Category Archives:
Marketing for Golf Courses

19th Hole Media is a project by Welborn Media. We combined our love of helping local businesses grow with our love of golf and began 19th Hole Media. Our mission is to spread passion for golf and help grow the game.

Social media marketing and golf are a perfect fit. We aim to implement, inform, and promote the use of social media marketing at local golf courses to gain more golfers and get them to golf more often.

Zeb Welborn Featured on Golf Life

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Immediately after releasing my book, The Social Golf Course, I connected with Golf Life a website devoted to anything and everything golf.

Golf Life is a national television program that started in the late 90s, Golf Life is seen by 600,000 viewers each month who are watching in some of the 90 million homes we reach across the US.

Zeb Welborn author of The Social Golf Course interviewed by Golf Life

Golf Life

The article is pretty straight forward with questions about me and The Social Golf Course and my responses to those questions.  Thanks to the people at Golf Life for the post on their website.

“Golf Life got the chance to talk with author Zeb Welborn of 19th Hole Media about his new book The Social Golf Course: Increasing Rounds with Social Media that he co-wrote with John Hakim from Greenskeeper.org. The book is a basic introduction to golf course marketing with social media. Let’s learn more from Zeb Welborn.”

Please check out the article from Golf Life on Zeb Welborn, 19th Hole Media and The Social Golf Course.

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The Social Golf Course | Now Available in Amazon

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The Social Golf Course

The Social Golf Course: Increasing Rounds with Social Media by Zeb Welborn from 19th Hole Media and John Hakim from Greenskeper.org

The Social Golf Course

Download the eBook on Amazon for Free (Tomorrow Only)

John Hakim and I, Zeb Welborn are excited to announce that our new book, The Social Golf Course: Increasing Rounds with Social Media is now available on Amazon.

We are giving the book away for free tomorrow, Wednesday, February 26.  To get your free downloadable copy, please click on the link – The Social Golf Course.

The Social Golf Course Tournament at Los Serranos Country Club on March 14, 2014

To promote the book, we are having a hard launch on March 14, 2014.  We will be holding a book signing and golf event at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills, CA.  If you’re interested in playing in the tournament, it will be $60 which will include a round of golf and a signed copy of our book, The Social Golf Course.  You must RSVP to attend this event by contacting Zeb no later than March 1, 2014.

Phone: 909 973 9089
Email: Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

Additional Information on The Social Golf Course

John Hakim was a guest on the Defining Success Podcast on July 22, 2013 when we discussed creating this book for the golf course industry.  It’s been a lengthy and rewarding process to create this book to help educate golf courses on how to use social media to reach more customers.

David Kramer, from Los Serranos Country Club wrote the foreword to our book and in the foreword, he wrote, “I’m certain owners and operators of businesses in other industries will find an inspiring introduction to the practical benefits social media can provide for improving your relationship building with your marketplace and patrons.”

A special thank you to my Dad, Larry and my Mom, Annie for helping to edit the book.  Your expertise and insights were invaluable.  And to my sister, Lacey for designing the cover, formatting the book and assisting in the editing of the book.

Lastly, I’d like to thank you for being involved with us.  I encourage you to download the book, rate and review it in Amazon.

Thank you!
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Add Personality to Your Golf Course Internet Marketing Campaigns

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Stop shouting your message to as many people as possible, instead focus your efforts on connecting with golfers.  Add personality to your golf course internet marketing campaigns.

I’ve liked many golf course Facebook Pages, checked out several blogs, and subscribed to dozens of golf course email lists and I’ve learned that almost all of them don’t understand today’s online marketing. They are using these platforms strictly as sales tools. People have learned to filter out irrelevant/sales messages. So, the more you push your products and advertising onto customers the less likely they are to connect with your page or open your emails. Blindly sending these messages out to golfers with no intention to connect doesn’t work.

Personality. If you want to build a consistent base of golfers for your course the best way to do that is to add personality to your golf course internet marketing campaigns. By that, I mean connecting with your customers. Make them feel like they are a part of your golf course. Make them feel like they know the people who work there and know the other golfers that play there. If you can succeed in doing that you will develop a strong vibrant community of golfers that will want to come back to your course. People who will tell their friends about what what a great place your golf course is.

It’s about making connections and building a community. Golf has always been a social sport, and today it seems golf courses are trying to automate everything, making it all less personal, less social, and less appealing. We need to bring back the social aspect of going out for a round of golf, and we should be using today’s tools to do it.

Recap. Don’t use Facebook, blogs and email marketing to send out a message. Use them to connect with your golfers and make them a part of your community. Your golf course is going to gain a lot more play in the process.

