Orangetown Board Funds Advertising for Golf Courses

Larry Costello and Joe Green of the Blue Hill Golf Course Advisory Committee presented advertising options for Orangetown's two golf courses to the town council at a workshop April 19.

The town council passed a resolution at Thursday's regular town board meeting approving up to $26,000 combined for television and internet marketing efforts coordinated by the golf committee and the Orangetown Parks and Recreation Department, pending a review of the language in the contracts by the town attorney's office.

"It doesn't make sense to run a business without advertising," Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart said.

The money will be used to promote Blue Hill Golf Course and Broadacres Golf Course through email campaigns coordinated Course Trends and television commercials on Cablevision.

"For those not at the workshop last week, the people from the golf committee did a tremendous job presenting this and the research they did was very compelling," Orangetown Councilman Tom Morr said.

"There was a lot of research that this should pay for itself and more," Councilman Paul Valentine said.

Councilman Tom Diviny said that the component of advertising in New Jersey interested him.

"They are trying to put print and media ads in Bergen County, which we really haven't had a presence in," Diviny said. "Hopefully we can generate more revenue and bring more golfers to Orangetown."

The members of the golf committee pointed out last week that improvements have been made to the golf courses, including the renovation of the pro shop at Blue Hill and the renovation of the former Blue Hill Cafe to become Emmett's Castle at Blue Hill.

Green pointed out that new yardage signs that have not been installed yet at Blue Hill will have advertising panels, which have sold out only by word of mouth.

"People are looking for marketing," Green said. "Smart people understand marketing and branding. One area to look into is advertising."

The committee contacted DirecTV, FIOS and Cablevision regarding television advertising. FIOS outsources its advertising and only Cablevision showed an interest in working with the town.

Cablevision reaches $84,000 subscribers in Rockland County and $151,000 in Bergen County.

Cablevision proposed creating two 30-second commercials for a total cost of $600. One would use a digital photograph and would be ready for immediate use. The second would use video taken late in the spring or early in the summer. The town would own both spots and would be able to link to them on its website and the course's web page.

Cablevision offers packages for airing the commercials on selected stations. For Rockland County, that would be CNBC, CNN, ESPN2, FOX Business, GOLF, History, msnbc, MSG, Spike TV, Syfy, tru tv, YES and News 12. For three-to-five spots a week over 12 seeks, the cost would be $9,194.

In Bergen County, it would be most of those same channels, but with TV Land and without Travel, YES and News 12. For 3-to-5 spots over 12 weeks, the cost would be $8,724.

"If we can sell 200 associate memberships through this advertising, we will pay for it," Costello said.

The other component of the advertising is $8,900 for email blasts using addresses provided by the town. Course Trends will create the advertising and send it out. Emmett's Castle at Blue Hill already advertises with Course Trends.

"I think it is important that we advertise," Valentine said. "I own my own business. When we send out to our list, every time we get responses immediately. Sometimes you have to put money into something to make money."

"I support both of these and I want to thank you for the time and energy you put into this," Councilman Denis Troy said at last week's workshop.

Blauvelt Lions Pay For Trees at Blue Hill

The resolution was not on the initial agenda for Thursday's meeting. One item related to Blue Hill Golf Course that was on the agenda was the vote to accept a $4,500 donation from the Blauvelt Lions Club.

The money will be used to pay for planting 21 trees at Blue Hill Golf Course. This is part a Lions Club International initiative to plant two million trees annually. 

Check back with Patch for more from Thursday's Orangetown Council meeting.