Preserved Links Navigates The Pandemic By Adding Membership Perks
Preserved Links Members Mike Gellar (left) and Nick Ribeiro (right) with Gary Player at Stonewall Links in Elverson PA.
April 2021
Golf societies were all the rage in 2019. Groups of die hard golfers looking to meet new friends and play bucket list courses seek the internet and private groups such as Preserved Links to fulfill those dream rounds. At every club, one of the professional staffs responsibilities has always been accommodate the clubs membership when traveling for business. This traditional task has gone by the waste side over the past decade. Whether it be the staff member not following through, the club being requested not following through, or evolving policy amongst the private club industry that does not encourage unaccompanied play, the rate of success is minimal at best. Organically societies have been developed online to offer this service private club member to private club member without the need of going through club professionals. The benefit is a much higher rate of success. Then along comes COVID19 in early 2020 and many clubs shut down to members and guests. Here we are in the early months of 2021 and most clubs have allowed their membership back to the course, however they still have very restrictive guest policies. This poses some big hurdles for all golf societies.
Preserved Links being a smaller society, we are definitely more selective in who we bring in, said Nick Ribeiro, one of the founding members. I wouldn't say we are ultra exclusive however we do require all our members to be at a private club the membership as a whole would want to reciprocate with and we most definitely want to make sure we are bringing in good guys. I would say the main goal of our group is to connect golfers at clubs they may not have a connection to but a strong interest in playing at. I just love golf. I love hard golf, easy golf, golden age design, and modern design. There is such wide range of diversity amongst the clubs that are highly regarded you really need to have a deep appreciation for variety to get to them all and as a golfer on the journey to see them all, it's a great feeling being able to bring others along for the ride. The golf community is like no other, the more you give the more you get. I'm fortunate to get random calls all the time to share in a great golf experience and meet new people, and I attribute that to good hearted people being involved in this game. When covid came sharing rounds became really tough. Our number 1 reason for being part of Preserved Links now became non existent. Members were not allowed to host guests and some of our members still aren't allowed to host guests. We also try to do 10-12 events per year. Some annual events are the PGA Show in January and The Masters in April. Last year we were able to go to the PGA Show and share rounds at Lake Nona and Isleworth but everything was canceled after that in 2020 with the exception of a small event at Stonewall Golf Links in the fall. This year the PGA Show was virtual so we did not go to Florida and The Masters is allowing a very small amount of spectators. We still have a few members going down but our main tickets were held off till 2022, said Ribeiro. Another member, Bill Barnagle of New York City said, "I've been with Preserved Links since close to the beginning. 2020 was a tough year for all traveling golfers but I still got in some rounds I had been counting on but did miss out on bigger events where you get to meet many new people. I am in a fe societies and would never consider leaving any of them. They are a great way to pre screen golfers I think I would like to spend a day with."
Most societies in 2020 saw a decline in membership however Preserved Links grew membership by adding value outside of a traditional shared round of golf. First came a private members forum which was scheduled to be built anyway for 2020 but by stoke of luck was done before the pandemic. "The Forum is a great addition, it gives members the ability to connect and chat about courses, experiences, architecture, PGA events, and all things golf," said Ribeiro. The next thing Preserved Links did was create a monthly package for members which is included in their dues. Vendors in the golf industry see societies like Preserved Links as a marketing avenue to get into the members home club pro shops. Preserved Links has been able to take advantage of this by getting product at cost, or even free, looked at as a marketing expense by the brand. "We never started this thing with the intent of being golfs Zuckerberg. The intent was just to create a place where members at top clubs could meet other members at top clubs and share rounds with each other, so we try to run a break even operation. Our dues are minimal and the Preserved Links Monthly Package exceeds the value of the dues. It's a no brainer," said Ribeiro. Then came the library for the book worms. Ribeiro has ambitions of building the most extensive and coveted golf library there is. "I would say the bar is pretty high but I've spent some time in the Pine Valley library and the National Golf Links of America library and both are beyond impressive. If we could build a collection even remotely close to either we would have something really special," said Ribeiro. An ambitious goal but anyone in the book game knows it's easier said than done. Many of the coveted books out there about these clubs are only sold in their home pro shops. The membership as a whole plans to work together to gain access to all these books and share them
ietiesPhiladelphia Section's coveted Teacher Of The Year award is every teachers dream and the single most difficult award a PGA Professional can earn in the section. Only 1 Professional earns it annually out of over 800 PGA Professionals in the section. Only 41 earn this recognition nationwide. The Philadelphia section includes historic landmark clubs such as Merion, Aronimink, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Gulph Mills, and even the worlds #1 club. The Teacher Of The Year award is designed to recognize a PGA Professional who is an outstanding teacher of the game among the ranks of his peers, fellow PGA members. This award is based on a professional's overall performance in teaching; unusual, innovative, and special teaching programs. PGA members also consider articles published about the candidates and the success of the candidates students. This year Andy Miller was recognized, FINALLY.
