Bob Forman is the Health & Fitness Director at The Peninsula Club in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Bob Forman on the importance of sharing the golf fitness message across facilities:
As a golf fitness professional for over 30 years, I understand there are golf clubs and facilities that have fitness centers but do not offer golf fitness programming. They may have a menu of general fitness classes, but do not collaborate with the golf professional staff in seeking the best care and attention for their students or members. Over the past few years, I have supplemented my in-house work by traveling to other facilities to educate and inform their members and staff on the benefits of a thriving golf fitness program. I have compiled the knowledge gained over three decades in the business and put together an interactive clinic that I take on the road to other clubs who may be on the fence about the merits of an on-site golf fitness program. These efforts can support an existing program if it’s not growing to the satisfaction of management, or help start an initiative from scratch. When I was at Congressional Country Club, we brought some outside experts in the field to support what we were doing, and it always gave the program a boost. If you bring somebody in to conduct a guest clinic, it can elevate interest in the fitness center and in your programming. If the club doesn’t already have a golf fitness component in its menu of services, bringing in guest experts can fill that void and help you gauge the overall interest of your members, as you decide whether or not to put a program in place. Whether you are a golf fitness professional with the time and opportunity to put these 90-minute clinics together and travel to facilities in your region, or a professional at a facility who may need such an individual, testing the waters can help get a new program off the ground or lift an existing one.
Bob Forman on the business impact of sharing the golf fitness message across facilities:
As more clubs get into the wellness trend, they may be hesitant to go all in with a staff of trainers and a fitness center full of expensive tools and equipment. Bringing in outside knowledge can help clubs ease into the transition and provide education and awareness to members, club management, the fitness staff, as well as the golf professional who may lack the experience on the physicality of the golf swing. Using a PowerPoint presentation, the program I share goes over the common deficiency areas and how they impact a golfer’s swing. Then I actually have participants assess themselves to determine whether or not they need to work on those areas. I even share one or two exercises that I’ve found effective in improving these deficiencies. My presentation is highly interactive, and participants walk away with a report card in hand that shows what their weaker areas are so they can start working on them. This generates interest that they can take back to their in-house fitness team to learn more about the benefits of golf fitness. Their flexibility, range of motion, strength and swing efficiency will improve. During these sessions, I highlight the benefits of the team approach, having students work with the golf professionals as well. Of course, COVID-19 has presented a challenge in promoting these sessions – but I look forward to healthier days going forward to continue to spread the word on golf fitness.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email bob@golfitcarolina.com.
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