If you operate a golf course in 2021, chances are you’re probably short-staffed. You’re not alone. Most golf facilities are in the same boat. The truth of the matter is that it’s not just us. We’re competing with other industries for the same talent pool. That said, do you know what steps you should be taking to attract more employees? In this article, we’ll go over the “now hiring” checklist that you can follow to ensure you’re maximizing your recruiting potential.

1. Ask Your Current Team

Happy employees are the best recruiters. Don’t overlook your staff when it comes to hiring new talent. Also, make it easy for them to share the details of the positions you’re trying to fill by giving them flyers, an email, or something they can easily share with interested parties.

It’s also never a bad idea to provide incentives to employees for bringing new hires. Throwing your staff a small bonus or gift for their recruiting assistance is something many businesses have implemented, particularly when there’s a staffing shortage.

2. Leverage Your Customer Email List

Your customer database is one of the most powerful recruiting tools that you have access to. Since your email list contains thousands of golfers that are already familiar with your business, it really is the low hanging fruit. Chances are there are plenty of people in your customer database that would love to have the chance to work for you, especially if golfing privileges are provided!

3. Post Flyers Around The Clubhouse

This goes hand-in-hand with #2 on this list. The golfers that visit your facility are likely prime candidates for employees, or at least know someone that would be a good fit. If you're serious about getting more applicants this year, make sure you have signage all over the clubhouse and cart signs, with current openings listed. This will help get applicants from those who already know and love your business.

Our free marketing tool, CampaignPilot, is a great way to quickly create these flyers, as well as get your “now hiring” messages out to the masses. Check it out today at www.campaignpilot.com.

4. Post Job Openings to Facebook

Many of you know first-hand what a great marketing tool Facebook can be for businesses, and hiring is no exception. Make sure to post your job openings to Facebook and share them with your followers. Similar to flyers in the clubhouse, this can help get more applications from those who are already familiar with your business and its offerings. It’s also 100% free and only takes a minute to publish. Another nice feature is that Facebook allows you to ask screening questions, as well as accept applications directly from Facebook.

You may also want to consider “boosting” your job listings to help spread the word to those who don’t follow your Facebook page. While boosting your job listings does take some funding, we generally recommend $50-100 per job listing, which typically does the trick.

5. Take Advantage of a Free Job Posting to Indeed

Indeed is one of the largest job sites in the world, yet still offers the ability to post free job listings. While Indeed also offers paid listings, their free job postings get thousands of views each month and can help expand the reach of your business’s openings at no extra charge. Their paid listings are also quite affordable, especially compared to the astronomical fees that LinkedIn tries to get.

6. Create a Careers Section on Your Website

Adding a “careers” or “employment” page to your website is a great way to get ongoing applications, even when not actively promoting any open positions. The main benefit is that you give people a resource to learn more about the open positions you have available, and also a way to contact management if they’re interested in learning more. This helps build a contact list of potential employees, which can be great when it becomes time to hire more people.

At the end of the day, we’re faced with an uphill battle right now when it comes to finding employees and staffing for one of the busiest golf seasons ever. That said, good employees are still out there, they’re just a little harder to find! Following these 6 tips will help you receive more applications for the open positions that you’re trying to fill.

If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive, yet effective, form of advertising for your golf course, Google may have just answered your prayers. Google recently rolled out their “Local” ads that allow local businesses to place ads directly on Google properties. With these Local Ads, when people search for nearby businesses on Google.com or Google Maps (for example, “golf courses near me”), they may see local search ads that feature your business locations.

The screenshots below are provided by Google. These are how the new Local Ads appear on Google.com and Google Maps:

There are a few key benefits to Google’s new Local Ads:

“Store Visit” Reporting

A very cool feature that Google rolled out along with these Local Ads is “Store Visit” reporting. Not only will Google report back how many people viewed and clicked your Local Ads, but they’ll actually report how many physical visits to your golf course from the ads. That’s incredible! They’ll also report on the number of driving direction requests that were made and how many phone calls took place.

