thinking - why don't more golf clubs show their past?
Is it because they feel their course's history isn't significant enough?
Are they lacking the records and archives needed to properly document the past?
Or are they simply too new, with a history that hasn't had time to take root and blossom?
If you find yourself in any of these scenarios, then this week's newsletter is for you.
I'm going to share strategies for uncovering, crafting, and sharing your course's history in a way that captivates golfers and gives your marketing a powerful boost to gain credibility and standout more amongst your competition.
By the end, you'll understand why a well-told historical narrative is a valuable asset in your promotional toolkit. So let's dive in and explore how you can start highlighting your course's unique past to attract more players in the present.
So, let's get to it - Let's Grow Golf.
In this week's newsletter: → 📖 Telling the Story of your Golf Course → ✍️ Give Us Some Feedback → 📅 This Week's Social Holidays → 🆓 ICYMI Download: Grow Golf Holiday Event Checklist
📖 How to Tell Your Course's Story
Highlighting your golf course’s history can connect golfers with your brand on a deeper level, showcasing its legacy, personality, and appeal. Even if you think your course doesn't have "history", if you read this article, I guarantee you'll think of some ways you can start to tell your course's story better.
1. Craft a Compelling Narrative
To bring your course’s history to life, go beyond just listing dates and events. Craft a compelling narrative that speaks to the character, values, and transformation of the course over the years.
Here’s how:
Identify Key Themes: Every club has unique aspects that set it apart. Identify the themes that matter most, whether it’s “commitment to excellence" or “family tradition".
Humanize the History: Include stories about the founder, the course designer, early players, and staff. Show how they were passionate about golf or how they impacted the local community. Share anecdotes that make your course’s history relatable and memorable.
Feature Milestones: Present significant moments, like course expansions, famous players visiting, or historic tournaments. Use these events to underscore how the course has evolved with the times.
GG POV: When I was producing golf features at Golf Channel, we always showcased any unique or memorable history that took place at the featured course. We typically led with it, as it helped set the scene, and bring importance to what topic we were about to showcase. Remember, historical significance establishes credibility.
2. Use Visual Storytelling
Photos, Videos, and Artifacts Incorporate visual elements that bring the history to life:
Archival Photos: Old photos of the course, its staff, and its players add authenticity. Display changes in landscape or clubhouse renovations through “then-and-now” visuals to highlight your course’s evolution.
Historical Videos or Clips: If you have access to old video footage, integrate clips into your website or social media. This could be tournament highlights, construction of the course, or interviews with notable players who have visited.
Memorabilia Displays: If your clubhouse has trophies, old scorecards, or original course design plans, showcase these. A small museum area can also serve as a unique attraction for visitors and members alike.
3. Highlight Signature Course Elements
Features Every course has distinct features that make it memorable. This could be a famous hole, an old tree, or a certain aspect of the landscape.
Here’s how to showcase these:
Tell the Backstory of Signature Holes: Maybe your course has a “devilishly difficult” hole with a story behind it, or perhaps it’s where a famous golfer made a memorable shot. Detail its origins and evolution, and share tips on playing it.
Natural Landmarks: If your course has any distinctive natural elements (e.g., an ancient oak, water hazard, or iconic bunker), trace their history. This provides a sense of connection with nature and reinforces the timeless quality of the course.
GG POV: Every course has a signature element.If you don't have one, I'm afraid you may be too close to it to see it. Ask your customers what they think of first when your course comes to mind, ask what their favorite holes is, etc.
4. Host Historical Events and Tours Hosting special events or tours centered around your course’s history can engage members and visitors while keeping the past alive.
Consider:
Historical Walk-through Tours: Take golfers through a guided tour around the course to showcase key historical areas or milestones. Include fun facts, historical anecdotes, and showcase parts of the course that still reflect its early days.
Annual Commemorative Tournaments: Host tournaments with a historical twist. Incorporate vintage golf attire or equipment, or even play with slightly different rules to honor the era when the course was founded.
Speaker Series: Invite historians, long-time members, or local golf legends to speak about the course’s history and the early days of the sport. This adds a personal touch and can attract a broader community.
