Dan Waslewski is leading TPC Boston into a new era.

Dan Waslewski
is leading TPC
Boston into a
new era.
A L W A Y S
D R I V E N
THE INDUSTRY’S FIRST
AND ONLY FAIRWAY MOWER
WITH A TRUE
HYBRID DRIVE SYSTEM
Join the conversation
@ToroGolf
©2016 The Toro Company. All rights reserved.
Introducing the Reelmaster 5010-H Fairway Mower
®
with Innovative PowerMatch Technology
™
Dare to compare! The Reelmaster 5010-H is truly unique. Built on the
same proven platform as other tried-and-true 5010 series mowers,
the new hybrid model utilizes our PowerMatch Technology to
seamlessly deliver the robust power you need for both traction
and cutting – along with impeccable fairway playing conditions.
™
The real surprise is that in addition to delivering
over 40 horsepower on demand, the hybrid drive
system of the Reelmaster 5010-H also provides
a fuel savings of 20% or more. Add to that
meaningful labor and maintenance savings,
along with an amazing quality-of-cut, and
you’ll quickly understand why the new Reelmaster
5010-H fairway mower is a true “game-changer”
for you, your budget and your golfers.
Call: 800-803-8676
Visit: toro.com/reelmaster
It ’s simple
TURFONOMICS
competitive package
to your employees?
Superintendent
salaries
3
5,
4
57
2,
04
1,
$8
$8
$90,000
$8
Municipal
14%
20
4
Facility types
$78,898
$80,000
$73,766
Private
45%
Semi-private
17%
$68,914
$70,000
$63,065
$57,057
$60,000
$53,205
Daily-fee
24%
$50,000
$49,269
$40,000
1995
$103,993
CGCS
$77,305
Registration GIS/Education
Travel to GIS
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
69.4%
2005
63.9%
$50,000
87%
Non-CGCS
82.6%
$64,212
$58,170
Get detailed salary data and utilize the
salary calculator to produce customized reports in the
2015 Compensation and Benefits Report
Call 1-800-472-7878
or email [email protected] for more information
95.3%
$76,170
$79,745
$73,809
2003
2011
2013
2015
Medical Insurance
$68,464
$60,000
2009
Seminar/Tuition Reimbursement
$77,123
$70,000
2007
96.4%
$87,225
$80,489
$80,000
2005
Chapter Dues
$98,187
$93,414
$90,000
2003
GCSAA Membership
$110,000
$95,264
2000
Employer fringe benefits
CGCS salaries
$100,000
1998
a
36
p
r
i
l
2
0
1
6
window of
opportunity
With corporate memberships on the decline
following the economic downturn, TPC Boston
embraced its role as a family-oriented venue.
Families are now growing up together at the
club, where personal demand is so strong that
a waiting list may soon be adopted.
tournament
formula
There are many keys to
running successful group
events and championships.
Everything from data-mining
to paper Hawaiian skirts can
help a course owner pursuing
bonus dollars through outside
group outings.
the art of
delegation
43
To be an effective and
efficient manager, you
must know how to properly
administer tasks. Not doing
so overworks you and
underutilizes your staff.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
5
A
p
r
i
l
2
0
1
6
8 VANTAGE POINt
take
10 My
NEWS & VIEWS
13 maintaining
18 family legacythe
SINGLES
Silver Lake Country Club is on its third
generation of ownership under the Coghill
name, and management expects to keep
that lineage intact with a fourth.
M U LT I P L E S
is
22 success
in the details
John Junker and the management of Texasbased Southern Golf Properties focus on
the little things in every revenue source to
ensure their courses remain profitable.
DE S T I NAT I ON S
the
26 getting
word out
Charles Sheppard’s first goal at Toftrees
Golf Resort was to coax customers back
out onto the course by altering what
had become a dated reputation.
GB MARKET 52
6
GOLFBUSINESS
April
& INSIGHTS
43 IDEAs
47 Member Matters
GB CLASSIFIEDS 53 AD INDEX 55
2016
“
At Desert Mountain, John Deere’s presence is felt on every one of our 108 holes
of golf. We rely heavily not only on their equipment but also their Service, Support,
and Financing. For nearly twenty years, John Deere has been our exclusive equipment
supplier and Desert Mountain couldn’t ask for a better partner to help maintain our
club and community.
”
BOB JONES
Chief Operating Officer
General Manager
Desert Mountain, AZ
Desert Mountain, Cochise Course
Discover what Bob Jones knows already: that John Deere Golf is much more
than just equipment. Our national distributor network delivers unprecedented
levels of service and support. And thanks to John Deere Financial, you can work
ZLWKH[SHUWVZKRKDYHGHVLJQHGƟQDQFLQJHVSHFLDOO\IRUWKHJROILQGXVWU\
We want to help you succeed, on the course and off. For more on how we
can help your course, go to JohnDeereGolfRewards.com.
Trusted by the Best
JohnDeereGolfRewards.com
65840
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL GOLF
COURSE OWNERS ASSOCIATION
A P R I L
approved a baton-passing to GolfDatatech, which has
been collecting national rounds data since 1999. NGCOA
and GDT were partners in this e͘ort a long time ago, and
we’re happy to help GDT continue the ever-important
e͘ort to report on our industry’s most basic performance
metric. So, please go to http://www.golfdatatech.com/
course-search/ and enter your monthly rounds when you
hear the call for data submission. Can you imagine if the
Wall Street Journal called to ask how many rounds of golf
were played in the ͙rst quarter of 2016, and we could only
shrug our shoulders and look lost?
One of the challenges with PerformanceTrak was the
requirement by course sta͘ers to handenter monthly data, which will continue
Jay Karen
with GDT. But here’s the thing…it’s 2016,
CEO
people! We need you to participate, but
NGCOA
we shouldn’t have to ask you to handenter information. Why can’t we identify all the tee time
systems, which should naturally have data on rounds
played, and have them all fed into one, central repository?
Out of this neutral repository, we could produce robust
We have a data
rounds played data or feed such information to those
problem in golf.
who wanted to build robust reporting. This way, it would
Let’s ͙x it.
be more scienti͙cally sound.
The hotel industry
Getting these tee time system operators into one
seems to live and die by
room to agree on how this should work needs to happen
the exalted STAR Report,
͙rst. And if we accomplish this, the course operator will
which provides a local
have to give permission to share data, which would reproperty with Occupancy,
main anonymous. Better still, it would the process much
Average Daily Rate (ADR),
less time-consuming. Isn’t letting your tee time system
and Revenue per Available
know once that “you’re in,” versus entering data 12 times
Room (RevPAR) against a
per year, a better scenario for everyone?
comparable set of properFrom where I sit, I observe multiple e͘orts in our industies in the market. The golf
try to gather and/or report performance data in one form
industry has no equal, and
or another, from rounds to revenue and expenses: NGCOA,
we need one.
NGF, GolfDatatech, Pellucid, Club Benchmarking, Links
For years, PerforInsight and the ORCA Report, to name a few. Either one of
manceTrak by the PGA, in
these has to break out from the pack and become the STAR
cooperation with NGCOA,
Report, or we have to ͙nd a way to work together. The
reported national, regional
inconvenient thing about data projects like this is the value
and market-level rounds
and insights that result from them are directly proportioninformation, as well as
ate to the quantity and quality of the data entered. We fair
some limited reporting of
no better in golf if we have multiple, competing e͘orts.
revenue performance. The
This is my ͙rst smoke signal to the industry. If you
PGA recently announced
run a tee time system or are in the data business in golf,
they are no longer supexpect to hear from NGCOA. We can and must do better.
porting the program. They
8
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
2 0 1 6
V O L U M E
2 2 ,
N U M B E R
4
RONNIE MUSSELWHITE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
[email protected]
CHRIS COX
MANAGING EDITOR
[email protected]
DAVE ALEXANDER
ART DIRECTOR
[email protected]
CLINTON HALL
DESIGNER
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
REX BOHN, TRENT BOUTS, ROB CAREY, STEVE DONAHUE, STEVE EUBANKS, DAVID GOULD, SHAWN
HENRY, NABIL MARK, JENNIFER RUTH MICHALEC,
LAUREN SEIBEL
ADVERTISING STAFF
KELLY MACPHERSON
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT MANAGER
[email protected]
BARBARA SEARLE
CLASSIFIEDS, GOLF COURSE MARKET
[email protected]
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
WHITNEY CROUSE
FOUNDING PARTNER, MOSAIC CLUBS & RESORTS,
ALPHARETTA, GA
HENRY DELOZIER
PRINCIPAL, GLOBAL GOLF ADVISORS, PHOENIX, AZ
ALLISON GEORGE
GENERAL MANAGER,
TOAD VALLEY GOLF COURSE, PLEASANT HILL, IA
LARRY HIRSH
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
GOLF PROPERTY ANALYSTS, HARRISBURG, PA
LAWREN JUST
OWNER, PERSIMMON RIDGE GOLF CLUB, LOUISVILLE, KY
GEORGE KELLEY
PRINCIPAL, GREENWAY GOLF, STEVINSON, CA
DAVID “ROCK” LUCAS
PRESIDENT/OPERATING PARTNER,
CHARWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, WEST, COLUMBIA, SC
GOLF BUSINESS OFFICES
291 SEVEN FARMS DRIVE, 2ND FLOOR,
CHARLESTON, SC 29492
WWW.GOLFBUSINESS.COM
[email protected]
PHONE (843) 881-9956
FAX (843) 856-3288
FOR ADVERTISING SALES INFORMATION, CONTACT (800) 933-4262
Golf Business®, USPS #016-601, ISSN #10995943, (Volume 22, Number 4) is pub-
lished 10 times a year in January, February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December by the National Golf Course Owners Association
(NGCOA), 291 Seven Farms Drive, 2nd Floor, Charleston, SC 29492, (843) 881-9956.
Golf Business is distributed free to qualified subscribers and is $49 for 1-year U.S. nonqualified. Single copy and back issue price $10 in the U.S. and $15 in Canada. U.S. funds
only. For address changes, eight weeks’ notice required. The articles and other information in this publication are advisory only and are not intended to represent the views,
opinions, or endorsement of the NGCOA. ©2016, National Golf Course Owners Association. All rights reserved under International and Pan American copyright conventions.
The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Reproduction in whole
or in part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Charleston, SC and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address
changes to Golf Business, P.O. Box 321 , Congers, NY 10920-0321.
No Boundaries
9JGVJGT [QW QYP C UKPING ECTV QT OCPCIG CP GPVKTG ƃGGV
battery performance matters. And when it comes to
FGGRE[ENG DCVVGTKGU PQ QPG IQGU VQ VJG GZVTGOGU QH
performance like Trojan. Compared to traditional 8-volt
DCVVGTKGU VJG Ranger™ 160 increases travel time by 35%
DGVYGGP EJCTIGU YJKNG VJG Traveler ™ 8V delivers over
40% longer life.
We’ll keep breaking the boundaries. Where you go after
that is up to you.
800-423-6569
trojanbattery.com
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
9
NATIONAL GOLF COURSE
OWNERS ASSOCIATION
291 Seven Farms Dr., 2nd Floor,
Charleston, SC 29492
phone (843) 881-9956
fax (843) 881-9958
www.ngcoa.org
NGCOA EXECUTIVE BOARD
way, he remained a hands-on operator who relished
the opportunity to get to know his customers because
he understood it was the person on the other side of
the counter who made him successful.
In the days following Mr. Brittain’s death, I received
a note from Mike Tinkey, former deputy CEO of the NGCOA. Mike worked with Mr. Brittain for years when he
served on the board of the South Carolina Golf Course
Owners Association. I felt it fitting to share Mike’s
thoughts, as they echo the sentiments shared by many
who came to know Mr. Brittain.
Mike Tinkey
Clay was the epitome of the
gracious, caring and giving
Southern gentleman. Always
attentive to others, he was passionate about “The Beach,” golf, his community, his
associates, and friends and family. He was a collaborative leader who brought people and organizations
together for the common good.
Clay was also instrumental in aligning the Myrtle
Beach Golf Course Owners Association with the National Golf Course Owners Association, and was active
in the founding of the South Carolina Golf Course
Owners Association. He was a quiet and astute mentor to many, and a tireless advocate for golf in Myrtle
Beach and throughout South Carolina. He was especially known for sharing his time and talents with others, and doing it all with a smile. These are a few of the
reasons Clay is the ͙rst and one of only two Honorary
Life Members of the NGCOA.
Fiercely loyal to the people and causes he believed
in, you could always count on Clay’s support and wise
counsel. He moved seamlessly between business, fun
and family, and could often be seen gliding across the
dance ͚oor with his wife Patricia, making it obvious to
all their abiding love for each other.
It was an honor to call Clay a friend, and I will
be among a legion of others who will carry on his
memory and attempt to live up to his example.
Former Deputy CEO
National Golf Course
Owners Association
Editor’s Note: Clay
Brittain, former
chairman of the
board of Myrtle
Beach National
Company, passed
away in mid-February
after complications from a
fall he had sustained several days prior. He was 86.
For those who weren’t
familiar with Mr. Brittain,
suffice it to say he was
one of the golf industry’s true visionaries. He
started from humble
beginnings and over the
course of a 40-year career
helped transform the
sleepy beach community
of Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina, into one of the
nation’s most popular golf
destinations. Along the
10
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
—Mike Tinkey, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Rock Lucas, President, Charwood Country Club, West Columbia, SC
Dick Stuntz, Vice President, The Oaks, Lawrence, KS
Steve Graybill, Secretary, Foxchase Golf Club, Stevens, PA
Frank Romano, Treasurer, Scenic View Country Club, Slinger, WI
Jay Karen, Chief Executive Ofwcer
Matt Galvin, Immediate Past President, Morningstar Golf & Hospitality, LLC
NGCOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rich Alden, Painesville Country Club, Painesville, OH
Bill Aragona, Boulder Creek Golf & CC, Boulder Creek, CA
Kathy Aznavorian, Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center, Plymouth, MI
Tom Brooks, Carson Valley Golf Course, Gardnerville, NV
Bill Brown, Mont Cascades Golf Club, Cantley QC, Canada
Dana Garmany, Troon Golf, Scottsdale, Arizona
Allison George, Toad Valley Golf Course, Pleasant Hill, IA
Mark Giustina, Tokatee Golf Club, Eugene, OR
Michael Hatch, Acumen Golf, Chesterweld, VA
Peter Hill, Billy Casper Golf, Vienna, VA
Jim Hinckley, Century Golf Partners, LP, Addison, TX
Jeff Hoag, Scott Lake Country Club, Comstock Park, MI
Walter Lankau, Jr., Stow Acres Country Club, Stow, MA
Roger Miers, RiverPines Golf, Johns Creek, GA
Don Rea, Augusta Ranch Golf Club, Mesa, AZ
Linda Rogers, Juday Creek Golf Course, Granger, IN
Bill Stine, Golf Enterprises, Kissimmee, FL
Dick Stuntz, The Oaks, Lawrence, KS
Marcel Welling, BurgGolf Holdings, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
Claye Atcheson, Marriott Golf
Joe Beditz, CEO and President, National Golf Foundation
David Fay, Former Executive Director, United States Golf Association
Doug Howe, Century Golf Partners, LP
Frank Jemsek, Cog Hill Golf Club
Rees Jones, Rees Jones Incorporated
Steve Melnyk, ABC Sports, Riverside Management Company
Stephen F. Mona, CAE, CEO, World Golf Foundation
David Pillsbury, COO, PGA Tour Golf Course Properties
Gary Schaal, Past President, PGA of America
William H. Sherman, Sherman Golf Associates
NGCOA STAFF
Jay Karen, Chief Executive Ofwcer
Joe Rice, Chief Strategy Ofwcer
Ronnie Miles, Director of Advocacy & Commerce
Thomas Smith, Network/Web Administrator
Brittany Hedrick, Accounting & Ofwce Administrator
Sherea Malcolm, Ofwce Manager & Executive Assistant
G. ShefƂeld (Sheff) Webb, Director of Corporate Partnerships
Kelly MacPherson, Senior Account Manager
Jay Andersen, Business Development Manager
Rutledge Baker, Director of National Accounts
Ingrid Thorson, Director of Marketing Communications
Nancy Downie, Events Manager
Clinton Hall, Creative Services Manager
Bill Northrop, Director of Membership
Barbara Searle, Associate Director of Membership
Ronnie Musselwhite, Editor-in-Chief, Golf Business; Director of Education
Chris Cox, Managing Editor, Golf Business
Dave Alexander, Art Director, Golf Business
Think people don’t notice the accessories?
