Golf Club Management Software

from Vietnam Golf Magazine

December 2015

www.vietnamgolfmagazine.net

Vietnamese & English

Chuyên gia Bill Healey chia sẻ những lợi ích của việc sử dụng phần mềm quản lý CLB để các sân golf có thể tăng doanh thu, giảm giá chi phí cũng như thu hút nhiều người chơi ở Việt Nam.

Đặt chỗ chơi golf

Vietnam Golf Magazine
December 2015

Một trong những quan tâm chung của các CLB golf ở Việt Nam là tìm phương án tăng doanh thu từ những giờ ‘tee-time’ sẵn có hay CLB sẽ tối đa lợi nhuận của những giờ phát bóng này với mỗi ngày trong tuần bằng cách nào? Điều này được đánh giá bằng tỉ lệ lấp đầy sân và doanh thu (Tạm dịch: Revenue per Available Tee Time).

Quản lý doanh thu (RM) chính là công cụ có thể hỗ trợ các sân golf trong việc kiểm soát và cải thiện doanh thu từ phí green. Khi được áp dụng đúng cách, RM sẽ giúp CLB bán những giờ tee-time hợp lý tới đúng đối tượng chơi golf với mức giá phù hợp tại mốc giờ mà khách yêu cầu.

Bằng cách sử dụng dữ liệu từ phí green, CLB có thể phân tích các đối tượng golf thủ theo tâm trạng và nguyện vọng của từng cá nhân. Từ đó, CLB sẽ phát triển các mức giá khác nhau để đáp ứng yêu cầu của phần lớn các tay golf.

Nắm bắt thông tin khách hàng

Phần mềm của CLB nên đặt khách hàng ở vị trí trung tâm, dù đó là những nhu cầu của sân golf, nhà hàng hay hội viên. Hầu hết các hệ thống đều cung cấp những dữ liệu khách hàng cơ bản bao gồm thông tin chi tiết về địa chỉ, loại thẻ hội viên, thông tin liên hệ cũng như tài khoản trên mạng xã hội. Ở những hệ thống cao cấp hơn còn cho phép tìm hiểu những thông tin mở rộng hơn như về học vấn hay thông tin gia đình mỗi golf thủ.

Các thông tin trên mạng xã hội nên được tùy chỉnh bởi CLB, nơi người quản lý có thể xác định tài khoản của khách hàng tại các trang Facebook, Twitter, WeChat, WhatsApp hoặc những chương trình khác. Duy trì lượng khách hàng tham gia tích cực vào các hoạt động thông qua mạng xã hội của sân là phần quan trọng trong chiến lược kinh doanh của CLB.

Đặc trưng hệ thống

Duy trì dữ liệu mở rộng theo sở thích của khách hàng sẽ cho phép bạn kết nối tốt hơn với họ, và kết quả thu được là sự gia tăng doanh thu. Phong cách sống của khách hàng của bạn là gì? Lịch sử lên sân của họ ra sao? Họ có sở thích đi du lịch không? Đâu là caddie họ yêu thích? Đồ F&B họ hay dùng? Bất kỳ thông tin chi tiết liên quan đến những mối quan tâm và sở thích của khách hàng cần được nắm bắt để sử dụng cho những chương trình kinh doanh và tiếp thị trong tương lai.

Phong cách sống của khách hàng tại mỗi CLB sẽ rất khác nhau, vì vậy hãy đảm bảo chức năng này được xử lý linh động theo cơ sở dữ liệu của khách dựa trên giá trị của nó đối với những hoạt động của CLB và những điểm quan trọng.

Quản lý quan hệ khách hàng

Phần mềm CRM sẽ giúp thu hút và giữ chân khách hàng cho CLB thông qua việc theo dõi các chiến dịch email, bản tin, phí thành viên và các sự kiện quảng cáo. Được thiết kế như một phần không thể thiếu của một hệ thống quản lý, CRM cho phép CLB dễ dàng chạy các chiến dịch tiếp thị cho các thành viên và khách mời để tăng cường sự tham gia của họ vào các sự kiện.

