NGCOA Canada News - l`Association nationale des propriétaires de

Do you know if rounds are up
or down? The only way to
know for sure is by comparing
your rounds played against
your regional facility segment
but you must participate in
order to obtain these benchmarks! This web-based
program provides monthly
reports that help you
answer important questions
on the operations of your
course.
THROUGH THE GREEN BILL BROWN
Simply
the Best
It’s never too late
to participate.
Dear Members,
As I write this, the 2007 golf season is winding
down, but here in Ontario and Quebec we are
having a remarkable run of great weather. With
temperatures in the mid-20s in October, following
an exceptional September, this has been the best
fall golf weather I can recall.
Although weather patterns obviously vary
throughout the country, this “best” weather is on
my mind as I observe the state of the industry and
the role of our association within it.
The NGCOA Canada has just won another
national award for being the best in its class, this
time awarded the best association newsletter for
2007 by the Canadian Society of Association
Executives. If you aren’t already familiar with it,
please make a point to read our e-newsletter, sent
to you at the beginning of each month, and experience for yourself this professional, efficient,
award-winning communication vehicle providing
you with the highest priority regional and national
NGCOA Canada news.
I should also take this opportunity to remind
you that this very magazine, Golf Business Canada,
won a similar award last year as best association
magazine in Canada. I would also suggest that
several other NGCOA Canada initiatives are
performing at their best, including our 97 percent
member retention rate, our Golf Business Canada
Conference & Trade Show, and Take A Kid To The
Course Week to name a few more examples.
How is all this relevant to your course? Well, not
only is it valuable to have your trade association
performing so well for its membership, but I suggest
together we can promote golf as the best game
there is. Our course had an 81-year-old great
grandfather playing with his great-grandson last
month. What other sport can boast that? Maybe
“Texas Hold ’Em?”
Rounds Played
are
reports
President’s Commentary
Do you
really know
what’s up?
Wo
NO
b
la le t
avai
ating
particip ors
operat
It’s a good example of how golf affords the
opportunity to spend pleasant quality time with
kids, grandkids, even great grand kids, spouses,
soulmates, friends, brothers, sisters…I could go on
and on. It’s simply the best way to get some fresh
air, exercise, companionship and relaxation.
As owners, I think we should all be promoting
the idea “golf is simply the best.” Make sure that
every employee believes this and the same message
is communicated to our customers, the media and
suppliers. If our staff teams truly believe this, then
our facilities will become “simply the best” they
can be.
Taking this one step further, if everyone in the
industry became a golf evangelist actively promoting
the game, imagine the potential. At 30 employees
per course, for example, we’d have more than
60,000 dedicated people across Canada selling
the message that “golf is simply the best”. This
would go a long way towards growing the game
and supporting the Play Golf initiative without any
expense at all.
In terms of the bottom line impact, if 60,000
golf course staff each encouraged their customers
to play just four more rounds of golf, approximately $10 million dollars in additional greens fees
would be purchased, not to mention repeat business
and spin off revenues.
Am I dreaming? Maybe. But I think it’s worth
giving it a shot!
Here’s hoping you enjoyed the 2007 season
as much as Genevieve and I did.
Bill
For more information, contact Optima at 1-877-978-9977, ext 230
National Golf Course Owners Association Canada at 1-866-626-4262
or the Golf Research Centre website at www.golfresearchcentre.com
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
Winter 2007
57
News
NGCOA Canada
ROUNDS PLAYED IN CANADA
With the 2007 golf season coming to a
close, how knowledgeable are you with
respect to the trends relating to the number of rounds of golf played in Canada this
year. While you probably keep a pretty
close eye on your own facility, wouldn’t it
be interesting to know if what you are seeing is similar to the other courses in your
region. NGCOA Canada and our partner Optima Marketing can provide
you with that information and
much more through the Golf
Research Centre (www.golfresearchcentre.com), and all
that is required is your participation. Your informaBE PART OF
tion is kept totally confidenCANADA’S
ONLY
tial and only courses that
take part by providing their
ROUNDS PLAYED
rounds information are able
REPORTING
to access the reports.
