In this uncertain economy and with the shape the golf industry as a whole is in right now, the decision to move forward with any endeavor related to golf is risky decision at best. However, if golf is to survive risks are going to have to be taken. I for one am not afraid to take a Risk if I feel strongly the Risk is worth taking. So..lets get with it..shall we?
This month the Business Golf Country Club is launching its first Chapter Club in Dallas, Texas. The BGCC Chapter Club concept has been in the works for a couple of years now and was held back until a clear direction could be determined on where Golf is needing the most help. Now that Dave and I have got the targets scoped in we are ready to take a shot at what we know will help golf and golfers feel better about the game they love to play..Golf.
Interest is Growing
Since talking to members around the country the interest towards chapters clubs has spread. We now have a very strong base of business golfers in the Scottsdale, AZ region where we are working diligently to get the second chapter club ready to launch. There now has been significant requests form Chicago and New York areas with members volunteering to manage those chapter clubs. We also have Florida and Southern California on the radar screen.
Time will tell when and where. Support form members always is a help. Support form advertisers and sponsors are who will make it happen.
Overcoming the Negative
The first reaction people have about the Business Golf Country Club and the Chapter Clubs has been mostly…[pullquote]OH, No, not another social network to get spam from![/pullquote]
We understand that reaction and why people have this reaction. There are a lot of golf groups and business groups online who are out for the ‘Numbers’ and not really interested in building a community.
The Business Golf Country Club is clearly not one of those groups. Why? First of all the BGCC is not a Group..it is a Club. And being a Club makes a huge difference.
Group vs Club
I am asked frequently what makes the BGCC different from other online and offline golf networking groups. My answer is simple and clear. The BGCC is NOT a group its a club. Of course that brings up the next question of..what is the difference in a Group and Club.
GROUP: is a random gathering of people brought together out of curiosity of what the gathering is all about. The herd instinct comes out in people to be part of a group. Being part of a gathering makes them feel like they are a part of something.
The Online effect has become what causes groups effectiveness. On the most part people want to be part of groups so the search engines see they are overly active. The creators of the groups could care less what goes on in the group and is only out to accumulate large numbers of people in the groups to attract advertisers.
As a result the people who are drawn together in the group are out to fend for themselves and to force a direction or purpose for being part of the group. This always leads to disarray. Without control the people who live off deception case their shadow over the group and eventually interest in being part of the gathering wanes causing the group to not be of interest to the sane people in the group.
CLUB: is also a gathering, but a gathering of people who come together for a shared purpose or drive. A Club has direction and is managed to keep the focus on the direction the club is going. Keep difference between a group and club is their is control. Someone who manages the gathering, online and off.
Online clubs are rare since the concept is not understood my most people who take direction from others. Those who ‘get it’ are rapidly moving form the group environment to the club atmosphere. Professional as well as armatures who value their time, energy and funds gravitate to clubs since they know they will be safe from the hammering many of the online business types.
Risk Taking is an Art
After being out here in La-La-Land for almost six years and having seen where Golf really needs help, I decide it was time to take the risk of launching the first chapter Club of the BGCC. The concern I had was acceptance of the club as something business golfers need personally and professionally. In these hard times appropriations of funds for anything personal and professionally is a major issue. However, to survive businesses today have to learn how to do business in today’s economy. What the Chapter Clubs offer the members will be worth the investment.
I frequently tell business people who come to me for operations management advise that they are ‘Not in Kansas anymore’ with how business was done. There are still many still in denial the economy is in as bad of shape as it actually is. The way business is done today is totally different than what business was done a few years ago.
The weak economy has forced businesses to go back to sound operations which I am finding there is not a lot of operational experience currently in most of the marketing driven businesses that have evolved over the past ten years.
Even the traditional mainstream business executives who frequently tell me they do not need business networking or the internet tell me ‘I have people who run my business for me’. These business executive and owners are now going back to holding staff meetings and getting their hands back on their business. It is these people who need the Business Golf Country Club the most and who I am excited to find are now becoming the growing number of business golfers who ‘Get It!’.
Calvary is Coming
So, now that I have a clear direction of exactly what is needed in the golf industry and in the business world to survive I am launching the first BGCC Chapter Club in Dallas on June 9th. It will be an extension of the online club but with more punch. Over the next few days and weeks I will be highlighting in my blogs the features the private BGCC Chapter Club offers its members…and believe me, the list is getting longer with each person who signs up to be a member.
So what I have to say to the Golf Industry, Business Owners, Business Golfers and the economy that surrounds them is..’The Calvary is Coming’..so dig in and keep your head down. Its going to be fun and very worth your while to join the Dallas Chapter of the BGCC.
Let me know how I can help.