On a golf course, every detail is important. Having appropriate, well maintained golf course accessories
is crucial to ensure you leave a lasting impression on golfers and to reinforce your course’s reputation.
Choose quality accessories from Par Aide to improve course aesthetics and playability, while saving you
time and money. Visit our website to request a quote from your dealer today.
P A R A I D E . C O M
8 8 8 - 8 9 3 - 2 4 3 2
Wherever golf is played.
What’s on GolfBusiness.com this month
TECH TALK
BRIAN WESTFALL
Market Research Associate
Software Advice
Picking Your Payroll
WHAT’S HOT
darius opens up
The cameras were rolling when Golf Business
Editor-in-Chief Ronnie Musselwhite sat down to talk with Darius Rucker prior to
him being presented with the NGCOA’s 2016 Award of Merit. The country music
superstar and founding member of the band Hootie & the Blowfish took time
to share his love of the game and how he uses golf to make a difference in the
lives of those less fortunate through a variety of charities. Visit www.golfbusiness.com to see the full interview in this Golf Business video exclusive.
Gaining Momentum
Doing all you can to boost business? Not
if you haven’t visited Accelerate, the exclusive networking portal where NGCOA
members can pose questions, get answers,
and share ideas. Visit accelerate.ngcoa.org
to move your business forward.
12
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
Connect with the
NGCOA & Golf Business
facebook.com/GBMagazine1
twitter.com/TheNGCOA
followgram.me/thengcoa
From simple payroll products to comprehensive human resources suites,
the software options available to manage your course employees can vary
as wildly as your club selection. Here
are some tips to help you pick the
perfect system.
For one, know that buying software isn’t always like buying a power
tool or a cheeseburger. Many systems
are cloud-based—which means you
can access them through an Internet
browser—and are licensed under a
subscription model. To use the software, you pay a monthly or annual fee,
often based on the number of employees you have or the number of people
who will be using the system. Always
ask the vendor how their system is
priced up front to align your expectations and help with budgeting.
You also need to Ƃgure out what
applications or features you might
use later, and which you won’t use
at all. Many HR software buyers see
a popular brand, purchase the system for themselves, then only use
half of it. The higher cost starts adding up until they switch to something simpler. It’s one thing to plan
ahead, but it’s another to purchase
unnecessary bells and whistles.
Lastly, do your due diligence. Talk
to other managers and demo all of
the systems you’re considering. It’s
worth the effort. If it’s a good Ƃt,
your new system will save you time
and money that you can then funnel
into your course.
T HE S TART
NEWS & Views With a global perspective
Seeing Green
The single-breasted, center-vented green
jacket, which adorns the back of each Masters
champion, remains one of golf’s most iconic images. But the longstanding tradition of slipping
into this coveted blazer symbolizes so much
more than the quest for an elusive trophy. Its
presentation each April serves as the uno͛cial
kicko͘ to another golf season, channeling the
passion awakened on Augusta National’s hallowed grounds down Magnolia Lane and onto
every other course across the country.
G
GOLF
OLFFBBUSINESS.COM
OL
USINESS.COM
U
US
INES
IN
ESS
ES
S.CO
S.
COM 13
13
T HE S TART
Making the
Right Hire
G
olf course owners can only do so
much when policing how male golfers
treat their female counterparts. But Steve
Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation,
thinks course operators can signi͙cantly
sway the female experience through how
they go about their hiring practices.
“Is the attitude of those who work
at your facility—particularly the men—
squaring up with your desire to be
gender neutral?” Mona asks. “I would
maintain that’s one piece that doesn’t
get focused on as much.”
A recent study conducted by Sports
& Leisure Research Group for the PGA
of America found that 41 percent of
women executives who golf feel they
have encountered discrimination on
the course. The study, titled “Business
Golf: The Gender Puzzle,” also noted that
women executives are 25 percent more
likely than men to feel business golf is
more stressful than social golf.
“You can’t control how another
golfer is going to react on the golf
course, I get that,” Mona says. “That’s
more di͛cult. But you can control your
employees in terms of who you hire and
how you train them, and making sure
they’re talking the talk.”
Moreover, the study found that
course operators could create a friendlier female environment by adding abundant restrooms, gender-appropriate
locker rooms, inviting clubhouse décor,
healthier food choices and a greater
menu variety. Greetings, signage and
women’s merchandise in the golf shop
can also have a positive impact, it noted.
Even so, hiring the right employees
is just as critical. Business owners in
other industries often look for ideal
qualities in a candidate and worry
golf is as much about business as it is
pleasure—and not just for those in
golf course operations. according to
sports and leisure research group, just under 60 percent of business
golfers have closed a deal on a course or at the club. the median deal
size was $100,000 for women business golfers and $250,000 for male
business golfers. more than A quarter of the women who have closed
a deal on a course have done a deal valued at more than $500,000.
Did You Know?
14
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
about training them
once they’re on sta͘.
“We all know that
we’re in an environment where employers have a breadth of
people from whom
to pick,” Mona says.
“So [make sure] they
have a service attitude
and a respect for and
understanding of the
importance of women.”
Mona has seen
employers who leave
interview candidates
out in the lobby for several minutes, curious to observe how they interact with and
treat the receptionist. It’s just one strategy
that could serve a course owner well.
“How they treat him or her is probably indicative of their attitude toward
people in those kinds of roles,” he notes.
“There are little tricks you can use to ͙nd
that out without being overt about it.”
Of course, the ideal candidate
shouldn’t be free and clear after receiving a job o͘er. Mona maintains that
employers should continue ongoing dialogue and course correction on genderneutral practices after their hiring.
Think this is much ado about nothing? Well consider that the study found
that 78 percent of women polled ͙nd golf
in a business environment to be a great
networking tool. Those same respondents
were also signi͙cantly more likely than
executive men to have taken a golf lesson
in the past year. The study concluded that
PGA professionals must have experience
with women and an ability to treat them
as equals, among several other attributes,
to have the greatest impact.
“I think everybody is aware of it, but
I think it’s a training issue,” Mona says. “I
think it’s a hiring issue. Things have improved dramatically over the last 20 years,
but you have to make sure in their heart of
hearts that everybody working for you is
an advocate for women.” —Chris Cox
Two
Operators/
Two
Questions
Early spring weather can be
downright unpredictable.
Here’s how two operators
handle the good and the bad
Mother Nature throws at them.
Golf Business: It’s impossible to predict the next
spring’s forecast months in
advance, so how far ahead
do you determine an opening
date, and what contingency
plans do you have in case the
spring weather is awful?
“We set our
course’s
agronomic
standards very
high, and that
kind of rules.”
-jim mcwethy
Jim McWethy
Tony Mancilla
OWNER
GENERAL MANAGER
MISTWOOD GOLF CLUB
ROMEOVILLE, ILLINOIS
ISLAND RESORT & CASINO
HARRIS, MICHIGAN
April, we’ll get the word out
through email, advertising,
etc., that we’re opening, say,
in mid-April. Usually those are
locals who want to play early,
and suffered plenty of drainage damage in my early days
of ownership. We’ve had
some brutal storms since the
renovation that my super-
“We have a lot of flexibility.
course’s agronomic stanThere’s no pushback from
dards very high, and that
members if we don’t open
kind of rules. If we’re not
ready to present a good golf the course in March.”
McWethy: We set our
course and we don’t think
we’re ready to open, we just
don’t. We’re family-owned,
and don’t have bureaucratic red tape and rigidity
concerns. We have a lot of
yexibility. There’s no pushback from our members and
guests if we don’t open the
course in March.
Mancilla: We usually set
a wrm opening day of around
May 1 because we sell numerous lower-rate golf packages
with Greywalls and TimberStone a year in advance, so
we get many early customers.
If we have a warm winter and
the forecast predicts a warm
and many of them also want
to take advantage of earlyand late-year discounts.
GB: What do your contingency plans cover and what
were the worst weather issues
that prolonged your opening or lasted throughout the
entire spring?
McWethy: We haven’t
had to close the course since
our award-winning renovation was completed two years
ago. That included a lot of
irrigation work as a contingency plan because we had
lots of drainage problems
intendent, Ben Kelnhofer,
says would have closed the
course and washed out some
bridges prior to the renovation. Sometimes those dollars
come back to you.
McCarty: Two years ago
we lost roughly three weeks
of golf in May, but we regained it going into October
because we had an unusually
warm fall. Our season is usually May through October 1,
but we have had delays with
snow on the ground in May,
although usually it’s just cold,
windy and rainy.
—Steve Donahue
Coalition
appoints
manager
J
ared Williams has been
tabbed to run the daily operations of the Golf USA Tee Time
Coalition, a joint initiative of the
National Golf Course Owners Association and PGA of America.
The coalition, which was
formed last year, provides education for golf course owners,
operators and PGA members,
and serves as an industry monitor for compliance of third-party
online tee time providers against
important industry standards.
Representing the supply side
of the industry, the coalition will
engage the software companies
and tee time distributors to solve
problems in the marketplace
and support efforts that leverage
tee time inventory for wnancial
sustainability and growth.
“We’re excited about Jared
coming on board because this
is the industry putting full-time
support behind an issue that
has caused a great deal of
angst,” says Jay Karen, CEO
of the NGCOA. “Our hope is
that, with Jared’s help, we will
be able to facilitate fair play and
benewcial practices in the tee
time distribution practice.”
Williams comes to the coalition from the U.S. Track & Field
and Cross Country Coaches
Association, where he served as
director of administrative and legal
affairs. Prior to that he was the
compliance services coordinator at
the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Williams has also worked as
a legal intern at the LPGA and at
golf courses in Louisiana.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
15
T HE S TART
Viewpoints
NORTHERN-TIER GOLF COURSE OPERATORS AND SUPERINTENDENTS MIGHT GET ALONG THE MAJORITY OF THE
TIME, BUT THEY MIGHT NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON WHEN
TO OPEN THE COURSE EACH SPRING. GENERAL MANAGER BARRY OWENS AND HEAD SUPERINTENDENT MARK
WILDEMAN OF TREETOPS RESORT IN GAYLORD, MICHIGAN, DISCUSS THEIR COURSE OPENING PROCESS, WHICH
FORTUNATELY HAS PROVEN SUCCESSFUL.
Barry Owens: Because of our climate,
we’re pretty much married to an opening
date of April 25, give or take a few days. If
we get decent weather, we’ll open earlier.
If we’re going to open earlier, then that’s
generally Mark’s call. So between us and our
director of golf, if Mark thinks the course
will be OK to get around, we’ll do it. We will
rarely open later than April 25 because we’ll
have people coming to the resort to play.
During winter, we’ll get somewhere between 170 to 200 inches of snow and some
tree damage, but, it’s funny, sometimes
what delays our opening is there’s still too
much snow on the cart paths.
Mark Wildeman: From an agronomic standpoint, if you still have frost on
the ground, you can’t open. Any operator in my position, whether in a resort or
daily-fee, has to consider the business
aspect. Historically, we know when we’re
going to open. Our single biggest problem might be we still have too much snow
in the bunkers and we still have to go out
and remove snow off cart paths. If I have
to go out and mow grass, then we need
to open. We’re based on revenue, and
I can’t wx anything unless I’m open and
we have to do it. I don’t think we’ve ever
sacriwced the quality of the agronomic
condition of our courses because that’s
our single biggest asset. — Steve Donahue
16
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
tweaking your
course logo
ast year’s PGA Championship at Whistling
Straits prompted an Australian graphic designer
named Ema Hoffman to blog about “the wrst time
something good came out of my husband’s incessant golf-watching.” Hoffman’s husband had pointed out to her the boldly original Whistling Straits
logo, a depiction of the face of a Poseidon-like
ancient god, which struck her as “sheer awesomeness,” both graphically and as a brand identiwer.
Things have changed since the last time a
typical golf course or golf management company
revisited the brand symbol it uses on its golf caps,
scorecards and corporate communications. One
of those changes is the emergence of something
called Scalable Vector Graphics. Known as SVG, it’s
a software that affects how any graphic will show up
on screens of all kinds—with special value to marketing messages sent to handheld devices. SVG has
inyuenced designers toward cleaner, simpler logos,
devoid of color gradations and other complexities.
The god-of-wind-and-weather face used by Whistling Straits probably fares well on small screens,
even though it is etched in wne detail, because it’s
presented in black-and-white and the “Whistling
Straits” type in the logo is starkly simple.
A current case study in golf logo trends can be
seen in the new artwork for Reynolds Lake Oconee,
the famed Georgia resort community that rebranded itself last year by discarding the original name
of Reynolds Plantation. Also mothballed is the old
logo’s ornate, yowingly cursive script for “Reynolds,” with its intricate thick-and-thin widths. That’s
replaced by a simple Roman serif font, all uppercase. A familiar diving duck in an oval frame remains
part of the logo, but is rendered much more simply.
According to John Gunderson, who runs the
division of the Daniel Corporation that includes
Reynolds Lake Oconee, the simpliwed logo draws
attention to the physical asset of the lake and the
venerable Reynolds name while clueing people to
the sweeping upgrades and capital expenditures
L
What’s Hot
In My Shop
Accessory
nexbelt go-in! series belts
Nexbelt’s customizable and precise wt
is a home run with my membership.
While custom logo buckles are available, the bestseller for us has been
the Go-In!, which boasts a golf ball
marker in the buckle. It’s a win-win for
our members. You can buy multiple
straps or buckles and change your
look daily. The high quality and unique
look make this a staple item at Quail
West. (Member pricing $25-$65)
One of my ladies’ favorite items
is Tzu Tzu Sport. This small, local
company has taken our area by
storm. The cut, colors and styling—all
made in the USA—are fantastic. The
tops and bottoms all mix and match
to make a new outwt out of fewer
pieces. The best part? The owner will
swap out and take back slow-sellers
with no fee! The colors are updated
seasonally and merchandise back in
beautifully. (Tops range $70-$86; bottoms $110-$125; dresses $169)
Softgood
Tzu tzu sport clothing
Hardgood
found throughout the property. “Highlighting them together in this clean,
concise way was a natural evolution,”
says Gunderson.
Businesses that set aside time
periodically to conduct logo reviews
can derive value from the exercise,
even if the review doesn’t lead to big
changes right away. Comparing your
logo’s look to that of your competitors
will usually spark insights into how you
are perceived versus how they are.
Currently, the simplest and perhaps
most enjoyable form of a logo review
would be to sit down with your own
logo and web-search “golf logo
design” or “golf logo redesign.” You’ll
wnd that the logo design industry is so
high energy, it actually generates logos for golf businesses without being
asked to, displaying the results and in
some cases explaining the rationale
behind the various design decisions.
