Capture Members’ Attention With An Early Splash

We’re into March and opening day isn’t far off as your members/clients anticipate the beginning of the 2010 season and looking at all that’s new in apparel and golf equipment. That first weekend, we’re planning to make our soft goods 20 per cent off. I know that sounds silly because those items... ( Full Article )

Saving Big Expenditures For Later This Year

As I’ve mentioned in past contributions, I think there’s a good feeling in golf after the economic challenges of the past year or so. I think what’s happening is that people are realizing that the sky isn’t falling, but there’s a wait-and-see attitude as opposed to a “woe is me” attitude. A... ( Full Article )

Subtle Changes Make Good First Impressions

It’s about this time of year that golfers and people within the industry start to feel a little spring fever. The phones are beginning to ring, people are starting to ask about opening day, even if it won’t be tomorrow. We’re getting down to the wire, at least in Ontario, and we’re probably... ( Full Article )

Driving Down Magnolia Lane To A Lifelong Memory

I can now say I’ve made the drive down Magnolia Lane and it’s one of the greatest sights with the trees so beautiful as you head straight to the clubhouse at Augusta National. It was the first of many thrills after playing Augusta last week with Craig Stadler. It’s a lifelong dream for every golfer... ( Full Article )

Augusta + Stadler = Priceless

I’m scheduled to play Augusta National with Craig Stadler on Tuesday, which meant I had to fly home from the PGA Merchandise Show on Friday for a charity event at Coppinwood on Saturday, then fly back on Sunday for a once-in-a-lifetime treat. I was invited through some charity work I’d done and... ( Full Article )

Due Diligence Softens A Leap Of Faith

It’s that time of year when well-known names in the golf business end up in new places. It’s a small business and it’s a wonderful business. A lot of my friends and a lot of my acquaintances who have been in the business a long time have stayed at their jobs for long periods of time. It’s not... ( Full Article )

Engage Your Members In Winter Too

I’ve always been a big believer in engaging your members or clients during the off-season. Here at Coppinwood, we had a concert with renowned Canadian singer Michael Burgess in November. It was very intimate, very special. It’s one thing to say, `Come out for a dinner party,’ so I thought, here... ( Full Article )

Orlando Show Is Still Relevant

I’ll be off to Orlando for the PGA Merchandise Show soon. The plan is to fly in the Tuesday night before the show begins and play golf on Wednesday with some of the staff members we’re taking down. Then, it will be off to the show Thursday and Friday, before probably flying home Friday evening.... ( Full Article )

Positives Outweigh Negatives In 2010

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., says that while we may not welcome the implementation of the HST at the beginning of July, there are more important, positive signs in the economy that illustrate that things will get better in 2010. I think that, in April, we’re going to... ( Full Article )

Staffing Is My Pre-Holiday Focus

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle has always emphasized service at the golf facilities that have employed him over the years. In order to make that philosophy work, he says he needs dedicated staff that go along with the program. That’s why it’s important for Thistle to make sure his staffing plans are... ( Full Article )

Off-Season Is Time To Be Proactive

As it was with Tiffany Gordon in her GNN blog yesterday, Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., says the off-season is a critical time to reflect on the season just past and prepare for the one ahead. My main priority in the off-season is to do a recap of the year and look back to see what we... ( Full Article )

Road Trips Show You Care

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., just returned from a golf trip with members to Phoenix/Scottsdale and says he plans to get the club involved in such trips as he settles into the job as GM. The trip to Arizona was with members who had invited me along, but I didn’t organize... ( Full Article )

Success Means Adapting To Industry Cycles

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., is renowned as a positive kind of guy and he says the key to getting through tough times is realizing that the golf industry is very cyclical and things always get better, even if things are a little different. I think the best way to approach... ( Full Article )

I Can Get Used To Pipe-And-Drape

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., admits he’s a big fan of big booth shows with all the showmanship that goes along with them, but at last week’s Ontario PGA Show, he attended more of a pipe-and-drape format, which several shows in Canada are turning to these days. Did that... ( Full Article )

Strike A Balance Between Socializing/Business At Shows

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., says he loves the social aspect of the Canadian buying shows, but he adds that a good balance between business and pleasure can be attained and that staff members can be rewarded for a job well done at the shows. From March to October, our heads... ( Full Article )

Kevin’s Blog: HST Could Mean Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain

When GNN blogger Kevin Thistle left Angus Glen in Markham, Ont., to join Coppinwood in nearby Uxbridge as general manager, one of his first priorities was to increase membership at his new facility, with an initiation fee that has gone as low as $19,000. With the HST set to kick in next July, that would... ( Full Article )

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