Club Spotlight

Get to know the clubs in our chapter by reading Club Spotlight. Club Spotlight articles will share information, news, and events going on at our clubs. Read about clubhouse renovations, membership drives, family events, and more. Do you have a story to share about your club? Please email Christine Donovan to be included in the next Club Spotlight!

 How To Engage the Non-Golfer at a Golf Club

One of the most difficult challenges clubs face is member engagement. Members who are truly engaged in the club’s activities and whose social circles revolve around the club are unlikely to leave. So the challenge club managers face is how to take a new member without many connections to the club and integrate them into its social fabric. This challenge becomes often more difficult when trying to engage the non-golfing spouse of a member. To address this need, New Haven Country Club began the Beginner Ladies League.

The Beginner Ladies League at New Haven Country Club meets every Thursday evening in season. No advance sign-up is required and there is no cost to participate. All members of the club are welcome, including social members without golf privileges. The Golf Professionals lead the women in a 30-minute clinic, which focuses on a different skill each week. Following the short clinic, the women play three holes accompanied by a golf professional. The League allows women to learn the game of golf in a non-intimidating atmosphere. Following the League, the majority of the participants stay at the club to enjoy dinner and drinks together.

There are many benefits to having a program of this nature. The first is member engagement. The women who participate in the league form social connections with other members they may not have otherwise met. As non-golfers, many of the League participants had not previously used the club as frequently as their golfing spouses, but now that they participate weekly in the League, they feel connected and like they belong to the club. They see the value of their membership. One of the League’s participants Suzan Lopman explains, “I started the league as a total beginner and basically a newcomer to New Haven. It was a great way to meet people, learn the basics of golf and feel welcomed at NHCC.”

Another benefit is the potential for member growth. Many of the League participants may have been weary to take up the game of golf, but because they were allowed to learn in a friendly, laid-back atmosphere, they have embraced the sport. Another participant, Asha Rangappa, explains, “Part of the reason I joined NHCC was for the Beginner Ladies’ League. I wasn’t disappointed! The League was a wonderful way to meet other women in the club, learn golf in a low-stress environment, and relax in the club facilities afterwards.” 

Beyond these benefits, the League has brought life to Thursday nights at the club. The restaurant is full of league participants and their friends and spouses who come meet them for dinner. A key to member engagement is getting the members to the club to participate, to make friends, to feel connected, so that they will keep coming back for more.