Đa ngôn ngữ

Các CLB golf ở Việt Nam là sự kết hợp đa quốc gia trong nhiều vị trí - người quản lý và nhân viên có thể là người Việt Nam, Hàn Quốc, Singapore, Canada, Anh hay ở nơi khác. Do đó, nhu cầu cung cấp quyền truy cập vào hệ thống cần phải trên nhiều ngôn ngữ là một điều bắt buộc. Giải pháp quản lý CLB golf cần cung cấp quyền truy cập hệ thống cho những người quản lý theo ngôn ngữ thông dụng của họ.

===== ENGLISH VERSION =====

Numerous articles in global publications have highlighted methods for clubs to implement Golf Club Management software to help manage members, reduce costs and increase revenues.  During our recent national golf course review, we were able to chat with managers on the use of technology in their properties.  I’d like to focus on several particular items discussed with golf facilities here in Vietnam.

Golf Bookings - Managing Price of Tee Times

A common concern among clubs in Vietnam has been finding a way to increase revenues from their fixed and perishable tee time inventory.  Specifically, how the club can maximize the use of available tee times during each day of the week, and at different times on those days. This is measured through Occupancy rates and RevPatt (Revenue per Available Tee Time).

Developed in the 1980s in the airline industry, Revenue Management (RM) is such a tool that can assist golf facilities in managing and improving greens fee revenue.  Properly applied, RM would assist golf clubs in selling the right tee times, to the right golfers, at the right prices, and at the right time.  It provides the ability to match tee times with the golfer’s willingness to pay.

Utilizing the historical greens fee data, the club can analyze how different categories of golfers behave and what they expect.  From this, the club can develop differing price points to make full use of the tee time inventory to meet the greens fee expectations of a greater number of golfers.

Client Profiles

The club’s software should place the customer at the heart of the system.  Whether addressing the needs of the golf course, restaurant or membership, the solution should be customer-centric, where the needs of your guest come first. 

Most systems allow basic client data with multiple addresses, membership types, phone & email contacts as well as social media details.  More advanced systems would allow extensive detail inclusive of education, professional details, spouse and family information.

The social media contacts should be customizable by the club, where management can specify a client’s account with Facebook, Twitter, WeChat, WhatsApp or other programs.  Keeping guests involved through the ever-changing social media landscape should be a key part of the club’s marketing strategy.

For properties with parking security, the guest’s profiles should also maintain automobile information including brand, model, registration numbers and driver information.  The system should help track which cars and drivers have valid access to the parking facilities.

System Feature - Lifestyle Preferences

Maintaining extensive data on client preferences and history will allow you to connect in a more meaningful manner with customers, and as a result, drive revenue.

What are your client’s lifestyle preferences and past history with the property?  Travel preferences? Caddy preferences?  Food & Beverage preferences?  Any details of interest should be tracked and used for future sales & marketing programs.   

These lifestyle preferences would likely vary from one club to another.   Ensure the software’s Lifestyle Preferences module provides the flexibility to customize data based on it’s value to the club’s operations and the bottom-line.

Client Prospecting (CRM)

A top-level CRM will help the attract and retain clients for the club through the tracking of email campaigns, newsletters, membership fees and promotional events.  Designed as an integral part of a management system, CRM should allow the club to easily run marketing campaigns to members and guests in order to increase event participation.

Multilingual

Golf Clubs in Vietnam have a mix of nationalities in different positions -- whether the manager and staff are from Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Canada, England or elsewhere -- there is a unique need to provide access to the system in a variety of languages.  A sophisticated golf club management solution should be able to provide system access to managers from any countries in a language they’re fluent in.

for information on Golf Club Management Systems

contact healeywe@gmail.com 

Managing your Golf Competitions

from Vietnam Golf Magazine

October 2015

www.vietnamgolfmagazine.net

For those who organize golf competitions, they know how time-consuming the effort can be.  From maintaining information for registered golfers, to organizing teams and flights, to properly recording scores and calculating results, it can be a rather tedious task.