Store Visit reporting makes it even easier for golf course operators to tell whether or not an ad campaign is performing. While we have some pretty elaborate and sophisticated reporting tools that we use here at 121 Marketing, it’s hard to argue with the verified store visits that Google is providing.

They’re CHEAP! (for now…)

So far, these Local Ads have been very affordable. We’re talking $0.0375 per click, on average, for our clients that are currently using this feature. That’s as cheap as advertising gets. That said, it probably won’t be this way for too long. As the word gets out and Local Ads’ popularity increases, it’s inevitable that we see increased costs as well.

If you’d like to experiment with these Local Ads, we encourage you to do so during the 2021 season. Don’t put this off. Take advantage of these inexpensive ads while they’re still… inexpensive.

They’re Effective

Of course, if these ads didn’t work, I probably wouldn’t be writing about them. So far, we’ve been seeing fantastic results from these ads. On average, for every $100 we’ve spent, these Local Ads have produced 23 store visits. Given that these 23 store visits only include those that interacted with the ad and doesn’t include everyone in the party, we can assume the 23 store visits reported by Google, is significantly higher in actuality.

Even if we only consider the 23 store visits that Google is reporting from the $100 in ad spend, that’s still good for a $4.35 CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) which is fantastic. And as the popularity of “golf courses near me” and related searches increase drastically, we’ll likely see these Local Ads pick up performance as well.

They’re Not Available to 3rd Party Tee Time Aggregators

The main requirement for running Local Ads is that you need to be a local business. This means that 3rd party tee time aggregators won’t have the option to leverage these Local Ads, which will hopefully keep the competition and the cost of these ads down in our industry.

Give Google Local Ads a Try

Like I mentioned earlier in the article, the time to try these Local Ads is now! They won’t be any cheaper than they are now and their effectiveness has been stellar. Here at 121 Marketing, we already have several clients of ours using Local Ads, and the results are more than promising. If you’ve been searching for a less costly form of advertising that still packs a punch, this is it!

Want to give Local Ads a try? We’re happy to help! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

The team over at Gallus invited us on their Pro Tip Webinar Series to discuss CampaignPilot's integration with Gallus Golf and how you can use the two together to improve your marketing efforts. During this webinar, we talk about the various benefits of using these two pieces of software together, including saving time, which we could all use more of!

If your club is already a customer of Gallus Golf and uses CampaignPilot, give us a call at 407-395-4701 or email support@1-2-1marketing and we'll happily assist you in setting up the features highlighted in this webinar.

To learn more about Gallus Golf and their custom golf course apps, visit https://www.gallusgolf.com/

2021 is shaping up to be one of the best years in golf’s recent history, with demand for the game shooting up far past our original expectations. But it’s not just rounds of golf that are up. Interest in golf memberships has soared since the COVID-19 Pandemic hit North America, providing semi-private facilities and Country Clubs with their biggest growth opportunity in decades.

COVID-19’s Impact on Golf Membership Demand

In a previous article, I wrote about COVID-19’s Impact of the Demand for Golf. Not only were rounds up huge in 2020, but the supporting metrics are even more impressive. Search engine usage to find golf courses and country clubs are up over 100% in some parts of the country. 

People that have never played golf are getting into the sport (good thing), while those that play regularly are now faced with larger crowds, less tee time availability, higher prices, and less convenience than pre-pandemic times (bad thing). The financial gap between playing public golf and becoming a member at a private club is shrinking. This trend will likely continue, as many public golf courses across the US and Canada make plans to increase their rates during the 2021 golf season. As a result, the idea of becoming a member at a private golf club is starting to make more sense for more golfers. Not only is there an obvious benefit to belonging to a private club, but with many clubs dropping their large initiation fees, many golfers are realizing the cost gap is much smaller than it once was.

Why Facebook Ads?

