How well do you know your audience?

Sam Czornyj

Senior Director, 54

Sam Czornyj is Senior Director, Marketing Strategy at 54. Here, he explains how 54 establish who a club or resort’s key audiences are and then considers the most effective ways of reaching and connecting with them

A third of golf clubs reported they either have no marketing strategy or haven’t updated their existing one for several years Understanding your audience isn’t just important – it’s the whole game if you want new business or happier members. And in golf, that’s no small task. We’re not exactly the easiest bunch to market to.

Golfers are fickle, particular and often a bit odd (present company included). Anyone who thinks you can treat us all the same clearly hasn’t sat by an 18th green watching groups finish – all different ages, swings, stakes, price points and emotional baggage.

Take me, for example. I’m 36. I love golf. I’ll happily pay £250 for a round. I play off five. I don’t touch Facebook or TikTok. I only watch YouTube golf when it’s for work. I watch the majors and the Ryder cup, but that’s about it. I plan trips with my mates, I obsess over top 100 lists, and when it comes to booking, I’d rather pick up the phone than wrestle with a clunky online system.

Would you build a marketing plan around me? No way. I’m a niche of one. But I do exist – and so do thousands of other golfers who don’t fit a neat profile. If you want us to spend money at your club, you’ve got to find ways to actually reach us.

There’s no such thing as a typical golfer, so the smartest clubs are those that dig deeper to understand who their audiences really are, what drives them, how they behave, and where best to reach them

Segmentation is key

At 54, we’ve built our reputation on knowing golfers and helping clubs speak to them properly. We’ve worked with the likes of Adare Manor, Sentosa, Finca Cortesin – some of the world's best – and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this, there is no 'generic golfer'.

When I spoke at The Belfry in august to a room full of club managers and directors, we'd surveyed the room. A third of the clubs either had no marketing strategy or hadn’t touched theirs in years. That’s the business equivalent of leaving every putt short.

Segmenting your audience and understanding what makes each group tick is a must. These aren’t abstract differences – they’re the small details that drive decisions. Whether that’s someone booking 18 holes at your course or quietly choosing the club down the road because your website doesn’t make clear when they can play, or how much it costs.

How to start segmenting

Keep it simple to begin with. Gather as much data as you’re able to by surveying your members or your visitors or both. Then think about your golfers in terms of:

Demographics – age, gender, location.

Behaviour – how often they play, when they play, how much they spend, which media they consume.

Motivation – are they here for competition, socialising, family time or just ticking off top 100 courses?

From there, you can spot patterns. Your weekday twilight crowd will need different messaging to your weekend warriors, just as overseas golfers aren’t influenced by the same things as your regular members.

Don’t overcomplicate it – start with two or three clear segments and build from there. The key is tailoring your communication so each group feels like you’re talking to them and not just pushing one generic message to everyone.

Engage your audience where they are

Golf clubs already have a reputation for being intimidating enough without creating a guessing game for new and existing customers.

That’s why, at 54, we’ve developed into a leader in driving exclusive club membership and golf tourism – because we focus on reaching people where they actually are.

What platforms matter to your audience? Is it Instagram? Is it still the local magazine? Do they even watch golf on tv? Some will, some won’t. The point is: you need to know your segments before you spend time (and money) shouting into the void.

Refine, don’t repeat

Rory doesn’t go to the range to hit the same shot over and over again. He refines, fine-tunes, experiments. Clubs should do the same with their marketing.

Stick to the same old plan year after year and you’ll get the same old results. Understanding your own data – and the behaviour of your current and potential members – is business critical. Once you get that mix right, you’ll be surprised how quickly things can change.

Because the truth is simple, marketing fuelled by meaningful data is the key to a thriving golf club.

Right, that’s enough from me. I’m off to have a cup of peppermint tea and to continue obsessing over top 100 lists... Again.

If golf club managers could do one thing better

By tuning into their audience through data, feedback, and day-to-day conversations, golf club managers can build a clearer picture of what members and visitors value. Even the smallest insights can help steer more effective marketing choices.

How well do teams understand & research customer needs?