Communication can be a struggle for golf courses with regard to their customers - members or the general public, depending on the circumstances. Two recent examples stood out to me of facilities that are doing things right.
The first is Golf Brevard, who in 2018 took over the operations of two courses owned by Brevard County, Florida: The Habitat (former home course of Billy Horschel) and Spessard Holland Golf Club. In addition to a quietly solid social media presence, Golf Brevard has periodically put out smart-looking videos from general manager Mike Yurigan, updating viewers on upcoming events and prevailing policies, mostly related to COVID. It's not the most scintillating subject matter, but it is clear and well-communicated. Its mere availability is as important as its content.
Another strong example comes from the private Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club on the Florida Panhandle. Its website has an entire section dedicated to the course's ongoing total renovation effort, led by architect Bill Bergin, which is slated to take much of the year to complete. On Wednesday, the club pushed out a minute-long video on Twitter where Bergin explained what he's been up to at the short par-4 15th hole.
Take a closer look at the changes to 15 in this week’s update from Bill ⛳️☀️ pic.twitter.com/VWw4lUwq5g
— Santa Rosa Club (@SRGolfClub) January 27, 2021
Bergin explains why a stand of trees has been removed, and comments on the ongoing process of verifying that the hole's underlying green contours are properly calibrated to make for interesting golf and ample pinnable area. To a member who is familiar with the "old" course, the tableau of sand and water - not a blade of golf grass in sight - is likely a bit shocking. But between Bergin's enthusiastic explanation and the resources available on the club's website - right down to detailed hole-by-hole action plans - all the pieces are in place to put a golfer's mind at ease.