Pre-COVID19, Facebook and Instagram had big brands and advertisers throwing money at their ad network. The ads perform well, they are relatively affordable, and they are highly targeted. What’s not to love? Post-COVID, these large advertisers have reeled in their budgets, spending a fraction of what they typically do. Since these large brands and retailers make up such a significant portion of Facebook and Instagram ad revenue, ad costs have dropped. Like, a lot.

For example, before COVID-19, we were seeing Click Costs around $1.00 - $2.50. Now, we’re seeing Click Costs in the $0.25 - $0.85. Other platforms, like Google Ads, have seen cost decreases as well, but not to the extent we’re seeing on Facebook and Instagram.

The Perfect Storm

With demand for membership on a high, and ad costs taking a plunge, we’re currently experiencing a “Perfect Storm” that every savvy operator should be trying to take advantage of. We are currently seeing record low membership acquisition costs from the campaigns we’re running for clubs across the country. In many cases, member acquisition costs are down over 50% from recent years. That should get you excited!

Have you run Facebook Ads in the past, but with little success? 2021 is the time to try them again. Costs are way, way down and their effectiveness is way, way up! If your club is interested in leveraging Facebook Ads for your 2021 membership drive, shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We’re happy to send you some real life examples of campaigns that are working for our clients.

Episode 1: Golf Industry in 2020: What Just Happened?

Episode 2: COVID-19 and the Changed Golfer

Episode 3: The New and Improved Golfer Funnel w/ Guest Jim Koppenhaver

Episode 4: Discounts and Barter Are SOOOO 2019...

Episode 5: Pricing Strategies for Prosperity

Episode 6: The Playbook to Compete and Win 2021

With the recent roll out of Google My Business's Preview Call History feature, we've been getting a lot of questions on how to set this up and what benefits it might be able to provide. In this short video, we'll walk you through how to set this up and where to go to view the calls being made to your business.

We see this new feature as a great way for golf facilities to monitor calls from Google, better understand how often specific customers call you business, and more insight overall. It only takes a minute to setup and could be useful, especailly as Google rolls out new, supporting features.

Webinar: It's Time for Barter & Discounts to Die

COVID-19 changed the golf industry - for the better. As we've discussed in our series, the huge increases in engagement with golf have changed the landscape for how you manage your club. Recognition and Experience are truly the NEW Discounts.

We are super excited to welcome Jay Karen, CEO of the NGCOA to be our Guest Guru in our next episode where we dive into paths to max our your revenue and profit in 2021 and beyond!

Get real-world examples of what's working and how to capitalize on the increased demand for golf in 2021, without the need to drop rates!

Click Here to Register!

Webinar: Increase your Membership and Season Pass sales this Fall

Learn how to better your membership and season pass sales this season with our proven marketing strategies.

• Social (Facebook/Instagram)
• Google (SEO & Ads)
• CampaignPilot

Get real-world examples of what's working and how to capitalize on the increased demand for golf memberships in 2020 & 2021.

Email database growth is a top marketing priority for golf courses. CampaignPilot can help establish an automated email database growth funnel that will bring you new contacts for years to come. The best part is, it takes less than 10 minutes to set up! 

In the video below, we walk you through how to set up and email collection campaign and how to use social media, your website, and flyers at the golf course to give your database a boost.

Need additional help? Shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call at (407) 768-3281. I'm happy to help!

The Coronavirus pandemic is, and will be documented as, one of the hardest things business owners of this generation will have to face. Golf courses are no exception. With rules and regulations changing almost daily, golf course operators have had to quickly adjust their business strategies just to remain open.

That said, Coronavirus has also opened up some unique opportunities. Courses that are willing to experiment have been able to capitalize on the rapidly changing landscape in golf, resulting in more tee time reservations, membership leads, etc. In this article, we’ll go over COVID-19 and its impact on the golf industry so far, as well as opportunities that your golf facility might be able to take advantage of right now.