A management system would simplify the process, making it easier to develop and maintain a competition. Whether it’s a multi-round member-guest tournament, a club championship, corporate or charity outing, well-designed software solution would ease setup, administration and scoring.

Data Administration:

Vietnam Golf Magazine
October 2015

The tournament organizer would be able to build and maintain an event database that includes golfers names and contact details, gender, cart/walk preference, caddy preference and preferred tee times.  This information would accessable for current and future tournaments.

More sophisticated capabilities would store each golfer’s pairing history from past tournaments in order to avoid pairing the same golfers together too frequently. The system could be set ensure that no repeat pairings would be guaranteed. It would also the organizer to automatically avoid pairing husbands and wives together.  

A golfer’s score history should be accessible to the organizer to allow for a comparison between friendly rounds and tournament scores.  For some golfers, their competition scores are considerably lower than their casual rounds, which can lead to a disproportionate number of tournament wins.  Weighting a tournament score more significantly in the golfer’s handicap would help provide a more even playing field.

Pairing Teams - Creating Flights:

One of the significant benefits of tournament software is in the flighting of golfers and creation of teams, previously a very long and tedious task.   Remembering back to the mid-1980s, with the first tournament system I installed in Tennessee, USA….

The director of golf had frequently organized 4-player scrambles.  Each foursome would have an A,B,C,D player in each to maintain equal team handicaps.   In organising the teams, they would write the golfer’s name and handicap on separate sheets of paper.  The second step would be to group the golfers into four stacks based on handicap.  The time-consuming step then began, when they would take a golfer out of each stack in an effort to create the most evenly balanced teams.  After a half-day or overnight, they finally had their evenly matched teams.

With a software solution, the A-B-C-D teams were sorted at the touch of a button, and most likely more evenly paired than through the manual process.   In the first ever use of the tournament software, the final results ended in a four-team tie for first which amazed the Director of Golf.   In his 20-years prior to that, he never even had two teams tied for first.  The software sort provided teams so evenly matched that four teams finished with the lowest score.

Along with the sorting and creation of teams, the system would also save significant time in generating hole assignments, creating flights, scorecards, cart signs and scoreboards.  A Starter Sheet would also be available with tee times displayed for different tournaments formats including regular, shotgun, and crossover.

Scoring & Results:  

Advanced systems should put hole-by-hole scoring into the hands of the golfer with real time wireless scoring.  With almost every golfer in today’s world using a smartphone, web-based technology allows the club to reduce the time needed to manually enter scores by passing this task to the golfer.

Additional benefits from the real-time scoring is that the players and non-players alike will be engaged with an ability to view a live leaderboard from anywhere on the course or around the world.  A chat feature can be enabled, allowing golfers to interact with other participants.

An added benefit of this feature for tournament organizers is the ability to monitor pace of play and view how many holes each group has remaining.

With the advances in golf tournament software, the organizers are able to cut a significant amount of time from processing and managing data, while adding benefit to both golfers and interested non-participants.

Global Roadtrip :: An interview with David Kurniawan

Technology and reaching the market in China

Expanding hospitality and leisure systems into China has been a focus for many western companies through the past 20+ years.   Its a unique challenge that some companies are able to meet, while others struggle to find a footing.

Gaming & Leisure Magazine
Fall 2015

For the many who have failed to meet the grade, it comes from a misdirection in their focus.  Often the thought is that success in the west will bring success in China as long as a proper language-adaption is made

Companies that have been successful in making the transition into China however,  have found it’s much more than adaption to language differences.  It is also adapting to a very different set of cultural and business rules

Though the past 20 years, I have come across a dozens of people who have been able to adapt and thrive in China.   One of the more successful international golf club managers I’ve been fortunate to know is David Kurniawan, General Manager at China Hospitality Synergy (CHS).