Conducting this web search
will generate nearly a half-dozen
portfolios of golf-related logos the
design companies have ranked as
their “Top 25” or “Top 30” and the
reasons why—to a good degree
these selected logos have made
it into the ranking because they’re
in-step with current graphic trends.
So, in one place you can see what the
professionals consider to be effective
designs for the current marketplace.
Experts say that frequent “shallow
dives” into these issues and questions
make it possible for good ideas to
form slowly in mind, perhaps one day
generating a breakthrough branding
idea that can only be described as
“sheer awesomeness.” —David Gould
alecia bell lane • Merchandise Manager
Quail West Golf & Country Club • Naples, Florida
ping g series drivers
The Ping G driver was our best
seller at a recent demo day
and for subsequent follow-up
sales in the golf shop. It comes
after the G30, which was by
far our best seller the past two
seasons. For our membership,
the G series is the perfect
forgiving, player-friendly club.
What’s Hot In My Shop is produced in cooperation with
the Association of Golf Merchandisers (agmgolf.org)
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
17
Bert Coghill has maintained a wrm link to the
past at the family-owned
Silver Lake Country Club.
By Steve
Donahue
maintaining the
By Steve
Donahue
family legacy
Silver Lake Country Club is on its third generation
of ownership under the Coghills, and management
expects to keep the lineage intact with a fourth
continued on page 19
18
18
GGOLF
OLFBBUSINESS
USINESS AAppr ri il l
22001166
© 2016 Photo by Lauren Seibel
I
f only walls could talk. Silver Lake Country Club, in Orland
Park, Illinois, has been a suburban Chicago ͙xture since the
Roaring 1920s, with the Coghill family owning and operating the
45-hole daily-fee since the early 1930s. The family even has ties
to another Chicago-area course, Cog Hill. Nine Coghill family
members still have a stake in Silver Lake—͙ve hold stock, while
four work at the facility full time.
“We’re trying to hand the club down to the fourth generation,” says
Bert Coghill, director of golf operations, a throwback who plays only
with hickory-shafted clubs and, as an ode to the late Payne Stewart,
sports old-fashioned knickers, a shirt and tie, and a tam-o-shanter.
“It’s a lot of fun, and I
enjoy the customers.
I’ve had relationships
with some golfers
here for 42 years.”
– B E RT
CO G HI LL
Coghill’s daughter, Elizabeth Coghill, is
Silver Lake’s marketing director. His niece, Amy
Coghill-Sanchez, is the banquet coordinator/
food-and-beverage director, while his niece,
Kelli Calzaretta, also works in the banquet o͛ce.
“There aren’t many family-owned golf facilities left, especially here in the Chicagoland area,”
says Bert Coghill, a Silver Lake ͙xture since
1973. “We can’t compete with all the municipally-owned facilities built in the late 1980s and
early [19]90s. We have to come up with di͘erent ways to attract golfers. Most of our customers, and everybody else’s, are seniors because
nobody else has time to play.”
Bert Coghill is the grandson, and namesake,
of one of two Coghill brothers: Bert and Jack.
The electricians, following World War I, built
Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, which opened
on July 4, 1927 in Lemont, Illinois. Two years
later, they added a second 18-hole layout.
In the early 1930s, the brothers purchased
Euclid Hills Country Club (now the North Course)
and Silver Lake Country Club (South Course), and
merged them into a 36-hole facility called Silver
Lake Country Club. Several years later, in 1937,
Bert bought Silver Lake Country Club, owning and
operating it and Cog Hill, with Marty Coghill—the
current owner’s great-uncle, who had joined
Bert and Jack as concessions director. When Bert
and Jack died six months apart in the early 1950s,
Marty sold Cog Hill to Joe Jemsek, whose son,
Frank, still owns and operates Cog Hill. Bert’s son,
John, and his wife, Grace, inherited Silver Lake
and passed it down to their family, with their
son Bert now running the show.
“My grandfather was perceptive,” says Bert
Coghill of his late namesake. “He realized that, at
Cog Hill, the last man standing’s family would get
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
19
continued from page 19
the place. He didn’t want his two sons to be totally
screwed out of the equation so, in 1937, in the
middle of the Depression, he found a course for
them being held by a bank and bought Silver Lake.”
Over the years, Silver Lake added a highly
acclaimed nine-hole course and built a new
clubhouse when the original burned down in
1957. Meanwhile, the Coghill-Jemsek bond remains strong more than a half-century after the
families became connected.
“I’m really good buddies with Frank,” says Bert.
“We always talk and exchange ideas. We’re competitors, but he does things di͘erently than I do and
vice versa, so it works for both of us. There are only
a few of us around here with multiple courses, so
there are only so many courses that can handle
those really big outings, although many of those full
shotguns disappeared with the 2008 recession.”
Silver Lakes’ North and South courses each
hosted slightly less than 30,000 rounds in 2015,
with the nine-holer doing about 20,000 rounds.
“Our numbers are coming back a bit,” Coghill
says. “Our 18-hole courses’ rounds used to be in
the 40,000s in the late [19]80s/early [19]90s.
“Anyway, we had a pretty good 2015, but
what happens?” he adds. “We got taxed another
$50,000 for having a clubhouse on our property.
The Jemseks also got taxed. I can protest it, but I
still have to pay it.”
Despite the challenges of keeping his family’s
legacy competitive in an ever-changing landscape, Coghill still has a passion for the business.
“It’s a lot of fun, and I enjoy the customers
a lot,” Coghill says. “I’ve had relationships with
some golfers here for 42 years. My shop manager has been here almost as long as I have, my
head bartender has been here 30-some years,
and my head waitress has been here 40-some
years. I can leave and be perfectly ͙ne with the
people that are here, but I’m here all the time
anyway. I just like being active. You get to be
creative and you’re always looking for new ways
to attract and service new customers, and to
always make the place nicer.”
Steve Donahue is a Connecticut-based freelance writer.
20
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
finding the
right shade
IN ORDER TO GO GREEN, SADDLE
CREEK GOLF RESORT WENT
BROWN. In spring 2014, the Cop-
peropolis, California, daily-fee
began implementing innovative
turf-care steps to comply with signiwcant statewide and local water-reduction mandates—including allowing
rough areas to go brown without sacriwcing
overall playability—to save 1 million gallons of water weekly without affecting the golf experience.
Forty (40) fewer acres are now being irrigated, with 50 percent less water
used. Speciwcally, Saddle Creek’s management removed 230 irrigation
heads (largely on holes’ outer boundaries); limited 150 sprinklers to 180-degree turns (saving 150,000 gallons nightly); reduced fairways from 25 total
acres to 18; substituted wetting agents for watering where possible; and
kept tees, green surrounds, greens and fairways as healthy as possible.
“We didn’t have to go quite as green,” says general manager Rick
Morgan,“ but to make the course attractive with all that dead turf, we
decided to completely cut off all the rough on the entire course and driving range, and give the look of the brown rough and green fairways as
manicured as possible.
“Using less water was certainly the overriding issue,” Morgan adds.
“Long-term, we might potentially change some of the grass to more
drought-tolerant types like bermuda rather than basic ryegrass.”
Last July, Saddle Creek began offering $20 to $30 discounts to players
who walk or keep carts on paths, with about half opting for one or the other.
Purchasing carts with four-bag carrying capability is also being explored.
The course—which has saved roughly $25,000 since implementing its
creative maintenance practices—has always used recycled waste water for
irrigation, and all runoff has been traditionally treated onsite. Thus, these new
practices are a natural extension of Saddle Creek’s culture, putting it ahead of
the “brown becomes the new green” golf curve in California.
“We’ve weathered the storm,” Morgan says. “I’m not saying other courses
that aren’t noticeably brown are seen as abusers, but I think every course across
California, whether they have the money or ability to do it or not, needs to take a
look at itself and do it, or wonder how it will be perceived if it doesn’t.” —S.D.
A Tasteful Goodby
Goodbye
yprian Keyes Golf Club is living proof
that golf facility revenue streams don’t
have to rely on the
ll living.
the, well,
The Boylston, Massachusetts, upscale
daily-fee has earned a local reputation
as being the go-to venue to host tasteful
bereavement events, especially at a moment’s notice. In doing so, Cyprian Keyes
has created trusting relationships with local funeral home operators who, in turn,
refer the club to families who wnd the sudden, often unexpected, need to arrange a
gathering to say goodbye to a loved one.
“I certainly reach out to the area funeral homes, reminding them we host
bereavement events,” says Deborah
C
Murphy, Cyprian Keyes’ director of sales
a
and catering. “Everyone in the area has
h
heard of us, but the funeral homes we
h
have great relationships with have all
be
been wonderful about letting people
kn
know that we’re here. Some people think
we’re a private golf course, but we’re
public and can host anything.”
Murphy supplies area mortuaries
with convenient, one-page bereavement
menus to simplify choices for the deceased’s families during a time-sensitive
period when other arrangements must be
made. She thanks funeral home operators for each referral and reminds them of
the club’s experience and various services
holding these events. In fact, many mortuary owners are friends of Cyprian Keyes’
owner and have played golf at the club.
“They’re familiar with us and know
we’re here, and most of our bereave-
ment events are direct referrals from
the funeral homes,” says Murphy, adding that the club hosts 20 to 30 bereavement luncheons annually. “Obviously, the number varies monthly. Last
June was busy, when we held one almost every week.”
That’s not to say word of mouth
doesn’t play a role in Cyprian Keyes’
bereavement business. “It may sound
funny,” says Murphy, “but in that sense
we have repeat business where I’ve
had people who have held a bereavement luncheon here return for a oneyear memorial.”
Murphy treats the bereavement
business differently than just another
revenue stream. “It’s a very sensitive time
for my clients,” she says. “Most of them
say, ‘You made this decision so easy,’ and
that makes it all worthwhile.” —S.D.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
21
John Junker seeks out
opportunities to turn
businesses around, but he
doesn’t take on projects
merely to grow.
By Steve
Eubanks
success is in
the details
John Junker and Southern Golf Properties focus on
the little things in every revenue source to ensure
their courses remain profitable
assion isn’t always an asset, especially in business.
Unfortunately, too many golf operators got into the
industry out of a love of the game and a yearning to be
around tightly mown fairways and freshly edged greens—
an emotional comfort bordering on obsession, with the
sound of gang mowers in the morning and sprinklers in
the afternoon acting as salve for the professional psyche.
Many of these men and women have never been
able to see themselves living and working outside of
golf. And, far too often, that zeal has led to clouded
judgment and decisions that, in the aggregate, damage everyone who makes a living in the game.
Success requires a dispassionate eye, a cold, hard
stare at the black-and-white realities of a balance
sheet and a business strategy. That was a lesson John
Junker, founder and CEO of Southern Golf Properties,
learned early in his career.
continued on page 23
22
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
© 2016 Photo by Jennifer Ruth Michalec
P
“Every revenue source
has to be drilled down.
If you’re profitable in all
departments, it adds up.”
– J OHN
J U NK ER
“I graduated from college (at the University
of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie) in 1986 and
really didn’t know anything,” Junker says when
asked how a Midwestern kid, a pretty good
player but not someone with a fervent desire to
be in the golf business, created one of the most
successful golf ownership and management
companies in Texas. “I went to work for a bank
at a time when the [Texas] economy wasn’t that
great. They sent me down to Bandera, Texas, to
͙nd out what was going on at this golf course
[the bank had taken back].”
So Junker, through an accident of timing and
the fact that he had studied ͙nance with an emphasis in hotel and restaurant management, was
sent to what Minneapolis bankers had to consider
the ends of the earth to work out a distressed golf
property. A decade later, that property, the Flying
L Guest Ranch, would become the cornerstone of
Junker’s management company, a business that
owned a substantial portfolio of courses in Texas
between 1997 and 2007 before selling the assets
at the perfect time just before the Great Recession. Since then, Junker has focused on third-party management and selective acquisitions.
“Ours is very much a word-of-mouth business,”
he says. “People know what we’ve done in the
past, the properties we’ve owned and managed,
and the success we’ve had, so they call us.
“Unfortunately, I believe in helping people and
a lot of times the best way to help someone is
to tell them, ‘no.’ We don’t take on projects just
for the sake of growing. If I can help—really help
turn the business around and set them on the
right path—then we will come in and do a good
job. But if you’re in a position where paying a
management fee does nothing but sink your bot-
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
23
continued from page 23
tom line even lower, I’m going to say,
‘I’m sorry.’”
Having cut his teeth on-site at
the Flying L, an old-world, western
ranch in the Texas Hill Country where
the 1950s television show “The Cisco
Kid” was ͙lmed, Junker developed a
͙rm belief that e͘ective management
requires working the details, which
means being on the premises.
“I haven’t wanted to expand
beyond this area [of Texas] in part because I’ve been here for a long time
and I know the market,” he says. “But,
more importantly, I believe in being
hands-on. I’m at the clubs we manage
once a week or no less than twice a
month. That limits us geographically
in terms of what we can take on, but
it really doesn’t limit you if that’s the
kind of business you want to build.
C
ustomers reward creativity,
especially in golf where anything
more thoughtful than a membermember or a weekly ladies day is seen
as Oscar-worthy. Whether it’s a Masters
pool (where golfers add their one-day
scores to a player they’ve selected from
the Augusta weld) or some special rate
surrounding a signiwcant event in the
area, like the blooming of the cherry
trees in Washington, D.C., golfers appreciate the effort.
In Georgia, for example, one club
auctioned off four customized golf bags
logoed for the Army, Navy, Air Force
and Marines for Veterans Day with
prowts going to local veteran’s charities. Members poured in to get involved
because everyone wanted their branch
to have the highest bid.
Omni Resorts has been equally
creative in 2016, taking advantage
of the news cycle to run a promotion called the “Presidential Golf
24
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
And being there is an important part
of how we do business.”
Junker and Southern Golf opened
and managed The Club at Concan, a
resort and spa owned by Kenneth and
Barbara Arthur, and the company has
managed Alsatian Golf Club in Castroville, The Golf Club of Seguin, Utopia
Golf Course and the Golf Club of Texas
in San Antonio, among others. Most
recently, the company purchased
Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville, a
Byron Nelson design, and signed management agreements with The Club
at Colony Creek in Victoria and Tierra
Santa Golf Club in Weslaco.
“It’s the details,” Junker says. “Every
revenue source has to be drilled down.
You’re not going to make a huge pro͙t
in any single department, but if you’re
pro͙table in all the departments, it
RE W
A R D I NG
CREATIVITY
Packages.” Playing off some admittedly stretched presidential history,
the programs include things like the
“Father-Son Presidential Promotion” at
Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas,
a course Presidents Bush 41 and 43
played together several times. In that
instance, the father-son rate is $100,
what it was during the early years of
the second Bush presidency. The deal
also includes a sleeve of balls with an
American flag logo.
Another promotion at the Mount
Washington Resort in New Hampshire
offers a complimentary round of golf for
four if the players’ surnames match any
adds up. The problem is, if you’re losing money in one area, it can bring
down your whole operation.
“That’s why we really believe in
building revenue streams in every department of every club,” he adds. “Our
industry has been cost-cut to death.
That doesn’t show up in the ͙rst year,
but it de͙nitely shows over time. When
you’ve been short on cash for two or
three years, it’s hard to bounce back.
That’s why activity is so important.”
Activity drives spending, which in
turn resuscitates or sustains the entire
operation. “Revenue is the key,” Junker
says. “And you have to stay on it and be
detail-oriented to build and maintain
those revenue streams over time.”