Increased Search Volume

Here at 1-2-1 Marketing, we leverage Google and the other search engines a lot. In fact, for most of our clients, it’s the #1 channel for new customer acquisition. Believe it or not, Coronavirus has actually caused an increase in search volume for golf in the US. When comparing May 2020 to May 2019, search volume for the topic “golf courses” has increased by 40%. So far in June 2020, search volume is up 15.90% over June 2019 and is on pace to be over 16% again this month (written on 6/29/2020).

This increase in search volume is caused by a larger demand for golf. With Coronavirus playing a major role in limiting the number of activities we can still enjoy, the game of golf has generally been considered safe to play. In most parts of the country, golf courses either never shut down or were one of the first types of recreational businesses to re-open. In fact, as I’m writing this, local boat ramps are still closed, while nearby golf courses are open for business.

As a result, golf has recently become more attractive to those looking for a pastime. This is causing many non-golfers and casual golfers to dust off the clubs. These are folks that haven’t played in a long while or don’t play very often at all. These are the same people that are causing a substantial increase in search volume for golf-related keywords. The industry should be focusing on capturing these people as life-long golfers.

The most effective way to capitalize on this increased search volume is through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Google Ads. With Google being the #1 channel for new customer acquisition for most courses, a 10-15% increase in searches for golf is a massive opportunity. With the lifespan of Coronavirus uncertain, Google Ads take the advantage over SEO. Google Ads can be created, up and running in just a few days, where an SEO strategy can take months to fully implement.

For those of you looking to try and capture this increased demand or simply want to give this a try, the best approach would be to first set up a Google Ads campaign and commit to it for a month or two. This will allow you to accomplish the goal of getting in front of these non-golfers and casual golfers, without sinking too much time into the project.

Response to Social Ads

Just weeks after the Coronavirus pandemic started in the US, we started noticing increased engagement and conversion rates on all of our client’s social ad campaigns. This includes Facebook and Instagram Ads for golf memberships, tee time specials, wedding venues, and anything in between.

Similar to the search demand increases mentioned before, the increased response to golf-related ad campaigns on social media is likely a direct result of more casual golfers considering the offers. It makes sense that before COVID-19 a percentage of these non-golfers and casual golfers wouldn’t stop scrolling, but now that the game of golf has become more attractive during these times, these ads are grabbing their attention.

As a result, we’re seeing customer acquisition costs plummet, for private and public clubs alike. In the past, it may take months to find an offer that gets a good response, while currently, it seems like everything hits. This makes for the perfect time to give social ads a try if you haven’t done so already.

Limiting Factors

With all of this pent-up demand for golf at the moment, there are still some limiting factors that may cause you to have to adjust operations, of course. Some operational limitations are caused by local rules and regulations, while others might just be put in place by the club to keep customers safe. In some parts of the country, golf facilities are limited by the percentage of occupancy. Some clubs have adjusted the spacing in between tee times, which limits the “supply” during a time when demand is high. Another limitation would be if your club is requiring a “one cart per person” rule. Depending on the size of your cart fleet, this may also limit supply in a big way.

The trick to marketing success in the times of COVID-19 is to find the right balance between supply and demand. If you’re a public club, this may be promoting “specials” during times of the day when demand is lower. Another popular approach to avoid these limiting factors is to sell non-inventoried goods, like Annual Passes, multi-round vouchers, and gift cards. The great part about these is that they also stimulate customer loyalty, which can help revenue all year long.

Additionally, we’re also seeing some customers using this opportunity of demand outpacing supply to raise their rates. We’ve had some courses increase their rates upwards of 30% with no impact on rounds played. This strategy is certainly specific to your operation and works well with a new customer acquisition campaign using Google Ads.

Give it a Try

Contrary to popular belief, now is a great time for golf courses to be investing in themselves. Golf has picked up a lot of momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic and we’re seeing significant performance improvements for the vast majority of our clients. It’s important to be conscious of your club’s limitations, but also know that the pool of golfers is larger than it’s been for quite some time.

The golf tide is changing and it’s time to capitalize. For more information on how 1-2-1 Marketing can help your club, feel free to reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We can discuss your club’s unique situation and determine what digital marketing approach makes the most sense for you.