Chad Maxim, the 2005 Michigan PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, is the PGA head professional at Apple Mountain Golf Club in Freeland, Mich.

When hosting a golf outing, many people are involved in putting together the event, between your own facility and the company/organization paying for your services, and it is vital to make sure everyone is on the same page. This includes banners/signage, beverages, menu options, cart sheets, scoring, any additional expenses and countless other options available to the client to customize a particular outing. We strive to be all-inclusive, and work to put together a document that clearly spells out exactly what – and just as importantly, what is not – provided. With this sheet, as well as all the work that goes into putting together the document, we can let the client rest assured that everything is being taken care of, and that their event will be a successful undertaking. After all, higher-end clients are usually looking for the course to make an event as hassle free as possible and do the work in putting everything together, which is what they’re paying us for. By being as detailed as possible from the beginning and putting together a clear game plan so everyone is on the same page, we can more easily meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

When we’re all-inclusive and make it clear exactly what is expected of us and what we’re offering the client, we’re able to attract roughly 35-40 outings a year. Moreover, we’ve been able to establish our course as a location that generally focuses on high-end service, thus bringing in companies that want more than just the cheapest quote. Our goal, always, is a quality event, and this can only be done if everyone knows what’s involved and is on the same page.