Hugh Matthis is the PGA head professional at Tavistock Country Club in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

I did the Peter Millar microsite last year for our big Member-Guest, which was very successful and popular. There are multiple packages to choose from, depending on your budget. The package we selected gave the members three different options: performance shirt and pullover, dress shirt and slacks, or cotton shirt and pullover. Not only did they get to choose among the three, but there were also color options for each, as well as an option to have our logo on the chest or left sleeve. There was a link created for our custom website that I emailed out to all participants more than a month prior to the event.  I was updated on orders weekly so I could email a reminder each week to those who had not chosen their gift. The gifts arrived a few days before the event, each packaged nicely, and I simply put them in the member or guest’s locker.

For us, the microsite option was a no-brainer. The microsite was used by the 60 guests in the tournament, and I decided to offer the package to the members as well, with nearly half of them taking advantage. I did not charge full retail to the members, but was able to make extra dollars on those who purchased the package. The microsite process eliminates sizing issues as well as added pressure on setup and giveaway of the product at the start of or during the event. In the past, I would ask for sizes on the entry form, but I would not always get accurate answer from the member. I would place an order for logoed apparel knowing that I would have to change out a certain percentage of the pieces for a different size and put all leftovers in inventory. By sending the site to both members and guests, I was able to get an almost perfect size run. The only returns that I had were from guests who were a last-minute change or addition, which was two or three at the most. The pieces that needed to be reordered were drop-shipped to the participant, so it was an easy process on my end. All participants were very happy with the high-quality product and the fact that they had multiple options to choose from. As a staff we were able to concentrate on other fine details and not spend as much time on the ever-difficult and time-consuming giveaways.

If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email hmatthis@tavistockcc.com

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