OAKBROOK TURNAROUND: Golf Course Sees Spike in Business After Switch To Annual Subscriptions

It isn't the your dad knows.

Heck, your older golfing siblings might not recognize the way the Lakewood course works these days.

Operating under new management with a touch of name recognition - RMG Golf Course Management LLC headed by the family of Puyallup native and pro golfer Ryan Moore - Oakbrook implemented a new method of attracting and retaining area golfers this year.

The once-private golf club on the other side of the University Place border switched from an expensive membership model to annual subscriptions, resulting in lower prices.

The effect? The number of golfers at Oakbrook has increased more than 420 percent since the beginning of the year. Between January and May, the roster of golfers grew from 124 memberships to 650 subscriptions, and the sign up-rate has not slowed down, the golf course tells Patch.

Not bad for a course once seen as an exclusive island in the economically diverse South Sound.

“Golf on private courses is a broken business model because of limited access. The stigma that golf is a sport for men doesn’t help either,” Ryan Moore said in a statement. "I want everyone to enjoy the sport that I love, and I want them to feel welcome on our courses, and I do mean everyone.”

The subscription model was a reaction by the partners in RMG - Moore and his father, CEO Michael Moore, as well as 12 other partners - to the real-world barriers of playing golf. That includes the cost of play per round, the amount of time required for a game and the difficulty of learning the sport.

The younger Moore said he knows that the subscription model takes away the first barrier. He also believes the upgraded course conditions, as well as the availability of encouraging instructors and a variety of lessons offerings will remove the final two barriers.

The City of Lakewood welcomes the changes RMG has brought to Oakbrook.

“Everyone loves a turnaround story during challenging economic times,” according to Ellie Chambers-Grady, Lakewood's Economic Development Manager. “The city always welcomes businesses who help us improve our infrastructure. We need them to grow our local economy. It is also nice to have another neighborhood restaurant nearby.”

There are three levels of unlimited golf at Oakbrook: Club level at $49 per month; Premier at $119; and All Access at $179. Subscribers can add low-cost package upgrades for spouses or children. These prices are in sharp contrast to the previous monthly fee of more than $400 and an additional $800 in annual expenses that Oakbrook members paid when the course was private, according to RMG.

Each of the three subscription options have different ranges of times that golfers can access the course. Subscribers can easily sign-up for tee-times online. The “private club” amenities are available with all packages including unlimited driving-range balls, access to the recently remodeled restaurant and bar, locker rooms and tee-time booking.

RMG says it wants to make world-class golf accessible to everyone.

“We now have members young and old playing,” according to Chief Operating Officer Shawn Cucciardi. “This is exactly what we wanted to achieve and is a true reflection of the Lakewood community.The difference between the previous membership roster and the current subscription roster speaks volumes about our approach."

The RMG ownership purchased Oakbrook because of its proximity to the two other courses it manages: The Classic in Spanaway and McCormick Woods in Port Orchard. The demographics in Lakewood were a bonus. “We knew that Lakewood had the perfect customer base for our endeavor, and we wanted to test it in a community that was interested in new ideas,” according to the elder Moore, its CEO.

The Moores and their partners have made a significant financial commitment toward upgrading the course and facilities, RMG says. Due to dwindling revenues, the course was not in its best shape when the ownership exchange occurred. To date, they have restored the greens to their legendary smooth and speedy pace and have attacked organic issues in the fairways by ‘punching and sanding’ and fertilizing to improve overall turf health. Additional improvements include grooming of the bunkers and the addition of more sand, which has made them very ‘playable’ hazards.

The experience at the Oakhouse, the golf course’s restaurant and bar, has also been completely overhauled. The interior updates now make the space family and golfer friendly. The menu is more robust with Northwest fare from steak, burgers, salads and pasta to a full gluten-free menu.

Cucciardi said he believes that “the “come-as-you-are” mood is drawing new diners, as the number of guests has grown beyond initial expectations since welcoming in the public.