If you ask any of the members at LedgeRock Golf Club they are not surprised and FINALLY would be a common response. "Andy Miller is part of our LedgeRock Family, he gives our club 110%, and is fully attentive to all our needs. He is available at all times to our membership which is required at a club like ours. We have members traveling the world for amateur golf and kids who move away to college. Andy has utilized technology to review their golf swings over video apps always keeping everyone here at LedgeRock at the top of their games. He has really become irreplaceable, said a LedgeRock Member."
If you ask any of the employees at LedgeRock, Miller goes beyond being a team player. He's part of the management team and does what he can to help the entire team succeed. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Andy for the past five years. Fortunately for me, our relationship goes back to 2004 when I had my first ever golf lesson with him. To say that Andy is an asset to our Club would be an understatement. Upon Andy joining the LedgeRock management team, our membership saw an immediate uptick. Andy has an incredible following, and his influence among local families (particularly those with junior golfers) has paid huge dividends in growing the membership at LedgeRock. Andy’s ability to relate to golfers of all skill levels is unparalleled, said Tyler Henry." Membership Director at LedgeRock.
Before now, Miller has won the sections Youth Development Award 3 times and has been recognized across the country for his success with kids. He's had so much success with kids that his success with college players, middle aged golfers, and seasoned golfers has been overshadowed. Until now. Andy Miller has been the go to teacher in Berks County for years. The passion, patience, and relentless desire to help students improve has made him a household name in the area. If you have kids you send them to Miller. If you play occasionally and want to take the game more seriously, you go to Miller. If you are an advanced player and finding yourself in a rut or losing confidence in your game, you go to Miller.
"I love that people associate me with teaching kids! It's a great passion of mine! With that being said, its rewarding and validating to be named Teacher Of The Year as I take pride in teaching golfers of all ages and abilities. Not just kids!" - Andy Miller
So what is next for Miller? The future holds the answer but the response from Members and Staff at LedgeRock is all but certain. FINALLY!
Preserved Links being a smaller society, we are definitely more selective in who we bring in, said Nick Ribeiro, one of the founding members. I wouldn't say we are ultra exclusive however we do require all our members to be at a private club the membership as a whole would want to reciprocate with and we most definitely want to make sure we are bringing in good guys. I would say the main goal of our group is to connect golfers at clubs they may not have a connection to but a strong interest in playing at. I just love golf. I love hard golf, easy golf, golden age design, and modern design. There is such wide range of diversity amongst the clubs that are highly regarded you really need to have a deep appreciation for variety to get to them all and as a golfer on the journey to see them all, it's a great feeling being able to bring others along for the ride. The golf community is like no other, the more you give the more you get. I'm fortunate to get random calls all the time to share in a great golf experience and meet new people, and I attribute that to good hearted people being involved in this game. When covid came sharing rounds became really tough. Our number 1 reason for being part of Preserved Links now became non existent. Members were not allowed to host guests and some of our members still aren't allowed to host guests. We also try to do 10-12 events per year. Some annual events are the PGA Show in January and The Masters in April. Last year we were able to go to the PGA Show and share rounds at Lake Nona and Isleworth but everything was canceled after that in 2020 with the exception of a small event at Stonewall Golf Links in the fall. This year the PGA Show was virtual so we did not go to Florida and The Masters is allowing a very small amount of spectators. We still have a few members going down but our main tickets were held off till 2022, said Ribeiro. Another member, Bill Barnagle of New York City said, "I've been with Preserved Links since close to the beginning. 2020 was a tough year for all traveling golfers but I still got in some rounds I had been counting on but did miss out on bigger events where you get to meet many new people. I am in a fe societies and would never consider leaving any of them. They are a great way to pre screen golfers I think I would like to spend a day with."