5. Leverage Your Platforms
Using email and digital platforms can help you reach a wider audience and keep historical content fresh.
Here are some ideas:
Interactive Website Timeline: Create a detailed timeline on your website, covering major milestones with photos, videos, and quotes. This can serve as a digital “history book” that members and visitors can refer to anytime.
Social Media Throwbacks: Post historical content regularly on social media using a designated hashtag, like #ThrowbackThursdays or #CourseLegacy. This not only keeps your course’s history in circulation but also engages younger audiences who enjoy discovering past eras.
Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences: For those with heftier budgets, create AR experiences on the course where golfers can point their phones at certain landmarks to see historical images or learn fun facts. This is especially appealing to tech-savvy golfers.
6. Highlight Key People: Founders, Designers, and Legends
Your course’s history may be shaped by influential people, like the course architect, owners, or famous players who have walked its greens.
Here’s how to celebrate these figures:
Founder and Designer Stories: Share background information on your course’s founder and designer. Their original vision can offer insight into the course’s layout and design philosophy.
Notable Guests and Members: If famous golfers or local legends have played your course, share stories or quotes. It could be an inspiring round of golf they played or something memorable they said about your course.
Employee History and Legends: Long-standing employees can also embody the course’s spirit. Their memories and experiences give a warm, “family” feel and offer personal insights into the course’s daily life over the years.
7. Involve the Community and Members
Building community involvement around your course’s history can strengthen loyalty and foster pride among members.
How to Get Your Community Involved:
Member Memory Collection: Invite members to share their favorite stories and photos from their time on the course. Use these to create a dedicated wall, newsletter series, or social media feature.
Community Partnerships: Collaborate with local historical societies, museums, or schools for events or research on the course’s role in the area’s history.
Oral History Project: Record interviews with longtime members or staff, capturing personal experiences and reflections about the course’s history.
What to Avoid When Highlighting Your Course’s History
Avoid Overly Dry, Text-Heavy Narratives: A detailed history is great, but if it’s only blocks of text, you risk losing reader interest. Focus on dynamic storytelling with visuals, anecdotes, and short captions.
Don’t Ignore Difficult or Controversial Moments: Transparency matters to audiences today. If there are controversies in the past (such as a redesign that met resistance or a temporary closure), acknowledge them and show how they’ve contributed to the course’s resilience.
Avoid Exclusively “Insider” Language: When sharing your course’s history, ensure the language is accessible. Explain terms or traditions that may not be familiar to newcomers to make the story approachable for all.
Final Thoughts
One thing you must do is connect the past with the present is...
Pro Tip: To make the history relevant, show how it still shapes the course today.
For instance:
Reinforce Core Values: If your course was built on principles of community, preservation, or innovation, show how those values are upheld today.
Highlight Tradition and Progress: Show how historical milestones influence present-day experiences. For instance, if the original designer emphasized scenic play, showcase how today’s landscape maintenance stays true to this.
Highlighting your golf course’s history is more than celebrating milestones; it’s a powerful way to connect past and present, foster community loyalty, and build a richer, more engaging brand. By creating a history that feels like a living legacy rather than a distant story, you can attract golfers who appreciate the timeless appeal of the sport.
As you get ready for your upcoming holiday event (or events!), we wanted to provide our subscribers with a FREE comprehensive checklist to help ease the stress of holiday event planning this year.
Knowing these events often are months in the making, we created a phased checklist from 12 months out to post-event, for use today and for future years. If we missed any details, we'd love your feedback!
→ 📅 Upcoming Social Holidays
November
15 - National Philanthropy Day
Highlight the club's charitable initiatives
Showcase member-led fundraising efforts
Give a percent kickback to a local charity for a night/weekend food & bev
28 - Thanksgiving Day
Post a "thankful for golf" message/video from the club manager
Run a "What are you thankful for in golf?" member spotlight series
That's A Wrap
That's it for Newsletter No. 7. If this topic caught your attention, and you want to go deeper into creating a plan of attack for your club or course, reply back to this email to chat. I'd love to learn more about you and your course's history.
Up Next - FRIDAY - 11/15: CONTENT of the WEEK. 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
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