Golf has, in recent years, cemented itself as a cultural and athletic staple both as a casual hobby for play, competitive sport, and center of community engagement. As with any activity or event that becomes popular (and thus full of people), it’s also become a platform ripe for advertising. Golf’s growing popularity both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has created an eager and consistent audience of consumers that gather in a shared location. Millions of people spend time and money at entertainment golf options like Topgolf and Drive Shack every year. The sport, and the hobby, have become one of America’s best opportunities for business advertising and community organization.
Golf advertising and print solutions provider Direct Fairways has built their business model off of this opportunity. Since their founding in 2015, they’ve helped golf courses and their neighboring businesses find mutual success through combined advertising and various print goods, including golf kiosks, scorecards, yardage, and course guides. Direct Fairways benefits golf courses by providing print goods to the courses, which are seen by their steady stream of customers, who also see the advertisements and sponsorships from local businesses on those print goods. In short, Direct Fairways provides products and services that bring communities together to the benefit of everyone.
Pulling off the hat trick of a three-way, mutually-beneficial business arrangement not just once, but repeatedly, requires keen decision-making skills and good leadership. Direct Fairways utilizes a number of strategies and philosophies to develop both of those traits. The company’s policies and core values help them develop strong relationships and successful partnerships around the United States.
Keeping An Eye On The Field
Any business knows how important it is to stay up-to-date with new trends, technologies, and changes in their market and industry, and Direct Fairways is no different. By engaging with industry experts, attending conferences, monitoring a variety of industry and market publications, and collaborating with partners, Direct Fairways is able to stay informed about the state of their industry and capitalize on new tools and ideas. This regularly leads to the adoption of new ideas or considerations as a result of client feedback and new technology, leading to the company adopting new tools like digital scorecards and interactive maps.
In keeping an eye on their chosen industry, Direct Fairways is also able to track and anticipate challenges that may affect their business. For example, the rapid pace of technological advancement across every sector is something to be constantly monitored, as new technologies and tools will bring with them new expectations from clients (and associated implementation challenges). Staying competitive requires constant innovation, and so Direct Fairways regularly evolves their offerings and internal processes to maintain their advantage.
Leadership Both On And Off The Course
When the core of their business revolves around bringing disparate businesses together for mutual benefit, Direct Fairways naturally needs to demonstrate good decision-making skills and strong leadership. When building and developing their leadership staff, Direct Fairways values the same qualities for both internal and external relationships: a strong work ethic, creativity in problem solving, a collaborative nature, and adaptability. Leadership candidates must be able to work well with others, build relationships, and enough flexibility to guide the team through changing market conditions.
When it comes to taking risks and making decisions, Direct Fairways prefers to act with as much information as possible. By leveraging data-driven insights and maintaining open communication with the relevant stakeholders, the company’s leadership makes sure that any risks taken and decisions made are calculated, while remaining flexible enough to pivot if conditions demand it. This adaptability and industry leadership was what led Direct Fairways to expand their focus to include entertainment golf options (Topgolf, Drive Shack) during the COVID-19 pandemic—a decision that allowed the company to maintain revenue streams and support their clients through the tough landscape.
The company’s internal leadership also puts a lot of effort into fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, and professional development. Companies succeed and fail on the backs of their employees, and Direct Fairways’ leadership staff works hard to ensure that their team works in an environment with open communication, support for experimentation and idea sharing, and a range of diverse perspectives. Ideas and creativity spark innovation, and innovation drives market competition.
Training and mentorship are also crucial components of Direct Fairways’ professional development strategy. By investing in ongoing training programs and encouraging mentorship between veteran employees and new hires, Direct Fairways ensures that their team members all have the skills and knowledge needed to succeed and adapt to any changes in the market. Through regular performance reviews, continuous feedback, and goal-setting sessions, the company’s leadership is able to help employees track their productivity, identify opportunities to help struggling employees and reward exemplary ones, and develop their careers.
Strategically Swinging For Success
With a strong leadership team, consistent company values, and an effective paradigm for informed decision-making, Direct Fairways is well equipped to market and sell their products. Their strategy is simple and proven at this point: the company offers free, high-quality materials to golf courses and cost-effective advertising on those materials to local businesses, ensuring a win-win situation for everyone involved. By leveraging the unique golf course environment for advertising, Direct Fairways ensures that local businesses can directly connect with a premium demographic through consistent visibility on Direct Fairways’ products.
Beyond the proven strategy, Direct Fairways is constantly on the lookout for new technology that can benefit their clients and improve the golf advertising experience. Digital solutions offer promising new integration possibilities into traditional marketing practices, with digital scorecards and interactive course maps being the most immediately appealing. The customizability and appeal of digital graphics design present enticing new opportunities for eye-catching advertising that converts into sales figures for local businesses.
Direct Fairways’ winning formula relies on their ability to lead the golf courses and their local businesses through the partnership and sponsorship processes in the early stages of a deal. By bringing the golf course together with businesses within a few miles of it, Direct Fairways is able to functionally broker new professional relationships within communities. The best part? It can all start with a phone call that takes as little as five minutes.
