When LPGA Tour professional Ana Belac teed it up for her first tournament of 2022 at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club, Boca Raton, Fla., she sported the Forest Creek Golf Club logo on her hat, shirt and golf bag. While sponsoring an LPGA Tour player may be more the province of manufacturers and major brands than it currently is for private golf and country clubs, Forest Creek Golf Club’s sponsorship of Belac is a source of pride and engagement among our membership and an indicator of our support of women’s golf.
The club’s sponsorship of Belac began in 2021. Colony 9, the private group of investors who own the club, recognized that sponsoring an LPGA professional whose character and work ethic clearly mirror key club values was a meaningful marketing opportunity, both internally as well as externally. From the minute it was announced, we’ve seen a positive response with club members and staff alike. While tracking marketing ROI on something like this is not necessarily an exact science, the bottom line is that our association with Belac has been extremely well received and reinforces our strong commitment to the game.
The Club
Forest Creek Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C., is ideally situated in the Sandhills of the state, a region known as one of the nation’s most historic and storied golfing meccas. The club was founded 25 years ago on beautiful tract of land that had been owned by one family for nearly a century. Acclaimed architect Tom Fazio was commissioned as the course designer and was given carte blanch to craft two distinct 18-hole courses, a 37th playoff hole and extensive golf practice facilities. Only after the courses were routed did its owners decide where to place the clubhouse.
Forest Creek was founded on a strong passion for golf, and it still attracts discerning members from across the nation who feel the same—including Belac. It has become the professional player’s home club and serves as quiet retreat where she can practice on two award-winning courses without interruption when she’s away from the Tour.
“I’m proud to be a part of a club with Forest Creek’s standards and quality of course conditioning,” Belac said. “On top of all that, I sincerely enjoy the club’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere both on and off the course.”
The Sponsorship
When I accepted the GM/COO position at Forest Creek in 2020, the ownership group (named Colony 9 in recognition of North Carolina’s status as the ninth original American colony) made it clear that prioritizing the member golf experience was paramount to the club’s mission, and the focus included the entire family. We determined that improving the women’s golf experience at the club was a “sooner rather than later” imperative worthy of a significant capital investment. We began by developing a master plan that includes a newly renovated women’s locker room and lounge building. Our men’s locker room is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation, and we believe our women’s facility needs to be of the same quality and distinction.
To further emphasize this commitment, Colony 9 took a highly innovative step, signing the sponsorship deal with Belac, who was then a promising LPGA Tour rookie and former Duke University golfer. In addition to financial compensation, this sponsorship includes a club membership, giving her full access to our courses and practice facilities. And in addition to sporting our Forest Creek Golf Club logo in her tournament appearances, her arrangement includes scheduled participation in certain club events. We viewed the sponsorship as an investment in the future of golf.
Belac is a standout golfer with ties to North Carolina and a record of success that evokes her intelligence and dedication to the game. This makes her a role model to our younger members and perhaps reminds older members of the goals they set for themselves at the start of their own careers. Born in Slovenia, she became a recognized junior golfer there. During her time at Duke, she received the 2020 All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award, was a member of the 2019 International Palmer Cup Team, was selected for the 2020 ANNIKA Award Watchlist, and was named 2020 Golfweek and WGCA First Team All-American. Most notably, she led her team to the NCAA Championship in 2019.
After graduating from Duke University with a degree in statistical science, Belac became a rookie on the Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour). Her first professional win came at the 2020 Carolina Golf Classic played at Pinehurst No. 9 in October 2020, which was when she captured our attention. Named Symetra Tour Player of the Year, she finished first on the 2020 Symetra Tour Money List, securing her LPGA Tour card for 2021 and prompting Forest Creek Golf Club to start an inspired conversation with her team.
In her first season, she earned full LPGA Tour Status for 2022 and Top-100 CME final ranking. For Forest Greek, however, it was more personal. We cheered her on, including providing regular updates to membership in club communications and post-round conversations, particularly when we could watch a Tour event on television. It was exciting for our members to know she was practicing at the club, and equally exciting to see Ana sporting the Forest Creek Golf Club logo as she competed on the national stage.
The Return
Although I don’t have specific empirical data to back it up, anecdotally, the entire club became more invested in the women’s game, paralleling the substantial commitment we’re making to renovate and significantly upgrade our women’s facilities. It was only logical that following Belac’s success in 2021, we would expand our sponsorship with her in 2022.
While we certainly also allocate dollars to traditional membership marketing initiatives, I believe sponsoring an LPGA professional of Belac’s caliber is a valuable program that combines brand exposure for Forest Creek with the benefits of an ongoing positive member experience. It’s an investment that clearly defines the club’s priorities and our commitment to enjoying golf in the present day while also investing in its future.
David Dew, CCM, CCE is a Partner in Colony 9, and serves as the club’s GM/COO. He can be reached at 910-295-9000 or [email protected]