David has been a successful manager of multiple golf clubs and resorts in China, as well as starting his own consulting firm.  I’m pleased to chat with him about golf & club systems in China, and how his background lead him here

David Kurniawan

[G&L] Where are most of the China clubs sourcing their management software systems from?  Are the systems coming from China or overseas?

[DK]  In China's golf clubs and city clubs, I must say that around 85% of the management software systems being used are locally developed solutions.  The simple reason is that the local software developer is familiar with the local policies in terms of taxation and invoicing.  It’s also easier for them to integrate with the other nationally accepted social media and marketing systems which are expanding very quickly in China.  Language is another issue, as most of the software users & operators are Chinese speaking people

[G&L]  What trends do you see in golf & club technologies regarding bookings, payment methods, etc?

[DK]  Banking system, social media and advertising through smartphone Apps are growing very fast in China.  This rapid growth continually affect the dynamic marketing strategies of the clubs and resorts in China. I believe, in the near future smartphone software development in China will be able to support the efficiencies of their management operations. As a growing number of middle level business owners are using smartphone Apps throughout their day, the development of such App will continue to expand

[G&L]  How have smartphones, tablet computers and social media impacted communications with

Tiantai Golf Club - 天泰高尔夫俱乐部
Qingdao, China 

members and guests?

[DK]  We cannot avoid this and we must adjust our vision to utilize these advanced technologies to support and improve our operations.  Communications with members and guests require these efficiencies now, so we must adjust in the near future.  All CRM ideas and efforts must be considering using and growing with smartphone technologies

[G&L]  Are there technologies on the horizon that you feel will benefit, or alter the way clubs manage?

[DK]  In China, the Wechat based application is very popular.   It provides many features needed to operate a golf club can be implemented easily and at a very reasonable price.  Some other new technologies are being developed by Baidu

Tiantai Golf Club - 天泰高尔夫俱乐部
Qingdao, China

[G&L]  We’ve met on numerous occasions in China and Bali to discuss efforts in China and throughout the region.  For our readers I’d like to cover some of your background on what lead you to China.   You’ve spent much of your career in hospitality management.  Could you give us a background on how you’ve got your start

[DK] I studied in Bali Tourism School (previous called BPLP) in Nusa Dua.  After graduation, I started my career with Hilton International opening the Bali Hilton as Front Office Manager. Hilton gave me many training experiences where I learned the principles of running 5 star hotels.  

Tiantai Golf Club - 天泰高尔夫俱乐部
Qingdao, China

Five years later, I thought that I would try a different experience by running boutique resorts which were at that time a new concept in Bali, pioneered by Amanresorts.  I joined its sister company called GHM (General Hotels Management) opening The Chedi Ubud as an Executive Assistant Manager.  Running a boutique hotel is a totally different approach than running big hotels like Hilton.

[G&L] Golf clubs and resorts have been a large part of your professional career.  How did that start

[DK]  GHM assigned me to be a Resident Manager to support the General Manager at its first operations in mainland China -- the Fuchun Resort. Fuchun Resort has villas, hotel and an 18-hole members only golf club.  GHM had 2 properties to operate in China, the Fuchun Resort in Hangzhou and a T8 Restaurant in Xintiandi, Shanghai.  Both properties were trendsetters for China's boutique resorts and restaurants.

