How’s this for a turnabout? Instead of telling golfers what it will cost to play a round of golf, which is the normal course of business, The Golf Courses of Lawsonia have flipped the script.
They are letting golfers say what they will pay to play, and even if the answer is a mere dollar, or maybe $5, to play two of the state’s most highly rated courses, the answer is yes.
Today was the first day of Lawsonia’s Tuesday “Get Outdoors” Special promotion, which runs for the next two Tuesdays through May 26.
PGA head pro Josh Carroll said the response to bargain golf has been strong. “A lot of people are coming out today,” he said Tuesday morning.
The idea was born out of discussion between staff members at Lawsonia and its management company. In announcing the unusual promotion, Lawsonia, which includes the highly rated Links Course and The Woodlands in Green Lake, said it was a program tailor-made for the upside down times caused by the novel coronavirus.
“Through no fault of your own, you may be stuck at home,” the announcement read, complete with a frowning emoji. “With so many of us out of work right now, Lawsonia would like to do what we can to help with the expense of going out and playing a round.
“Don’t deny yourself golf and a great walk on the course – pay what you can and enjoy golf on Tuesdays through May 26th.”
Carroll acknowledged the course won’t make money by nearly giving away golf, but he said that wasn’t the point.
“That’s not what we’re going for. (We’re saying) if somebody wanted to come out for a dollar we’d have room for them on the golf course. That’s basically the idea, to get people out here (who say) let’s go play Lawsonia for $4 a foursome. From the emails it seems there’s a lot of people coming in for a dollar.”
Not everyone was offering only a single George Washington to play, he said. “There’s a few that have come through for $20,” and one at $25, but a number of others offered $5. For those who don’t want to walk, cart fees remain at $20.
Lawsonia’s normal rate for golf and a cart this time of year is $60.
Given the positive response and the good will created by the name-your-price promotion, Carroll said, “it’s something we would look at expanding.”
Golfers certainly wouldn’t mind. Carroll said he arrived at work Tuesday to find three or four emails from golfers thanking Lawsonia for acknowledging the hard times the safer-at-home guidelines have caused for so many workers and for giving golfers the opportunity to play such a respected course at a better-than-affordable price.
And he said those who have turned out so far have had smiles on their faces, which is no small thing these days.
“It got a great response,” he said. “Everybody’s in a good mood.”