Further more, the golf component is
second-to-none! Three world-class golf
courses all on-site at The Sea Pines resort
include:
Feb 26th : Ocean Golf Course
rebuilt in 1995 by Mark McCumber
http://www.seapines.com/golf/ocean_course.cfm
THE SEA PINES RESORT
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Designated one of the “Top 50”Resorts in the United States
Feb 28th : Day at Leisure
February 25-29, 2008
DON’T
HESITATE
To participate, you only need to
follow these few very basic steps:
Log onto – www.golfresearchcentre.com
If this is your first visit or you have not
already “Registered”; click on the
“Register” button and complete the form
If you have previously registered, log in
with your email address and password
Select the “Research Projects” tab
From here you have the option to learn
more about the program (recommended),
complete the rounds played questionnaire
and/or update or modify your rounds
played information.
Note:
In
addition to
SYSTEM!
asking for your
2007
rounds,
you will also be
asked to provide your
2005 and 2006 rounds for historical
purposes. If you do not have access to
this information, you can commence
with your 2007 rounds.
Once you have entered your Rounds
information, you can immediately
access your Rounds Played report by
selecting the “My Reports” tab and then
select “View Your Rounds Played
Report”.
Feb 27th : Heron Point by Pete Dye
http://www.seapines.com/golf/sea_marsh.cfm
Calling all NGCOA Canada members! You are cordially invited to join your fellow golf
course operators from across the country, on a golf holiday! Why not reward your key
staff with an incredible golf escape? Or invite family members to enjoy some welldeserved time away together?
At the conclusion of each month, you
will be requested via email to enter your
rounds information. Your reports will
be updated immediately.
Your report will include
valuable
data
Hilton Head Island
www.southcarolina.com/hilton_head, which is situated at the most southern tip of a
peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Calibogue Sound, boasts year-round mild
temperatures and offers an incredible natural playground. In addition, Hilton Head is
arguably one of the most recognized golf destinations in the U.S. - the perfect escape.
The Sea Pines Resort
(www.seapines.com), at the heart of an extensive natural environment, offers an impressive selection of services and amenities. Beyond the miles of pristine beaches, bicycle
paths & nature trails, the resort offers an equestrian centre, racquet club, 23 tennis
courts, spa & fitness centre.
Feb 29th : Harbour Town Golf Links
home of the Verizon Heritage PGA
Tournament
http://www.seapines.com/golf/harbour_town_golf.cf
m
Package Price: $859 US per person,
based on double occupancy
Hotel nights are: Feb 25, 26, 27 and 28
Travel Club Package:
• Welcome Reception
• 4 nts accommodation at the Inn at
Harbour Town
• 4 breakfasts
• 3 rounds golf, including Harbour
Town Golf Links
• Closing Dinner
The Travel Club kicks off with a Welcome
Reception and wraps up with a sensational round of golf at the renowned Harbour
Town Golf Links, named repeatedly as
one of the United States’ finest golf
courses by various publications such as
Golf Magazine, Golfweek and Golf Digest.
Throughout the week there will be plenty
of networking, golf & social time to experience the Hilton Head Island to its fullest.
including
weather patterns whichmay
have an impact on your
rounds played, percentage
of capacity based on the
number of hours of daylight
For more information, or to reserve
your spaces, contact Jeff Calderwood
or Pamela Wolk at the NGCOA Canada
office via email: [email protected]
or [email protected] or by telephone at
1.866.626.4262 (1.866.62NGCOA)
and your tee time intervals
and much, much more.
We look forward to your company at The
Sea Pines Resort!
58
Winter 2007
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
Winter 2007
59
News
NGCOA Canada • GOLFMAX
Ontrak Boosts Service for
NGCOA Members
Ontrak Purchasing & Consulting Services is increasing its level
of service to NGCOA Canada members with the appointment
of Anjali Gandhi to the newly-created position of bilingual
customer service coordinator.
Golfmax Insurance Plans bigger,
better at 10
The most successful commercial insurance program for golf courses in Canada
recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary. In 10 short years, Golfmax Insurance Plans
has established itself as the leading commercial insurance program in the golf industry and currently includes policies with over 450 golf facilities across the country.
