Golf course management company Troon is launching a new “Access” program that it hopes will bring tee time booking, e-commerce and a rewards program under one roof. The effort is being led by Jeff Ma, the longtime Silicon Valley executive who joined Troon nearly two years ago to spearhead its rewards program.
Ma said last week that the new Access program will have four pillars: a tee time booking service at GolfWithAccess.com, a free rewards program called Access Loyalty, a paid subscription offering known as Access Premium, and an online retail experience — the Access Shop.
“The idea is to play golf, earn points, use those points to get free golf or to cash in at our store,” Ma said. “We believe these are much more cost effective ways for golf courses to drive demand and to reach customers.”
The hope with the program, Ma said, is to reward members for purchasing through Troon. A member might spend $3,000 on new golf clubs and then be able to convert that purchase to points to play a Troon-managed course like Troon North or the Kapalua Plantation Course. Members also are able to accrue points by booking rounds of golf through Troon and then direct them toward other purchases in the new shop. Currently, Ma said more than 200 courses are part of the program in the U.S.
The Access Loyalty program is free to join. Troon also offers two other premium tiers — Access Premium and Access Premium+ — that provide more benefits across the service’s ecosystem.
In addition to the management company, Troon works with several player ambassadors on the PGA Tour, including Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Gary Woodland. Troon also has partnered with Range Sports for one experience that includes a round of golf at Mesa Country Club with tour player Joel Dahmen, who is repped by Range.
“We’re trying to create things that help the courses make more money and then ultimately find other ways to monetize through our subscription program or through our e-commerce,” Ma said.