This is the second of a five part interview with Mike Tait, a 31-year PGA Professional and the owner of Oswego-based SMT Golf. In addition to being a golf professional, Mike is a club manufacturing expert and his company SMT Golf has produced a number of top clubs for multiple Re/MAX World Long Drive Champions. Mike is also helping to redefine the golf outing business through SMT Golf Outing Services which provides entertainment and fundraising for golf events. You can learn more about Mike’s services at www.smtgolf.com and www.smtgolfoutings.com.
Chicago Golf Report: What is the ‘America’s Ticket,’ what does that include?
Mike Tait: The ‘America’s Ticket’ is a two-pronged piece, and the actual card size is 4 inches x 8½ inches, full color, printing in both sides. We created this card for two reasons because I think there are only two things that I can bring to any golf outing. I can bring value to the golfers that play in the golf outing, which would then make the value for playing in that particular golf outing better, then I would make the field larger, and then I can bring money to the organization.
Those are the two things that I am really trying to achieve at every golf outing that I go to. So, the ‘America’s Ticket’ is a product where the front of the card shows the name of the event, has their big logo on it and each player is given one and it shows them what is included in their day’s outing.
It might be any one of our games. It might be the Par 3 trick shot show, it might be the floating target or whatever games that they happen to choose – “Your special day includes”.
It might be a mulligan, it might be raffle tickets, it might be the lunch/dinner. We have that list on the front; but on the back of the card and this is where the money comes in for the golf outing and it is based on sponsorships; it could be one or it could be 100 sponsors on the back of the card, it doesn’t matter to us.
We create all color logos on the back of that “brought to you today by Henry Ford” or whatever it happens to be and then we recommend that they get every sponsor, whether it’s 1 or 100 to give something back, give these people a reason to come back in to Henry Ford, in this case, to redeem that coupon or certificate towards service of free oil change, two-for-one dinners or appetizers. That way there is a return on investment for that sponsor because golf hole signs, which is a typical and easiest sponsorship to acquire, nobody reads that stuff really and there is no trip insurance.
It’s just out there. I mean, everybody sees them, they are used to seeing them and nobody really cares; but there is no way that they can get a return on that investment. So, if our sponsors end up seeing people come back in to their place with these cards, it makes it so much easier for the golf outing to have those people sign up again next year.
Click here to read Part One.