The success of the program has been based on three principles:
1) Comprehensive coverage specifically tailored for golf courses including:
• Blanket property of every description;
• Coverage on greens, tees and fairways;
• Sudden and accidental pollution liability ;
• Earthquake and flood;
• Income protection;
• Comprehensive boiler and machinery coverage;
• Umbrella liability coverage;
2) Competitive rates for customers;
3) Ability for the golf course to deal with their insurance broker of choice.
For more information on either of
these programs, please contact:
Commercial
Jim Ritchie 888-404-0000 ext. 242
or by email at [email protected]
Group Benefits
Larry Green 888-641-0212 ext. 228 or
by email at [email protected]
60
V a l u e
A d d e d
Programs
Anjali is available to
work with NGCOA Canada members
to help maximize value and savings
on food, beverage and facility product purchases.
This new initiative will help NGCOA
Canada members get the most out
of the relationship by helping identify the best products for your facility
at the best possible prices.
More recently, Golfmax Insurance Plans
has grown to include a Group Benefits
Program. Similar to the commercial program, the employee benefits program
provides comprehensive coverage.
There are four choices in the level of
coverage.
The program includes:
Life insurance
Dependent insurance
Long-term disability (for clubs with 7
employees and over)
Extended health care including; prescription drugs (drug card), semi private hospital, medical services and supplies, paramedical medical coverage (chiropractor,
physiotherapist, massage therapist etc.)
Vision care
Out of Country/Province Emergency
Medical coverage for trips up to 60 days
Dental care (basic and major)
Ontrak Purchasing & Consulting
Services is the managing food &
beverage partner for the NGCOA
Canada’s Golfmax Purchasing
Program. Currently over 900
NGCOA Canada member golf facilities enjoy the benefits of the Ontrak
program, including savings with over
hundreds of manufacturers and distributors including, Coca-Cola, GFS,
Sysco, Canadian Linen, Ecolab,
Hostess, Kraft, and many, many
more.
If you already have a benefit plan, the
NGCOA Benefit program can duplicate
your existing benefits or design a plan to
suit your needs and budget.
Our advisor for the Employee Benefit
program can also provide insurance to
protect your business in the event of the
death of a partner, retirement of a partner, illness or total disability.
Winter 2007
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
Please feel free to contact
Anjali at 877-632-8592
extension 371 or by email at
[email protected]
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
Winter 2007
61
News
C alendar of Events
NGCOA Canada
NGCOA Canada • GOLFMAX
Golfmax Supplier Spotlight: Trimark
Sportswear Group
With temperatures dropping on the course at this time of year, the hot fabrics of the 2008 ONTOUR collection
from Trimark Sportswear Group will keep golfers warm and help them squeeze more rounds out of the season.
Core warmth plays a pivotal role in creating a consistent and manageable golf game. With their new Smartech
Bonded soft shell collection ONTOUR has created lightweight breathable warm pieces that are stylish and
technical all rolled into one. The new ONTOUR is committed to creating “Brands That Fit” for the every day
golfer.
ONTOUR has also introduced a new Fully Seam Sealed rain jacket that has taken technical to a new level.
With a breathable, four-way stretch membrane and a rich color pallet, this jacket will allow all types of golfers
the luxury to play in all types of weather. The 2008 ONTOUR collection is engineered to make you feel good
and provide elegance on and off the golf course. The evolution of WEBTech along with the science of fabric
construction has increased the comfort of the product which is a key for today’s golfer. ONTOUR’S dedication,
patience and insight have allowed them to create unique
styles that will directly impact the golfer’s game.
Trimark is a Canadian success story. It was established
in 1975 by three partners from Markham, ON and was
acquired in 1995 by Derrick Milne and his father, David
Milne, one of the original partners. After 15 years working
abroad in investment banking, Derrick Milne turned his
attention to building Trimark. “The attraction of Trimark
was its excellent reputation for service and delivery,
which took my father 20 years to build. I knew that
upon this strong platform, we could build an even
more successful service-orientated company,” said
Milne. In 2001, Trimark was chosen as one of
Canada’s 50 Best Companies and requalified in
2002. Derrick was personally honored in 2000
with the highly distinguished award of Top 40
Under 40.
