Situation
Affinity was engaged by a privately owned high-end daily fee golf course, replacing a large hospitality firm. Clients stated a need for creative ideas and energy plus transition management from a grill room dining operation to a full-scale banquet operation that was about to break ground. The facility faced severe competition from an oversupply of similar quality facilities. The Client believed this facility had the potential to deliver on the “country club for a day promise” where so many upscale daily fee competitors had failed, and also was attracted to Affinity’s private club banquet experience.
Key Initiatives
- Ramped-Up F&B Operation – Expanded F&B staff, management and menu from a modest grill room operation to a full banquet staff serving weekly weddings, golf outings and a full banquet schedule. Recruited award-winning, top area chef. Freed F&B department from golf professional’s supervision to become its own department and recruited department manager and event sales manager.
- Managed Pre-Operations and Construction Transition – Pre-sold weddings and managed kitchen relocation that needed to be done in one day.
- Overhauled Compensation & Benefits Program – Introduced employee incentives for incremental sales and cost containment, and eliminated wasteful benefit programs more suited to a larger company.
- Sharpened Focus on Top Customer Membership Program – Restructured promotional efforts and advertising to decrease reliance on print advertising and favor web and key customer communication programs. Overhauled logistics of program to be more member-friendly and add value.
- Eliminated Couponing – By reserving the best prices for best customers and communicating specials directly to them via email and mail, Affinity eliminated 90% of visible discounting and 100% of couponing in newspapers etc.
- Improved Reporting – Introduced weekly forecasting techniques and progress meetings for group and individual business to drive marketing, pricing and staffing decisions.
- More than Doubled Players Club Membership - in less than one year following erosion from copycat competition.
- Increased Play from Top Customers - average annual rounds per member quadrupled.
- Launched Successful Banquet Facility – accolades included “best new venue” in the state. Every available Saturday reserved by wedding clients.
- Diversified Revenue Stream – Added $1 million in F&B revenue to become over 40% of business. Achieved F&B banquet profitability nearly double the national market.
- Gained Share in a Declining Market – Substantially outperformed the local and regional market to gain market share in a flat to declining market.