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How Do We Get More Younger Golfers Playing Golf?

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How do we get more younger golfers playing golf?

One of the biggest reasons why the golf industry has been struggling in current years is because we’ve become complacent and lacked innovation.  Our times have changed over the past couple of decades and the golf industry, as a whole, has been slow to adapt.

Junior golfers are an important component toward growing the game.  As older golfers leave the sport, we need to be inspiring more younger golfers to take up the game to fill in the gaps.  In order to do this we need to communicate with a younger generation . . . the way they prefer to communicate.

Traditional media like magazines, newspapers and television ads are not viable options in todays internet and social media age.  Young people are using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube videos and a variety of other to connect and communicate with one another.  They are also using those mediums to connect with their passions.

We are not giving young golfers the opportunity to connect with local golf courses and people in the golf community because, for the most part, local golf courses are not socially active online.

We’re missing out on the biggest opportunity of our time and are giving it up to other recreational sports and activities that are seizing this opportunity.  If we are to grow golf, we need to connect with younger golfers and speak their language using social media.

At 19th Hole Media, we’re helping to get the word out about social media and the impact it can have on the future of the golf course industry.  Please contact us to learn more about how we can get younger golfers playing at your golf course . . . Or, just to connect with us!

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Tournament at Western Hills to Kickoff New Pro Golf Tour

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A golf tournament is set to take place on Monday, November 25 at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills, CA as a fundraiser to kickoff a new golf tour for professionals.  The new golf tour hopes to be able to give more money in prizes and charge less for entree fees.

They are looking to get 12 foursomes for the event and the cost is $160 per player, which includes a BBQ Lunch and prizes.

The event is being held by some great people who are working tirelessly to build a professional golf tour that offers enough prize money and value that golfers will continue to improve their game at the professional level.

As someone who is looking to promote and grow the game of golf, I know these individuals have their heads and hearts in the right place and are looking to make a difference to help grow and promote the game we all love.

If you love golf and want to see the game grow, I strongly encourage you to enter this golf tournament at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills, CA.

If you’re interested in entering this tournament or would like more information about it, please contact me, Zeb Welborn at 909 973 9089 or by email Zeb@WelbornMedia.com and I’ll get you in touch with the tournament organizers.

Golf Tournament at Western Hills Country Club

Golf Tournament at Western Hills Country Club

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California Golf Course Owner’s Association (CGCOA) Presentation on Social Media

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The California Golf Course Owner’s Association (CGCOA) invited John Hakim, owner of Greenskeeper.org and myself, Zeb Welborn to speak to their members about the importance of social media on October 23, 2013.

California Golf Course Owner's Association CGCOA

California Golf Course Owner’s Association CGCOA

During the presentation we discussed the importance of social media and the impact it’s having on our economy and our golf courses.  We also gave a lot of practical examples on how to use social media effectively at the local golf course level.

We had a lot of great feedback from our webinar and were asked to come back to present again at another date in the future.

The California Golf Course Owner’s Association (CGCOA) is dedicated to the stimulation of market growth for California’s golf course industry. They promote collaborative advertising and promotional advertising programs encouraging more rounds of golf throughout California.

John Hakim and I love sharing our knowledge and expertise with the golf course industry.  If you’re in the golf course industry and you have questions regarding social media, contact me.

Zeb Welborn

Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

(909) 973 – 9089

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New Marketing Methods for Golf Courses

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The Golf Course industry as a whole is way behind the curve when it comes to promoting the game and encouraging others to play it.  As a community, we need to work together to help grow the sport and encourage others to take up the game.  We have developed new marketing methods designed to help grow golf by implementing social media policies at local golf courses across the country.

Social media, in particular, Facebook can have a substantial impact on the growth of the game at the local level.  Local golf courses need to create a buzz and excitement around the events that are happening at their golf course.

If more golf courses can encourage more golfers in their local areas to take up golf, the golf industry will thrive for decades to come.  If we continue to market and promote the game like we have in the past, we will be killing the game we all love so much.

Other recreational sports are using Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms much more effectively than other sports and the golf industry is missing out on opportunities left and right.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help your golf course reach more customers and reach more customers more effectively than other traditional forms of advertising – email me at Zeb@WelbornMedia.com.

I’d also love to hear your thoughts on the video we created for 19th Hole Media – New Marketing Methods for Golf Courses.  Please visit our Facebook page to leave your comments for us to see how we can improve our presentation for future videos.

