Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the golf course consumers opinions towards marketing factors, the relationship between these factors and their personal factors, and a comparison of the levels of significance that the consumers give to each marketing factor which influences them on their decision to choose to go to a certain golf course in Surat Thani. For data collection, questionnaires were sent out to a sample group who goes to three different golf courses in Surat Thani namely Vipavadee-Rangsit Golf Course, Ratchaprapa Dam Golf Course and Santiburi Samui Country Club.
The research shows that the sample group consists of mostly married men aged between 30-40 years old. Most of them are bachelors degree holders who are business owners or government officers with monthly income of less the 50,000 baht. For marketing factor, the sample group ranks the importance of selling channels at the highest level. Others are product, quality, price, consumers other expenses, and process respectively. For personal factor, product elements, physical evidences, marking promotions and consumer educating are rated as secondary level. The result from analyzing each golf course in the study indicates that Vipavadee-Rangsit Golf Course considers the importance of price, consumers other expenses and selling channels, while Ratchaprapa Dam Golf Course puts an emphasis on product, quality, and selling channels and Santiburi Samui Country Club on selling channels, product and quality.
In terms of the relationship between marking factors and personal factors, the analysis of the questionnaires indicates that gender is related to all aspects of marketing factors, while monthly income is related to all other aspects of marketing factors except product and quality.
It is found that male and female consumers rated the eight aspects of marketing factors in terms of significance differently. Differences have shown in product elements, price, consumers other expenses, selling channels, marketing promotions, consumer educating and process. Consumers with high income and those with low income showed differences in opinion in the aspects of price and consumers other expenses.
WALAILAK UNIVERSITY. CENTER FOR LIBRARY RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA