March 2010 Media Newsletter

Dear Media Partner,

We are pleased to send you a media newsletter that includes story ideas on the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, Satellite Bar & Grille and the GBC Golf Academy at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. We send this newsletter twice per year.

Thank you in advance for any support! We hope you may find the articles of interest to your readers and listeners.


Golf ’N’ Bird?
The Arbutus Ridge Golf Club has collected 61 incredible bird action shots from around the golf course. Golfers and Birders alike will be amazed at the variety of birds and their integration into the golf course surrounding. “Birding is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors worldwide and we’d like to build this element into the golf experience including educational components”, says General Manager, Jason Lowe. The Arbutus Ridge Golf Club has placed 10 bird houses around the golf course and plan to add Mason Bee Houses around the golf course in 2010.
View Bird Photo Gallery on Arbutus Ridge Golf Club Facebook Page: >>here


Increased competition calls for increased differentiation
A primary market for the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club is Victoria. Two 18 hole golf courses have been added to this market in the last few years and another 18 hole course is opening in 2010. What to do? “Increased competition calls for increased differentiation, and new competition creates the need to invest more heavily into improving the products and services you offer”, says General Manager, Jason Lowe. “On Vancouver Island all the golf courses work together very well to bring in destination golfers, but you need to protect your market share anytime new products arrive. New fresh product usually brings more destination golfers, but also changes the supply and demand ratio for local golfers”, finishes Lowe. The Arbutus Ridge Golf Club has identified its competitive advantage along with ways to strengthen the advantage and add new elements that will distinguish the facility from the competition. “There’s lots involved in the process and knowing you can only do so much every year, we’ve really focused on sustainability as something we’d like to do better than any other facility on Vancouver Island and we’ve recently won an award for our efforts in that particular area”, says Lowe. In regards to service, the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club measures its performance on Guest Experience Surveys. 2009 proved to be the best year on record for these survey results, demonstrating that the culture and training at the facility are at an all time high.

Here is a list of improvements that the golf course and clubhouse have seen in the last couple of years, along with projects happening in 2010: rebuilt #14 tee, rebuilding #6 area around green, rebuilding #4 tee, rebuilt #16 tee, granite rock feature being added to #15 pond, 18ft fountain being added to #18 pond, new greens roller, added 52 trees to golf course, new cart paths on several holes, adding new drainage on #10, two new nursery areas created, planting of wildflowers in several areas, new carpet in the clubhouse, bathroom renovations in the clubhouse and on the golf course, new chairs in the Satellite Bar & Grille, clubhouse entrance fountain for the Satellite Bar & Grille, new real wood table tops in the Satellite Bar & Grille and more!


Arbutus Ridge Golf Club gets aggressive for new Members!
A golf membership is the ultimate loyalty towards a given golf facility and Arbutus Ridge Golf Club is getting serious about retaining its members and getting new members. Their goal is to have most welcoming and vibrant membership on Vancouver Island by treating Members right and setting the tone for membership functions. Arbutus Ridge has solicited many other golf courses to ensure reciprocal rates are in place, going from just 11 agreements to 22 in the last two years. Arbutus Ridge is owned by the GolfBC Group and starting in 2010 all Arbutus Ridge Members will receive 50% off green fees at all the other GolfBC courses located in BC. Even better, new Members that join Arbutus Ridge prior to May 1 2010 will receive a $200 credit as an incentive to join. “We’ve put a lot of energy into ensuring our membership is happy and attracting new members, especially recently. We’ve given up a prime weekend in August to host our Club Championship where all players play together in a two day event, we’ve started a Membership Satisfaction Survey and these new programs with the $200 credit and discounts at other facilities are getting a lot of attention”, says General Manager, Jason Lowe.


Triple Bottom Line Adapted at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
Measuring the success of a business strictly on financial performance may not lead to long term sustainability for a business or properly measure its overall value. Measuring the value of a business based on Social, Environmental and Financial performance is both more holistic and incorporates more long term thinking. “At Arbutus Ridge we’ve starting documenting objectives and results for all three pillars which has helped with financial stability as well”, says General Manager Jason Lowe. “People may be surprised at some of the social value of a golf course, such as giving out 683 rounds to local charities, using golf as a fundraiser event, or cash donations where a company like GolfBC make donations to three main charities 1) Canadian Cancer Society 2) BC Children’s Hospital Foundation 3) St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation”, Lowe continues. Arbutus Ridge has been recognized for environmental efforts by winning the Tourism Sustainability Award in 2009 from Tourism Vancouver Island. Over 1,700 people have viewed the Cancer fundraising event video on youtube, put together by the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. The team at Arbutus Ridge raised over $8,000 with this event, including many Team Members shaving their head for the cause.
View Fundraising Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YvQJfQroes


