This week, I'm excited to share Part 1 of a new series about AI. You hear it being used everywhere, but how does it apply to someone working at a private club? A golf simulator business? A driving range?
Based on your response to last week's email, it's clear that AI is already making its way into your daily operations – and you want to understand it better.
Many of you shared that you're using AI tools to streamline tasks, improve member communications, and gain insights you never had before. Others admitted they're curious but not sure where to start. Either way, you're in the right place.
Today I begin a three-part series:
Part 1: Understanding AI (Today!)
Part 2: Using AI Effectively (June)
Part 3: Building Your Custom Golf Club Assistant
- Marketing and Communications (June)
- Merchandising (June)
- Membership (July)
- Data Analysis (July)
My day job is in AI, so I'll be sharing insights that go beyond the surface-level information you'll find elsewhere based on the tips and tricks I've learned over time but with practical knowledge specifically tailored for golf industry professionals (How'd I'd get from the golf industry to AI? Message me and I'll tell you over a cup of coffee.)
This week's newsletter will demystify AI and show you exactly how it can transform the way golf professionals work, with real examples and actionable strategies you can implement immediately.
With that said, let's Grow Golf.
Part 1: Understanding AI For Golf Industry Professionals
AI in Simple Terms
To put it plainly, artificial Intelligence refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These systems can analyze data, recognize patterns, make decisions, and even learn from experience—all without explicit programming for each specific situation.
Think of AI like having a very sophisticated assistant who:
- Learns your members' preferences over time
- Spots patterns in your sales, event, social media, or operational data
- Makes predictions based on historical information
- Automates routine tasks so you can focus on what matters - your members/customers/the next BIG event
Why Golf Professionals Should Pay Attention
The golf industry has traditionally been built on personal relationships and expertise—things that will never be replaced.
However, AI is creating opportunities to enhance these core strengths. Most of the biggest opportunities are happening through third-party software across your club or management company.
So if they haven't already pitched you on their latest AI advances...It's coming! Take a look at these examples:
Operational Efficiency (for the GM)
- Dynamic Pricing: Adjust greens fees automatically based on demand, weather conditions, and historical booking patterns
- Staff Scheduling: Optimize employee schedules based on predicted busy periods.
- Maintenance Planning: Schedule course maintenance during periods of predicted low usage, minimizing disruption while maximizing course quality
Performance Insights (for the Head Pro)
- Multi-Dimensional Analysis: Capture swing data from multiple angles and compare against databases of thousands of professional swings
- Personalized Practice Plans: Generate customized practice regimens based on individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals
- Progress Tracking: Monitor improvement over time with objective metrics rather than subjective assessments
- Biomechanical Risk Assessment: Identify potential injury-causing movements before they lead to physical problems
Business Intelligence (for Accounting)
- Revenue Forecasting: Predict monthly revenue with greater accuracy, allowing for better budgeting and financial planning
- Member Retention Analysis: Identify at-risk members before they consider leaving, enabling proactive retention strategies
- Competitive Benchmarking: Compare your performance against similar clubs withing your management company while maintaining privacy
Member Communications (for Marketing)
- Behavioral Segmentation: Automatically group members based on playing frequency, spending patterns, and preferences for highly targeted campaigns
- Marketing Effectiveness: Measure the precise impact of different marketing initiatives to focus spending on high-return activities
- Event Promotion: Predict which members are most likely to attend specific events and tailor invitations accordingly
- Social Media Management: Generate engaging content ideas, optimal posting schedules, and response suggestions for member interactions
Pro Shop Services (for Merchandising)
- Demand Forecasting: Predict which items will sell based on seasonality, weather patterns, upcoming events, and member demographics
- Cross-Selling Opportunities: Identify which products to recommend together based on purchase history and member profiles
- Personalized Recommendations: Suggest specific equipment, apparel, or accessories based on individual member's skill level, preferences, and purchase history
- Seasonal Planning: Analyze multi-year data to optimize buying decisions and promotional timing
While some of these benefits would be provided in a third-party software (like tee times or swing analysis) many can be done through a custom GPT using your data. Something I'll show in Part 3, and provide you a sample dataset to experiment with.
SPOTLIGHT: WHAT IS A GPT?
You may have heard the term "GPT" mentioned in AI discussions. GPT stands for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer" – a specific type of AI that's particularly good at understanding and generating human language. Think ChatGPT or Claude. Here's what makes GPTs special:
- They can understand context and nuance in language
- They're capable of generating human-like text responses
- They can be customized for specific purposes – including golf-related applications!
GPTs represent one of the most accessible ways for golf professionals to start using AI technology. They can be trained to help with member communications, golf instruction explanations, marketing content, and much more.
If you haven't used ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. Go test it out!
GG POV: Watch for my upcoming video demonstration where I'll show you step-by-step how to create your own custom GPT for your golf club – no technical expertise required. This practical walkthrough will help you build an AI assistant specifically designed for your club's unique needs.
Now that we have a base understanding of the benefits of AI, In Part 2, we'll dive deeper into each of these applications, with practical advice on implementation and return on investment to ensure you're using it effectively.
We'll see you next week.
Let's Grow Golf.
