Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S7
OCTOBER 21, 2013 ❙ 7
C A P I T O L A U T O G R O U P, S A L E M , O R E .
Gaining an edge with a golf wedge
at Oregon dealership's floating green
Printed in Automotive News Oct. 8, 2012
Larry P. Vellequette
lvellequette@crain.com
S
ome might see an eight-acre pond
amid three auto dealerships as a
big chunk of wasted space.
Scott Casebeer saw opportunity.
Casebeer, owner of Capitol Auto Group in
Salem, Ore., last month anchored a floating
golf green in a pond that dominates the
25-acre landscape surrounding his Chevrolet-Cadillac, Toyota-Scion and Subaru stores.
Then he bought 6,000 floating golf balls
and invited his customers and employees to
swing away.
"We probably have 30 or 40 customers a
day who go out there to hit golf balls, and
there's quite a few more that will just sit out
there in lawn chairs and watch people hit
balls," Casebeer explains. "You go around
town, and everybody comes up and they're
talking about it."
The three dealerships were built over the
past two years on the campus. They also
share a paved pathway that customers can
use for exercise or relaxation while their vehicles are being serviced.
Casebeer says he bought the floating green
for $50,000 from a company in New Hampshire and had it installed in early September.
Its cup is about twice the size of the cup on a
standard golf green, and the turf is laid over
more than 2 tons of sand so the ball lands as
it does on a normal green.
Capitol Auto Group owner Scott Casebeer saw an opportunity in the large pond sitting on
his property: He invested in a floating golf green, which is used by his customers and staff.
He says: "We probably have 30 or 40 customers a day who go out there to hit golf balls."
The green floats about 110 yards from the
two driving mats, which are placed close
to the Toyota-Scion store. Customers aim
toward Casebeer's Subaru store as they strike
the ball. A large fountain also puts out a giant
decorative spray elsewhere in the pond.
Every three days or so, Casebeer dispatches a pair of attendants armed with fishing
nets in a small boat with an electric motor to
retrieve the balls.
Of course, giant fountains, island greens
and floating balls attract more than just established customers, who are allowed to hit a
bucket of balls for free. Casebeer says he
charges $5 a bucket for golfers who aren't
customers to take their swings. He donates
the fees to a local charity.
Casebeer says his new installation is starting to bring in new customers.
He says: "One of my salespeople said to me
just the other day that he had a customer
who told him he wouldn't buy a car unless he
let him hit some golf balls. So we gave him a
bucket and let him swing away." c
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - Intro
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S1
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S2
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S3
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S4
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S5
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S6
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S7
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S8
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S9
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S10
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S11
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S12
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S13
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S14
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S15
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S16
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S17
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S18
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S19
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S20
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S21
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S22
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S23
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S24
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S25
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S26
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S27
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S28
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S29
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S30
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S31
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S32
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S33
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S34
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S35
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S36
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S37
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S38
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S39
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S40
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S41
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S42
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S43
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S44
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S45
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S46
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S47
Automotive News - October 21, 2013 - Supplement - S48
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