Steve Eubanks is an Atlanta-based freelance
writer and New York Times bestselling author.
of the presidentially-named mountains in
the area—Jackson, Pierce, Eisenhower,
Monroe, Jefferson, Adams, Madison,
Reagan and, of course, Washington.
La Costa was a favorite spot for
Presidents Nixon, Ford and Clinton, and
the Homestead has a rich presidential
history going back to William McKinley,
the wrst American president to play
the game. All those resorts have dug
through the archives to wnd photos
and create promotions based on some
presidential tie.
“With a historical presidential election year upon us, combined with the
fact that our resorts and golf courses
have hosted numerous presidents over
the years, we felt it would be a natural
wt,” says Larry Auth, Omni Resorts’
director of sales and marketing. “It plays
into current events and helps us get
ahead of the news cycle with compelling content we believe our guests wnd
interesting and exciting.” —S.E.
completing
the puzzle
SOMETIMES IT ONLY TAKES
ONE MISSING PIECE TO
SPARK an avalanche of business. That was the case for McConnell Golf,
the Raleigh-based operator of 12 clubs in
the Carolinas and Tennessee.
While the company has always offered
a corporate membership as part of its
Southern strategy, it was the most recent
purchase of Providence Country Club in
With the durability and color of our bermudas, the
playability of our zoysias, and the pure feel of our
putting greens, Sod Solutions’ network of licensed
producers has the varieties to take your course from
good to extraordinary.
Charlotte that opened the yoodgates.
McConnell Golf, which specializes in
high-end, classic clubs and is now the owner
of more original Donald Ross designs than
any other company, has bucked the dwindling trend in corporate membership sales.
Tax changes disallowing write-offs for club
dues eviscerated the old corporate membership model, followed in 2008 by a political
wrestorm as shareholders revolted against
executives enjoying lavish club benewts while
laying off much of their workforce.
Many companies still shy away from
club memberships, even as economic conditions thaw, but the McConnell deal is different. A corporate membership provides
one designee and seven assignees access
to all 12 clubs, which rank as some of the
best in their respective areas.
“Not only is it a great value, anyone
who is doing business in our region of the
Carolinas and Tennessee has access to a
place where his or her needs can be met
and where we cater to that kind of member,” says Lauri Stephens, director of sales
and membership. “A corporate member in
®
Greensboro can call and say, ‘Hey, I’m having another meeting, this time in Raleigh,
and would like to have that same menu
that we had in March.’ All our operations
are set up make the corporate member’s
life easier.” —S.E.
GROWN LOCALLY - AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
SodSolutions.com
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
25
By Rob
Carey
getting the
word out
W
hen Charles Sheppard came to
Toftrees Golf Resort in spring 2014
after spending 13 years in the hyper-competitive Orlando market, it wasn’t a small
adjustment for him. The Marriott Golf veteran knew instinctively that every course in
central Florida must continually promote a
distinct image in the marketplace to capture
its share of golfers. But in central Pennsylvania, Sheppard’s ͙rst challenge was that
his facility’s reputation was dated and didn’t
re͚ect the value Toftrees provided to dailyfee players and members alike.
According to Sheppard, the course
opened in 1968 as one of the few premier
resort layouts in the state, but shifted to an
upscale daily-fee mindset in the late 1990s
and early 2000s. It then went private until
2010, when Marriott Golf assumed management of the course. So by 2014, “many
people in the region thought either that
continued on page 27
26
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
© 2016 Photo by Nabil Mark
D
Charles Sheppard’s first goal at Toftrees
Golf Resort was to coax customers back to
the course by altering a dated reputation
Director of Golf
Charles Sheppard is
positively inyuencing
the public perception
of Toftrees Golf Resort.
“We offer a quality of
experience that’s a
cut above the other
courses around here.”
— C HA R L E S
SHEPPARD
we were still private or that we weren’t worth it,
when they could play elsewhere for $10 to $25 less,”
he notes.
As a result, Sheppard’s primary focus from week
one at Toftrees was “to get the word out that we
o͘er a quality of experience that’s a cut above the
other courses around here at a price that’s still
competitive.” Through the use of print ads locally
plus in Harrisburg (90 minutes away) and Pittsburgh (140 minutes away), as well as email blasts
and social media campaigns, “we started putting
the rate out there to reinforce that we were open
to the public,” Sheppard says. And to entice players
who were on the fence about paying more to play,
the ads noted that advance bookings done through
the Toftrees website earn a discount of up to 15
percent. This drove demand while allowing Sheppard to gather customer information and also better analyze the tee sheet and shift pricing on the ͚y
to get business into underutilized days and times.
Sheppard aggressively pursues group outings
too, which “wasn’t done here before because
Penn State is the major employer here and has its
own course. But now we get a lot of those outings, simply because they want variety.” Donating
free rounds of golf to non-golf charity events helps
raise awareness, too. And for in-house meeting
groups that don’t have time to play 18 holes, Sheppard coordinates 90-minute clinics where groups
of 10 people move through each instructional station, with some time left over for hitting balls and
enjoying refreshments.
Two initiatives designed to help Toftrees land
more golf business now and well into the future are
the overhauled junior camp and the annual “family
golf festival.” By changing the junior program from
a weekly two-hour event in summer to an all-day
camp over one week that includes activities other
than golf, Sheppard more than doubled program
revenue. And by hosting a one-day festival for families to take mini-lessons, compete in putting and
marshmallow long-drive competitions, play nine
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
27
D
continued from page 27
holes for free and even use the
resort’s pool, Toftrees attracted
more than 40 families plus local
television and newspaper coverage. “All of that is outreach to
people who probably have never
been on property before,” he says.
For the daily-fee market, the
goal of these multiple changes
was “simply to get them here
to see how nice it is, and put a
rate sheet in their hand.” And on
the membership side, “we have
to get young families to join.
The average age of members is
climbing, here and everywhere
else.” With annual rounds going
from 19,000 in 2014 to 22,000 in
2015, it seems that Sheppard’s
initial changes have hit the mark.
Even with greater visibility
and some tangible results coming from it, Sheppard felt that
the club’s three membership
categories were not structured
to handle the desired growth. As
a result, he created a few more
categories: a 35-and-under
“young professionals” tier and a
senior tier that granted weekend
access in addition to weekdays. Besides trying to bring in
younger guests who would stay
on as members after age 35, “we
didn’t want to lose nearly $1,000
from a member who became a
senior and chose to downgrade
to weekday-only because it was
the only alternative to regular
membership,” Sheppard notes.
Meanwhile, a new set of forward
tees in the 4,200-yard range will
make it more likely that members’ spouses, children and even
parents will join them on the
course. The sum of these e͘orts:
Toftrees membership rose from
195 to 205 members in the past
28
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
several months, and will likely be
capped within three years at 225
so that total annual rounds peak
at approximately 25,000.
Lastly, to ensure course conditioning and customer service
are at a level that will sustain
the new momentum generated
at Toftrees, Sheppard referred
back to the Marriott management handbook. “When I ͙rst
arrived, I saw elements of a
team that wasn’t fully engaged,”
he recalls. “So I put it on myself:
‘What are we doing to make
them want to be engaged?’”
The answer was to invest himself more fully with each department. For instance, the 15-person
grounds crew had to conduct a
months-long turf-growing and
replacement program along with
revamped mowing patterns so
that many landing areas could
be widened at minimal cost. But
Sheppard sensed that the crew
felt separated from the rest of the
golf operation, so he scheduled
monthly luncheons to personally
update them on all golf-related
initiatives and performance
͙gures, answer HR-related questions, and celebrate successes.
“Focusing on teambuilding
made such a big di͘erence,” he
says. “It’s the principle that
managers must take care of their
associates so that those associates can take care of customers.
The scores on our employeeengagement surveys have gone
up a lot in the past two years.”
And, perhaps more importantly, “scores” among customers
have been increasing as well.
upending
traditions
WITH YOUNGER GENERATIONS BEING THE KEY TO THE
LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF GOLF FACILITIES, some destination
courses are evolving their offerings in a way that upends
golf’s traditions. In some instances, the result of pushing
the envelope is strong enough to prove that wnding a
balance between tradition and innovation is essential to
keeping revenues healthy.
Consider what’s happening at Bethpage State Park Golf
Courses on Long Island. Since 2009, the facility has held a
“Party in the Park” event every Wednesday in summer beginning at 7 p.m., nearly 90 minutes before play ends. It takes
place on the huge deck and patio that overlooks the Black
Course’s 18th hole, and includes a variety of food, beer and
cocktail stations, as well as a live band.
Joe Rehor, director of golf at Bethpage, says that the
event has grown to nearly 500 people each week thanks to
local radio and print advertising, but also from strong word of
mouth. On at least three of Bethpage’s wve courses, the music can be heard as far out as the 16th fairway. Interestingly,
Rehor hasn’t gotten very few complaints from golfers. “In fact,
many of them say that once they hear the music, they want to
hurry up and wnish so they can get to the party,” he says.
Then there’s the shindig that takes place every warmweather Friday at Water Gap Country Club in eastern Pennsylvania. The music begins on the patio at 5:30 p.m., along
with a nine-hole scramble that costs $20 per player, with $5
going into a pot for the lowest-scoring team. “This event
is everyone’s chance to play,” says Shaun Lyons, the club’s
owner. And because the music can be heard across most of
the nine holes, there’s an energy that keeps up pace of play.
“We have a tiki bar and an Amish pig roaster going, and
we barbecue steak and chicken, too,” Lyons says. “Basically,
we’re drawing a lot of people to see our facility and sample
our menu who otherwise wouldn’t come here.” It’s also driving solid revenue outside of prime playing times.
Could such events push the core demographic away
from a facility? “I think many of the traditionalists won’t want
that experience, but they still have the atmosphere they want
most of the time here,” Lyons says. “This type of activity
Rob Carey is a freelance writer and principal of Meetings & Hospitality Insight.
draws golfers who want a more relaxed atmosphere, and it
opens the door to new clientele.” —R.C.
Improving the Female Experience
F
or the 2015 season, Monarch Beach
Golf Links at the St. Regis Resort in
Dana Point, California, raised its playing
rates, which resulted in 10 percent fewer
rounds but 5 percent more revenue. The
X-factor: Rounds from women went up 5
percent, with average spending per female player higher than the men.
Much of the business came from couples and ladies-group packages offering
several golf with non-golf elements for
one price. “The women who chose us realized the overall quality was here, and we
also provided extra services to them and
made a concerted effort to have them feel
truly welcome,” says general manager Eric
Lohman. “Word got out about that, and
our ladies’ business went up.”
Rated by Golf Channel in 2013 as the location of the “Number 1 Buddies Golf Trip
for Ladies,” Monarch Beach Golf Links has
some natural advantages that generally appeal to women, including year-round moderate weather, scenic vistas, an oceanside
19th hole with healthy food choices, and
many upscale shopping outlets nearby. But
Lohman says even courses that lack his facility’s good fortune can make their own by
building packages in a way that drives more
women to want to play there.
The list of desirable amenities that
could be offered in a ladies’ stay-and-play
package includes a discount on the guestroom rate; club rental; a visor, glove, shirt
or scented candle as an in-room gift; a dinner credit each evening, with some menu
offerings that reyect what active women
might prefer; a spa treatment or free access
to the spa facilities; and transportation to
local shopping outlets. “Very often it’s the
things that don’t involve golf that appeal to
women,” Lohman notes.
In addition, the ladies’ golf experience must be designed to be convenient and comfortable from beginning
to end. Lohman has a dozen rental sets
for women, which he sells at the end of
each season for slightly above cost. The
ladies’ locker room is inviting, pro-shop
merchandise for women is plentiful and
prominently displayed, and several women work in the shop and on the instruction
staff so that when female players arrive,
they’re greeted in a way that makes them
feel immediately at ease.
For any facility seeking more rounds from
women, Lohman advises wnding “three or
four of these key items you can deliver and
focus on delivering them perfectly. I think
women love to come and play together. The
most important thing is making them feel
like they’re not just equally valued as golfers,
but a little bit special, too.” —R.C.
In golf, it’s important to choose
your partner carefully.
Photo by Wood Sabold
Turn-key services in
golf course management,
marketing and development.
True to the game
™
No. 16 at Bandon Dunes, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, managed by KemperSports
500 Skokie Blvd., Suite 444, Northbrook, IL 60062
847.850.1818 | www.kempersports.com
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
29
30
GOLFBUSINESS
April
© 2016 Photo by Shawn Henry
2016
TPC Boston now has a
country club feel that it long
lacked, general manager
Dan Waslewski says.
D
an Waslewski
will never
forget the mounting frustration,
minutes ticking
by, as he sat in the
parking lot of TPC
River Highlands in
Cromwell, Connecticut, back in
the fall of 2000.
When his wife
˖nally emerged
from the clubhouse
some 30 minutes
after stepping in
for a “quick look,”
her arms were full
of papers. Waslewski feared she’d
signed them up for
membership. “Seriously?” he thought.
They lived in Ari-
zona after all. Not
exactly convenient.
When he asked,
she sco˕ed that
she’d done no such
thing before adding: “But you do
have a job interview tomorrow
morning.” Thus
began Waslewski’s
journey to one of
the prime positions in his ˖eld, as
general manager of
TPC Boston, host of
the Deutsche Bank
Championship at
the sharp end of the
PGA Tour season.
The club, which
sits on about 400
acres surrounded
by woodlands, is
actually in Norton about 40 miles
south of downtown
Boston. It is NGCOA’s Golf Course of
the Year for 2016.
The original Arnold Palmer design
opened in 2002
before a remodeling by Gil Hanse in
2006. It has hosted
a Tour event every
year and with the
Deutsche Bank
Championship now
a feature of the season-ending FedEx
Cup playo˕s, it’s arguably the highestpro˖le TPC venue
behind Sawgrass,
home of The Players
Championship.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
31
3
Key
TAKEAWAYS
TPC Boston members
are never assessed for
the millions of dollars
in course or clubhouse
improvements.
TPC Boston endured a rash
of departing corporate memberships following the economic downturn.
The club still yourished as the
demographics shifted away
from corporate memberships,
with non-corporate and personal demand now so high a
waiting
list may be adopted.
w
wa
There are more familiar faces
Th
and closer relationships being
ccreated inside TPC Boston,
which developed a “country
club feel” after its transition.
“ Now, there is
For a long time it was very sterile.
real camaraderie.”
Waslewski laughs at the memory of what could hardly have
been a less auspicious introduction to the TPC Network of
Clubs. “It was a pure ͚uke,” he says. “My wife bumped into the
membership director and they got to talking. We were on vacation. All I had was t-shirts, shorts and ͚ip ͚ops. I had to go
and buy some clothes, and that night I typed up a résumé on
an old typewriter.”
The next day, Waslewski interviewed with Bill Whaley,
longtime general manager at River Highlands who would
become national director of golf for PGA Tour Properties.
Whaley’s wife, Suzy, is the former LPGA Tour player, ESPN
commentator and leading teacher who is current secretary
of the PGA of America. Handy contacts to make thanks to
your wife’s curiosity.
It just so happened that the club was looking for a foodand-beverage director. The role was directly aligned with
Waslewski’s expertise, but the chance to enter the golf club
realm, particularly in the Northeast, was especially appealing.
re in a much better position
32
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
Waslewski grew up in a sports-mad
family in Connecticut. His dad, Gary,
pitched for the Boston Red Sox and
started in game six of the 1967 World
Series. A biology major, the younger
Waslewski had visions of a career in
medicine, but by his early 20s was having second thoughts. An older brother
was an orthopedic surgeon working
closely with three of the four major
sports franchises in Arizona—the Cardinals, Coyotes and Diamondbacks.
