Golf Business Network: Membership Costs & Benefits Guide

One of the PGA professionals in a North Carolina private club once said that the pay survey of this organization transformed his life. It is a big boast by a membership organization, though it is indicating the presence of a fact: golf has always lacked a professional network with careers as its focus rather than access to courses. Golf Business Network provides that void. Neither is it a country club, nor it is any casual networking group that is an amalgamation of golf outings. It is professional trade organization of individuals working in golf and was established on three foundations namely PGA professionals, club leadership and industry vendors.

Should you be wondering what exactly is offered by GBN, how much that is offered would cost you and whether it would suit your job, this guide presents the whole story using published prices on GBN and company dates.

Golf Business Network at a Glance

GBN is marketing itself as a club of elite private golf clubs and the list of members contributes to that. Among the properties represented by Clubs are Seminole Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills and Southern Hills Country Club. This information is important when you are a vendor who is gauging the audience because it is an indicator of high purchasing power and not a wide audience.

How Did Golf Business Network Start?

The management of GBN was established by Patrick Seither who served as a PGA professional in places such as the Carmel country club, Hasentree club, and even the Kinloch golf club. In 2014, he assumed the position of President and CEO and has been leading the organization since then.

The workings of GBN today are influenced by that history. Seither constructed the network considering the view of an active PGA professional who was aware of the loopholes in career service, equitable remuneration benchmarking, and employment within privately owned clubs. As the organization can always revisit the same theme in their podcast, Getting Better Now: to enable the PGA professionals deal with stress, develop their career, and enhance the club culture.

Who Runs Golf Business Network?

The leadership team at GBN has got experience in both club operations as well as marketing and recruitment as well as business development. The following are the key players:

It has a small team. GBN is more of a well-managed association rather than an extensive corporation, which makes overhead minimal and membership fees primarily distributed to the front office services of education, events, and recruitment assistance.

What Are Golf Business Network Membership Levels and Costs?

GBN believes in three levels of membership to golf professionals based on the number of employees they require to cover. Prices start at $645 per year with one professional and go to $1,494 per year with an all-included education club staff.

Each tier has a common basis of benefits which is as follows:

And there is a lightweight Pass Holder that allows individuals who do not need a full membership but would like access to certain amenities such as premium job board or attending events.

A crucial explanation: this price is a part of the US-based Golf Business Network with the headquarters in North Carolina. Another UK based organization known as Business Golf Network organizes local networking breakfasts which are accompanied by golf rounds at a fee of approximately £35-50 per month, including a membership fee. The services and audiences do not intersect, but the names are similar.

What Does Golf Business Network Membership Actually Get You?

The GBN membership is a package of four things that golf professionals would typically need to seek out elsewhere: job postings, salary information, vendor discounts, and continuing education. It is what makes the difference between it and a generic job board or an unbundled service as a training platform.

Job Board and Career Pass: Members have unlimited access to job postings and an internship board, and this allows clubs to establish a pool of talented candidates instead of competing in high season to hire workers.

Compensation Reporting: GBN conducts surveys in the industry and provides members with individualized compensation reports. A number of its members have been publicly credited with having used this information to bargain better salaries because the general pay sites typically do not get the golf specific jobs figured out.

GBN University: It is the education division of GBN, with PGA-approved coursework, online courses in which students study at their own pace, and live cohort classes where students call a question and answer hotline to keep their certifications current without discontinuing the course.

Destinations Golf and Stay-and-Play Access: The members are assisted with the process of arranging the play in partner clubs throughout the country, thus reducing the back and forth aspect that is usually associated with the process of booking rounds at external facilities.

How Does GBN’s Executive Search Work?

The executive search service (GBN) assists the private clubs fill the leadership positions such as the General Manager and the Director of Golf through its already existing network of vetted PGA professionals. Clubs do not arrange a chilly search by a generalist recruiting firm.

Clubs taking this path overlook much of the screening work boards themselves normally undertake. The shortlist is likely to be received sooner and is more likely to be more relevant experience-wise since GBN already knows the candidate pool.

GBN also operates an Advisory Board which advises clubs on operation and governance issues outside of a single engagement. That transforms the service into more of a long-time process rather than the one-time transaction (to club that requires it).

What Does Golf Business Network Offer Golf Industry Vendors?

GBN has a vendor program known as PartnerPlus, which provides access to more than 700 private clubs and 2300 decision-makers to golf industry vendors at paid rates. Prices are between 295 and 995 per month based on the degree of participation.

