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Wychwood Park joins National County Card
Wychwood Park Golf Club is offering its members the chance to play discounted golf at some of the finest courses in the UK, Europe and America after signing up to National County Card - the new innovative scheme designed specifically for private member clubs.
The De Vere venue has joined more than 1,100 clubs across the world in taking up the opportunity to get involved in National County Card (NCC), which aims to reward private member golfers, golf clubs and bring new members into the game.
Members at the par-72 course in Weston, Crewe, can take advantage of discount green fees at leading venues all over the United Kingdom, mainland Spain, Mallorca, Tenerife, Portugal, Turkey, America and Canada by buying one of the cards for just £24.95.
Under the new scheme, which is free for clubs to join, card holders will have the chance to tame some of the most prestigious lay-outs across the globe including all seven of Oceanico Group’s renowned courses in Portugal and The Stadium Course at Sawgrass in Florida - home of the Tournament Players Championship.
And Wychwood Park will also receive their own tailor-made advertising campaign for free aimed at maximising their visitor and membership levels and increasing their revenues.
John Farmer, golf operations manager at Wychwood Park, said: “Golf clubs have to give a little bit more back to their members and this is one way of doing it.
“National County Card is not only a very good idea, it’s all about the members of clubs. These days you do get a lot of beginners who don’t know the game or etiquette and NCC is all about trying to attract the more experienced golfer.”
All members of private members clubs with a valid handicap certificate can buy an NCC card.
Card holders can achieve major discounts on green fees when they play golf in the UK or abroad whether they are travelling on business, weekend breaks or holiday, while the ground-breaking new scheme is free for clubs to enrol in and, as cards are sold via the NCC website, there is no administration for clubs.
In addition, Wychwood Park Golf Club will also receive £5 per card sold when their members buy a card to play at any of the worldwide clubs that have joined the scheme, while each UK private members club that enrols in NCC will receive for free their own tailored advertising campaign at a nearby driving range with the aim of increasing memberships and visitor levels.
Farmer added: “We have gone down the route of advertising at five driving ranges nearby. It’s too early to tell how the advertising campaign has gone but if people are prepared to travel down to a driving range to practice, then they are prepared to travel to a golf course to play.
“We hope we get some new members as a result but anything that is thrown into the melting pot has to be good.”
Rob Sutton, joint managing director of National County Card, said: “Through our advertising we can reach around 1.8 million golfers. There are no costs to your club and the free advertising will enable clubs to reach thousands of potential new members and visitors.
“Our campaign has proved very successful in bringing many enquiries and new members to UK clubs that have already enrolled in NCC and we would like as many clubs as possible to benefit.
“We are delighted we can offer clubs and their members so much choice across all the main golfing destinations. Until now, discount card schemes and half price voucher schemes have been widely available to casual, non-member golfers. Now more favourable green fee rates are available to golf club members as a reward for their continual investment to the game.
“Without golf club members, most clubs wouldn’t exist so they should be rewarded and the NCC card does exactly that. We are proud that many clubs that normally wouldn’t touch discount green fee vouchers have seen the merits of the NCC scheme and quickly come on board with us.”
NCC, which was launched to private member golfers this summer, already boasts an impressive list of clubs in the UK to have signed up to the scheme including The Oxfordshire - which staged the Benson and Hedges International from 1996-99 - Goodwood, The Mere, Ashburnham, Castle Knock and Nefyn & District - regularly voted among the top 100 courses in the British Isles.
And the exciting course list at home is matched abroad with clubs including San Roque, La Manga and PGA de Catalunya in Spain, all the courses in Mallorca and Tenerife, 18 venues in Turkey’s Belek region and two of the most famous courses in America - the Blue Monster at Doral, which hosts regular events on the PGA Tour, and the Stadium Course at Sawgrass - featuring the infamous 17th hole with its much-feared island green.
Sutton added: “Many clubs are experiencing difficult times at the moment. The NCC card scheme not only entices quality member golfers to play enrolled courses in the areas of other enrolled clubs, it is the only card scheme which pays clubs £5 when one of their members buys a card.
“This means clubs can earn money when their members buy a card while they are in other areas or countries which can then be put back into the game.”
November 19, 2008
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