“I saw the workload he was dealing
with,” Waslewski says. “I wasn’t sure that
was for me. But I was passionate about
serving people and helping people.”
Hospitality and catering emerged
as an option. Initially, Waslewski found
himself on the resort side of the industry, eventually making his way to Arizona
where he worked at The Boulders Resort.
But over time, he began to miss the atmosphere that came from being around
sports and sports people. He also missed
a sense of close community that he remembered from his New England youth.
Arizona was wonderful, but much of the
population came and went with the seasons. That transience made it di͛cult to
establish relationships “where everyone
looked out for everyone else.”
Waslewski was grappling with all
of these emotions during that vacation in 2000 when his dad suggested
a drive to nearby TPC River Highlands.
So Waslewski and his wife put their
five-month-old son in the car, and
with granddad, headed off on the kind
of unhurried excursion that newlyextended families love to take. It was
more to pass the time than anything.
U
ltimately, Waslewski would spend
about two-and-a-half years at
TPC River Highlands, learning the
network’s ropes and nuances of F&B in
a golf environment. In April 2003, he
moved to TPC Boston as food-and-beverage director. Six years later, looking
to broaden his experience and his
horizons by “͙lling some holes in the
résumé,” he switched roles to director
of sales and marketing.
If Waslewski was lucky with his timing in 2000, he was not quite as fortunate now. The recession had taken hold, and he spent the first three
months of his new job “trying to talk
people off the ledge.”
TPC Boston’s members were close to
80 percent corporate at the time, and
their imminent stampede was only part-
ly because of money tightening up. With
the federal government’s contentious
bail-out program in the spotlight, corporate links to golf, whether in sponsorships, outings or hospitality at PGA Tour
events, were also attracting scowls.
“It was the optics as much as anything,” Waslewski recalls. “I literally
spent three months working to convince people it was a good thing for
their business to retain their membership.” It was tough for a time, but never
terrible. Waslewski says the club endured—while some others closed—and
soon “flourished.” For that he credits
a “tremendous job” by then-general
manager Brad Williams for “keeping
the focus on providing the most incredible service experience possible.”
Even so, the pressure stemming
from the recession initiated a shift
in the club’s demographic that has
served it well. Today, corporate memberships account for just 45 percent
of the club’s 385 golfing members. By
contrast, demand for non-corporate
or personal memberships is so strong
that the club may become an exception among the TPC Network’s 30-plus
facilities and introduce a waiting list
in the next year or two.
“We used to walk into the clubhouse and if there were 40 or 50 people in there, only a handful would be
members,” Waslewski says. “There was
a lot of entertaining of clients who we
might never see again, let alone on
any kind of regular basis.”
With the percentage of personal
members almost triple what it was before the recession, there are a lot more
familiar faces these days. That allows
closer, richer relationships to grow,
not just amongst those members but
also between members and staff.
“It’s been a nice transition,”
Waslewski says. “For a long time it was
very sterile. Now, there’s real camaraderie. People are really enjoying their
membership. We’re not just recognizing faces, we’re watching families
grow up, seeing kids go off to college.
We have that country club feel we
were lacking before.”
It helps immensely, Waslewski says,
that the TPC ownership model has anything but the “country club feel.” TPC
Boston has a joint ownership group:
PGA Tour Properties and the locallyoperated Connell Limited Partnership.
“We don’t have boards or committees made up of members,” he says.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
33
“I’m sure there are times when some
members wish they had more say, but
there are no politics so cliques don’t
exist. There are no agendas, no members fighting with each other. They
come and enjoy the club and go home.
Every decision we make we ask how
it will impact the members. And if it’s
negative, we take it off the table.”
A
well-run operation is one thing, but
Waslewski concedes TPC Boston enjoys a market edge that many other private clubs in the region do not. “It helps
tremendously that people want to play a
course where the Tour players play,” he
says. “If our members ask their friends if
they want to come and play, they’ll drop
everything to make it happen.”
Sense of Community
O
ne of the reasons
Dan
Waslewski
returned to his New
England roots from a
stint in Arizona was to
rediscover the sense of
close-knit community
he knew growing up.
So it’s no surprise that
he places such great
emphasis on people
knowing people at
TPC Boston, where he
serves as general manager. The club runs a
special program to help
employees not just recognize members but
also remember their
likes and dislikes.
It can be disheartening for a member who
has been at a club for
several years to return
in the spring only to
wnd that he or she is a
stranger to the new em-
34
GOLFBUSINESS
April
ployee at the bag drop.
To give those employees “a wghting chance”
at knowing who’s who,
Waslewski has built a
database to speed the
learning curve. Next
to a member’s name,
employees are encouraged to record that
member’s preferences.
“So a staff member
looking at the tee sheet
in the morning can see
that Mr. Jones has an
11 o’clock tee time,”
Waslewski says. “They
can see that he likes cart
No. 7 and that he likes
to have an extra towel.
Those are things they
can have ready for him
when he arrives at 10:30
a.m., to warm up.”
Currently, the database is maintained in
a simple Excel spread-
2016
sheet, but the club is
moving toward a new
point of sale system.
Eventually, Waslewski
says, the new system
will enable the database to include a photo
alongside each member’s record.
Another key element
in creating community is
maintaining the people
within it. TPC Boston
works with high-end
Boston-area restaurants
to wnd work for employees during the club’s offseason in winter.
“That’s their busy
season, so it works
well,” Waslewski says.
“We’re very fortunate
in that we’re able to
retain people. Our
average
employee
tenure is seven years.
That’s good.” — T.B.
Buzz about the golf course itself also
helps. The club spent approximately $4
million on the work by Hanse in 2006,
an investment few facilities would be
willing to make just four years after
opening. Members were happy enough
with the original product, but the response from Tour players demanding a
“championship test” was tepid.
Hanse took what some felt
looked like a Florida golf course
in the middle of New England
and made it ͙t the landscape.
He replaced highly manicured,
sharp edges with a more rugged, natural look. He also introduced tall fescues and native
plants, and brought surrounding wetlands into play. Some
holes were recon͙gured, lending more teeth to the test.
Waslewski says the return
on the extra investment has
been “tremendous.” In fact, the
results were so impressive they
led Deutsche Bank CEO Seth
Waugh to push for the Deutsche
Bank Championship becoming
the “marquee event” it is today.
There have been multiple
tweaks to the golf course since
and will be more later this year,
with a $1 million project when
Hanse ͙nally gets his hands on
holes 12 and 13. Weather prevented planned work on those
holes initially. The project will
likely intensify the spotlight on
the club even further coming on
the back of golf’s long-awaited
return to the Olympics on a
Hanse-designed course in Bra-
zil. “That fact certainly won’t hurt us,”
Waslewski says.
Nor does it hurt that the members are
never assessed for any improvements to
the golf course or the clubhouse. All of
those millions of dollars come from operational success and the TPC Network.
“That’s in our bylaws, and it’s one of our
selling points,” Waslewski says.
But for the week when the likes of
Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jason
Day are slugging it out, TPC Boston is
very much the country club Waslewski
and his team strive to create. Certainly
it’s more that kind of facility now than
it was pre-recession. Then, “$40 steaks
and $200 bottles of wine” were hallmarks of client entertaining. “Now, it’s
more hot dogs, fries, beer and a soda
for the kids,” Waslewski notes.
While the tabs for food and beverage may be signi͙cantly lower, club
revenues remain mostly even because
the club is busier. With people making
their own decision to join and paying
with their own money, they’re more in-
clined to use the facility. Annual rounds
are up to approximately 23,000 from a
pre-recession mark of 17,000.
“Personally, I think we’re in a much
better position with a more even balance in our membership make-up,”
Waslewski says. Clearly, Waslewski
himself is also in a better position than
he was drumming his fingers waiting
on his wife that day years ago.
Trent Bouts is a South Carolina-based freelance
writer and editor of Palmetto Golfer magazine.
www.rrproducts.com
Quality
Since 1971
You have a choice in the high cost of turf maintenance.
6LQFH553URGXFWVKDVPDQXIDFWXUHGWKHðQHVWUHSODFHPHQW
SDUWVWRðW7RUR-RKQ'HHUH-DFREVHQDQGPDQ\PRUHDWORZHYHU\
GD\SULFHV
&RQWDFWXVWRGD\RUYLVLWRXUZHEVLWHUUSURGXFWVFRPWRVHH
the WKRXVDQGVRISURGXFWVDYDLODEOHWRKHOS\RXJHWWKHMRE
GRQHULJKW
Fax 520-294-1045
www.rrproducts.com
FREE freight on all
orders over $500*
*CONTINENTAL USA ONLY
ORDDDER
ORDER
ORD
ER TO
ER
TOD
TTODAY
ODA
DAY
DAY
AY • SH
SHIPP TO
SHIP
TTODAY
ODAYY
800.528.3446
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
35
36
GOLFBUSINESS
April
© 2016 Illustration by Rex Bohn
2016
BY DAVID GOULD
he clientele of a public golf
course divides into four
categories: league players,
your members and regulars
(who aren’t in leagues), the occasionals and one-o͘s, and outside tournament groups. Back in 2011, a National
Golf Foundation report found 12 million people participated in charity golf
events that year, during which 143,000
such fundraisers were held, generat-
ing $3.9 billion for good causes. Those
numbers don’t account for the corporate golf groups and purely social outings that also ͙ll tee sheets. Group play
is a big business, but it’s also a stream
of spending on golf that, to a good
degree, is separate from the household
discretionary budgets that drive the
other three categories. A course that
pursues outside tournaments is going
for some bonus dollars.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
37
1
2
Course owners and managers often lament that ͙elds for
these events no longer swell to the 144-player max, or even
reach two-thirds of that number, marking a sharp fallo͘ from
the glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s. At Victory Links Golf
Course in Blaine, Minnesota, manager Scott Roth is ͙ne with
the present state of things. “In fact, we’ve made smaller-͙eld
events a specialty,” says Roth, whose facility did about 32,000
rounds in 2015. “We like that niche.”
By smaller he means a maximum of about 70 and a minimum
of 24 golfers. “I’ll shotgun any size event as long as they’re willing to play in the time slot I o͘er, which tends to be weekday
mornings and early afternoons.” With later afternoons dominated by leagues, Roth considers outside events to be his most
robust yield-management tool. “My revenue per start—that is,
per golfer going o͘ the tee—is $27, while my revenue per tournament start is close to $40,” reports Roth.
38
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
T
he art of the upsell is often associated with group business.
Roth is careful in that regard,
given how competitive his Twin Cities
market tends to be. He’s concerned that
pro͙t-padding on extras will spoil his
advantage, which is a golf course that’s
considered a special treat for area players. “There’s always a course that’s a
little better than yours, or at least equal
to you,” Roth says. “So if you upsell too
much, the planner starts to wonder
why, given what the total fee has risen
to, he isn’t bringing his group to XYZ
course down the road.”
But Ed Gibson, director of golf at
Make͙eld Highlands Golf Club in Yardley, Pennsylvania, has at least one outing group that leans on the golf sta͘ to
source an impressive tee gift. The an-
nual women’s invitational at Make͙eld
Highlands is a 120-player event that has
the budget for a gift, but also a fairly
high bar for its originality and appeal.
Gibson found a New Hampshire-based
company called YRI Custom Designs
that has deep experience in golf events,
specializing in belts, specialty headwear
and soft luggage such as totes.
The core of the YRI o͘ering is a custom-designed “ribbon” that’s designed
and produced in 300-yard rolls of a ͙rm,
durable fabric, imprinted with a repeating club or tournament logo, which the
company cuts and stitches to order on its
various products. For this event, it was all
totes, and the response was remarkable.
“It turned out to be the perfect product and it had the perfect outcome,”
Gibson says. “Because the logo strip
or ribbon can be used for multiple
purposes, it saves time, saves
money.” It also provides a bonus
application if that’s desired by using the leftover lengths of fabric.
Unlike leagues, which tend to
be low-maintenance, outside tournaments need hand-holding and a
personal-service feeling throughout
their day. That can generate somewhat
higher personnel costs, although assigning a staffer to serve the day’s tournament group is a wise defensive move
simply to keep pace-of-play problems
from getting out of control. For Roth,
the personal touch that seems to make
the biggest impact is having a pro
hand-letter tournament results on the
big scoresheets at the event pavilion.
“You’ve got to be at least a little bit oldschool,” he says, “or you won’t set yourself apart from all the competition.”
Steve Simoneaux, national director
of tournament sales for Billy Casper Golf,
oversees the company’s outing and banquet business for 140-plus facilities in
the United States. He agrees that events
numbering 60 to 80 players are a good
business. “We’ve seen a slight decline
lately in average ͙eld size from about 80
to about 70,” he says, “but we’re getting
more spending per player, so the revenue number is actually up.” Meanwhile,
e͛ciency in selling and hosting these
groups has become a BCG specialty.
“We train salespeople on data-driven
selling, so they generate data-driven
proposals to tournament groups,” says
Simoneaux. “We look at that facility’s tee
sheet for the requested day and compare what the outing revenues would
mean versus our revenue the previous
year and one more year going back.”
Pretty scienti͙c, compared to standard
industry practices, and to the Casper
team it’s all about outings as “displacement” of the more conventional play
and revenues. Managers will pose the
question, for example, of having to move
a league out of its standard tee slot and
what those implications might be.
Negotiations with the outing group
have a good chance of working out if rack
rate on green fee and cart is agreeable and
the food-and-beverage budget hits a $35
minimum. “That gets us up to $95 with
Your software should help with
every
of
part
your
game
Experience...
True software integration
Online booking for all amenities
Highly targeted e-marketing campaigns
Online Member Portal to view club statements
CLUB | GOLF | SPA | F&B | PMS | CATERING | SKI | RETAIL | CONCIERGE | WEB | MOBILE
Integrated Club Management Software
www.resortsuite.com
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
39
food and beverage at most of our courses, and it’s a number that seems to work.”
The key is being able to o͘er a rate that’s
less than three ͙gures. To make all this
happen, BCG sta͘ers make use of a terms
template that can be ͙lled out easily in
a multi-tabbed Excel spreadsheet, with a
companion word-processing document.
“Our timing on incoming requests is targeted at 24 hours for an initial response
often accompanied by the spreadsheet
with full details,” Simoneaux says.
Alongside the golf outing business is
a cadre of consultants and niche vendors supplying products and services
meant to add zing and extra pro͙t to
group events. Simoneaux feels the market for wow-factor add-ons is cyclical,
and currently they’re not in favor. “All
the fancy new games—like a $400 minigolf layout you can bring in—it seems
complicated as to how you monetize
them,” he says.
One reason for keeping things simple is that “the event people in companies and at charities want the time
demand of planning and executing to
be minimal,” Simoneaux says. Paper Hawaiian skirts are the dirt-cheap investment that yields a return every time for
BCG outings. “It’s a game called ‘Skirts
for Steaks’ in which men players put on
these skirts and hit from the ladies’ tees,”
he explains. There’s a set charge to play
the game and a chance to win steak dinners. “They love it, they take all kinds of
pictures, have a good laugh—it always
works,” Simoneaux says.
S
ome elements of the quirky world
of golf outings don’t ͙t neatly
on a spreadsheet. Rick Lucas, a
longtime golf operations manager who
is now director of Clemson University’s
PGA Golf Management program, can
attest. He recalls a tournament group
whose ͙eld included the area Budweiser sales rep, and the request that
the rep be allowed to supply all beer for
40
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
the event. Outing groups have a psychology about getting to “take over the
golf course,” a phrase course personnel
will even use. “Perception is important
at that point,” Lucas says. “If I say yes on
this, it could make them super-happy
about having their great connection
to the Bud rep. But they know the deal
has to work on both sides, so now my
green fee probably just went up, and
there’s a good chance they don’t care.”
