Project Backspin
BMGC Growth and Alignment 2020
Ideas to potentially strengthen our position in the city of Baltimore as we move into the future that don’t depend upon increasing green fees.
By Julieta Stack, Director of Instruction, Baltimore Golf Academy
Re-inventing Ourselves
Non-Profit Alignments/Pursuing Grant Opportunities
Building Partnerships
Community Outreach
Questions for our Board Members, future Executive Director
How do we create revenue when it is raining, dark, too cold to play?
What do we do with space that is not golf essential?
Why have we not gone after grant money or tried to develop a donor list or funding partners?
Could we rewrite our mission statement to include protection of the watershed and the positive environmental impact our courses have on the city? If so, we could potentially apply for grants relating to the environment or at least partner with environmental groups to assist us, and in turn potentially have our agreement with the city reevaluated.
What organizations and businesses can we partner with to strengthen our positions?
Should we be promoting golf in public city schools?
Reinventing Ourselves
Better than Top Golf.
Top Golf will be opening a local franchise soon. By adding a section at our range that offers Top Tracer, a lounge like atmosphere with picnic tables, fire pit, grill, umbrellas, music, food and beverages, we can create the atmosphere that is better than TG.
Community.
Focus on the concessions not just the green fees. Create gathering areas for golfers and non-golfers with ambiance. Sell ice cream, coffee, wine and beer, barbecue, etc.
We also need the cooperation of superintendent and professional.
Grow and Sell.
We could begin our own nurseries and sell plants, shrubs and trees. There are spaces at most of our courses that could be dedicated to this effort. This would benefit communities, create jobs and revenue for our corporation. Look at Camp Small as a model.
How do we get projects like this off the ground? We have individuals interested in teaming with us, we just need approval.
7 Characteristics Exhibited by Successful Nonprofits:
They Are Agile
They Are Focused On Their Mission, Always
They Are Donor-Centric
They Develop Diverse Funding Sources
They Are Able To Mobilize And Inspire Others
.They Are Digitally-Savvy
They Continuously Listen And Improve
How do we best work towards utilizing our nonprofit status?
Become Environmental Stewards of the Fairways by Partnering With Other Non-Profits
PRESENTATION PREPARED FOR BOARD MEMBERS by Zoe Clarke West
Some of the people I have consulted:
Erik Dihle, City Arborist, Head of Forestry Baltimore City, TreeBaltimore
Amanda Cunningham and Zoe Clarke West, Flowering Tree Trails Baltimore
Charlie Conklin, Gunpowder Conservancy
Mateuz Rosinski, Jay Orr
We have an amazing amount of knowledge and support at our disposal. Erik pointed out that we dropped the ball on the Ash Tree removal at Carroll Park after the city contacted us. (We never called them back.) Now we have to foot the bill. Let’s get these experts in the field to help us.
Baltimore is under a federal directive to reduce pollution runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. Congress reaffirmed its longstanding, bipartisan support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program in the year-end 2020 budget deal by increasing its funding from $73 million to $85 million.
We can use our courses to plant trees to help TreeBaltimore with their goal of increasing tree canopy in Baltimore from 28% to 40% by 2037.
We could beautify our courses and draw foot traffic to the restaurants and driving range by aligning with Flowering Tree Trail of Baltimore. (Again, more trees for canopy)
We can team up with Parks and People
Help Baltimore with the bird emergency announced by Audubon Society in September. Native plants, grasses, shrubs and tree canopy are areas we could contribute to helping. Federal and local funding could be sought after.
Buffer the areas around the reservoir and along any streams to prevent run-off and erosion. Stop geese from easily coming up to fairways with buffer. (PR Hole 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17) It is our responsibility and if we need assistance in getting this done, let’s find out who can help us, financially and scientifically.
Herring Run Nursery is located on Mt. Pleasant property. They are an excellent example of a local non-profit (Blue Water Baltimore) that are doing great things for the community, environment and had $800,000 on their books at the end of 2018. Should we explore setting up our own nurseries at our courses or creating our own Camp Small?
Partnerships and Grants
Global Golf or Second Swing or Dick's Sporting Goods
What if the driving range at Pine Ridge became the best course in the area to test and buy clubs? As it stands now, you have to go to the club house to get a demo club to hit or arrange a fitting where the professional wheels out a cart from the pro shop. Would we make it easier on the customer if we created a secure space at the driving range to house golf clubs for people to test and purchase? Would we potentially make more money if we rented space on the range to Second Swing or Dick's Sporting Goods and received a portion of their sales? If you go to Second Swing, it is clear we are not in a position to compete.
Under Armour, Nike The Baltimore Golf Academy has been approached by Nike to partner with us on our golf camps. Do we say yes or do we use this as leverage and partner with Under Armour in some capacity?
Johns Hopkins University- 21st Century Cities Initiative Figure out how to get on their radar or what the process is to be a part of this.
Bloomberg Cities Initiatives--Our courses could be so much more than just golf oriented.
Grant Opportunities To Explore (Karen Griffin could help us with what to do in this area)
https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/grantshttps://www.baltimoresustainability.org/permits/critical-areas/offset-grants/
http://www.baltimoretreetrust.org/
https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/grantsandloans.aspx
Dick's Sporting Goods-sponsorship for Junior Golf Practice Facility Improvement
Pfizer Could apply to them for golf tournament outing (Juniors, push carts for health)
Exelon Same as above
https://www.tdbank.com/opportunities/
LOWES this could be where we get $5000 towards building community gathering area around range
Costco Potentially....
Waste Management We could apply for this grant to get area behind the driving range cleaned up.
Click Here to Apply for a Charitable Contribution
Anthem Golf push cart program and use it to track health benefits of walking the course.
Community Outreach
Baltimore City Public School Golf-The Three Way Win
Local College Version of PGA JR League
Youth
Golf is a game of a lifetime. Social, health, business benefits will help the players for the rest of their life.
We will work with the PGA and the MPSSAA to provide opportunities for our players to play in County and State matches and to potentially earn scholarships.
There would be the potential for players to work at our courses or do internships with us.
Neighborhoods
Our golf courses should be social hubs in the neighborhoods surrounding them. That was the idea when the courses were built. Let’s become centers of activity that the city can be proud of where the young, the old and the in between converge to play and socialize.
Publicity
We would be the first high school league in the country to use the PGA JR League format. The eyes of the PGA and their partners will be on us. We could parlay this into so many positive gains.
Poly vs. City
This natural rivalry could provide a launch pad for golf in our city schools.
The potential for spreading golf to high schools is dependent upon the cool factor, social media, and us providing a venue for the players to feel as if they are accomplishing something.
Thank you Mr. Danard Smith, Mr. Adrian Palazzi (helped with contacts at Poly )
College Version of PGA Junior League
If there is no interest in city public schools, Mogan State, Towson, Goucher, Stevenson, JHU, Coppin, Loyola students (especially business students) would be a natural fit for this type of sticky format. BGA has worked with Carey Business School, U of MD Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Baltimore School of Law. Getting the players to return is the catch and why we think this format would help. They are also natural social media users which bodes well for us.
PGA Junior League
The strongest growth initiative in golf right now is called PGA JR League. The PGA Jr. League program is open to all skill levels – no golf experience is required. Students can learn the game and enjoy relaxed competition in a two-person scramble format that encourages mentorship, builds confidence and teaches sportsmanship.
Teams are captained by PGA or LPGA Professionals but non-PGA coaches may assist once they pass background checks.
Transportation to and from high schools is a major hurdle. Club storage for the athletes will also be necessary.
Costs: Team captains establish pricing for the season.
Dick’s Sporting Goods offers financial assistance for underprivileged youth. Fundraising through golf tournaments /alumni outings.