GOLF OPERATIONS
A NEW WAY TO RIDE By Kevin Maust, PGA, Head Golf Professional, Weymouth Country Club, Medina, Ohio
WEYMOUTH COUNTRY CLUB IN Medina, Ohio added a new look to its Opening Day Weekend for the 2021 season with a fleet of scooters that members could take for a test drive as an alternative to golf carts while playing their rounds. Kevin Maust, the club’s PGA Head Golf Professional, reports that the special Demo Day was a “win.”
C+RB: How did the opportunity to host Finn Scooters arise? Maust: We had a meeting last spring with an independent rep, Devon Holden, [about] Finn Scooters. I was able to test-drive one and loved it. We had looked into the opportunity to bring in four scooters for the club to lease, and then COVID hit. Devon then offered the opportunity to rent a fleet of 20 scooters for this year’s Opening Day Weekend. We were able to have them for four days, including our opening-day scramble tournament. The members loved it. It was a such a neat thing to see at the club, and allowed members to experience something they do not get to do very often. C+RB: Would you compare this to a traditional demo day or was it totally different? Maust: We called it a Finn Demo Weekend, but it was totally different. Members were experiencing something they have never done before. C+RB: How did you promote the event? Maust: We just blasted it out to our members. The coolest part was seeing members bring three guests and then all four hopped on a bike. What a fun day for a Member/Guest experience at Weymouth.
“ Golf is a traditional sport, so offering something like this was exciting, not only for the members,
but for the staff to share with guests when they walked in the door.
”
C+RB: What was the scheduling process like? Maust: We had separate tee sheets to reserve the scooters. Our goal was to send all 20 bikes out each day, and we were able to do that. They had great battery life and could easily go over 36 holes. Our Opening Day Tournament had 100 golfers and we had a first-come, first-serve signup to ride a bike. We had them all lining the first tee for members to look at and take a seat in before the shotgun. C+RB: What were your members saying before, during and after the event? Maust: Every member that tried it out was so excited to do it. Many members and guests were asking if we were getting them for the club. I would mark that up as a win! C+RB: So it was clearly a success? Maust: Very successful. Golf is a traditional sport, so offering something like this was exciting, not only for the members, but for the staff to share with guests when they walked in the door. Every time a member walked up and saw the bikes, they were excited and had many questions. C+RB: What’s your plan for offering the scooters going forward? Maust: We may look into the option of having a few in our cart fleet for next spring. It’s an opportunity and experience that can set your club apart from the rest; I would highly recommend it as something you know will be a successful venture. C+RB: Will you host other similar events? Maust: We have not scheduled anything yet, but it is always in the back of my mind on how to create new and exciting things around the club.
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
June 2021
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Club + Resort Business l 9