In the annals of Billy Casper Golf
group events, “there are things we
regret accommodating,” admits Simoneaux, “and those are mistakes we only
make once.” For example, one tournament group asked to post a Red Bull
truck greenside on a hole, which led to
considerable turf damage and a budget hit for repairs that was not charged
back to the group. “That just drives
home the point—not every outing you
take is good business,” says Simoneaux,
“although most certainly are.” If a
group ever asks your course to allow
alcohol stations at every hole, in Simoneaux’s informed opinion, you’re best
o͘ nixing that idea or letting the event
go elsewhere.
One impressive tactic used regularly
by Casper Golf managers involves what
some course owners might consider an
annoyance: donation requests from outing groups that aren’t even patronizing
your facility. A planner for the community college fundraiser—played at a rival course across town—calls requesting you to comp a foursome as a ra͜e
prize. “That call gives us our ‘in’ with that
event,” Simoneaux says. “We may give
them more than what they ask for, such
as a comp foursome good at any Billy
Casper course or even a trial membership. We over-deliver, then we try and
scout that outing, when it takes place, to
͙nd a possible competitive edge.”
In a rural area like Madison,
Florida (population 3,200), operating a public course is partly
about leveraging golf interest to
build food-and-beverage revenues. Frank “Bump” Faircloth,
who purchased Madison Golf &
Country Club several years ago,
likes to name his club-sponsored tournaments after the
down-home menu items to be
served post-golf (for example,
the “Beer and Turkey Scramble”
and a similar event on the calendar that o͘ers a good excuse
for a ͙sh fry). “The golf is very
low-stress, it’s all for fun, and
it’s our way of attracting younger people who aren’t regular
golfers but want to be part of
the event,” Faircloth says.
Interestingly, Faircloth ͙lled
his dining room soon after
purchasing the course with a
Champions Dinner that honored 20-plus living winners of a
tournament called the Pot Williams Invitational, which had
been played for decades at Madison G&CC. For years, the event
was highlighted by a savory
prime rib entree, so Faircloth,
for nostalgia value, summoned
back the chef who had crafted
it, which nicely augmented the
evening of story-telling by returning past champs. Faircloth
charged just $25 for the dinner,
but promoted it enthusiastically to non-golfers who had
social connections to the tourney. Any public course that has
some past-champion history of
this type could readily tap the
accumulated personal ties and
fond memories that go with it
to stage a similar evening event.
Being “data-driven” is also
a priority in the Clemson golf
management program. Students
come out of it, according to
Lucas, with training in the outside tournament business that’s
data-driven and governed by
normal customer relationship
management (CRM) tools. The
denominator for their revenue
analytics isn’t rounds played or
even “starts,” but the actual full
inventory of utilizable tee times,
“every one of which is subject
to 100 percent perishability, if it
isn’t sold,” he notes.
Outside tournaments, therefore, can yield a lower perround revenue number than the
golf course averages overall, if
the tournament-sales concept
is strongly tilted toward avoiding wasted inventory. That’s an
option that goes against custom, and it’s not viable if events
put an extra strain on resources
or bump up operating costs, but
it alters the normal calculus in
an interesting way. Meanwhile,
the Clemson golf management playbook demands a high
capture rate of outing-player
emails—about 75 percent is
considered good—and a full immersion of those golfers into
the golf course’s digital marketing machine.
As consolidation continues
in golf management and ownership, there will be more room for
digitizing and data-mining the
fun, free-spirited world of group
golf events—and along with all
the analytics there will still be
a chance for four guys to put on
colorful paper skirts and swing
from the forward tees.
David Gould is a Massachusetts-based
freelance writer and frequent contributor to Golf Business.
A NEW
TWIST
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT’S REINVENTING GOLF INSTRUCTION AND SWING TRAINING IS EXPENSIVE—
as much as $25,000 for units that top teachers
seem to covet most. Meanwhile, average golfers
are hearing about this gear and getting curious
about it, even if they don’t see themselves as the
lesson-taking type.
At Sarasota National Golf Club, next year’s
tournaments and outings will include a Trackman
launch monitor hole where any member of the weld
can take one swing and get a free report of their
club speed, ball speed, carry distance, spin rate,
launch angle and so-called “smash factor.” The
latter stat is a big talking point for instruction these
days because it compares ball speed and clubhead
speed, proving in many cases that a swing yaw is
causing wasted energy and, thus, shorter drives
than the golfer actually deserves.
Anders Mattson, who switched from head professional at Saratoga National in 2013 to become
director of instruction, says the time it takes for four
players to go through this process is equivalent to
other common tournament activities like posing for
group photos—and it brings a lot of novelty to the
day. “Golf outings are always looking for some new
twist, and this is something that produces accurate
data quickly,” he says. “It will spur a lot of conversation and buzz, and it’s got to be a better value-added item than a sleeve of balls or a divot tool.”
The plan at Saratoga National is to offer these
swing-analysis reports to every player as a $10
bump to the entry fee. Golfers can ask about their
numbers after they hit, but the actual full readout
and explanation will only be available by email,
as long as the player provides an address. “For
what we’re providing, it’s pretty likely people will
provide their emails, which we can use for a lot of
CRM purposes, including invitations to clinics, or
skills challenges, and that could lead to selling golf
lesson plans,” says Mattson. In the meantime, the
$10 charge, times 80 players per event, means you
could pay off one of these state-of-the-art gizmos in
a single 30-event season. — D.G.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
41
Investment Property
Alabama
Cherokee Ridge Country Club* near Huntsville
Florida
The Golf Club at North Hampton Fernandina Beach
Private Listing near Tampa
Georgia
Achasta Real Estate and Golf Course* Dahlonega
Creekside Golf & Country Club near Atlanta
Mississippi
The Club at North Creek near Memphis
North Carolina
Brushy Mountain Golf Club near Charlotte
Taberna Country Club New Bern
Ohio
Beckett Ridge Golf Club near Cincinnati
South Carolina
Sanctuary Golf Club at Cat Island Beaufort
Sealed Bid Offering: bids due by Tuesday, May 3rd
The Country Club of South Carolina Florence
Private Listing North Charleston
The Players Course at Wyboo Plantation* Manning
Tennessee
Private Listing near Nashville
Virginia
Mattaponi Springs Golf Club near Richmond
888-324-5020
*Contract Pending; AL: AU# 1691, RE# 69831-0, 75072-0; FL: AU#
AU3003, AB2408; RE#BK3036361, CQ1019764; GA: AU#
AU001703, AUC002619; RE# 46193, H16764; MS: AU# 890, 891F;
RE# B15495; NC: AU# NCAL7856, NCFL7852; RE# 193434, C14312;
SC: AU# 003549R, 003548F; RE# 1334; OH: in conjunction with
Robert C. Evans (700140386); VA: AU# 2907003354, 2908000685;
RE# 0225100045, 0226010231
HildaWAllen.com
1
CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DELEGATED. Specific tasks
i d e a s & i n s i g h t s t h at u n i t e
may contain proprietary information that
should not be shared at your staff’s organizational level. There are also tasks that
team members may not be qualified to
perform, thus setting them up for failure.
Lastly, don’t just dump unwanted activities onto your staff to get them off your
plate. Your team will eventually figure
this out, and it will hurt your credibility
as their manager.
2
CREATE A PRIORITIZED DELEGATION
PLAN. Now knowing what to del-
egate, your next step is to develop a plan
outlining what tasks should be delegated
to which sta͘ member. Delegating the
right tasks to the right people isn’t always
easy or popular, but if you do it with
transparency, fairness, consistency and for
the good of the company, your sta͘ will
learn to respect your decisions.
PROVIDE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS.
There’s nothing worse than being
delegated a task, not given instructions
on how the task should be performed, not
told what is expected, working diligently
to complete the task, and then being told
it isn’t what they wanted. Give speci͙c
instructions as to what needs to be done
and your expectation of the end result. This
combination of instructions and expectations provides the correct delegation
framework and establishes criteria as to
how your employee will be judged when
the task is completed.
3
The Art of Delegation
One of the great things about being a manager is that
you can delegate various types of tasks to other people
instead of having to do them yourself. If you don’t, you’ll be
overworked and your sta͘ will be underutilized. In fact, you do a disservice to your sta͘ if you don’t delegate because this inhibits their
ability to learn new things and grow as professionals.
Like all management activities, delegation must be done in a
thoughtful, ethical and forward-thinking manner. To that end, consider the following tips when delegating:
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
43
4
PROVIDE A SAFETY NET. When delegating tasks—particularly if it’s a new experience for the employee—you
must be willing to provide an appropriate level of management support to help assure success, for both the employee
and the task. A safety net provides the needed resources and
training, allows time to properly perform the delegated tasks,
helps employees navigate company politics, and provides
instructions on how tasks should be performed.
LET GO AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO DO THEIR WORK. If
you delegate a task and then micro-manage it to the
extent that you have actually performed it yourself, it’s not
delegation. Neither should you totally divest yourself from
5
the delegated task; after all, you’re still ultimately responsible for all work performed within your department. The
trick is to walk that ͙ne line between being overbearing and
non-participatory.
BE MENTORING AND INSTRUCTIVE. This type of taskbased instruction is a “learning moment” on how to
perform a speci͙c task or deal with a speci͙c situation. The
level of instruction and advice to be provided should be based
on the combination of the person’s speci͙c experience and
the task di͛culty and political rami͙cations.
GIVE CREDIT. This raises the visibility of your sta͘ ’s
good work within the organization, which in turn motivates them and helps instill
loyalty toward you. This
approach also helps remind
you that you’re ultimately
responsible for both your
KOKIE COUNTRY CLUB ISN’T YOUR ORDINARY,
team’s growth and your
GARDEN-VARIETY GOLF FACILITY.
department’s productivity
That’s because the Glencoe, Illinois, private
and performance.
club has three organic gardens—more than 3,000 square
ACTIVELY SOLICIT
feet under cultivation—with possibly a fourth garden comFEEDBACK. Seeking
ing this spring. Skokie also has a yock of 20 heritage hens
input from your sta͘ will
and nine bee boxes housing approximately 450,000 bees. In essence, Skokie is
help you grow as a mantaking the farm-to-table movement to new levels.
ager by o͘ering insights
“We did our wrst organic garden [in 2013],” says general manager Chuck
into how you’re perceived,
Scupham. “I just wanted something useful in front of the golf shop. It was met
improving your team’s perwith a little skepticism—and I hired professionals to set this up—but by midformance by providing you
June the members were pretty enthusiastic about it. Stuff started being placed
with clues on better ways
to delegate and support
on the menu with the notation ‘Skokie organic garden,’ and by early July they
your sta͘, and showing
were thinking it was really wonderful.”
your sta͘ that you’re willThe bee boxes and hens were introduced a year after the wrst garden. For
ing to accept suggestions,
their part, the bees produce roughly 140 pounds of honey annually, Scupham
which makes you more
estimates. They can also travel up to wve miles pollinating the gardens, yowers
approachable as a manager.
and plants around the course. Skokie’s bar uses the harvested honey in a popuFor those not comlar Skokie Buzz of the month cocktail.
fortable
delegating tasks
The hens, which include 11 breeds, live in a custom chicken coop with inteto
others,
be willing to
rior calico curtains placed there by Skokie superintendent Don Cross’ wife. The
go
outside
your comfort
hens lay purple, blue and brown eggs.
zone. Your willingness to
“I think only one of them lays white eggs,” Scupham says. “They’re like pets.
take this leap will enhance
The eggs are not yet certiwed to be served in our restaurant, but we bring the
your department’s proeggs home to eat until they are certiwed.”
ductivity, improve your
Skokie’s restaurant is now a hot ticket. From mid-July until October, vegemanagerial ability, and
tarian menu items are exclusively from its garden. The club also has a dry-aging
help your team expand its
chamber where meats, duck and pork are dried.
knowledge and skill.
“In the club business, restaurants don’t make any money,” Scupham says.
—Eric Bloom, president and
“It’s an amenity, it’s branding. But I will say Skokie is exceptional. We’re a
founder of Manager Mechanics
600-member club, so we’re medium-sized. Club Benchmark says Skokie’s $3.6
LLC and author of Productivity
million in food and beverage put us in the 98th percentile of private clubs, so
Driven Success: Hidden Secrets
we get terriwc member support.” —Steve Donahue
of Organizational Efficiency.
6
7
growing organically
S
44
GOLFBUSINESS
8
April
2016
Home On
the Range
“We kind of joked about
it at wrst,” says Krebs, “but
once I arrived and saw how
Golf professional Kevin
Butterweld’s branding was
Woodard mows fairways
at Southern Dunes Golf
woven into the property, it
and Country Club.
made a lot more sense.”
The skilled maintenance
staff at El Paso International
Airport—which owns the
KemperSports-managed
golf course—transformed
utterweld Trail Golf Club’s latest
a basic beverage cart into an Old
nod to its Old West roots has
West chuck wagon that serves
become its most popular. It also ofstandard golf cart fare, with the
fers a bit of food for thought.
possibility of adding specialty
Because the historic Butitems this year.
terweld Trail runs through its
“It would be tough to serve
golf course, the El Paso, Texas,
franks and beans on the golf
daily-fee’s Old West theme has
course, though,” jokes Krebs.
The chuck wagon
didn’t debut on the
course until last fall,
but Krebs says October/November sales
were, not surprisingly,
up dramatically because that’s Butterweld
always included clubhouse
Trail’s tournament season. Howwagon wheels and on-course,
ever, he expects the chuck wagon
distressed-wood water coolers.
will be responsible for an onJoining the motif is a new bevercourse F&B sales uptick in 2016.
age cart retrowtted as a dead“Even more important than
ringer for a chuck wagon.
that for us is doing another thing
“The chuck wagon is very
to create that memory for golfers
unique and works so well because
so when they come to El Paso
everybody expects things like that
this will be a course they want to
here,” says general manager Tim
play,” Krebs says.
Krebs. “By raising the bar with
The club is expecting more exthe chuck wagon, the golfer says,
citement this year when its other
‘What’s next?’ Every year they exbeverage cart will be replaced. “I
pect something else, so it will be a
don’t know if we’ll make the other
challenge to continue to meet and
one another chuck wagon or
exceed their expectations.”
maybe a stagecoach,” Krebs says.
Krebs and his wife hatched the
“Undoubtedly, the reviews and
chuck wagon idea while driving
comments we’ve received dictate
from Washington, D.C., to El Paso
we’re going to do something.”
—S.D.
after his hiring last spring.
B
“I saw how Butterfield’s
branding was woven
into the property and it
made a lot more sense.”
Golf Industry
Calendar
April 23-27
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF GOLF COURSE
ARCHITECTS ANNUAL MEETING
Bethesda, Maryland
www.asgca.org
May 18
NATIONAL GOLF DAY
Washington, DC
www.wearegolf.org
May 19-21
NATIONAL CLUB CONFERENCE
The Union League Club of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
www.nationalclub.org
June 26-29
NORTH AMERICA GOLF
TOURISM CONVENTION
Pinehurst, North Carolina
www.iagto.com/nac/event
July 25-26
GOLF BUSINESS FORUM 2016
Melbourne, Australia
www.golfbusinessforum.com.au
August 15-17
PGA FASHION & DEMO EXPERIENCE
The Venetian Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada
www.pgalasvegas.com
October 11-13
THE GOLF TRADE SHOW
Harrogate International Centre
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
www.golftradeshow.co.uk
November 17-19
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Whistler, British Columbia
www.ngcoa.ca/conference
FOR MORE EVENTS, INCLUDING NGCOA
CHAPTER HAPPENINGS, VISIT WWW.NGCOA.ORG
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
45
Give us 14 sq. ft.
