The City of Tulsa owns two 36-hole golf courses, Page Belcher and Mohawk Park.
BACKGROUND
The City of Tulsa owns two 36-hole golf courses, Page Belcher and Mohawk Park. After several years of unsuccessful concession arrangements with local golf professionals, there was serious discussion that closing holes at the golf courses would be a viable solution for these money-losing recreational assets. The courses were on the wrong end of the price-value proposition in the local marketplace, causing golfers to gravitate to competing facilities.
Ultimately, in 2008, Indigo Golf Partners was selected through a formal RFP process and charged with improving course conditions, enhancing guest service and right-sizing the courses’ expense models. Innovative programs were implemented and efficiencies were immediately realized – both of which continue to benefit the curses 12 years later.
IMPLEMENTATION
Indigo Golf Partners quickly impressed the City of Tulsa and all stakeholders with:
- Innovative loyalty programming
- Tulsa’s only Rewards Program with nearly 5,000 annual participants
- Programs that target playing frequency to increase “share-of-wallet”
- Increased utilization by offering pass holder rates at specific times
- Enhanced guest service using our proprietary ACE the Guest Experience training program
- Improved agronomic conditions, including conversion to Champion Bermuda greens
- Strategic corporate partnerships, including the Tulsa Drillers and Tula Oilers
- Leveraged preferred vendor pricing through Indigo Golf Partners national partnerships
- Implementation of the golf industry’s leading marketing and analytics platform
- Target marketing by location, time preference and playing frequency.
- Empirically (real-time data) based pricing strategy
- In-house, cost effective, professional and customizable graphic design
- Digital marketing that includes a new website, SEO, SEM and organic/paid social media
RESULTS
Indigo Golf Partners and the City view the past 12 years of management as a huge success with Indigo Golf Partners delivering much more than what was expected. Rounds played and revenue have increased significantly, and Indigo Golf Partners has provided nearly a $1,000,000 improvement to the city’s bottom-line.
“Through Indigo Golf Partners marketing and improved course maintenance program, the number of rounds played at city courses has increased by 45 percent…the city golf course revenues are covering the courses’ operating cost for the first time in many years.”