Bayhood 9 Golf Club
Beijing, China

Though China is a huge country with massive developments in IT and real estate, back in 2000 they didn’t have any high-end resorts with a focus on the quality of service. They are a country with a rich culture, but hadn’t developed the levels of hospitality acceptable to international guests. Fuchun Resort and T8 offered the first resort in China with the higher international service level.  This was totally unique approach; for example, the resort offered simplicity in the experience of international living in China.  Aside from the expat, many of the wealthier Chinese  prefer to have luxury, glamorous and modern European lifestyl

I then built China Hospitality Synergy (CHS) in mid-2011, a company based in Shanghai. I am the Chairman and CEO of the company.  Our first project was in Qingdao where we took over the management of Tiantai Golf Club and Tiantai Hot Spring Resort.  CHS was the managing company of the golf club until end of 2014.

[G&L]  In the past, new clubs and resorts hired managers from overseas to assist in opening and managing clubs.  Is this a policy that has been changing?

Bayhood 9 Golf Club
Bejing, China

[DK]  I have been in China since 2000 and have witnessed rapid changes in resort and golf club development.  An increasingly greater number of the international resorts have localized their management team.   I believe this represents a growth in the knowledge and experience of locals in the hospitality industry.  Local management teams are now prepared to take over key positions throughout many golf clubs and resorts.  There are some international resorts that still prefer to hire international talents as the General Manager.   In resorts and clubs where most of the customers are locals, I tend to agree that the management opportunities should be offered to qualified locals

[G&L]  We appreciate David’s insight into his years of experience in the Asian golf & resort market, where it was fifteen years ago and where it is now.  China particularly is a difficult market for foreigners to address.  David has done it well for more than fifteen years.

Golf Management - Keeping Your Reviews Positive

from Vietnam Golf Magazine

August 2015

www.vietamgolfmagazine.net

Today’s golf market, as with most industries in Vietnam and around the world is highly competitive.  Each course must distinguish itself from the others to maintain it’s current players as well as pull in new golfers.  In this issue, we’ll highlight a few key points to help bring new golfers to the course.

Vietnam Golf Magazine
August 2015

Online - Websites:  A necessary part of each club’s effort is their presence on the internet. Websites are tools that influence every part of the marketing effort.  On a basic level, a website attracts prospective golfers and introduces them to the quality of the property and its staff. Almost every club has some presence on the internet.  It’s the first introduction to the club most people have, so make sure it delivers a top-notch message.

Online - Booking System:  So the golfer’s made their way onto the club’s website and they like what they see. How easy will it be for them to book a tee time?   Whether through the website or a smartphone App, it should be easy for both members and non-members to make and confirm a booking.  A process that is too difficult or time consuming will leave the golfer frustrated and looking elsewhere to go.  The process should be both quick and simple to follow.

Online - Matching Interests:  A unique feature some clubs are beginning to address is making it easy for golfers to hook-up with others sharing similar interests. With this type of social feature, golfers can post their interests and search for others with compatible interests, somewhat like a Facebook feature for golf. This is particularly helpful for single golfers who want to become part of a friendly golfing community.  

In a country like Vietnam where inbound golfers speak a variety of languages, a more informed booking system will also be able to assist golfers in linking up with others who speak a common language.  If the golfer’s first experiences at the club are enhanced with shared interests, language and values, they’re likely to return for future rounds.

Loyalty Program - Bonus for Referral:  Incentivize use of the club and facilities by implementing a customer loyalty program to attract new golfers.  Though many programs involve rewards for the amount they spend at the club, expand the program to also provide rewards for those who recommend the course to other players.  When the recommended golfers become regular patrons at the club, the person who referred them could receive some form of bonus.

Loyalty Program - Preferred Tee Times:  One aim of a successful loyalty program is how to draw golfers from other courses in the region, and turn them into regular players at your course.  This can be achieved by offering benefits and perks to the best customers, such as providing access to the best tee times before the general public has access.

These preferred tee times can have multiple levels, whereas the the first level may have the ability to book a time two weeks in advance.  The second level may have three weeks advance booking, while the top loyalty level may have a full month.  These multiple reward levels will encourage customers to continue reaching for the top in order to gain access to the most desirable tee times.