We’ll Give You
9,000
$
a Year
c
nt.
Easy to operate, fast cycle
Pressure washes grooves, faces
and soles of irons and hybrids
No chemicals or soaps needed
Air hose for shoe spike cleaning
Less water than sink cleaning
Automatic ball washer
Free shipping and utility
hook-up allowance
Custom colors and course
logo available
The new TourSpin Club Washer delivers on both … in a smaller footprint
than a golf cart. TourSpin is a surefire hit: cleans a full set of irons and
hybrids in under a minute – without abrasive brushes, chemicals or soaps.
Here’s the best part: TourSpin is a self-serve vending
machine … requiring NO investment. You simply
sell tokens and then share the revenue.
tourspinclubwasher.com/vending
888.857.7304
[email protected]
46
* Based on 25 uses per day at $2.00 per use.
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
*
spreading goodwill
on the hill
We Are Golf returns to Washington, D.C.,
next month as part of the latest rendition
of National Golf Day
W
e Are Golf, a coalition of golf’s leading
organizations that includes the National
Golf Course Owners Association, will descend upon Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., next
month for the ninth annual National Golf Day.
Industry leaders will meet on May 18 with Congressional members, the executive branch and federal agencies to discuss the game’s nearly $70 billion
economic and $4 billion annual charitable impact,
as well as its many environmental and ͙tness bene͙ts. Attendees will share stories that highlight the
more than 15,000 diverse businesses and 2 million
jobs created by the game, in addition to the tax revenue and tourism value generated by the industry.
“With 2016 being an election year, it’s even
more important for political leaders to understand
the impact our industry has on local communities
and millions of Americans,” says Steve Mona, CEO
of World Golf Foundation, administrator of We Are
Golf. “Since our ͙rst event in 2008, National Golf
Day has educated our nation’s lawmakers about
the countless bene͙ts of the game, and we look
forward to continuing this agenda in May.”
To join the conversation, use #NGD16 and @wearegolf on Twitter and
Instagram to show your support for the industry.
Last year’s event was the most successful to date, with more than 120
scheduled Congressional meetings in one day. Globally, the Twitter campaign eclipsed 37 million impressions and reached 19.8 million accounts,
including 3.3 million users in a one-hour span.
A day-long exhibit in the Rayburn Foyer featured live lessons for members of Congress and sta͘ with Golf Channel’s Michael Breed and LPGA
teaching professional Karen Palacios-Jansen. An aboutGolf simulator with
a “closest to the pin” contest, state-of-the-art swing analysis from GolfTEC,
at-home training technology Birdie Ball and a Republican vs. Democrat
putting challenge were also featured.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
47
women meet after the two hours of
play for a cocktail, ra͜e, prizes and a
networking event.
The retail location experience includes a driving contest in simula-
“The model offers
inclusion and a
positive experience
around golf.”
Engaging
Female Golfers
G
olf courses nationwide are encouraged to participate this summer in
Women’s Golf Day, which invites females
to engage in the sport for the ͙rst time
in a fun, non-intimidating environment
alongside existing golfers.
Set for June 7, the four-hour experience creates critical mass through a collaborative e͘ort and encourages women
nationwide to go to a retail location or a
golf course. This will allow women to explore the array of options available in their
respective communities, including facilities, lessons and leagues, among others.
“The golf environment is fractionalized and this helps jump-start a woman
to decide her level of interest and participation, which can range from fantasy golf
to competitive league play,” the event’s
fact sheet says. “The idea is inclusion and
for women to have a positive experience
around golf so even if they don’t engage
100 percent themselves, they will be open
to children playing, husbands playing, selecting vacations that include golf and
country club memberships.”
The format presents easy participation opportunities at any level, with
short events used as a door opener to
other programs. From there, the partici-
48
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
pant’s interest is gauged before deciding
the next steps. The model o͘ers inclusion for women in a safe environment
and a positive experience around golf.
On the course, women have the option to participate in two hours of lessons and short game/putting or playing nine holes, depending on time. All
tors and a putting contest. Retailers
can then establish a participant’s
level and interest before suggesting
a pathway to continue, whether it be
Get Ready Golf, the Executive Women’s
Golf Association or lessons, among
other avenues. .
To host an event or become an ambassador, email info@womensgolfday.
NGCOA Makes Board Appointment
D
on Rea, owner
of Augusta
Ranch Golf Club in
Mesa, Arizona, has
been named to the
board of directors
of the National Golf
Course Owners Association (NGCOA).
The announcement was made in
early February in San
Diego, California,
at the association’s
2016 Golf Business
Conference, held in
conjunction with the
Golf Industry Show.
“Don brings to
the board an unparalleled experience in
this industry,” says Jay
Karen, NGCOA CEO.
“His duty of care for
the small operator’s
success is going to be
an asset on our board.”
Aside from being
a golf course owner,
Rea is also a certiwed
PGA professional in
general management
and serves as president for the Southwest Section PGA.
His course has been
rated the “Best Executive Golf Course
in Arizona” by the
Arizona Republic and
was selected “Host
Club of the Year” by
the Arizona Women’s
Golf Association.
Also appointed at
the San Diego meeting were David (Rock)
Lucas, Charwood
Country Club, as
president; Dick Stuntz,
The Oaks, as vice
president; and Steve
Graybill, Foxchase
Golf Club, as secretary.
GOLF INDUSTRY LOSES A
TRUE AMBASSADOR
Charlie Floyd, a former board
member of the NGCOA and friend of
Brittain’s since 1966, once said, “The
biggest thing that Clay did was solidify
the efforts of local members. He did a
beautiful job bringing people together
in numbers, where everybody paid
their fair share, and doing the marketing and promotions that we needed.”
One of the most enduring
Purchasing
Network
Suppliers
Saved Members
more than $1 Million
The industry’s leading suppliers of products and
services for golf operations and the NGCOA
have teamed up to extend members-only pricing,
rebates and value-added packages exclusively to
NGCOA members.
Last year, participating members received, on
average, $528 in rebates and collectively, saved
more than $1 million.
symbols of Brittain’s tenure was the
Myrtle Beach Golf Passport, which
Clay Brittain
passed away in
mid-February.
C
he helped champion in 1993. Today,
most of the courses in the region
participate in the program.
lay Brittain, Jr., a longtime course
Although he’d never take full
owner and NGCOA member from
credit, the MBAGCOA experienced
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, passed
some of its most explosive growth
away on February 17. He was 86.
when Brittain was intimately involved
In 1971, Brittain was part of a con-
which included 32 courses in 1988,
Myrtle Beach National due to an
eventually grew to more than 100.
insufwcient number of golf courses to
Brittain was also instrumental in urging
meet the demand of existing golfers.
his chapter to join the NGCOA.
Over the years, Brittain’s business
began building and acquiring multiple
achievements garnered numerous
golf courses. Those efforts ultimately
accolades. In 1989, he received the
led to the creation of Myrtle Beach
honorary degree of Doctor of Public
National Company, a management
Service from the University of South
wrm that operated more than a dozen
Carolina. Eleven years later, Governor
courses in the Grand Strand region
Jim Hodges presented Brittain with
before being acquired by Burroughs
the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s
& Chapin in 2012.
While he was cultivating his own
highest civilian honor. He is also a
Award and is one of only two Honorary
Beach National, Brittain was also
Lifetime Members of the association.
To truly understand Brittain’s impact,
golf industry. He served as president
you need only look to another quote
of the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course
once offered about the man by Floyd:
Owners Association from 1991 through
SMART BUY SUPPLIERS
recipient of the NGCOA’s Don Rossi
business model and growing Myrtle
helping shape the entire Myrtle Beach
PREFERRED SUPPLIERS
in its operations. The association,
tingent of hotel owners who formed
Eventually, Brittain led a group that
PREMIER PARTNER
“He’s a walking ambassador for golf
1993, and later served as vice presi-
throughout the world. Everywhere he
dent of the South Carolina Golf Course
goes and everyone he meets, he tries
Owners Association.
to get involved in the game.”
Members:
Start Saving Today!
Visit www.ngcoa.org/purchasingnetwork
or contact Rutledge at [email protected]
or (800) 933-4262 ext. 270.
OPERATING
MEMBERS IN MOTION
SOLUTIONS
IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE, building and sustaining loyalty
relies on quality touches with the
customer.
Jeff Diehl at The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina, relies on the Connected® Technology integrated into
his Precedent i3 ƃeet. The technology
offers a broad platform of capabilities
that Diehl can deploy to deliver experiences that distinguish his offering in
the competitive Myrtle Beach market.
Using the available two-way
messaging feature in his Precedent
i3s, Diehl can communicate from the
pro shop PC or his smartphone to
post messages to the ƃeet’s on-board
high-deƂnition screens. He can connect with his entire ƃeet, speciƂc cars
or even just one car. Last year he used
the feature to express a small kindness
that had a huge impact on some
important customers.
“We have a big group of guys who
have been coming down from the
Northeast to escape the winter and
play golf. They’ve been coming for
years,” Diehl recalled. “Last year ... we
learned one of their group had passed
away over the winter. The guy who
booked sent along a picture of their
friend. When they (arrived) to play
their Ƃrst round, I had created a little
tribute page and posted it to every
one of their cars so there it was waiting
for them on the screens at the Ƃrst tee.
I can tell you there were a lot of tears.”
They made a point to thank Diehl
for the tribute. It was a simple gesture,
but genuine and personal. It’s a good
bet Diehl made some customers for
life by using Club Car’s Connected
technology to create a quality touch
with customers.
OPERATING SOLUTIONS IS A MONTHLY FORUM PRESENTED BY NGCOA PREMIER PARTNER CLUB
CAR TO PROVIDE INNOVATIVE
IDEAS THAT HAVE INCREASED
REVENUES AND/OR REDUCED
OPERATING EXPENSES.
50
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
HIGH HONOR
Country music superstar
Darius Rucker was on hand
at the 2016 Golf Business
Conference to accept the
NGCOA’s Award of Merit.
KICKING THINGS OFF
Jay Karen, CEO of the
NGCOA, addresses
attendees of the Golf Business conference, kicking
off an afternoon wlled with
educational programming.
FUN RIDE
Participants in the Club Car
Golf Outing held during
the Golf Business Conference had the chance to give
GolfBoards a spin around
Maderas Golf Club.
IT’S A SOCIAL THING
Speaker Andrew Leintz
engages attendees of the
session he led on social
media marketing at the Golf
Business Conference.
Welcome Members
THE NGCOA WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS,
WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED OR RETURNED TO OUR COMMUNITY
Lisa Craig
Benbow KOA
Garberville, CA
Donald Hoenig
Raceway GC
Thompson, CT
Corey Parker
Arizona Golf Resort
Mesa, AZ
Lucas Kreuscher
Britt CC
Britt, IA
Mike Mooney
Schuss Mountain GC
Bellaire, MI
Jason Kemper
Cedar River GC
Bellaire, MI
Ron Krause
Somerset GC
Troy, MI
Brent Coon
Brentwood
Entertainment
Complex
Beaumont, TX
Eugene Stone
Champion Hill GC
Beulah, MI
Jamie Colson
SunCountry GC
Cle Elum, WA
Gordon Craig
Den Brae GC
Sanbornton, NH
Brian Kautz
The Legend GC
Bellaire, MI
David Miller
Fairways of Canton
Canton, GA
Ken O’Brien
The Links at
Challedon
Potomac, MD
Sean McLaughlin
Forest Lake Club
Columbia, SC
Jennifer O’Connor
Holly Ridge GC
Sandwich, MA
C. Joel Ezell
Little Creek GC
Rayville, LA
Eugene Stone
Pinecroft GC
Beulah, MI
Laurie Meredith
Towa GC
Santa Fe, NM
Kevin Fateley
Wildcat Creek Fun
& Fitness
Manhattan, KS
Jeff Wilson
Wilson Golf
Management
Lincoln, CA
Streamline
Your Search
Tap into your association’s incredible
network of golf industry suppliers
with the NGCOA Buyer’s Guide.
www.ngcoabuyersguide.com
Chip Chamberlin
The Country Club
of the Crystal Coast
Pine Knoll, NC
Corporate
Members
Jeremy Crittenden
18Birdies
San Francisco, CA
Victor Bond
AeroGolf
Monterey, CA
Marty Young
Davey Golf
North Olmsted, OH
Jeff Broadbelt
DryJect Inc.
Hatboro, PA
Instead of wading through endless
listings of distributors, manufacturers
and vendors to service your operation,
choose the NGCOA Buyer’s Guide.
Our guide applies the latest search
engine functionality to ensure that you
quickly and easily find the most relevant
partners to deliver what your facility
needs to succeed.
Dave Vanslette
Fairway IQ, Inc.
Newton, MA
Corporate Member
Spotlight
TourSpin manufactures the TourSpin Club Washer, designed to
improve player service and course revenue by automatically washing clubs in 45 seconds. Simple to use with no investment required.
Start your search today at
www.ngcoabuyersguide.com
To learn more about TourSpin or other NGCOA Corporate
Members and Partners, visit www.ngcoabuyersguide.com.
GOLFBUSINESS.COM
51
Market Place
G
O
L
F
C
O
U
R
C
S
O
E
U
R
M
S
E
A
L
I
R
S
T
K
I
E
N
G
T
S
Presenting Sponsor:
Colliers International
Golf Course Advisory Services
Courses For Sale Nationwide
Contact Keith Cubba
[email protected]
+1 702 836 3733
3960 Howard Hughes Pkwy.
Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV 89169
+1 702 735 5700
www.colliers.com/golf
MMA GOLF
The Carolinas and TN brokerage leader
CONFIDENTIAL COURSES AVAILABLE
www.mmagolf.com • [email protected]
For Sale
Achasta Golf Club and Real Estate—Dahlonega,
—Dahlonega,
ga,, GA
G
- Premier residential golf
olf community
nity featuring an 18-ho
18-hole
Jack Nicklaus Signature
ignature course. Includes amenities. Also oofdevelop-able
fering
ring single family lots, duplex lots, 21 aac
acres develo
Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real
land
ndd and more. Contact
Contac Hilda Alle
Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
CONTR
R
E
D
N
U
ACT
Beacon Ridge CC—West End (near Pinehurst), NC - 6,494
yard championship course recently awarded Golf Digest’s coveted 4-Star rating. Par 72 with Penncross Bentgrass greens and
Bermuda fairways. The manor style Clubhouse can accommodate up to 120 guests. Other amenities include a swimming
pool and tennis courts. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen
Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Beckett Ridge CC—West Chester, OH - Excellent Location!! Easy Access!! Consistently ranked in the Top 5 of golf
courses in the tri-state area (OH, KY and IN) and located
in one of the fastest growing communities in the tri-state
area. Approx. 1.5M people live within 15 miles. 36,000SF
clubhouse capable of hosting large events. Contact Hilda
Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020,
[email protected].
Brushy Mountain Golf Club—Taylorsville, NC - Nice 18
hole championship golf retreat just north of Hickory in the
beautiful mountains of NC. This facility is TURN KEY with
stunning new clubhouse, with bar, grill, dining, pro shop,
locker rooms, event center and huge back veranda over
looking 180 mountain views, awesome AND 10 unit hotel. Rolling terrain with bermuda grass fairways and bent
greens, a must see. Nice revenues, Contact Brett at (828)
775-7765, [email protected] in conjunction with Hilda
Allen Real Estate, Adel, GA.
