Christopher Baker

Queen University Of Charlotte, USA Internship 2012 gas.tower@hotmail.co.uk

Comments So Far By Visitors Where is the pro shop? (when standing in front of it) Is this the Pro Shop!? Is the Pro Shop open?(3 couples wanted to buy something and it was closed at 08.30 the pro shop opens when the course opens missing out on sales and revenue) Can somebody open the pro shop for me please

Observing Customers I sat down to watch customers as they entered the hall way of the golf club, very few people go in the pro shop, they stand out side and look through the window, (window shoppers). No body wants to be enclosed in a small place when shopping because there is too much pressure, people like space when shopping, feel, touch and look what is on offer. And when they do want to go in the shop it is locked, and you need to ring somebody to open in and your guest waits for the shop to be opened!!!!
The Problem It is to small, and not enough of the RIGHT desirable products are for sale.

Just one of your guest I got a picture of trying to buy merchandise in your shop but it was closed. There is no reason to have it closed, and have somebody working in there. The employee who works in there must feel unmotivated, board and just waiting for the day to end. So this is what I propose.

The Solution We need to make it bigger. More space. More products. Better layout.

Glass Doors

Niche Market THE ONLY 18 HOLE GOLF CLUB IN THE SEYCHELLES if that is not a selling point I don't know what is! THIS MEANS People WANT merchandise, like Augusta Golf Club in USA, their sales revenue in the pro shop alone exceeds $10 million per year because it is one of the most exclusive golf clubs, it owns the niche market. Lemuria Resort has its own niche, but not maximising on its potential. THE OLD PRO SHOP HAS TO GO!. So many people stare into the pro shop and are not even going in it, because most of the time it is shut. Open up pro shop to fit the entire room, nobody want to be trapped and enclosed while shopping and feel clausterophobic,

PRODUCTS & MEMORABLIA PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE COURSE: Beautiful images of the spectacular holes on the course, by a professional photographer. Different sizes available for each. This is own marketing, people hang them when they get home, friends ask about it, and they spend the whole evening about their wonderful holiday they have had. Then their friends book. GOLF BALLS & ALWAYS KEPT IN STOCK A customer came into day asking for some golf balls, AND WE ONLY SELL PINK ONES!? People want quality get some Titelist, Callaway, Taylormade and Bridgestone WITH YOUR LOGO ON IT. FLAGS I saw these in Florida, and they where selling so many of them, everyone was walking away with a flag who stayed their. So you have your logo top left, then the 15th hole is your signature hole, and names ie, Molly & Henry, Honeymoon 2013

Get bag tags made up, with the new logo designed and Lemuria Golf Resort on them ***** People attach these to their bag, and when ever they play golf, with friends or even and their local club, it advertises your club and gets people talking.

THE ACCESSORIES Next to the desk in the pro shop, sell little accessories, such as BALL MARKERS, people collect these, sun tan location spray, tees, lip balm, water, sweets. YOU WANT TO MAKE THE ONLY 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE IN SEYCHELLES SHOP AN EXPIRENCE LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE! KEEP IT RUNNING Glass doors from and back, people have to walk through to get to the restaurant, PERFECT, you have GENERATED TRAFFIC and a VOLUME OF PEOPLE walking in and out of your shop because they are off to eat, and they will pick up the occasional gift for friends back home. And RUN IT ALL DAY RIGHT TO NIGHT, people go out for an evening meal, they have a couple bottles of wine, guess what, THEY HAVE TO WALK OUT THROUGH THE GOLF SHOP, more traffic again, customers have had a great night, late night shopping. MORE SALES. And your guest can easily access the restaurant from the side if you wanted to close the shop early. Or leave the lights on in the pro shop at night, with presentation lighting, they will return in the morning. POLO SHIRTS Polo shirts, with new floor space, we can colour co ordinate caps, socks polo shirts an shirts (set price) WASH BAGS, Lemuria Golf Head Covers (Socks) Leather Bag Tags with Logo

S,M,L photos for sale

Logo Head covers

ALL GREAT KEEP SAKES

Logo Ball Markers

REACHING OUT
INFORMING YOUR GUESTS

The most important part of any business system is reaching out to your customers, and from your point of view these are your guest. And with a luxury hotel such as Lemuria Resort you don't want to be coming across like your selling something , guest as you know never liked being pushed into a sell they are here on holiday and to relax, so subtle messages forming your guest would be a fantastic way of informing them of such activities and this is not just for golf but for all activities and events at the hotel.

In the rooms you have rolling slides of pictures of the hotel on the T.V. And I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to inform your guest what events are going on. Just a couple of words next to the picture on each one,
lets have a look.. (the red boxes and writing are just to make it clear for you, your design team can come up with appropriate font and colour use)

MOVE ICONS UP, ADD PICTURE, WITH MESSAGE, and you can do this with all events with the hotel .

NEED TO REACH OUT TO YOUR GUEST, TO GET THEM INVOLVED, ON THE TV IN THE ROOMS DO THIS,

NEW WEBSITE LAY OUT

CLEAR & EASY TO USE

out for

Flash pictu keep mov here cour

ole by hole formation, add cture & photograph

You can then sell these in the shop, as a lovely little keep sake to remember their round.

It is even in your accounts Distance Books but you don't have any to sell.
If you sold 2 a day which would be very realistic for 5 each. 5x2=10x7=70 70x4=280 P/M 280 p/m down because you dont have the product.

Why not sell gift cards, at other local hotels and even on Mahe Island, in you sister hotel. Big photo of the course, then say.... Did you know our sister hotel Lemuria is only 15mins away, why not go and visit, and play around of golf and get a FREE half an hour golf lesson before you play!

Brings in new clients, who might come and stay here next time, Also brings in Money from golf sale, golf green fees, and extras such as them having lunch and drinks here.

Create a Facebook account just for golf, informing your followers on golf packages. You should update FB 5 times a day. Same with Twitter, Lemuria Resort Golf Club Tweet at 5 times a day, news, events ect.

RSS enables regular web users constant news update of what is going on at your resort Google+ is said to over take Facebook in next 5 years, essential networking tool for your resort and golf LinkedIn, is a website used for work, however you can still build a page for the golf side to advertise your resort on here Tumbler is a fantastic website, where people share photos, as you have some amazing views, this would be a great networking tool to use.

Stumbleupon is a fantastic new site where people browse the web just via their interests.
Create YouTube videos of the golf course and people playing, include new pro shop and people having drinks after in the club house.

The first tee and first hole should be the most beautiful hole on the course. This will attract people to come and play the course. At the moment it looks bare , dry and colourless. Add lots of beautiful flowers, bright colours and make it look flourished. Pinks, reds, yellows. There should be no bare grass, but flourishing plants and flowers. Give it that WOW factor. Make it welcoming.

On the 9th tee box, put a phone which calls the restaurant and bar of the Seahorse. Have a menu next to the phone, like sandwiches, hotdogs, bacon sandwiches, (golfers food! They don't want a gourmet dinner! Just something quick to eat while they go onto the back 9) Also drinks, cold beers, cokes, water ect. And then have it waiting for them on the 10th hole. They can charge it to there room. Its a fantastic service they use in USA, which golfers love, and also brings in money for you guys.

COMPARING THE COMPETITION

Lykia World Golf Resort (5 star) from 355pp, Turkey 16th December - 31st January 2012 5 nights' all inclusive at Lykia World Golf Resort and 5 days unlimited golf, Gloria Serenity Resort (5 Star) from 875pp, Turkey 1 Oct 2012 - 31 Oct 2012 7 nights' all inclusive at Gloria Serenity Resort and 4 rounds of golf (New Course or Old Course) Includes all transfers Dona Filipa & San Lorenzo Golf Resort, Faro (5 Star)From 235pp, Portugal 1 Sep 2012 - 31 Oct 2012 3 nights' bed & breakfast at Dona Filipa & San Lorenzo and 2 rounds of golf (San Lorenzo) Marriott Doral Golf Resort & Spa (5 Star) From 419pp, USA 5 nights' bed & breakfast at Doral Golf Resort and 5 rounds Jebel Ali Hotel & Golf Resort (5 Star) From 499pp, Dubai 1st September 2012 - 26th September 2012, 5 nights' bed & breakfast at the Jebel Ali Hotel and 3 rounds of golf Fancourt Hotel & Golf Estate (5 Star) From 589pp, Garden Route, 1st September - 24th September 2012, 5 nights' bed & breakfast at the Fancourt Hotel & Golf Estate and 5 rounds of golf

Turkey has made a tremendous progress offering golf packages which include first class accommodation . To increase sales and profits within the golfing department we need to put together a package which is competitive amongst the other golfing resorts as listed. And perhaps slightly cheaper offering them an incentive to come out here, as Seychelles has not built a reputation as of yet for a place to come golfing. These are the top companies to get hold of regarding group packages and golf deals. Also on your website their should be a golf package section. Get people to come here via golf it is a huge pulling power. The market has shown year on year growth. Making contact with the companies shown below might offer significant opportunity to reach these new markets.

Belle Mare Plage (Mauritius)

2x18 hole courses. Golf Range & practice facility. Golf Academy. Locker Room Putting Green Golf Bar & Club house

Four Seasons Anaita (Mauritius) Pro Shop Golf Pro Golf Academy Driving Range Putting Green Club and shoe rental Club Bar Locker Room Snack Bar Chipping Green Practice Bunker Own Golf gym Featured in Top 100 golf courses 155 to play. Opened 2008

They also have a fantastic website.

Le Touessrok (Mauritius)

18 Holes, Practice Range. Putting Green. Club house & Restaurant. Academy. Top 10 Abroad Courses Magazine. 160 to play. Fantastic Pro shop with lots to offer. Wide Range of stock. Opened 2005

Heritage , Le Telfare(Mauritius) A prize winning 18-hole championship golf course designed by Peter Matkovich (PAR 72) 9-hole par 3 Pitch & Putt (PAR 3) Scenic landscape between lagoon and hills A putting green, chipping and pitching facility and double sided driving range A golf pro shop PGA Pro A golf academy Night golf sessions A club house with restaurant and bar Environmentally responsible golf

Emirates Golf Club, (Dubai) The Club provides a comprehensive set of services including dining options, event facilities, a modern golf academy, floodlit par-3 course, driving ranges and a proshop. Top 100 Golf Courses in the World, Majlis (Golf World) 190 to play= 18 holes Opened 1998

Montgomerie, Dubai 18 Holes, Practice Range. Putting Green. Club house & Restaurant. Academy. Top 50 Abroad Courses Magazine. 140 to play. Opened 2002

Coco De Mer, is the biggest seed in the world. This it self carries something special and it grows on your island, what better to have this as one of your logos for golf. This is a very basic logo, your design team could make something around this, The current logo, tells us nothing about your golf club, it has no meaning, make this your logo, and even name the golf curse Coco De Le Mer, your course is as special as the seed, rare, beautiful and a one off! It is essential that all merchandise carries this polo. All polos, hats, ect carry this logo, get rid of the old one.

Again, very basic but just an idea, change all your flags to these or something like it, and sell them in the pro shop.

Why not once a week, have cocktails on the 15th hole, and nearest the pin competition, shuttle people up to the 15th to watch the sun set, and then supply clubs and balls, and have nearest the pin competition . It would be a fantastic evening and a friendly get together for guest to perhaps try some golf. Not many guest know about the view from up there as well, and its magical!

The Restaurant You have named the restaurant the Seahorse, as this is located at the golf course, everything here hould be associated with golf, to get that recognition from your guest and potential guest that the Lemuria Resort also has fantastic golfing facility here as well and not just any golf course. This could be an amazing golf destination, and this facility would more than prove it. Change the name of the Restaurant to the The 19th or the 19th Hole Coco De Mer This should be a relaxed place, for kids to hang out, perhaps get a Nintendo Wii, and a projector up stairs, with cushions for kinds to have fun and then go out for some golf lessons after with the team here, Make upstairs more like a golf club rather than just another restaurant, people will still want to come here even if not golfers, people will want to come here because it is more relaxed and just to get away, it is deserted here, because at the moment it is not either a golf club or a restaurant, it is stuck in the middle and people don't get it,it has identity crisis they dont know what this is, Introduce old school golf pictures, a members board, a hole in one board, lovely wooden boards, with gold blacks on them. some old wooden golf clubs, Pictures of the course, perhaps in black and white. Make it a specialand memorable place.