Most societies in 2020 saw a decline in membership however Preserved Links grew membership by adding value outside of a traditional shared round of golf. First came a private members forum which was scheduled to be built anyway for 2020 but by stoke of luck was done before the pandemic. "The Forum is a great addition, it gives members the ability to connect and chat about courses, experiences, architecture, PGA events, and all things golf," said Ribeiro. The next thing Preserved Links did was create a monthly package for members which is included in their dues. Vendors in the golf industry see societies like Preserved Links as a marketing avenue to get into the members home club pro shops. Preserved Links has been able to take advantage of this by getting product at cost, or even free, looked at as a marketing expense by the brand. "We never started this thing with the intent of being golfs Zuckerberg. The intent was just to create a place where members at top clubs could meet other members at top clubs and share rounds with each other, so we try to run a break even operation. Our dues are minimal and the Preserved Links Monthly Package exceeds the value of the dues. It's a no brainer," said Ribeiro. Then came the library for the book worms. Ribeiro has ambitions of building the most extensive and coveted golf library there is. "I would say the bar is pretty high but I've spent some time in the Pine Valley library and the National Golf Links of America library and both are beyond impressive. If we could build a collection even remotely close to either we would have something really special," said Ribeiro. An ambitious goal but anyone in the book game knows it's easier said than done. Many of the coveted books out there about these clubs are only sold in their home pro shops. The membership as a whole plans to work together to gain access to all these books and share them
ietiesPhiladelphia Section's coveted Teacher Of The Year award is every teachers dream and the single most difficult award a PGA Professional can earn in the section. Only 1 Professional earns it annually out of over 800 PGA Professionals in the section. Only 41 earn this recognition nationwide. The Philadelphia section includes historic landmark clubs such as Merion, Aronimink, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Gulph Mills, and even the worlds #1 club. The Teacher Of The Year award is designed to recognize a PGA Professional who is an outstanding teacher of the game among the ranks of his peers, fellow PGA members. This award is based on a professional's overall performance in teaching; unusual, innovative, and special teaching programs. PGA members also consider articles published about the candidates and the success of the candidates students. This year Andy Miller was recognized, FINALLY.
If you ask any of the members at LedgeRock Golf Club they are not surprised and FINALLY would be a common response. "Andy Miller is part of our LedgeRock Family, he gives our club 110%, and is fully attentive to all our needs. He is available at all times to our membership which is required at a club like ours. We have members traveling the world for amateur golf and kids who move away to college. Andy has utilized technology to review their golf swings over video apps always keeping everyone here at LedgeRock at the top of their games. He has really become irreplaceable, said a LedgeRock Member."
If you ask any of the employees at LedgeRock, Miller goes beyond being a team player. He's part of the management team and does what he can to help the entire team succeed. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Andy for the past five years. Fortunately for me, our relationship goes back to 2004 when I had my first ever golf lesson with him. To say that Andy is an asset to our Club would be an understatement. Upon Andy joining the LedgeRock management team, our membership saw an immediate uptick. Andy has an incredible following, and his influence among local families (particularly those with junior golfers) has paid huge dividends in growing the membership at LedgeRock. Andy’s ability to relate to golfers of all skill levels is unparalleled, said Tyler Henry." Membership Director at LedgeRock.
Before now, Miller has won the sections Youth Development Award 3 times and has been recognized across the country for his success with kids. He's had so much success with kids that his success with college players, middle aged golfers, and seasoned golfers has been overshadowed. Until now. Andy Miller has been the go to teacher in Berks County for years. The passion, patience, and relentless desire to help students improve has made him a household name in the area. If you have kids you send them to Miller. If you play occasionally and want to take the game more seriously, you go to Miller. If you are an advanced player and finding yourself in a rut or losing confidence in your game, you go to Miller.
"I love that people associate me with teaching kids! It's a great passion of mine! With that being said, its rewarding and validating to be named Teacher Of The Year as I take pride in teaching golfers of all ages and abilities. Not just kids!" - Andy Miller
So what is next for Miller? The future holds the answer but the response from Members and Staff at LedgeRock is all but certain. FINALLY!
Philadelphia PGA Site Link
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