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<br />Pg. 2 <br /> <br />It is no secret that the South Bend golf market has becoming increasingly challenging in recent <br />years, Rippey explained. He said his company’s top priorities for the 2010 season will be to give <br />local golfers many “new reasons to play Blackthorn” and to re-establish the Blackthorn brand as <br />the number one golf brand in the region. <br /> <br />“South Bend is one of the best places in America to be a golfer, whether you want to play at a <br />municipal course or at a private country club. Including Granger, there are ten quality golf <br />courses serving a population of about 108,000 people,” Rippey said. “That is about 50 percent <br />greater than the national average golf course supply, and it has contributed to fierce competition <br />among local golf courses.” <br /> <br />“Annual revenues at Blackthorn have basically been flat for five years, and that generally has been <br />the situation at every public golf facility in the area – we have a no growth golf environment,” <br />Rippey added. “The reaction from golf course operators, including the four courses controlled by <br />the City of South Bend, has been to become increasingly aggressive on pricing, to try and win the <br />market share battle.” <br /> <br />Blackthorn General Manager Firestone explained that K&P is concentrating much of its marketing <br />efforts on causing more golf to be played in South Bend, not just on stealing rounds from other <br />golf courses with discount pricing. <br /> <br />“We can promise that Blackthorn will be a tough and creative competitor, but one of our major <br />marketing themes for the 2010 will be cooperation,” Firestone said. “For example, we have <br />launched a variety of new frequent player programs with the three golf courses operated by the <br />South Bend City Parks Department. <br /> <br />“We also are offering a new joint membership with the Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame, and <br />we are especially excited about Blackthorn’s new All-Inclusive Annual Membership, which <br />includes everything from greens fees to range privileges, plus membership privileges at South <br />Bend’s Summit Club throughout the golf season.” <br /> <br />Firestone said a new bar has been installed in the Blackthorn grill room, which will re-open for <br />2010 under the name “McSorley’s at Blackthorn,” part of a new corporate sponsorship program <br />with the brewers of McSorley’s Irish Ale. <br /> <br />South Bend’s long-standing golf merchandise brand, Bobick’s, will fly a new flag over the <br />Blackthorn pro shop beginning in 2010, as well as at the pro shops of the Elbel and Erskine Golf <br />Courses owned by the City of South Bend. <br /> <br />All these initiatives are directed at giving South Bend golfers more reasons to play more golf, K&P <br />President Rippey explained. “If we can build the market and increase Blackthorn’s share of the <br />market at the same time, we will be able to break out of the five-year no growth cycle and start <br />building a stronger revenue base for Blackthorn. That’s what we were hired to accomplish, and <br />we’re going to give it everything we have.” <br /> <br />South Bend golfers or organizations planning golf events in 2010 are invited to call the Blackthorn <br />pro shop at 574-232-4653 and talk with Tim Firestone or Rich Love about plans for the 2010 golf <br />season, or go to the club’s web site at blackthorngolf.com. <br />-30- <br />