“We need listings in FL,
GA, SC, NC and TX, private
and semi-private clubs.”
Cherokee Ridge CC—Union Grove, AL - 18-hole championship course located just 20 minutes from Huntsville.
Full restaurant and bar. 30 tee driving range with additional
practice facilities. 17 acre lake on front nine and 40 foot
waterfall on back nine. Bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc.,
(888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Coffee Creek Golf Course—Edmond, OK $1,375,000.00 - Great layout 18 hole public course in Oklahoma City MSA, 2,500 sf Indoor Training Facility, 3 Bays
with state of the art computerized swing analysis, practice
area, driving range, club house, pavilion, 6,700 yd course
on 160 acres in nice upscale subdivision, abundant zero
cost water supply, profitable with room to improve. Contact
Tommy Cummings, CCIM at Golf Course Brokers, Inc., (936)
788-4622, [email protected].
Confidential—Florida - Semi-private 18-hole championship layout. 40,000 plus annual rounds and plays over 6,700
yards. Near the Tampa area. Owner financing may be available. MOTIVATED SELLER! Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Confidential—Mid NC - 18 hole championship course,
nice metro area, UNDER
DER CONTRACT Miller Management
[email protected].
Associates, Inc. (828) 775-7765, brett
[email protected]
SOLD
Confidential—NC Mountains - Championship 18 hole
course only 20 years old, modern stylish clubhouse with
bar , grill , dining, meeting rooms and upstairs could be
living quarters. Rolling terrain, bermuda fairways , excellent bent greens. Additional developable property available.
$1,350,000. Call us. Miller Management Associates, Inc.,
(828) 775-7765, [email protected].
Confidential—Tennessee - 18 hole Championship layout
in pristine condition. Elegant dining in an immaculate clubhouse with panoramic views. Aquatic center with a resort
style pool and two lighted tennis courts. Confidentiality
Agreement required. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen
Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Confidential—Near Charleston, SC - An 18-hole semi-private course located near Charleston. Surrounded by natural
landscapes and LowCountry wildlife. Amenities include clubhouse, swim and tennis. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen
Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Confidential—Central Florida - Orlando area 18-hole
championship course. Minutes from Disney & all major attractions. This unique course is a favorite of Europeans and locals
alike. Located in upscale neighborhood. Contact Ron Spielman
at Owner, (941) 468-4077, [email protected].
Country Club of South Carolina—Florence, SC - An 18
hole semi-private championship course with a host of amenities. Convenient to Interstate 95. Professionally managed
by Mosaic. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate
Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Creekside Golf & Country Club—Hiram, GA - Called
“A HIDDEN JEWEL” by Golf Digest. Only 20 minutes from
Atlanta! 18 holes with manicured Crenshaw Bentgrass
Greens and Bermuda Fairways. Back tees play to 6,700
yards. Practice facilities with a lighted driving range. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888) 3245020, [email protected].
Fall Branch Parcel—Murphy Township, NC - 675+/acres next to the newly opened (2015) Cherokee Valley
Casino. Zoned for single family, town-homes and/or condos.
Nine miles of roads. Water and sewer available. PRICE REDUCED. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate
Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
Penrose Park Country Club—Reidsville, NC - HISTORIC
1929 Donald Ross original 9 hole private club. Beautiful
rolling terrain with bent grass greens and bermuda fairways. Stately clubhouse is the town center for events. Pro
shop, meeting rooms, bar area. GREAT revenues for a 9 hole
course, priced below gross revenue multiplier. $595,000.
Contact Brett at (828) 775-7765 or [email protected].
Pudding Ridge GC—Mocksville, NC - Excellent course located just west of the Winston-Salem. Clemmons area, huge
new growth with new high school, new Wake Forest Hospital, new commercial 18 hole championship course with nice
functional clubhouse, panoramic views, short iron practice
facility, putting green. Excellent buy that INCLUDES carts and
equipment, $1,150,000. Contact Brett @ Miller Management
Associates, [email protected], (828) 775-7765.
River Oaks Country Club—Edmond, OK - $4,350,000.00
- Very nice 18 hole 6,700 YD private course on 115 acres in
the affluent city of Edmund, part of the Oklahoma MSA,
really nice 9,758 SF club house with great restaurant, banquet room, Pro Shop and management offices, outdoor dining, cart barn, maintenance barn, driving range, abundant
zero cost water supply, located in upscale neighborhood
C
L
A
with Million Dollar homes, profitable but could be even better, this is a
great golf course to buy. Contact Tommy Cummings, CCIM at Golf Course
Brokers, Inc. (936) 788-4622, [email protected].
Rose Island—Port Royal, SC - Coastal Low Country, private island,
secluded yet convenient! 100+/- acre upland island with an additional
300+/- acres of Kings Grant marsh land. Existing features: One 4BR, 4BA
elevated home, pool, horse barn and stables, dock, deep well, 20 subdivided lots, permit for more docks, barge permit and landing in place
and more. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., 888-3245020. [email protected]
Saddle Creek Golf Club—Lewisburg, TN - NEW LISTING: In the boomoom
ing area of south Nashville is this 18 hole championship
mpionship design with bermuda fairways and bent greens.
reens. Nice modern
mode and functional clubhouse
overlookss the course and 18 green, great eve
event venue. Nice practice area,
Pulte development
former mini tour site, puttingg green. New 600
660 home Pul
reputation, turn key includes equipment,
comingg 20 minutes away. Great reputa
$995,000. Call Brett at Miller Management Associates,
Great price at $995
(828)
(82 775-7765, [email protected].
SOLD
San Buenas Gated Golf Community—Puntarenas, Costa Rica 340-acre golf destination property in the underdeveloped Southern
Pacific Coast region of Costa Rica. US $10+ million invested to date.
Potential US $104 million profit opportunity on US $109 million total
investment, plus ongoing property management revenue. The next stage
of the project will require a $5 million investment with $6 million of sales
potential. The project is offered for sale at $4.9 million USD. http://www.
osatropicalproperties.com/properties/unique-golf-destination-projectand-development. Contact Marcia Oro at Osa Tropical Properties, [email protected].
Sanctuary Golf Club—Cat Island, Beaufort, SC - SEALED BID OFFERING DUE: MAY 3, 2016. PROPERTY PREVIEW: APRIL 19, 2016. Originally
designed by George W. Cobb. The area is a rookery for many bird species
and natural wildlife. Dining, tennis, pool and fitness center are among
the amenities. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888)
324-5020, [email protected].
S
S
I
F
I
E
D
S
SELL
THROUGH THE GB
CLASSIFIEDS
Call 800-933-4262, ext. 212
for information on placing your ad
Silver Creek Plantation—Morganton, NC - Championship 18 hole
course only 20 years old, modern stylish clubhouse with bar, grill, dining,
meeting rooms and upstairs could be living quarters. Rolling terrain, bermuda fairways, excellent bent greens. Additional developable property
available. $1,350,000. Call us. Miller Management Associates, Inc. (828)
775-7765, [email protected].
Taberna Country Club—New Bern, NC - This 18-hole championship layout was crafted by Senior Nicklaus Designer Jim Lipe and plays to 6,917
yards. Amenities include an elegant clubhouse, junior-Olympic sized pool and
lighted championship tennis courts. PRICE REDUCED! Contact Hilda Allen at
Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
The Club at North Creek—Southaven, MS - An 18-hole par 72 Championship links-style layout with a rating of 71.2 and a slope of 125. The course
features the finest of Champion Bermuda greens and Mississippi Choice
Bermuda fairways. Fully stocked pro shop and grill. Champion Hall banquet
room can accommodate up to 190 guests and the Augusta Room banquet
hall can accommodate up to 75. Four miles west of I-55. Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
The GC at North Hampton—Fernandina Beach, FL - An 18-hole signature course of golf legend Arnold Palmer and renowned course architect Ed Seay. Carved into natural surroundings and framed by spring-fed
lakes. Bermuda tees and fairways. 5,000SF clubhouse includes premier
golf shop, world-class dining, locker rooms, commercial-grade kitchen,
offices and cart barn. A must see! Contact Hilda Allen at Hilda W. Allen
Real Estate Inc., (888) 324-5020, [email protected].
The Players Course at Wyboo Plantation—Manning,
Manning, SC - 18hole semi-private Earnest Wallace
the shores
ace designn nestled along th
of Lake Marionn and situated
uated
ated on 198+/- acres. Measures 6,9
6,969 yards
clubhouse infrom the championship tees; 25 station driving rra
range; club
REDUCTION NOT IN OPERAcludes pro
roo shop and grill. DR
DRAST
DRASTIC PRICE R
Allen at Hilda W. Allen Real Estate Inc., (888)
TION. Contact
ntact
t t Hilda Alle
324-5020, [email protected].
324-502
ONTRA
C
R
E
D
UN
CT
R e c e n t Tr a n s a c t i o n s
Cumberland Lake Golf Course—an established 18-hole course within
the metro Birmingham area, was sold prior to auction day. Contact Jonathan Kilpatrick (800) 473-2292 for information.
PLEASE VISIT
www.GolfCourseMarket.com
For real time listings or call to participate.
1 (877) 933-4499
Accelerate.NGCOA.org
Learn
Peruse a robust
NGCOA library of
educational resources.
54
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
Share
Ask questions or share
knowledge with an improved
listserv community.
Network
Connect with other
golf course owners
and operators.
Ad Index
Interact with the companies
whose products and services
are advertised in Golf Business
Subscribe Today or Requalify Now
To Continue Receiving Golf Business
®
ADVERTISER
PAGE PHONE
CLUB CAR
IFC,1
URL
All fields on this form are required fields. Please answer all questions.
800.CLUBCAR
clubcar.com
q New Subscription q Subscription Renewal
Is this your personal copy of Golf Business? q Yes q No
GCSAA
4
800.472.7878
gcsaa.org
AFFIX LABEL HERE (signature still required) OR PRINT IN BLACK INK
Name__________________________________________________________
Title ___________________________________________________________
HILDA ALLEN REAL ESTATE
JOHN DEERE GOLF
42
888.324.5020
hildawallen.com
johndeeregolfrewards.com
7
Company ______________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________
City ___________________________________________________________
State ______________________________ Zip ________________________
Phone _________________________________________________________
KEMPERSPORTS
29
NGCOA ACCELERATE
54
847.850.1818
kempersports.com
Fax ___________________________________________________________
Email (required)_________________________________________________
accelerate.ngcoa.org
Are you a current member of the National Golf Course Owners Association?
q Yes q No
1)Do you wish to receive/continue to receive Golf Business FREE?
NGCOA BUYERS GUIDE
ngcoabuyersguide.com
51
q Yes q No
Signature X________________________________Date______________
NGCOA PURCH. NETWORK
49
800.933.4262x270
ngcoa.org/purchasingnetwork
PAR AIDE
11
PGA OF AMERICA
BC
R&R PRODUCTS
21
800.528.3446
rrproducts.com
RESORTSUITE
39
416.259.0715
resortsuite.com
SOD SOLUTIONS
25
TEE-ON
IBC
877.432.5448
tee-on.com
TORO
2-3
800.803.8676
toro.com/reelmaster
TOURSPIN
46
888.857.7304
tourspinclubwasher.com
TROJAN BATTERY
9
800.423.6569
trojanbattery.com
TROON
35
480.606.1000
troonmgmt.com/business
651.429.4513
paraide.com
pga.com
sodsolutions.com
2)Which one option best character-
7)What is the average greens fee for a typical
round of golf at your facility? If you work at
multiple facilities, please indicate the average
greens fee across all facilities.
01 q nothing/private
05 q $75 - $99
02 q o less than $25
06 q $100 - $149
q $25 - $49
07 q $150 or more
3) What one option most closely matches 03
08 q not applicable
your job function/title? (select one only) 04 q$50 - $74
01 q President/CEO
8 )What is the total annual budget or
02 q Owner/Operator
expenditures for which you are responsible?
03 q Chairman of the Board
50 q less than $99,000
53 q $500,000 - $999,000
04 q CFO/Financial Manager
51 q $100,000 - $249,000
54 q $1,000,000 - $2,499,000
05 q General Manager
52
q
$250,000
$499,000
55
q $2,500,000 or more
06 q Club Manager
07 q Director of Golf
08 q Executive/National/Regional Director/Manager 9) In which ways are you personally involved
09 q Purchasing Manager/Buyer
in your organization’s purchasing decisions?
10 q Golf Professional
60 q Determine annual budget expenditures
11 q Golf Superintendent
61 q Authorize final purchases
12 q Member, Board of Directors
62 q Determine needs of the operation
13 q Marketing/Sales Manager/Director
63 q Specify/recommend vendors or suppliers
15 q Other (please specify)_____________
64 q Specify/recommend specific brands
65 q Evaluate brands for purchase
4) Which one best describes the
nature of your organization?
10) Which products/services listed below do
(select one only)
you specify, recommend, buy or approve the
10 q Private
purchase? (select all that apply)
11 q Privately-Owned Daily Fee
A q Golf Cars
12 q Semi-Private
13 q Resort
B q Turf Equipment
14 q Municipal/State/County
C q Course Design/Construction/Renovation
16 q Military
D q Irrigation & Drainage
17 q University/College
E q Chemicals, Fertilizer & Seed
18 q Driving Range/Practice Facility
G q Clubhouse Design/Construction/Renovation
20 q Development Company
H q Financial Services
28 q Golf Course Builder
T q Legal Services
21 q Other (please specify)_____________
F q Course Accessories
21 q Not Applicable
J q Insurance
5)Are you affiliated with a golf course U q Marketing Services
L
q Pro Shop Apparel
management company?
M q Pro Shop Equipment
01 q yes
02 q no
P q Food & Beverage
6)How many facilities, in total, are R q Computers/Technology
you personally responsible for?
V q Furniture/Fixtures
80 q less than 2
83 q 10 or more
W q Human Resources/Staffing
99 q Not applicable K q Consulting
81 q 2 - 4
82 q 5 - 9
izes your organization? (check one only)
01 q Golf Course Facility/Group of Facilities
02 q Off-Course Golf Retailer
03 q Golf Industry Manufacturer/Vendor/Distributor
04 q Golf Course Consultant
Incomplete forms cannot be processed or acknowledged. The publisher reserves the right to
serve only those individuals who meet the publication qualifications.
For Faster Service Go Online: www.golfbusiness.com
Or mail to: Golf Business, PO Box 321, Congers, NY s/RFAXTO
Change of address only? Call B1604IN
where you draw inspiration
from when creating new
customer experiences
Hale Kelly
Director of Golf
Maderas Golf Club
Poway, California
new offerings your club has
introduced In order to stay relevant
When it comes to the
customer experience,
inspiration comes
from anywhere and
anything. This could
be hotels, airlines,
other sports, the zoo,
a commercial, billboards, marathons.
Anything!
We have recently added
GolfBoards to our transportation options to play golf.
We feel this is a unique
way to introduce golf to
newcomers of the sport
and to educate the millennial generation that golf
isn’t your grandfather’s
sport any longer.
best advice for a club
hesitant to take a chance
on different offerings
56
GOLFBUSINESS
April
2016
© 2016 Photo by Ken West
Let down your guard!
The golf industry
continues to change,
and you have to take
reasonable chances
in order to change
with it.
THANKS FOR
There is no typical day for a PGA Professional, but it all adds up to thanks. In honor
of our centennial year, the PGA of America celebrates PGA Professionals everywhere
- for everything they do. Say thanks to your PGA Pro at PGA.com/ThxPGAPro.