When Dr. David Bronner first hatched the idea for a massive and ambitious system of golf courses, he imagined an experience so big, so comprehensive, it would benefit the entire state of Alabama like a rising tide lifts all ships. The result was the famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a veritable Disneyland for links enthusiasts, which remains such to this day.
His idea, according to that Golf Trail’s recorded history was “to use a hot vehicle like golf to boost tourism, attract retirees, and spur economic growth within the state.” Sound familiar to you destination marketers? As history has shown, he was definitely on to something.
Dr. Bronner knew that people would come not only from around the state, but from all over to experience the sheer diversity, availability and playability of his golf trail courses. A few decades later and we are seeing more and more golf trails each year all around the country.
The legacy and the allure live on. But that doesn’t mean the delivery systems, score keeping, data tracking, and course curating can’t adapt to the modern era as well. The next generation of golf enthusiasts need the next generation of travel technology.
That’s where Bandwango comes in with mobile-exclusive golf cards and passports that are easy-to-use and better for the environment, making green fees “greener” as it were.
Guiding visitors and locals through the links of your destination has never been easier than it is with Bandwango. Once your various golf courses are on board with the offers they’d like to extend—and that can simply be the cost of a round, a discount, a giveaway, a tasting at the clubhouse, anything—and the pass is operational, all customers have to do is to “buy” the trail, which is then instantly delivered to their phone via text and email.
Then, golfers simply present the pass at participating courses along the trail, where they can redeem the benefit, access the tour and experience the fun of what makes these trails so popular.
In what is regarded as one of the best golf trails according to Golfweek, the Bandwango-powered Central Oregon Golf Trail offers a mobile-exclusive Golf Trail Players Card where cardholders enjoy access to 14 different golf courses in the Bend area at half the price.
Featuring many of Central Oregon’s premier golf facilities, Bend is also a thriving hub of outdoor activity and recreation, Golfweek also observed that “if Bend weren’t located in the same state as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, it probably would be known as one of the nation’s best destinations for golf.” That’s quite a resounding endorsement.
The golf trail, then, is a fantastic way for golfers to take advantage of an incredible golfing experience at an even more incredible price. But also, zooming out from the tee, travelers to the area will discover that Bend is an all around great place to experience.
Central Oregon positions itself as a place where you can come for the incredible golfing and enjoy so much more of what that destination has to offer, including, as Golfweek also noted, a fantastic craft-beer scene. Which, as you may know, we have thoughts about.
With dramatic vistas as breathtaking as the Wasatch Mountains to the east, and the Great Salt Lake to the west, each of the nine golf courses in the Davis County Golf Passport feature views of both, making the golf experience at what are some of the best courses in Utah, as awe-inspiring as they are an exciting challenge.
The passport gives participants the option to choose nine rounds of nine holes or nine rounds of 18 holes, appealing to more than one kind of golf traveler. With savings of 25% to 40%, green fees never looked so greenback friendly.
Back to Dr. Bonner, his philosophy was one of mutual benefit. As CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which he saw as the vehicle to bring his golf trail vision to reality, he knew that “The stronger the Retirement Systems of Alabama can make Alabama, the stronger the Retirement Systems will be.”
Likewise, as destination marketers offer products like golf trails to the excitement of passionate golf travelers, the travelers in turn will boost visitation and create real economic lift, not only for the participating golf courses along the trail, but throughout the whole region.
Want to learn more about setting up a Golf Trail or other links-related experience to attract visitors and engage locals in your destination? Drop us a line, below.