Repositioning and growth for a remote partner club in Oklahoma
Coming out of the covid boom, sales had fallen to five memberships a year. A repositioning built on pricing discipline and prospect education produced 38 sales in year one, and more revenue on fewer sales in year two.
Aerial · Capstone Creative- LocationRural Oklahoma, not near any major cities
- Club typeGolf-centric private club with a growing national membership focus
- EngagementMembership sales launch, partnership beginning in 2024
Where the club started
Coming out of the covid boom, in 2022 and 2023 the club’s membership momentum declined significantly. The club recorded 14 sales in 2022 and just 5 in 2023. This was particularly challenging in a rural market where many qualified prospects lacked familiarity with private club culture or the benefits of membership compared to public golf.
The issue was not just low lead volume. The real challenge was a lack of clear market positioning and inconsistent expectations. The club needed a refined identity and a fee structure that reflected a premium experience.
The strategy
Initiation fees were clearly defined and standardized before the 2024 push, Full and National categories, creating a consistent structure and reinforcing the idea that membership has real value.
In March 2024, discounting was eliminated to prepare for full-fee expectations by April 1. The conversation shifted away from price and toward urgency through limited, seasonal incentives while keeping full fee as the baseline.
A major focus was educating prospective members on the value of private membership: private versus public golf, and the lifestyle benefits of access, consistency, community, and priority experience.
In 2024, the club leaned into a more upscale, golf-centric, nationally appealing identity, attracting members who value destination-level golf even if they do not live nearby.
In April 2025, initiation fees increased to approximately $8,000 for Full and $5,000 for National. Incentives shifted to on-property value like a $500 golf shop credit, preserving price integrity, and the February-to-March window became a natural urgency driver.
Year one of the partnership produced 38 sales and $107,702 in initiation fee revenue, a 660 percent increase in sales compared to 2023, when the club sold five memberships.
Year two brought 32 sales, a 16 percent decline in volume, but $143,480 in initiation fee revenue, a 33 percent increase. Even with fewer sales, the club generated more initiation revenue. Average initiation fee per sale increased from around $2,834 in 2024 to approximately $4,484 in 2025, a 58 percent increase in yield per sale.
Even with fewer sales in year two, the club generated more initiation revenue: strong market acceptance of the new pricing and premium positioning.
Why this worked in a remote market
In rural markets, the key drivers of success are clarity and confidence: clarity in the offer, confidence in value, and a sales process focused on education, urgency, and decision-making.
Capstone’s role went beyond selling memberships. It was about rebuilding the club’s value story, protecting pricing integrity, and installing a system to reliably generate and convert demand.
Published March 3, 2026 · More case studies
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