🏌️‍♂️ Case Study: eGolf Village – National Syndicated Group Buy for Rental Golf Clubs

Executive Summary

eGolf Village launched a first-of-its-kind syndicated group purchasing program to help golf courses reduce the cost of procuring new rental club sets. By aggregating demand from 1,000 public and resort golf courses into a unified national order of 5,000 rental club sets, eGolf Village secured deep OEM discounts normally reserved for large hotel chains or multi-course operators.

This case study demonstrates how the program delivered 40–60% cost savings for participating courses, generated new recurring revenue for eGolf Village, and created a repeatable, scalable procurement model for golf-industry equipment.

🎯 Problem Statement

Most public and resort golf courses purchase rental clubs:

  • Individually

  • In quantities of 3–10 sets

  • At near-retail or mid-level wholesale prices

  • With no leverage to negotiate

  • And no structured refresh cycle

Industry Pain Points

  • Rising equipment costs due to tariffs

  • Rapid technology cycles (every 12–24 months)

  • Wear-and-tear requiring replacement

  • Limited access to OEM rental-program pricing

  • Inconsistent club quality for guests

Courses pay between $1,200 and $1,800 per set—even though every course buys the same types of sets.

The industry has never organized a unified bulk purchase.

💡 eGolf Village Solution: National Syndicated Group Buy

eGolf Village applied principles used in:

  • Healthcare Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs)

  • Hotel amenity procurement

  • Airline fleet purchasing

  • Franchise supply chains

…and created the eGolf Syndicated Supply Network, a program where golf courses combine their purchasing power to negotiate directly with top OEMs.

Program Structure

Metric Value
Courses enrolled 1,000
Rental sets per course 5
Total sets purchased 5,000
OEMs invited to bid Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, Cobra

Objective

Reduce the cost of rental clubs for all participating courses while ensuring:

  • Latest-model sets

  • Consistent configurations

  • Optional annual/bi-annual refresh cycles

  • Uniform, professional rental experience for golfers

🧮 Syndicated Group Buy Economics

Cost Comparison

Without Syndication (Traditional Model)

  • Average cost per rental set: $1,200–$1,800

  • Total cost for 5 sets per course: $6,000–$9,000

  • Feels like a “luxury expense” → many courses postpone replacing sets

  • No leverage on OEM pricing

With Syndicated Group Buy (eGolf Village Model)

OEMs were asked to provide a competitive national bid for the entire 5,000-set contract.

Winning OEM bid range:

  • $650–$900 per set

Savings per Course

With 5 discounted sets:

Item Cost
Traditional purchase $6,000–$9,000
Syndicated purchase $3,250–$4,500
Savings per course $3,000–$4,500

Savings Across 1,000 Courses

$3 million – $4.5 million saved total.

📦 Operational Workflow

1. Enrollment

Golf courses enrolled via an eGolf landing page, submitting rental-set quantities and OEM preferences.

2. Aggregation of Demand

eGolf Village consolidated orders into a single national purchase of 5,000 sets.

3. OEM Competitive Bidding

Major manufacturers submitted bids including:

  • Pricing

  • Lead times

  • Warranty

  • Replacement parts

  • Optional annual refresh programs

  • Marketing support (“Powered by [OEM] Rentals”)

4. Award & Distribution

The winning OEM(s) fulfilled the bulk order.
eGolf Village distributed units in standardized configurations:

  • 2 men’s stiff

  • 2 men’s regular

  • 1 women’s or senior set

5. Refresh & Secondary Market Cycle

After 12–24 months:

  • Courses could join the next refresh cycle

  • Returned sets were refurbished

  • Resold to beginners, range programs, or online

  • Reducing waste and increasing eGolf Village margins

🏨 Impact on Golf Courses

Public / Municipal Courses

  • Lower cost removes budget constraints

  • New rental sets generate higher rental revenue

  • Consistent product experience improves customer satisfaction

  • Able to refresh fleets more often

Resort Courses

  • Always have top-tier, current OEM sets

  • Better guest experience for travelers

  • More attractive for tournament and group play

Both

  • Predictable budgeting

  • Lower replacement risk

  • Higher rental utilization rates

🎯 Key Outcomes

✔ 1. Industry-wide cost reduction

Courses saved millions collectively.

✔ 2. Standardized rental experience

Identical club quality nationwide improves golfer trust.

✔ 3. OEM market penetration

Manufacturers get massive exposure across 1,000 courses.

✔ 4. Predictable 12–24 month refresh cycles

Something the industry has never coordinated.

✔ 5. Foundation for future group buys

Fertilizer
Range balls
Utility carts
Maintenance tools
Apparel
Travel packages

This program unlocks a new vertical in golf supply-chain management.

🚀 Conclusion

The eGolf Village syndicated group buy initiative demonstrates how unifying demand across golf courses unlocks millions in savings and creates a scalable business engine.

The program:

  • Modernizes purchasing

  • Reduces costs

  • Improves rental experiences

  • Strengthens OEM relationships

  • Builds recurring revenue

It is a replicable model that can expand into multiple categories and reshape procurement across the golf industry.