How Artificial Intelligence will change golf club marketing in 2024

Looking back at 2023, it's impossible not to mention Artificial Intelligence (AI). The revolutionary tech took the world by storm, with everyone talking about it with the same enthusiasm as when someone sinks their first hole-in-one. Also, the past year resulted in an increased number of people who actually decided to chase that feeling in golf. 

According to the National Golf Foundation, US golf participation increased by 9% compared to last year, reaching 45 million Americans above the age of 6. So, a lot of new golfers are entering the scene.  

It would be nice to attract some of them to your course, right? 

This is where the two worlds above collide with a beneficial output: AI marketing and golf. Boosting your marketing using advanced technology and machine learning can position your club top-of-mind for golfers in your area.

And trust us: nailing this will make it possible for you to generate content and brand yourself like never before. 

Marketing elevation through innovation 

New marketing efforts could be the solution to golf courses struggling or wanting to attract members or guests - or just get out there to sell more top-notch merchandise. Of course, marketing covers a lot in this area and can solve many problems you might be facing. 

But marketing can also be a problem itself, since making an optimal marketing strategy can be a tough process. Oh, and did we forget to mention the many hours you can spend analyzing data to find the right audience to target, brainstorming on content ideas, and producing the best possible text or graphics for a post on social media or a copy for an email? 

This is where many clubs could benefit from AI as their new marketer. AI marketing uses technology to make automated decisions based on data collection, analysis, and observations that affect marketing. This means that you know about customers and their needs better than they know themselves. 

With optimized marketing efforts based on the technology, you can generate awareness, develop a branded experience, sell tee times, advertise pro shop or restaurant items, and delight both present and future customers. And the process is pretty straightforward when you first know what to do. 

3 ways to use AI in your golf marketing 

We have delved into some of the many ways that golf clubs can use AI marketing in 2024 – and there are plenty of rabbit holes and niche methods to explore. 

To narrow it down, we have identified three ways we believe AI will impact golf marketing in the new year. 

1. Unlocking data on golfers 

Nowadays, there is so much data on golfers, leaving marketing people in golf clubs with the big challenge of dealing with tons of data when targeting content.  

The foremost duty of personalized AI marketing? It's a master at crunching through those mountains of data using algorithms. It looks for patterns and trends in the golfers' behaviour, giving useful tips on what content to create and how to make it more targeted and personalized.  

When we dive into AI and marketing, personalized marketing actually steals the spotlight. Basically, it's using what you know about your customers to make them feel like you're talking straight to them. 

2. Content creation

Content creation is key when executing your marketing through different channels or touchpoints that golfers face at a golf club.

The following graph points out what members see as effective communication types from golf clubs. 

Even though there most likely is a difference between the channels you should use to attract new golfers compared to the members' preferences from this larger survey, the data shows which channels could be important – and here, the AI-powered data analysis on potential golfers mentioned before can help you identify more data on the ones you want to attract. 

Figure 1: The data is based on 40,641 responses to a Players 1st Member Survey gathered over a three-year period in the US. Source: Players 1st.

Again, this easily accessible technology got your back covered when making content for all the different channels mentioned in the graph. 

Different intelligent software allows you to create and generate various types of content for your marketing in a much more efficient way. With the introduction of the now well-known ChatGPT and other sources, many have started using AI to create written content. This AI can write blogs, marketing materials, and emails – all tailored to the golfers you want to attract. 

In short, it's a proper time and money saver for those doing the marketing at golf clubs. Besides being much quicker than a human, AI also does these tasks with much more efficiency and extensive creativity – sometimes beyond what humans could ever have done. 

And the generative content machinery doesn't stop just at text generation.  

AI can also assist you in creating images for social media or your website. Tools like Dall-E can quickly create images that suit your marketing effort. Below, we have created different visual content pieces by solely using AI and providing it with the following prompt:  

"Professional-looking female golfer preparing for her swing on a golf course. She's dressed in stylish and sophisticated golf attire, exuding confidence and skill. The scene includes a golf ball on the grass with the beautifully maintained golf course in the background.” 

AI generated image 1 - How Artificial Intelligence will change golf club marketing in 2024

AI generated image 2 - How Artificial Intelligence will change golf club marketing in 2024

AI generated image 3 - How Artificial Intelligence will change golf club marketing in 2024

3. Search engine optimization (SEO) to rank higher in search results  

Using AI to improve search engine optimization (SEO) is not exactly a groundbreaking concept for those who are familiar with the marketing term. However, implementing it effectively within the daily operations of a busy golf club can present some challenges. 

You see, in a fast-paced environment like a golf club, there's often limited time and resources available to dedicate to SEO efforts. Marketers juggle multiple tasks, from managing events and promotions to engaging with members and maintaining the course. 

Imagine having an AI assistant that can analyze data, identify relevant keywords, and optimize content to meet the latest SEO standards for either posts or text on the website — all in a fraction of the time it would take a human marketer.  

This allows golf clubs to stay competitive in the online landscape and climb up search engine rankings, ultimately driving more traffic to their website and attracting potential members or visitors for the new year.