The golf course management industry has struggled to adapt to new guidelines and health and safety regulations as they brought clubhouses and golf venues back online after the first wave of coronavirus caused nationwide closures.
During this experience, golf clubs and country clubs used communication strategies such as surveys to get concerns and ideas from their membership. These surveys were essential in testing consumer preferences and addressing fears and concerns.
In response to this information, golf course management used modern tools such as social media to address concerns and further open channels of communications.
Golfers were eager to get back into the game but worries about health and safety continue to plague some courses as new information regarding the virus is released.
To better manage member expectations, golf course managers should consider offering contactless booking and playing options and ensure physical distancing is maintained at all times.
How Printing Can Make Golf Courses Safer
It seems too simple — using an in-house production printer to help keep golfers and club member safer. And yet, signage is a critical element of your first-line defense against COVID-19.
Not only must you delineate areas for gameplay, but you must also ensure that golfers maintain social distancing whether they are on the green, in clubhouses, or purchasing an item from the Pro shop.
Add to that the fact that guidelines are continually fluctuating and the process of using outside vendors for print projects is not only costly, but time-consuming, and it is easy to see how having the appropriate equipment to print necessary signage and collateral in-house can be essential.
Areas on Your Course Where Signage Can Make a Difference
There are myriad places you can deploy signage and disposable printed materials to help keep staff and golfers safe.
● Rather than using flagsticks, opt for printed hole location sheets to your members and visitors. If you choose to use flagsticks, print signs and use them on the sticks to remind players of your “no touch” policy.
● If there is a practice facility, create signage that points out physical distancing requirements.
● In your golf cart staging area, ensure carts are spaced appropriately — and returned to the correctly spaced spots — by using signage.
● Establish employee stationing areas using signage to ensure all staff remain six feet apart while they are waiting for their next task.
● Assign equipment such as carts and other tools to individual staff members to avoid sharing. Use signage to create custom areas for each staff member to store their necessary tools.
● Assign sanitizer and other disinfecting tools to maintenance staff using signage for each staff member.
● Clearly post club rules regarding distancing, sanitizing, and other guidelines in all spaces that will be publicly trafficked. Ensure staff areas are also included.
In addition to these protective strategies, an in-house production-level printer will continue to be useful even after the danger of COVID-19 passes.
Production printers offer high-quality images and lightning fast operation while their wide-format option gives you the versatility to print banners and oversized signage for tournaments and events. These printers have the capacity to print on weather-durable media to make tough, easy-to-see signage that can endure the harsh conditions sometimes found on the course.
Let Blue Technologies Bring the Power of Print to Your Course
At Blue Technologies, we understand how difficult it can be to manage a small- or medium-sized business (SMB) under these trying conditions.
And golf clubs and courses have an added dose of aggravation, since they must essentially host social activities for more than ten members every day they are open in order to survive.
Bringing a high-quality production printer onboard is a good strategy for clubs that need to keep signage and information clear, readable, and easily changed as guidelines evolve. Plus, these printers can handle a number of marketing tasks that can increase your return on investment — even after the danger of infection has passed.
We have partnered with leaders in the print manufacturing industry to bring the best, most robust, cost-effective production printers available. Our wide range of choices make it easy to get the right printer for your needs and our knowledgeable staff can assist you in choosing value-added features.
Don’t rely on outside vendors for the right signage. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant today and find out how an in-house production printer can assist your course to keep running smoothly.