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19th Hole Media Social Media Clients

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We feel very fortunate to work for our golf course clients in Southern California and Greenskeeper.org.  We love managing their social media presence and have built strong, long-lasting communities at our courses.  More golfers are being exposed to these golfers courses and playing them more often.

Personally, I’d like to take some time to acknowledge those golf courses on our blog in the hopes that you golfers out there will be able to make your way to them sometime in the near future.

San Dimas Canyon Golf Course is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a unique experience for the golfers in the Los Angeles area—a true “get away from it all” experience. The 6,400-yard, par 72 course runs along the base of the San Gabriels among the native California oak and other natural vegetation. San Dimas Canyon Golf Course was previously awarded “Best Course for the Dollar” in all of LA County by Greenskeeper.org and the banquet facilities won the Bride’s Choice Award by WeddingWire.com in 2010 and 2011.

Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club is a public-access daily fee facility featuring an 18-hole championship-length golf course designed by PGA Tour professional Tom Lehman and well-respected local golf course architect, Casey O’Callaghan. Set amidst Trabuco Creek and The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo, the 240-acre Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club provides an unforgettable golf experience on par with South Orange County’s finest high-end clubs. Conveniently located off Avery Parkway, Arroyo Trabuco offers unparalleled value in a pristine, park-like setting.

Greenskeeper.org is a free online community, golf social network, providing golf course reviews, aeration alerts, overseeding schedules, photos, specials, tee times, score tracking, outings, product reviews, and more.

We really are grateful that we get to work for such amazing organizations in the golf industry and, using social media, are exposing each of these businesses to more golfers and encouraging their golfers to play more often.  If you’re in Southern California, we strongly recommend visiting San Dimas Canyon Golf Course and Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club.  And, if you’ve never heard of Greenskeeper.org you need to check them out.

If you have any questions about how we can help use social media at your golf course or your golf-related business, don’t hesitate to contact us – Zeb@WelbornMedia.com or (909) 973 – 9089.

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Social Media Golf Marketing Outperforms Newspapers and Golf Magazines

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As the golf industry has declined so have the budgets of golf courses trying to reach new customers.  It’s an endless downward cycle resulting in fewer rounds being played at golf courses and fewer people taking up the game.  Social media golf marketing outperforms newspapers and golf magazines in reaching more golfers, in targeting golfers and in engaging golfers more often.

Golf has been slow to react to the wave of new technology that other industries have been jumping on.  Social media is one area in particular where golf courses at the local level are lacking which is failing to encourage new golfers to take up and play the game because they can get more added value from other, more socially active activities.

To grow golf, it is essential to continue to promote the game at the local level.  Golf courses in every community should be working hard to encourage the members of their community to take up golf.  As people who love the game it should be our duty to share the love we have with the game with so many others.

But, it needs to be affordable, it needs to be easy, and it needs to have an impact.  Social media outperforms magazine and newspaper marketing in every imaginable category and the more time invested into a social media golf marketing campaign, the more impact your golf course will have on golfers.

Lets compare:

A local daily newspaper has a circulation of 119,000 people.  The cost for a 3 x 5 ad is $340.  To have your ad show up every day you would be $2,380 per week.  The cost per thousand impressions is $2.86.

  • It does not target your market
  • There is no opportunity for follow up
  • Circulations are declining

A local golf magazine has a circulation of 50,000 people.  The cost for an ad is $1,700.  The magazine goes out once a month.  The cost per thousand impressions is $13.60.

  • Targets golfers, some within your geographical region and some outside of your geographical region
  • There is no opportunity for follow up
  • Circulations are declining

19th Hole Media (Welborn Media) worked with a local golf course in Southern California for 18 months.  At the end of our tenure we were reaching 77,136 people every week.  We were being paid less than $250 per week.  We were posting daily to their Facebook and Twitter pages and created blog posts and videos at sporadic intervals.  The cost per thousand impressions was $0.88.

  • Targeted golfers within 50 miles of the golf course
  • Connections can last a lifetime
  • Number of impressions increases at a constant rate
Social Media Golf Marketing is better than golf magazine ads or newspaper ads. Welborn Social Media 19th Hole Media

Golf Magazine vs. Newspaper vs. Welborn Social Media (19th Hole Media)

In a side by side comparison of the advantages of social media marketing versus any other form of marketing, 19th Hole Media blows them out of the water.  We reach more golfers, we cost less and we reach your golfers more often.

Let us show you what a social media golf marketing campaign can do for your golf course.  Contact Zeb Welborn today at Zeb@WelbornMedia.com to schedule a free consultation for your golf course.

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