Surely many of you are familiar with this problem, especially those professionals working as managers or commercial directors in golf resorts. To ensure it is clear to everyone, I will detail the true dilemma that exists today and the possible scenarios regarding a correct revenue allocation policy in these complexes, which include both a Hotel and a Golf Course.
Revenue-Generating Departments in a Golf Resort
In general, a Golf Resort is usually composed of the following income-generating departments:
Hotel Reception (Rooms)
Food & Beverage
Spa
Swimming Pool
Golf
Management Structures
There are three main types of management in these complexes:
Centralized Management: Vertical management structure. All departments follow a joint management and marketing line with the objective of meeting the global budget.
Decentralized Management: Synergistic asset management. Departments have autonomy to achieve ownership objectives.
Outsourced Asset Management: Administration of some departments is delegated to external companies, with a joint brand and marketing policy.
Management Scenarios and Consequences
Scenario 1: Hotel and Golf Course managed by the same leadership: If the golf course is the resort’s primary driver, but the revenue percentage assigned to it is not proportional to the client’s actual interest, it leads to difficulties in meeting budget targets, lack of investment in the course (which is a living entity requiring constant maintenance), and a loss of quality and service.
Scenario 2: Hotel managed by a leadership that outsources golf course management: If the hotel treats golf merely as an “appendix,” it leads to a lack of joint commercial policy, vision clashes between the golf management company and the hotel’s strategy, and lost revenue from poor cross-selling execution.
Scenario 3: Hotel and Golf Course managed by different teams under the same ownership: While the owner decides the business balance, this often leads to identity problems if they are not aligned, and conflicts of interest where each department tries to maximize its own results at the expense of the other.
Conclusion
A correct revenue and allocation policy in a Golf Resort is key to its profitability and sustainability. Management structures and equitable income assignment must reflect the true weight of each business driver to avoid imbalances and guarantee sustainable growth.
