Your Golf Club's Marketing Doesn't Stop When the Season Ends
October is here, and for many golf clubs, we’re approaching — or are already at — the end of the main golf season.
The clocks are changing, the mornings are getting darker and the number of visitors playing golf may start to decline.
But that doesn’t mean your golf club’s marketing should slow down.
In fact, the work you do over the next few months could have a huge impact on how successful your 2027 season is.
The best clubs aren’t waiting until March to start thinking about next year. They’re already filling their diaries, reviewing what worked this year and making plans for how they can improve.
Here are some of the things your club should be thinking about now.
Review What Worked This Year
Before you start planning for 2027, take a proper look at 2026.
What worked well?
Which marketing campaigns generated enquiries? Which social media posts performed particularly well? Where did your visitor bookings come from? Which events sold out? Which membership campaigns generated the most interest?
And, just as importantly, what didn’t work?
It’s easy to move straight onto the next campaign without stopping to look at what happened, but taking the time to review your activity can help you make much better decisions next year.
It doesn’t have to be a huge exercise.
Even sitting down for an hour with your marketing team, General Manager, Professional or Board and asking a few simple questions can uncover plenty of useful information.
Look at Your Processes
The end of the season is also a good opportunity to look at how things are done.
Are there processes that could be made easier?
Are you relying on someone remembering to post on social media?
Could your visitor booking process be improved?
Is it easy for someone to enquire about membership?
Does your website clearly explain what you offer?
Do you have a system for collecting email addresses from visitors?
Small improvements made over the winter can make a big difference when the season gets busy again.
Start Filling the 2027 Diary
If you take bookings for societies, golf groups, corporate days or visitor packages, there’s no reason to wait until spring to start promoting them.
People are already making plans for 2027.
That means now is a good time to start talking about:
- Society days
- Corporate golf
- Group bookings
- Open competitions
- Visitor packages
- Golf breaks
- Charity days
The earlier you start promoting these opportunities, the longer you have to generate enquiries and fill the diary.
And if you already have bookings coming in for 2027, talk about them.
Showing that your diary is already filling can create interest and encourage other groups to get in touch.
Promote Your Open Days Early
If you’re planning membership open days or visitor events for 2027, start thinking about them now.
You don’t necessarily need to launch the full campaign in October, but you should have the dates in the diary, know what you’re going to offer and start preparing your marketing.
Your website, social media, email database and advertising campaigns can all play a part.
The earlier you have the plan in place, the less likely you are to find yourself scrambling to promote an event a few weeks before it happens.
Review Your Pricing
The winter is also a good time to review your pricing.
Look at your green fees, membership subscriptions, society packages, corporate days and any other visitor products you offer.
How do they compare with similar clubs?
Are you communicating the value properly?
Are there opportunities to introduce different packages?
And perhaps most importantly, are your prices working for the business?
Marketing isn’t simply about getting more people through the door. It’s about making sure the products you’re promoting make commercial sense for the club too.
Don't Forget Your Website
Your website is often the first place a potential member or visitor goes to find out more about your club.
So, before the new season starts, go through it properly.
Are the prices up to date?
Are the photographs still representative of the course?
Can visitors easily find how to book?
Is membership information clear?
Are your upcoming events listed?
Does the website actually sell the experience of playing at your club?
Winter is the perfect time to make improvements because you have more time to get everything right before the season starts.
Keep Your Social Media Active
One of the biggest mistakes clubs can make is thinking that they don’t have anything to post about once the main season ends.
You do.
Your greenkeeping team are working.
The course is changing with the seasons.
There are winter competitions, society bookings, club events, food and drink, membership opportunities, improvements around the club and plenty of stories happening behind the scenes.
You can also use the winter to create content that isn’t dependent on what’s happening that particular day.
Talk about the course.
Tell the club’s story.
Introduce the people behind it.
Share reviews.
Showcase your facilities.
Explain what makes your club different.
And, importantly, keep reminding people that you’re there.
Start Thinking About Membership Now
If increasing membership is one of your objectives for 2027, January shouldn’t be the first time you start talking about it.
People don’t necessarily decide to join a golf club overnight.
They might see a post in October, visit your website in November, come across an advert in December and finally make an enquiry in January.
That’s why consistent marketing matters.
You want your club to be in the consideration set before someone is actively looking for somewhere to join.
The Best Time to Plan Is Before You Need To
The clubs that market themselves well throughout the year don’t suddenly switch their marketing on when spring arrives.
They’re planning ahead.
They’re reviewing what happened.
They’re improving their processes.
They’re creating content.
They’re filling their diaries.
They’re preparing campaigns.
And they’re making sure everything is ready for when golfers start thinking about playing more golf again.
October isn’t the end of your golf club’s marketing season.
It’s the start of your preparation for the next one.
So, before the season disappears completely, take some time to look back at what you’ve achieved in 2026 — and then start asking a much more important question:
What do we want 2027 to look like, and what do we need to do now to make it happen?