Customer Relationship - Club Ambassadors:  A common trait with successful sales organisations is the value of word-of-mouth.  It is often said that their best salespersons are their valued customers.  Keep them engaged with quality customer service throughout their time at the club.  This will positively impact their desire to actively promote the course to friends and acquaintances through casual conversation and online travel forums.

Dịch Vụ Ăn - Uống Trên Sân Golf

from Vietnam Golf Magazine

April 2015

www.vietnamgolfmagazine.net

Food & Beverage Operations Enhance the Golfer’s Overall Experience

Cải thiện chất lượng dịch vụ F&B của các sân golf sẽ là cầu nối tuyệt vời gắn kết các golf thủ ở lại lỗ golf thứ 19 cũng như góp phần nâng cao hình ảnh các sân golf trong mắt các du khách. Bill Healey

Vietnam Golf Magazine
April 2015

Một ngày trên sân golf không chỉ đơn giản là đánh hết 18 lỗ, nó còn là nơi để bạn giao tiếp xã hội. Và tất nhiên hoạt động này không thể trọn vẹn khi bạn không cùng bạn bè sử dụng đồ ăn hay thức uống trên sân.

Bầu không khí trong lành trên sân golf sẽ mang đến những trải nghiệm ẩm thực tuyệt vời cho các hội viên và khách chơi. Với những thực đơn F&B hiện có cộng thêm các món ăn độc đáo, một CLB hoàn toàn có thể níu chân golf thủ ở lại dùng bữa thay vì lấp đầy dạ dày ở một nơi khác.

Thực tế, lợi nhuận dịch vụ F&B chiếm đến 25% tổng doanh thu của một sân golf, do đó các CLB cần phải tăng cường quảng bá hình ảnh của sân golf như một trong những địa điểm ẩm thực hấp dẫn của thành phố. Trên thế giới cũng đã có rất nhiều công ty quản lý golf đa quốc gia không ngừng nỗ lực để nâng cao trải nghiệm ẩm thực cho du khách.

Đối với những tay golf có quỹ thời gian eo hẹp, CLB nên cung cấp những thực đơn nhanh hay đồ ăn nhẹ để họ có thể lên sân ngay lập tức. Đồ ăn tại khu vực nướng sẽ là nơi tuyệt vời để cho CLB có thể giới thiệu những món sandwiches đặc trưng của sân golf.

Trên sân, golf thủ có thể dừng lại ăn uống tại các nhà nghỉ chân. Đối với một số CLB và các khu nghỉ dưỡng, trạm dừng chân không chỉ là chỗ cho golfer nạp năng lượng. Nhiều CLB đã tập trung vào việc cải thiện chất lượng dịch vụ tại trạm dừng vì họ thấy được điều này mang lại những trải nghiệm thú vị cho golf thủ.

Các CLB golf có thể tận dụng việc các golfer hiện nay thường mang điện thoại thông minh hay iPad lên sân golf. Bằng việc cho phép người chơi có thể đặt online trước món ăn một vài lỗ trước khi họ đến trạm dừng, golf thủ sẽ tránh được tình trạng quá tải và cải thiện nhịp độ chơi nói chung.

Hiện dịch vụ thực đơn ăn nhanh và đồ uống qua điện thoại đã có sẵn cho golfer ở nhiều sân golf. Một số nơi còn có cả dịch vụ “xe đồ uống” chay quanh sân để mang đến những đồ uống đa dạng cho các golfer đang khát nước nhưng lại ở quá xa trạm dừng tiếp theo.

Với cá nhân tôi, một trong những thời gian yêu thích của tôi là được ở quầy lounge của CLB sau một vòng golf. Thường được ưu ái gọi tên “lỗ golf thứ 19”, đây là nơi tình anh em và bằng hữu giữa các golf thủ được thể hiện khi cùng nhau chuyện trò và thưởng thức đồ ăn. Dù là ở Việt Nam hay bất cứ nơi đâu, lỗ golf thứ 19 cũng là một nơi tuyệt vời để thư giãn trong khi chờ đợi kết quả được công bố.