There are also event sponsorships sold at GBN annually, seven multi-day events and six one-day education retreats, and Title, Supporting and Attending sponsorship levels. The vendors receive complete attendees lists, branding right and displaying products in-situ right.

GBN does not allow an excessive number of vendors per category of products. That exclusivity shields the current partners against encountering direct market rivals within the identical newsletter or event, which is best to check out firsthand prior to contract signing.

Golf Business Network vs. Other Golf Networking Organizations

Sometimes people who query on Golf Business Network find themselves in other similar branded organizations. This is the way GBN is better than two similar options of the same name that are easily mixed.

GBN is suitable when you want to further your career within the golf industry. You need a different organization in the event that you are a local based business owner and wish to network locally with a social element of golf.

Is Golf Business Network Worth the Cost?

GBN membership is the quickest earning to working PGA professionals who would use the data on the compensation report in contract negotiations with their employer and the job board when they are changing jobs. The worth becomes zero when you are already in a position and seldom use the education or employment gadgets.

To PGA Professionals: When it comes to Individual Membership, the compensation survey in itself is usually a justification of the fee in the majority of situations (i.e. job change or annual review).

Regarding Club General Managers: The advisory boards and executive search save time when it comes to making a transition in leadership though boards must still conduct their own final vetting.

To Vendors: PartnerPlus is most effective in companies with high-quality products who sell to high-end-budgeted private clubs, rather than those with an interest in pursuing large volumes. Subscription costs one a concentrated reach, rather than a bulk reach.

Final Thoughts

Golf Business Network has established a niche within the golf business. It does not attempt to concern everybody, and that it is its strength. Due to its focus on PGA professionals, club leadership, and pre-vetted list of vendors, GBN provides an in-depth offering that those wider, more generic associations no longer can easily offer.

A question that you should ask yourself if you work in the golf operations and you consider membership is whether you are on the correct tier considering the job and the level at which you will utilize much of the job board, the compensation data or the education platform. To vendors, consider Partner+ a relationship sales cultivation instrument not a volume marketing game. Whichever way, when you are fully aware of the precise pricing and service breakdown above, then making that choice becomes much easier than making guesses by scanning less than accurate search results.

FAQs

What is Golf Business Network?

Golf Business Network is a PGA membership organization with its headquarters located in the US and it was established to serve the club leadership, PGA professionals, and golf industry vendors. It is career development oriented, executive recruitment oriented, and business orientated as opposed to recreational golf.

How much does GBN membership cost?

Golf pros Membership costs between $645 and 1,494 a year, based on the number of staff that requires coverage. Due to the PartnerPlus program, vendors pay independently, beginning with $295 monthly.

Is GBN the same as Business Golf Network UK?

These are not one and the same organizations as similar in names. GBN is aimed at professionals in the US golf industry, whereas Business Golf Network UK organizes local golf networks with a breakfast and golf rounds between business owners.

Who can join GBN?

PGA professionals, club general managers, merchandisers, and certified golf industry vendors are welcome to be GBN members. It is not aimed at amateur golfers interested in looking to find some casual networking.

What does membership include?

The usual GBN membership consists of a job board, custom-made compensation reports, discounts on vendors and weekly newsletters and events. GBN University, a place of education in the organization, also happens to be bundled in higher levels.

Does GBN offer executive search?

Yes, GBN operates an executive search service and assists private clubs with leadership positions (like General Manager and Director of Golf). The service utilizes the network of vetted PGA professionals in GBN so that hiring could be quicker.

What is PartnerPlus?

Partner Plus is the vendor partnership program of GBN which costs between 295 and 995 monthly, depending on the tier chosen. It provides access to the vendors marketing to the network of 700 plus private clubs and 2,300 decision-makers of GBN.

Who founded GBN?

Since 2014, Patrick Seither, a former PGA pro who has worked in clubs such as Carmel Country Club and Kinloch golf club, has been the President and CEO of GBN. His experience in club operations influenced most of the career-oriented nature of GBN.

Where is GBN headquartered?

Since the establishment of this organization in 2013, Golf Business Network is headquartered in Apex, North Carolina. The company has a limited core staff and serves a significantly larger number of members nationally.

Is there a low-cost option?

Yes, GBN has a Pass Holder which individuals do not require an annual membership. This provides restricted access to certain advantages, including high-quality employment board or attendance at events, at reduced fees than the typical sign-up.

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