Square Champions are Square sellers who go above and beyond to help others in the Community and in this series we get to know Square Chanpions and their businesses! 🎉
Square Champions are experts in Square, participate in Square Beta programs, provide feedback on Square’s features and tools and much much more! Learn more about how to engage in the Community and how you can potentially become a Square Champion. If a Square Champion helps you be sure to like their reply or mark it as a Best Answer.
In this post we meet @LukeNieuw of Whisky Run Golf Club in Ontario, Canada! Read on to learn the history of Whisky Run golf course, why and how they switched to Square and how they use a third-party integration to seamlessly integrate their booking system.
Community Username: @LukeNieuw
Business Name: Whisky Run Golf Club
Tell us about your business.
We are a family Owned/Operated Golf Course in Ontario, Canada. My Father started the course in 1989. Whisky Run grew in “nines.” The Par-34 Owl nine opened June 30,1989. That was followed by the Par-72 Fox/Serpent nines opening in '92 and '98 respectfully.
The property had been sitting idle for many years, when my parents Lou and Maribeth Nieuwland purchased it in 1984. Getting a permit to build a golf course was not easy. An application in 1986 led to many neighbours rallying against the proposal. Initially, Port Colborne's Planning Department gave it a thumbs down. After several Ontario Municipal Board hearings, approval was finally granted in 1988.
It is a land with a shady-yet-colorful past! The prior history of the property led to the golf courses' unique name "Whisky Run Golf Club". The Kinsey family, owners of the Lorraine Road lands from 1792, had a fleet of fishing boats during prohibition, and like many others, used the boats for rum running. In fact, according to a relative, one boat was purposely sunk to escape the U.S. Coast Guard. Somewhere, at the bottom of Lorraine Bay, is some well-aged whisky!
While working with the irrigation architects, my father Lou Nieuwland noticed they’d scribbled, “whisky run” on the blueprints. And the rest, as they say, is history!
Where can we learn more about your business on social media?
- www.whiskyrun.com/
- www.facebook.com/WhiskyRunGolfClub/
- www.instagram.com/whiskyrungolfclub/
- twitter.com/whiskyrun
- www.youtube.com/channel/UCqRCDOeWvQ2yUfsvTqf78eA
What changes, if any, have you made to your business adapt to COVID-19 restrictions?
We started the switch to Square before Covid-19. I had been through I think 4 other POS systems in the last 10 years and all of them specific to the golf industry.
I had been realizing that the golf industry specific software was not going to cut it with my goals for our business and I had a friend/consultant put me on to Square. When I saw the possibilities I was elated! I ditched our other system, which was Lightspeed at the time and went All In on Square. I even partnered with a startup "Tee Sheet" that is golf specific for bookings called Birrdi and it completely integrated with Square. A big gamble for my business for sure. And when Covid hit I was definitely scared but I realized that I was ready for this because I moved to Square. We opened our restaurant for take out before we opened our golf course. This was the first time we have EVER done that. In years past I would have NEVER considered it given the fragmented experience for the user and the operator. And my "Tee Sheet" aka Booking System called Birrdi was already requiring pre-payment so we were ahead of the game because of switching to Square.
What’s the best business advice you’ve received?
Let the Data drive your decisions.
Why did you start using Square?
No other POS offered an End to End experience from Retail/Restaurant to Online/Ecommerce that filtered back to one place for the Owner/Operator.
What do you know now that you wish you would have known on day 1 of starting your business?
Track Everything & Test New Ideas
What questions can you help with in the Community? What's your favorite discussion topic?
I love it all
What is your favorite Square tool/feature?
Loyalty or Online
What is your top feature request?
Integrated Marketing in Canada 🙂 but maybe something with geofencing
Would you like to share anything else?
I have to say after YEARS of struggling with POS systems and alternative ecommerce platforms it has been a blessing to use Square.
Thank you very much for taking the time to participate in the Square Champion program @LukeNieuw!
Woow @LukeNieuw! I love your logo and that golf course looks stunning ✨
@aarontw was just telling me that he's trying to get into golfing ️⛳️
Thanks for sharing and you've done an awesome job on your site 🎉 Hope to see you around the Community! ✨
No @LukeNieuw, but there's a gorgeous golf course out here in SF that I've been wanting to visit! Or perhaps I'll have to travel to yours ✈️
Thanks again for sharing! ✨