Tôi cũng đã thưởng thức nhiều thực đơn cuối tuần tại một số sân golf ở miền nam Việt Nam. Quả thật, các bữa tiệc buffet ở đây luôn hấp dẫn golf thủ và gia đình. Với không gian mở ngoài trời nhìn ra toàn cảnh sân golf, nhà hàng CLB thực sự là nơi yên bình để khởi đầu buổi sáng.

Cho dù bạn khởi đầu ngày mới bên gia đình, dừng chân tại trạm nghỉ hay trò chuyện bên chiến hữu sau buổi thi đấu – chất lượng dịch vụ F&B chắc chắn sẽ góp phần tăng thêm trải nghiệm trên sân golf cho golf thủ.

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A day at the course is more than an 18-hole round of golf, it’s become a social occasion.  What social occasion would be complete without a bit of dining and drinking?  

The unique atmosphere a golf course provides should make it a can’t-miss dining experience for members, residents and visitors.  With a club staying current with their food and drinks menu, and by offering unique signature items, the club can attract a new crowd to the site while enticing current golfers to stay for a meal rather than dining elsewhere.

Since food and beverage sales accounting for 25 percent of all revenues at a typical golf course, it is essential that the clubhouse be promoted as one of the more popular dining venues in the city.  

Many multinational golf management firms have placed a significant effort on improving the dining experience. Troon Golf for instance, has a stated philosophy that “A great dining experience is the perfect accompaniment to the game of golf - for golfers, for spectators and for those who simply enjoy the pleasure of dining amid an atmosphere of stylish comfort and quality.”

Troon has rightfully noted that times have changed … they “offer a wide variety of upscale fare, in addition to traditional snack bar selections, is now a standard in the golf industry. Superb cuisine, fine wines from around the world, an extensive selection of domestic and foreign beers, and of course, great cigars are now standard at Troon-managed golf facilities.”

For the anxious golfer or those on a tight schedule, the club should also provide options for a quick meal at the grill or snack bar to allow them to get on course right away.  A quick snack at the Grill would be a good place for the club to offer a few of their signature sandwiches.

Out on the course, golfers have the ability to stop for snack or beverage at one or several halfway houses.  For some clubs and resorts, halfway houses have become more than just a quick snack in a shack at the turn.  Many clubs have newly focused on improving the quality and comfort of the halfway house, as they see it as enhancing not only the time spent playing golf, but the overall club experience  Halfway houses are now viewed as an extension of the higher standards provided to the guest.

Golf clubs can now take advantage of the fact that most golfers will likely be carrying a smartphone or iPad on the course. By allowing golfers to pre-order food a few holes before they reach the halfway house, they would improve traffic flow and improve overall pace-of-play.

A mobile snack & beverage option is available to golfers on many courses.  Several “Beverage Carts” are driven around the course offering various drink options to parched golfers who find themselves a bit too far from the next halfway house.

On a more personal note, one of my favorites is the time spent at the club’s lounge after a round of golf.   Commonly labeled the 19th hole, it is the highlight of fraternity and camaraderie amongst golfers sharing drinks and stories as they wind-down after a tournament.  Whether in Vietnam or worldwide, the 19th hole is a good place to unwind while  competition results are tabulated and winners are announced.

As for the finer dining, I have enjoyed the weekend brunch at a couple of the golf clubs in southern Vietnam.  Offering the best of both local and international fares, these large buffets attract both golfers and families as they spend a leisurely start to a Sunday morning.  With outdoor seating, a view of the golf course from any seat, the club’s restaurants offer a peaceful start to any morning.

Whether its a leisurely start to the day with family, a quick stop at the halfway house, or time spent with friends after a competition -- a club’s F&B services should enhance a golfer’s overall club experience.