Each year, undergraduates in senior instructor of management Beth Hjelm's business strategy and planning course team up to take on real-life consulting projects for real-world clients.

For business students, this capstone course represents the culmination of their undergraduate experience, bringing together everything they've learned in their time here and preparing them to go out and succeed in the professional world.

This year, Hjelm assigned a total of three teams to focus on three distinct issues facing the Springfield Golf Club--known until recently as the Springfield Country Club.

Tasked to investigate the club's member retention, one team teed off with an ambitious, multipronged plan. They surveyed 1,500 golfers, conducted an in-depth focus group, and visited the course themselves as "mystery golfers."

"Mystery golfing gave us real insight into the project and put passion behind the recommendations we made," said team member Hayley Brown '13.

Another team looked into whether the club would benefit from dynamic pricing services, while the third made recommendations for the club's use of social media--some of which the club has already put into action.

At the end of term, members of the club's management team came to the college to receive the students' recommendations face to face.

"Knowing that our work was going to impact a real company made me even more committed to the project," said Lindsey Andress Steigleder '13.

"Learning how to work with a client, develop a plan, and present your findings is a great process, and one that I will carry with me throughout my professional career," said Mitchell Van Dyke '13.