Ray Richards Golf Course is struggling financially and needs to increase revenue and customer base. A marketing plan was created to target UND male students and local retirees. Objectives include increasing golf rounds and revenue from students, as well as memberships. Strategies include daily deals, social media promotions, signage, and sponsorships to attract 500 new customers by June 2017. Tactics such as free student passes, radio ads, and flyers will be used along with a $5,000 budget.

1. Ray Richard’s Golf Course
Final Marketing Plan
By: Kevin Newberger, Ian Humsey, Jeremy Gusass, Daryn Skjefte

2. Situation Analysis
• Where are they now?
– “just getting by” with help from UND; did not make a profit last
year
• Product Offerings?
– 9 hole course
– Driving range
– Chipping and putting green
– Limited food and beverages
• Pricing Strategy?
– UND Students $13 for 9, $24 for 18
– Public Weekday - $15 for 9, $24 for 18
– Public Weekend - $16 for 9, $25 for 18

3. Situation Analysis continued..
• Market growth potential?
– UND students and new products, young
professionals-retirees ages 25-65
• Potential challenges?
– Other courses, 9 holes, location limits expansion,
no liquor license, limited staff, lacking social media
expertise, no golf-pro onsite

4. Competitor Analysis
• King’s Walk
• Lincoln Golf Course
• Valley Golf Course

5. King’s Walk
• 18 holes
• Wide variety of leagues (men’s
seniors, ladies)
• Partnered with Holiday Inn
Express and offer Stay-and-Play
packages
• Well developed website
• Virtual hole tours
• Book tee times

6. Lincoln Golf Course
• 9 hole course
• Biggest competitor to Ray Richards
• Developed club house
• Beverage counter
• Snack bar
• Kid friendly 9 hole course
• Senior & ladies league
• No men’s league
• Secluded from city streets (good
location)
• Scenic course

7. Valley Golf Course
• 18 hole course
• Offer events and banquets
room
• Golf pro onsite
• Only offer a men’s league
• Membership packages
• Specials
• Book tee times online
• CRM mailing list on website

8. SWOT Analysis
• Proximity to campus
• Flexible scheduling
• Holds campus/community activities
• Most affordable golf course
• Family friendly
• Social presence
• Children activity camps
• Contacts with UND athletes
• Rewards programs
• Location
• Changing of UND President
• Lacking of social media
• No liquor license
• Unprofessional appearance
• No customer data/database
• UND athletes do not play at course
• Low Pricing
• Too heavily relying on students as
customers
• Lack of pro-golfer expertise
• Others courses in Grand Forks
• Weather
• Administrative decisions
• Lack of modernization
• Poor conditions with lack of revenue
Strengths: Opportunities:
Weaknesses: Threats:

9. Brand Strategy
• Current Brand positioning market
• Most affordable relative to competition
• Least alcohol friendly
• Not as well kept as other courses
• College student friendly
• Aspirations
• Affordable, bang-for-your-buck course,
enjoyable for everyone
• Focus on different target markets during
different time periods of the year
• Become a well-known part of the
community
• Brand Attributes
• Relaxing, original, historical, healthy,
rewarding, pure

10. Primary Target:
• “Matt”
– Demographics: 18-24; college student,
male, works to support himself
– Behaviors: Sleeping, spends a lot of
time on phone and computer, always
hungry, constantly busy, consume
news/media through all types of social
media, attending sporting events
– Needs/Goals: working out, being with
friends, measures success through
money, wants good job
– Best to focus on this target market
during times when school is in session

11. Secondary Target
• “Gary”
– Demographics: retired, 60+, works for fun,
mostly male, low to medium income, solid
retirement fund
– Behaviors: likes to drink cheap coffee,
works for city as lawn mower or Zamboni
driver, not married, lives in Florida during
the winter
– Needs/Goals: enjoys each day, looks for
something to do, likes to find new
hobbies, goes to bar around 2pm, doesn’t
pay rent—owns his house, doesn’t cook
too much, wants to stay active and feel
included
– Best to focus on this target market during
the summer months

12. Negative Target
• “Robert”
• Demographics: 40-65 years old, not
married, male, high income, fancy
vehicle, if he does have family, he
does not value family time
• Behaviors: works way too much,
top of management at job, always
on phone, purchases high quality
products, likes to be pampered,
uses social media platforms
• Needs/Goals: must impress people,
status seeker, way too big of house,
must feel better than everyone

13. Brand Positioning Statement
Ray Richards is a unique golf course located in
the Grand Forks community that serves the
University of North Dakota’s students as well as
community members. This golf course is one of
the rare university owned courses in the nation.
Golfing at Ray Richards is a relaxing experience
designed to help you unwind and have an
enjoyable time with good company.

14. Creative Brief
• What is the product?
– A great and profitable golf course
• Who is the competition?
– Lincoln, Valley, King’s Walk
• What do consumers need?
– A more focused marketing campaign that will help
show why Ray Richards is a great golf course in Grand
Forks, ND

15. Creative Brief continued…
• What does the consumer currently think about us?
– “This is a very nice well kept 9 hole course I've played it about 8 times now
and feel I need to give this course a review.
It's very walkable with very little terrain changes. The greens are very
smooth with only a few unfixed pitch marks. The fairways are generous
and even your missed fairways offer a chance at hitting most of the
greens. There is a little creek and a pond that come j to play on a few
holes. Give it a try you won't be disappointed.” (Yelp.com)
– I played the Ray Richards course only because the pro shop at the Valley
Golf course in Easy Grand Forks decided not to honor my tee time at 6:30
am. By 7am they were still not open and I'm waiting around looking like
an idiot. So to Ray Richards I went.
The course plays stretched out and plays away from other holes enough
that you don't feel abandoned. The course was in fantastic shape with
really no difficulty at all. The greens are large and very nice.
The pro shop staff were a bunch of college kids that were highly
unmotivated as the golfers started stacking up trying to pay their fees.
Great course for a quick 9 if you are in no hurry. (golfadvisor.com)

16. Creative Brief Continued…
• What do we want them to believe?
– Ray Richards is a great golf course that is
committed to their customer experience
• What can we tell them to make them believe
this?
– Offer a more concise marketing campaign that
gets them excited about Ray Richards
• What is the tonality of the Advertising?
– Upbeat, casual, social, inclusive, and inviting

17. Creative Strategy
Ray Richards is a place to
kick back, relax, and spend time with
good company.

18. Overall Objectives
1. Increase golf rounds among UND male students from
38.9% to 55% by June 30, 2017
2. Increase revenue brought in by students from 44% of
earned revenue to 60% by June 30th, 2017
3. Increase revenue earned from memberships from 16%
to 25% by June 30th, 2017
4. Get 500 new customers by June 30th, 2017

19. Objective 1:
• Increase golf rounds among UND male students
from 38.9% to 55% by June 30, 2017
– Increase overall brand awareness
• Tactic 1: social media usage increase
– Increase FB likes to 2,000+
– Become more active (daily/bi-daily postings)
• Tactic 2: increase course advertising signage (corner of
42nd/Demers)
– Would only pay for signs, we own locations
• Tactic 3: sponsor a NoDak Nation prize (free round per so many
points)

20. Objective 1 continued…
– Tactic 4: offer 1 free pass per student ID (available at
the Student Government office)
• Similar to Grand Forks bus passes
– Tactic 5: Have bookstore put a coupon in each bag
when any purchase is made
– Tactic 6: Offer an intramural class for 1st half of
semester (8 weeks)
– Tactic 7: Offer prizes for raffle during study-a-thons
put on by the University
– Tactic 8: Promote golfing at Ray Richards by using
iHeart Media and Leighton Broadcasting

21. Objective 2:
• Increase revenue brought in by students from
44% of earned revenue to 60% by June 30th,
2017
– Strategy: Increase # of golf rounds
• Tactic 1: Offer daily deals (Family night, Ladies night, Student
night)
• Tactic 2: Do an in-game sponsorship at UND Men’s Hockey
game (winner gets free rounds of Golf in spring)
• Tactic 3: offer a frequent visitor pass (electronic, linked to
name)
– Purchase constant contact
• Tactic 4: email blast student emails 1 time per semester
– Use constant contact

22. Objective 3:
• Increase revenue earned from memberships from 16%
to 25% of total revenue by June 30th, 2017
– Create a better customer relationship
• Tactic 1: Purchase and use software to create
customer database
• Tactic 2: Be interactive with customers on social
media
– Posting polls, questions, pictures, etc
• Tactic 3: Sponsor Wild Hog Half Marathon and other
youth events
– Make community aware of Ray Richards

23. Objective 3 continued…
• Tactic 4: Have UND Golf hold youth camp in
the spring
• Tactic 5: Offer Holiday specials
• July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor day, Mother’s Day,
Father’s Day
• Tactic 6: Hire a Marketing Intern
• Per semester (available to be renewed)
• Unpaid
• In charge of social media (better adapted and more
aware)

24. Objective 4:
• Get 500 new customers by June 30th, 2017
– Better cater to defined target market (male college
students)
• Tactic 1: increase social media usage
– (FB, Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, Snapchat)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ray-richards-golf-course-grand-forks
– Only use free sites to save money
• Tactic 2: offer deals via social media

25. Objective 4 continued…
• Tactic 3: create on-campus feel/presence
• Tactic 4: Work with UND to create a bus stop at
Ray Richards
– More convenient for all students
– Create awareness
• Tactic 5: Coordinate with student housing to
workout signage deal and sponsorship
opportunities
– (Grove, Sonoma, Boden, McEnroe, On-campus
student housing, etc)
-Flyers, direct mailers, promotional tables

26. Flowchart of events
16-Jan 16-Feb 16-Mar 16-Apr 16-May 16-Jun 16-Jul 16-Aug 16-Sep 16-Oct 16-Nov 16-Dec 17-Jan 17-Feb 17-Mar 17-Apr 17-May 17-Jun
Promotions
Free pass by Student Govt
InGame Promotions
Radio
Leighton Broadcasting
Iheart Media
Signage
Permanent sign on course
Flyers/Pamphlets
Flyers in bookstore bags
Flyer in Memorial Union

27. Budget

28. Example of corner signage

29. Resources:
• http://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/console/EventConsoleNG
.jsp?uimode=nextgeneration&eventid=1083506&sessionid=1&user
name=&partnerref=aw_events&format=fhaudio&mobile=false&flas
hsupportedmobiledevice=false&helpcenter=false&key=733A48E7E
10785C35252B23B743BC9D1&text_language_id=en&playerwidth=
1000&playerheight=650&overwritelobby=y&eventuserid=1300646
31&contenttype=A&mediametricsessionid=102107276&mediametr
icid=1600752&usercd=130064631&mode=launch#
• http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/why-snapchat-
becoming-hottest-social-tool-ad-agencies-167972
• http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/why-running-ads-both-
facebook-and-instagram-likely-be-new-normal-168061
• http://www.yelp.com/biz/ray-richards-golf-course-grand-forks
• http://www.golfadvisor.com/courses/10367-ray-richards-golf-
course/