Orlando is unlike many golfing markets in larger cities such as New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. While those locations tend to lean more heavily on private experiences, the home of Walt Disney World is quite the opposite.
“I would estimate 80 percent of golf is open to the public in Orlando,” says Patrick Dill, director of golf at ChampionsGate, the 36-hole home of Omni Orlando Resort. “In order to capture that guest traveling here you have to be plugged in and have a great reputation on social media and online communications. You need to have a good value proposition. You have to ask yourself, ‘Does your price match the experience you’re providing?”’
With that in mind, within the last year ChampionsGate, with two Greg Norman layouts, recently invested $17 million in a new concept called Eagles Edge, which is a short walk from the main resort area, and features meeting space, a restaurant, several bars and 30 state-of-the-art hitting bays featuring Toptracer Range technology.
Guests from the more than 1,000 resort rooms can compete against each other and get instant stat feedback, or play a course like Pebble Beach or Pinehurst No. 2. Business groups seem to have also embraced the new concept, Dill says.
“It has been a wild success for the brand,” Dill says. “It has been a wild success for the property. It really differentiates ChampionsGate in the marketplace because you can come here and you don’t have to leave, you don’t have to get on a bus to drive to Topgolf. You can just walk out your door and there it is.”
The range and inflatable targets are lighted for night play, and with different colored targets the entire scene becomes more of a party vibe than competitive golf.
“If you look, 20 percent of the population is avid golfers and the rest just like to hang out around it,” Dill says. “Eagles Edge is fun, it’s unique, it’s different. A lot of people have stories to tell and golf is a very social sport. We’ve seen great success with group play.”
The Orlando area has nine other resorts that feature at least 250,000 square feet of meeting space, and there are 10 golf courses alone off of exit 58 on Interstate 4 where ChampionsGate is located.
For example, one of Reunion Resort & Golf Club’s three courses sits less than a mile from ChampionsGate — with each course offering a high-end $200-$300 per round golf experience.
“We’re all competing for that customer who is coming from somewhere else to buy our hotel rooms, buy our food and use our convention space,” Dill says. “With Eagles Edge, I don’t have to spend $1,500 to put people on a bus and send them somewhere else. They can just come and walk over. It’s a huge savings for us, it’s a major convenience and it’s helping us win the group business competition in the market.”
Omni, with more than 50 total properties, now owns 13 different locations that have golf courses totaling 28 layouts.
“We’re bullish on non-traditional golf experiences along with top tier elite golf experiences,” says Spencer Cody, director or golf operations for all of Omni’s properties.
“Eagles Edge is an activity that you can do on a buddy trip, your girls trip, your association trip,” adds Dill. “If you’re tired of playing cards until 3 a.m. every night you can talk everybody to come over to dinner and play the par-three course or use the Toptracer. There’s a little bit of something for everyone.”
Since COVID-19, there has been fierce competition among resorts to lure golfers with families, who are willing to travel far distances and spend money on unique experiences.
“I think the differentiator for us is we’re owned and operated by one family,” Cody says. “And that to me brings a level of cohesiveness across all of our properties that’s really important.”
In addition to Eagles Edge, Omni also upgraded its Amelia Island golf course originally designed by Hall of Fame architect Pete Dye with a spectacular Beau Welling renovation that re-opened in May.
“I don’t want to put words in our ownership’s mouth but quality is important to them,” Dill says. “They like new and fresh and unique.”
Dill notes that the average traveling golfer often digs deep into their pockets.
“The golfing guest is the highest ancillary spend in addition to their room night,” Dill says. “They don’t have a problem with buying the finest cigars, the finest bourbon, the finest champagne.”
Dill says stats indicate an average wedding guest spends around $50 in addition to a room night, while a traveling golfer spends an additional $150-$600 at the resort.
“They’re a top-shelf type of customer,” Dill says. “So there are significant benefits to having up-to-date, current golf experiences that are served very well and presented to the customer that they feel is a value, so when they return they bring their friends, they spread by word of mouth.”
Cody notes that resort golf rounds are still growing and that he pays close attention to the yearly National Golf Foundation release on golf’s trends.
“It helps us understand our core business,” Cody says. “What I’m seeing, and what I take from that data, is places like Eagles Edge is exposing people to the game. And what we’re seeing now is people that get exposed here are seeking out traditional golf experiences and becoming core golfers. And that’s ultimately what’s going to behoove all of us in the industry.”