How to build restaurant revenue at a golf course
The culinary and beverage experience as an integral part of the “golf day” can often be overlooked in its importance for pre or post golf, the revenue potential of non-golf visits can also be overlooked. Growing the Satellite Bar & Grille business at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club has produced great results; in fact 2009 was the best year on record for financial performance in this area. “It starts with breaking down the stigma of being a golf course restaurant, you need to have a separate brand for the dining experience”, says Food & Beverage Services Manager Michael Brown. “We know our primary market is the golfers, but we are growing the business by also giving secondary markets some effort, in fact we’ve hosted 3 Winemaker’s Dinners which is a natural when you’re directly surrounded by 9 wineries and we’ve joined the Wine Islands Vintners Association”, continues Brown. “You have to cover the basics at a golf facility for what your menu offers, but offer more upscale menu options to attract the foodies and non-golfers as well”, says Executive Chef Rick Davidson. “We look at our markets like a tree, grab the low hanging fruit first, but when you’re ready go for the fruit higher up on the tree know their needs and commit to it”, Davidson finishes. The Satellite Bar & Grille was the Official Host of Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival in 2009 and the restaurant was featured in Eat Magazine, 2008. The Satellite Bar & Grille is also committed to sustainability, growing their own herbs, planting apple trees, donating their used oil for bio-diesel and more.
View Wine Festival Launch Party Video Hosted at the Satellite Bar & Grille: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkUQ2UCfp5Y


Records set for Family Golf Day & Junior Night Participants
84 people attended the Family Golf Day at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club in 2009. This event has been held at all GolfBC owned and operated golf courses in BC for two years and Arbutus Ridge set an attendance record in 2009. “This is a fantastic GolfBC initiative to grow the game of golf and one of many programs we have in place, the video we created shows how much fun the event is and we look forward to another great event on June 6, 2010 at Arbutus Ridge”, says General Manager Jason Lowe.

Wednesday evenings are Junior Nights at Arbutus Ridge with 30-55 attendees, which boast one of the best consistent turnouts out of any Vancouver Island golf course Junior Program. The success of this program teamed with many others including the Family Golf Day has earned Arbutus Ridge Golf Club Golf Professional Jayme Young the Junior Promoter of the Year finalist distinction from the PGA of BC in 2009. “This year we are taking it one step further with a special Birthday Party Program for kids made possible by purchasing Snag Golf equipment”, says Director of Golf Jordan Ray.
View Family Golf Day Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIQc-Fj4bgI


Birthdays & Golf Are Now Inextricably Linked!
The GBC Golf Academy at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club has purchased S.N.A.G. golf equipment (http://www.snagusa.com/snagGallery.php) to animate birthday parties. “We just received the equipment a few weeks ago and have already booked 4 birthday parties”, says Director of Instructions Edd Boudreau. This 2 hour party is an ideal way to introduce a golfer aged 4-14 years in the game of golf. The 1 hour S.N.A.G. Golf session is filled with fun games and basic instruction in a safe environment. Arbutus Ridge will also include a party room, party decorations, Nachos, Wings and drinks for up to 12 kids. Classes will be taught by GBC Golf Academy professionals.
More information: www.golfbc.com/courses/arbutus_ridge/golf_academy/lessons/gbc_4


Arbutus Ridge Introduces Ladies Golf Week!
Arbutus Ridge is hosting the prestigious 2010 BC Women’s Amateur/Mid Amateur Championship June 29-July 2. Since the spotlight will be on ladies golf during this event Arbutus Ridge is introducing Ladies Golf Week June 7-14th. “During this week leading up to the Provincial Championship we want to showcase Arbutus Ridge as the first choice for female golfers on southern Vancouver Island. The golf course sets up very well for ladies from the middle & front tees, also that we have a variety of social and fun weekly events such as Ladies Day, Ladies Night and Couples Events. So the activities are in place to welcome any new or established lady golfer to our club”, says General Manager, Jason Lowe. The Arbutus Ridge Golf Club will be featuring a value add gesture for ladies playing during Ladies Week, while ensuring everyone is informed that Arbutus Ridge has many programs set up and is conducive to making new friends. The Arbutus Ridge Ladies Night every Monday is themed as wine, women & laughter and the Ladies Day group is very welcoming as well. Both groups have added something new this year by going on a road trip prior to their first weekly event to build the camaraderie even more.



Additional Media Resources:
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club Twitter Page
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club Facebook Page
View Online Media Kit
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Thank you for interest in the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. We will continue to provide you with periodic golf news and if we can be of further assistance with story development, fact checking, or coordinating a media visit for you, please contact:Jason Lowe General Manager
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
250.743.5100
jlowe@golfbc.com
3515 Telegraph Road, Cobble Hill BC Canada

The Arbutus Ridge Golf Club is owned and operated by the GolfBC Group. As a golf and resort management and investment company, GolfBC is defining a higher standard of quality and consistency among premier golf destinations. In addition to its nine British Columbia courses, GolfBC also owns three in Maui, Hawaii: the Gold, Emerald and Old Blue courses at Wailea Golf Resort.