Move putting green to outside the club house, to the right of the first tea, nobody uses the other one because it is out the way, keep the old as a chipping green and ad some bunkers to the old one

Driving Range
One of the biggest disappointments, from a golfers point of view I came across when I first visited Lemuria was that you did not have a driving range. Being an island it is very hard to create space, and you have done a fantastic job of creating such a beautiful course through a jungle. I have calculated that it would not be feasible to build a driving range on the island, as you wouldn't see the return on your investment within in 20 years. So the best way is to create space. A driving range is a fantastic facility for your guest who perhaps do not really play golf and just want some fun, and for even for the serious golfer to hit some balls before they play. Also, the range is the prefect place for your professional to give lessons to your guest. So this is what I propose.

This is your current 10th Hole, a par 5. Cut it down to a par 4. Get rid of the first 250 yards to 280 yards of the hole as this becomes your NEW RANGE!

By creating space it becomes more cost effective . Shortening the 10th and making it a very tough short par 4 with a risk reward hole surrounding the green with deep bunkers makes the hole allot more interesting than before and you have created a driving range. By pushing the tees back on 11 you can now turn that par 4 into a great par 5, with water all down the right it makes it again another risk reward hole for the golfers. By making the 11th par 5 as well you still keep the par of the course at 70. So lets see what a range could do for Lemuria

Cost of balls = 5 for 70

Lets take an average 8 people a day come to hit balls at 5.(some days you are going to get more, some days less, but 8 would be a very achievable number per day) 40p/d x 350 = 14000 Profit ever year. There are very little cost attached with a driving range, just a cart picking up the balls every other day. + percentage of golf lessons given on the driving range. Why not start a golf academy? LETS THINK BIG!

With the new driving range being in place you increase your whole monthly revenue by 5% (60% P/A) 40X7=4(280)=

1120 P/M
YOU ARE LOSING OUT ON BECAUSE OF NO RANGE.

I am good friends with Sir Nick Faldo, why not offer him a free holiday here, for a couple of nights, get him to play the course, get some pictures of him playing here, put them on your website, and get him to say a couple of words recommending the course and resort for golfer..cost you nothing but could open many doors and open golf interest to many people around the word. If you want to make this happen, let me know and I will make the introduction.

MCB Tournament Established 1994, 3- 9 December, 6-7 days. TV Crew 11 people 64 Teams (48 pros) MCM Main Sponsor Tour Operators Handle most of the sale 400 for Pro Am, 300 for Am = 700 All together. Hotel Rooms not included. Golf Lunch included every day. And Cocktails Party Monday, Wednesday and Friday Free. HCP Men - 18 HCP Women - 20 Established event, once advertised on website, sells out within in couple of weeks.

Mauritius MCB Open

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

invest in your employees and they will take care of you and your business Henry Ford What I have seen, your employees need to be motivated. Lemuria employees are great but they are lacking job enrichment and reasonability within the organisation. They are task orientated and hard working and I feel they would welcome more responsibility which would lead to more job enrichment and a more challenging environment. They want responsibility to be pushed and to be challenged every day at work. A healthy mind is a busy mind I know you involve your staff in exchanges between sister hotels and by experiencing how things are done in other golfing environments may stimulate a debate that status quo at the Lemuria and lead to real Growth.

Also, on another point which caught my attention, and please see this as constructive criticism. Your employees are surrounded by wealth , beautiful buildings, quality service and everything is at the very highest quality. However from my point of view the staff quarters and living accommodation is very poor. I have luckily been privileged to travel all around the world during my gap year and stayed in some very rough accommodation to a tight student budget, and I have to say the staff quarters I lived in are up with the very worst. You as a company and a resort obviously know how to do things right. Which makes me wonder why you have not given the same attention to quality for staff quarters as everything else you do here at the hotel. And of course they cant match the quality of the hotel room. But there is a big difference between a comfortable and clean and uncomfortable living quarters. Simple improvements would be just having air con, and clean bathrooms and toilets. If I was in charge I would invest a good sum of money and invest in proper accommodation for the staff . If you look after your staff, they will look after you and the business, and I have spoken to many staff about their accommodation and yet to meet a satisfied employee. Make the employees feel a part of your company and a privilege to work for you. Make the staff at hotels such as Raffles feel like WOW I want to be part of the Lemuira Hotel and work for them, they look after their workers and treat them well Steve Jobs used to say my employees are my family, I treat them how I would like to be treated and get the very best from each and every one of them