_Aug/creatingcommunity.jpg "Creating Community")
Beyond the benefits of the game itself, golf has always been about camaraderie and community, building a sense of belonging among a group of like-minded people who enjoy the fellowship of the game.
Multi-course operators struggle with that loss of community, especially as operations expand beyond one town or region. Different courses on opposite sides of the country might have the same owner and operational policies, but those are not the building blocks of a club.
Steve Skinner, CEO of KemperSports, understands that. He also realizes that technology and social media provide a platform to eliminate those geographic boundaries. So late last year, KemperSports launched KemperClub, a virtual community of players from Kemper-run properties who can, through social media and email, get to know each other, share information, and participate in contests and giveaways.
The first initiative on that front is a sweepstakes called the “Ultimate Buddy Trip.” Those who signed up for KemperClub in January and February of this year entered for a chance to win a foursome getaway to Bandon Dunes that includes rounds on all five Bandon courses, three nights of lodging and time on the new Punchbowl putting course.
“We understand the metrics of the business and where we [in the golf industry] have been as well as anybody,” Skinner says. “But we also understand that there’s a large community of people out there who love golf, who are passionate about the game, and who want to engage with others who feel the same way. We needed to use the tools that they utilize to communicate to bring them together.”
The KemperClub initiative has proven to be very successful thus far, with thousands of people signing up. Just how close-knit those people will become remains an open question, but Skinner is convinced that, like all online communities, KemperClub will develop a user-based personality and a culture over time.
“We play more than 3 million rounds a year at our managed facilities,” he says. “We know that people who play Streamsong (in Florida), for example, want to communicate with people who play at Bandon or Chambers Bay. They want to read stories and share experiences. That’s what we’re hoping to facilitate.”
—Steve Eubanks