In the last five years, golf has become more than a sport—it’s become a gathering place for communities, an activity that can be enjoyed both casually and competitively in a number of different venues tailor-made for each purpose. From traditional golf courses complete with carts and cultivated greens, to entertainment golf options like Topgolf and Drive Shack where games and merriment take center stage, the sport has grown exponentially and established itself in American culture. As a result, savvy businesses are eager to take advantage of one of the best new opportunities for advertising and community organization.
Direct Fairways, a golf advertising and print solutions provider founded in 2015, has built their business model around the novel intersection of business opportunity and community building. By connecting local businesses and regional golf courses through partnered advertising printed on Direct Fairways’ growing selection of golf goods, the company creates opportunities for mutual business growth and community development. With satellite offices across the United States, and an exciting new expansion into Canada, Direct Fairways is able to bring their unique service offering to more golf venues, and more businesses, than ever before.
Considering that the print goods are delivered at no charge, the true business model for Direct Fairways is built on developing relationships and delivering consistent results. Like any business whose model for success is reliant upon communication and continuously forming and maintaining new relationships, it’s important that Direct Fairways maintains their presence and a positive reputation. They do this by leveraging new technology, consistently delivering results, and embracing a policy of open communication with clients and partners.
Digital Presence and Technology
Technology plays a pivotal role in Direct Fairways’ business operations through digital platforms and new technology solutions. As new tools and digital goods become more common in golf courses and entertainment golf venues, new technologies become core parts of Direct Fairways’ offering. The company is actively investing in digital tools to enhance service delivery and customer engagement, including the development of digital scorecards and interactive course maps. While these new digital tools (and platforms) are good for the golf courses, they also present unique opportunities for interactive and vibrant advertising, which makes them attractive to local advertisers as well.
Beyond the products at hand, technology enables the outreach and communication that is so important for every stage of Direct Fairways’ business model. Finding client golf courses, approaching and communicating with advertisement partners, and determining advertisement strategies all rely on new technology, tools, and social media platforms to succeed. When tracking the success of those strategies, Direct Fairways employs a range of data analytics tools to make data-driven decisions and track metrics including customer satisfaction, retention rates, and operational efficiency.
Presence and Core Values
Direct Fairways, as a company, is driven by their core values and defined by their reputation for bringing businesses together. After nearly a decade of serving golf courses and their neighboring businesses across the United States, the company’s dedication to their core values of empowerment, collaboration, and continuous improvement is clear. Even so, few companies are as ubiquitous and well known as companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, so Direct Fairways makes sure their digital presence captures their professional, supportive spirit with consistent, mission-focused messaging.
Technology and digital tools are important parts of Direct Fairways’ approach to continuous improvement and research. New platforms allow them to connect better with customers and industry experts alike, monitoring these networks for feedback and new industry trends. Direct Fairways embraces a learning mindset, and its team regularly engages with industry publications and events to stay informed of new innovations and opportunities.
That isn’t to say that external feedback is the only driver for innovation at Direct Fairways. On the contrary, the company heavily utilizes data driven insights and multiple metrics and KPIs to track performance. Through both quantitative metrics and qualitative assessments, Direct Fairways is continuously examining their own processes for ways to improve their service delivery and marketing effectiveness.
Feedback, Communication, and Accountability
Consistency, accountability, and trust are the three pillars of a positive business reputation, and Direct Fairways puts in the work to build all three of them. The company’s vetting process ensures that all advertisements printed on their goods meet the golf course management’s approval, ensuring high standards for every customer and protecting partners’ interests. Direct Fairways represents unique value in the marketplace, and their success is dependent on their ability to deliver upon that promise.
Trust requires communication, and Direct Fairways understands that more than most. The company remains committed to their customer relationships, and actively monitors feedback with all involved parties, from customers to advertising partners to golf venue attendees. By investing in the continuous improvement of their services, Direct Fairways is able to act on and incorporate the feedback of their clients and keep at the cutting edge of their industry.
Accountability is important. When there’s a problem, and a customer has a complaint or a problem that needs to be solved, the only correct answer is to listen, investigate, and find a solution. Direct Fairways’ open communication policy, rooted in their core values of exceptional service and quality, exists to facilitate that process. By proactively seeking feedback, and by listening to customers’ responses, positive or negative, Direct Fairways works hard to solve problems as quickly as possible—often before they even occur
Positively Distinguished
Direct Fairways has worked hard to bring their unique, everybody-wins, maximally beneficial business model to communities around North America, and has done so on the back of continuous innovation, a commitment to communication, and a dedication to ongoing improvement. By providing high-quality golf course material to golf courses and venues at no cost, while offering local businesses affordable access to a premium demographic, Direct Fairways has consistently proven the value in building deeper relationships within the same community. Through their policy of open communication and a defined vetting process, Direct Fairways has been able to distinguish themselves as a company of integrity and innovation in the golf space.