After spending some time at the Dormie Club this week in North Carolina, I had a chance to talk with @jdtox and @powder about how courses differentiate themselves. Be it while traveling to a special place or just your local facilities.
This is a separate conversation from course design and conditions, but rather the little details that make a good facility great or something that becomes memorable. What types of the little details make you take notice?
Im a huge fan of having water available in the cooler or someone offering it. That is definitely a little thing that goes a very long way.
But higher end stuff would be waters in the cart cooler with ice, towels, tees. Some places I’ve played have had free plastic divot tools or ball markers as well
A happy good morning. The starter is genuinely interested in setting you off on the right foot. A positive check-in by the ranger on the course. All in all – it’s the positive personal interactions with staff that create a storyline about the club/course.
– Free branded tees (love my Pinehurst tees that are labeled with the different course numbers!)
– Free branded ball markers (Bandon Dunes has different ones for each course)
– Tiny cups cut into the practice green (I always putt better after trying to make a few short putts in the holes that are just slightly bigger than the ball)
– High end push cart rentals (means they encourage walking and want you to enjoy yourself while doing it)
– Those green rolex clocks installed by the first tee (Ok, those aren’t little or cheap, but you know you’re playing someplace great when you see it!)
I associated Sandestin golf courses with the mango-scented icy cold, wet towels. That was an outstanding perq to playing the courses yet, for whatever reason, they discontinued the towels. Good service will put a mediocre course in much better light than it would be on golf alone. Bad or just inattentive service by club personnel will detract from an experience at a fantastic course.
This is another huge one. I was actually talking to a local course the other day and they said they couldnt because people take them. That’s a sad reality I guess, but at any form of nicer course, the idea that you need to tack on a small bag for revenue instead of just increasing fees and having them out is crazy. Its such a nice look.
Absolutely. Every time I am at Big Cedar in Branson, Mo they do such a great job at the little things that it takes the experience to the next level. The cold water bottles available, the cool wet towel with mint scent and the bison burger at buffalo ridge to name a few. I will be honest and say the course conditions could have been more pristine but due to play and heat it had some things that popped up, but I looked beyond that this last time because everything else was so great.
Really is the little things that make the difference.
I mean range balls out in advance is a nice touch in general. The pyramid is going that extra step and makes me feel like I’m at a classier place. Oh and while on the range part, I like if there is a range attendant out there. I don’t need it, but it’s another nice detail that makes you know you are at a fine club.
Water on the course – It is AZ so it should be the law
Water buckets for towels – Again AZ drenched towels are dry by hole 6.
Cart GPS is a plus
Seeing a ranger at all
For destinations and resorts
Branding on small trinkets. Love a tee with the logo on it. Small but appreciated
Stocked pro shop. I will splurge here and there but if the selection is bad then it is a let down.
A smile. I have been to some places where I have spent thousands on a golf trip and the staff looks like they don’t even want my money. I mean cmon
Those things you didn’t know you needed. When I went to Bandon a few years ago, they had shoe dryers in the room. So smart.
At resorts I love if the jacuzzi is easy to get to and use.
This is key for me. A friendly staff interaction can make all the difference.
Our guys this week encountered this, well sort of. They have complimentary shoe cleaning where you leave your shoes in a bag and the next day they are turned to your cottage cleaned. Fantastic service.
Balls at the range, i know when we went to Mossy Oak they were out at each station, in a basket, but they were there and they were Taylormade, Old Waverly had Titleist.
Carts were clean and they had a cooler, there was a large cooler outside with ice if you wanted it.
Like @Parrot referenced, I have played a lot in Destin Sandestin and those mango scented towels are sweet.
Colonial had free divot tools tees and ball markers as someone else said. but a nice touch, even just tees and plastic single spike is cool.
having a small towel in the cart pocket
but just having the place manicured and reasonably static throughout the course, i mean all the greens about the same speed and traps worked.
My second would be a starter who is not just sitting at the first tee and is actually starting from the range or putting green, or somewhere in that area. It shows that the course cares about making sure people go off at the correct time, and just shows overall course management and control.
This is another one that is so easy to do, it should almost be mandatory as it keeps everything else clean.
The logoed smaller items is always neat and shows attention to detail that makes you feel you are at a special place.
Things like the charging cables and speakers is super nice. Looking out for comfory items like that is above and beyond and really nice.
Well stocked snacks and beverages is something easily overlooked, i think. Lots of places have a couple items, but keeping a good stock and then having convenient places, like comfort stations, that have things like that is a nice extra touch that shows they care imho.
Tees and ball markers branded or not available (multiple sized tees at that)
Water on the course…its hot!
Cooling towels/towels available
Demeanor of the staff
This is a small 1 but have only seen it twice, velcro on the roof support of the cart to hang your glove on and let it air out between shots/holes. It was amazing.
Those are always the things that stand out to me. Things I wouldn’t have thought of. Things I didn’t know I wanted or needed. Most little stuff to me is kind of like a ton of bunkers on a course. I’m not actually going to use them. They’re there for the visuals. Look good on the gram. If I’m surprised by its convenience, and want to use it, I enjoy that it was there because of some forethought. It’s memorable then. Even more so if it’s really unique to a specific place.
Great idea.
Or carts that have extra compartments at the top to put stuff…which I immediately left my glove in and forgot about lol
I have to agree with the others water in the cooler, towels in the carts and when they come by and bring you a chilled mango scented towel to cool down that is the best! Staff attitude is key also when playing a nice place.
Course name on the scorecard pencil.
Just a little touch, but it shows you are paying attention to some of the little things.
– Valet service
– clean clubs before and after round
– water bottles and towels in cart
– complimentary tees/markers/divot tools
– grass range with ball pyramids
– short game/bunker practice area
– shoe service and locker amenities (shower items/towels/etc)
– Friendly Staff
@e1iterate club has it, such a small detail but so nice. Also the towels were a great touch.
One of my favorite things at our club. So small, but so awesome.
The territory had ice cold towels to start and at the turn. They had a nice lavender scent to them as well. It was the best on a 104 degree day.
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Towels in the cart.
Hotdogs.
Tee times managed so I’m not diving into a back-up.
Head Pro that doesn’t pretend he’s a Tour star.
Starter that actually smiles.
Managing a golf course isn’t hard, but f-ing one up is easy as pie.
And a taco truck at the turn????
I actually think that is not a "little thing" but something that every course should have.