Opening work is done. Now you need to give yourself the August 15th test.

Opening is fun. Energy and excitement for the staff, and friendly faces appear as the regulars return. All good.

The tough part about opening is that it sets a tone which should be evaluated. Everything feels great but it's a honeymoon level of excitement. The real hard work is ahead.

Just as it's always busy getting ready for first-day-of-school and the new clothes are bought and laid out on the bed for the kids and lunch contents are debated. It's a day of energy and enthusiasm. Compare that to trying to get your 12 year-old out of bed on Thursday morning week two!!

The "next Thursday" test for you is my "August 15th, 2023" test.

August 15 is a boring little Tuesday in the heart of August and the heart of summer. Corporations have staff on vacation and their customers are off on holidays too. Not the most exciting day for golf maybe - probably pretty humid too. It's not a prime tournament date for sales either.

Here's the test you and your staff need to challenge each other with. Do you plan to be full on August 15? Yes or No? If yes, follow my questions below....if No, why not?

There will be a couple dozen August 15th's this year at every public course, just like there is every year. Days that are gonna need help. Days that are gonna need - something. But what?

The YES Test. If you said yes above I want you to write out how the tee sheet will fill. The timeline for bookings, any price considerations you intend to consider based on booking patterns, who they are and why they'll choose a semi-boring Tuesday that week vs other days. Build out the 15th as a case study to watch for and then learn from.

Did the the first 35% of times get booked within 24 hours of availability? Was there a lull? Did Friday that week fill to 100% and left openings on the 15th? Was there bad weather in advance of the date?

Lets say there are 4,000-5,000 rounds of inventory on these "tough" days. If you only get to 73% sold instead of 85% sold - let's do the math.

12% of 5,000 is 600. 600 rounds at $100 is $60,000. Add on lost F&B revenue and quieter tip-days for your summer staff who are looking for any reason to leave early, and this math sucks.

You just spent the last two pre-opening months negotiating prices for dry goods in the kitchen and golf shorts in the shop and did what - maybe $5K in savings but you committed to a bigger buy? Time to put energy and focus and strategy and thought and insights where they belong. Where they matter. On the Revenue Side.

This is hard work because it takes creativity and ingenuity and trust and confidence and belief and, uh-oh, an undefined ROI. It's a guaranteed point of success at this weeks owner meeting when you announce a $2,200 cost reduction on hard goods purchased though. Time to get more worried about the September meeting when you have to report why '23 is off 650 rounds year-over-year against '22.

This takes customer engagement. This is way beyond emojis and thumbs-up's.

This is sophisticated marketing because that newly Refurbed Dome looks like something cool to do and why does it seem everyone's getting married this summer?

Life is busier and we may have forgotten what that means. Ball games and weddings are great examples of all the options & obligations which are back big time. Your customers are way more distracted in 2023 than they have been for some time now. Will you have a plan to be considered more often against other options? To be top-of-mind when customers are sorting through their jam-packed calendars? Golf is potentially vulnerable as it was a decade ago. Get out in front of those tough questions now.

Always remember. Never ever forget. You are a consumer good and your product is either chosen for consumption or passed over. Keep in mind that you will drive past a burger joint and a couple pizza shops on your way to grab a sub on your way home. Consumers make choices!

Choice is the industry you operate in - and you must get very worried very fast because those choices can tip in many different directions.

You can succeed in affecting the choices your customers make if you are ready to put in the work and invest back into your revenue side considerations.

Call me. I am [email protected] or 416-300-2075