Rebranding a Golf Course
Addressing the ball
The team at Sussner enjoys talking about, watching, and playing golf (and some of us may have even ventured beyond “enjoy”), and we love working with golf courses and golf clubs. One of our favorite golf club projects was rebranding a course called Albion Ridges.
Let’s go ahead and name names—our chief Sussner around here, Derek, appreciates the game of golf. The community and camaraderie, the outdoors, and the energy and spirit of the game are just a few reasons. And because of that deep appreciation and his own pursuit within the game, Derek trains with a golf professional. When said golf professional switched courses and began managing Albion Ridges, he thought to himself, “This brand needs work. I’ll call Derek.” Soon we were walking the 27-hole property playing a “familiarization” round, aka, doing research to understand the unique spirit of Albion Ridges’ story.
Reading the green
Albion Ridges Golf Club is situated just northwest of Minneapolis, with several direct competitors identified in the area. Our discussions on and off Albion Ridges golf course, and our discovery into competing golf course brands, yielded great insights.
In the simplest terms, this family-owned public course had a bit of an identity crisis, as the current branding did not convey the spirit or the story of the place, the fun factor and/or the pride, quality, or uniqueness of AR.
Club Selection
It would have been easy to design some cattails, a tree, or a bird, add a golf flag and call it a day, which describes what so many other courses have chosen to represent their brands. And, to some at the club, that may have been their initial expectation.
While the word “Albion” is not meaningful to the area, the family, or any relevant etymology that we could find, it is unique. To help Albion tell its story, to help it stand out in a meaningful and memorable way, we focused on the spirit of the club and its people and the vision of the owners.
Meet you in the pro shop
The pro shop is now stocked with fresh, new, and absolutely tasty AR swag featuring the recognizable working farm silo that sits just off Hole #1’s fairway.
The new style guide helps the club’s Pro manage the application and the dissemination of the brand that features their iconic and distinct landmark. And in addition to the pro shop, the new brand is finding its way onto signage, tee markers, flags, the website, and more.
Postscript: Leaderboard
What motivates us in working with a club like Albion Ridges is witnessing the impact the updated brand plays a role in. Including a reenergized staff, more awareness among the golfing community, increased rounds played, and more merchandise sales. All of which help the health of the club in the long-run.
Since launching the reimagined brand, the short-term impact at Albion Ridges includes doubled merchandise sales and increased overall revenues by 65%. See the work here.
We’d love to help you tell your one-of-a-kind story and create a brand that’s as unique as your course.
Hit ‘em straight,
Team Sussner
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