In May of 2006, Trimark focused on growing
its ONTOUR golf division and becoming a main stay
in the Canada golf market. The company hired Shawn Murray
as National Golf Sales Manager and hasn’t looked back.
In October 2006 the Trimark Sportswear Group Inc. was selected as
the active wear licensee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Para Olympic
Winter Games. A new subsidiary, Elevate Sport Ltd., was created shortly
thereafter to design and market products for this exciting market with
Will Andrew as President.
Allied Association /
Industry Events
NGCOA Canada “Play Golf Ontario”
Pavilion
Toronto Golf and Travel Show
Feb. 29-March 2, 2008
Contact: Mike Bell, NGCOA Canada, Central Ontario Chapter
PGA Merchandise Show
January 17-19, 2008
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
(800) 840-5628
www.pgashow.com
Marketing Manager
(705) 812-1254 or email [email protected]
London Golf and Travel Show
January 19-20, 2008
Hamilton Golf and Travel Show
February 2-3, 2008
Contact: Katherine Nelson-Riley, NGCOA Canada,
Southwestern Ontario Chapter
(905) 934-0841 or email [email protected]
www.golf-show.com
Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo
March 29-30, 2008
Contact: Shawn Hunter, NGCOA Canada, Eastern
Ontario/Outaouais Chapter
(613) 821-2260 email [email protected]
www.ottawagolfandtravelshow.ca
Golf Atlantic Expo
April 11-13, 2008
Dundee Sportsdome, Moncton, NB
Contact: David McCafferty, NGCOA Canada Regional
Golf Industry Show
Jan. 31- Feb 2, 2008
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
www.golfindustryshow.com
GCSAA Education Conference
Jan. 28-Feb. 2, 2008
www.gcsaa.org
NGCOA Conference
Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 2008
www.ngcoa.org
CMAA World Conference on Club Management
Jan. 31-Feb. 5, 2008
www.cmaa.org
59th Annual International Turfgrass
Conference and Trade Show
Feb. 29-March 4, 2008
Telus Convention Centre, Calgary, AB
(800) 387-1056
www.golfsupers.com
Consumer Shows
Vancouver Golf and Travel Show
February 16-17, 2008
BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, BC
(800) 891-4859 • www.vancouvergolfshow.com
Edmonton Alberta PGA Golf Show
February 23-24, 2008
Northlands Park, Edmonton, AB
(888) 866-6140 • www.pgaofalberta.com
Calgary Golf Show
April 5-6, 2008
Stampede Park, Calgary AB
(888) 866-6140 • www.pgaofalberta.com
Toronto Star Golf and Travel Show
Feb. 29-March 2, 2008
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON
(800) 265-3673 • www.torontogolfshow.com
Salon Expo Golf Buick Montreal 2008
Palais des Congres, Montreal, QC
(514) 904-5537 • [email protected]
Salon du Golf de Quebec
April 11-13, 2008
Centre de Foires de Quebec, Quebec
(418) 833-2022 • www.golfetang.com
Director, Atlantic Chapter
(506) 451-6201 email [email protected]
www.golfatlanticexpo.ca
AD DIRECTORY
ONTOUR is a preferred supplier of the
NGCOA Canada’s Golfmax Purchasing
Program, offering member courses
preferred pricing and discounts on
their purchases. For more information,
please contact
Shawn Murray @ 800-723-8383 or by
email at [email protected]
62
NGCOA Canada Events
Winter 2007
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
Agrium Advanced Technologies .......................19
www.nu-groturf.com • 519-574-2013
Burnside Golf Services ......................................20
www.rjburnside.com • 877-799-8499
CIT Financial Canada Ltd. .................................7
www.cit.ca • 905-633-2211
Club Car...........................................................68
www.clubcarprecedent.com • 800-461-3322
Fiesta Tents Ltd. ...............................................44
www.fiesta.ca • 800-465-5070
Global Golf Advisors
www.globalgolfadvisors.com • 888-432-9494.....36
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
Golfmax Inc......................................................43
www.golfmaxonline.com • 866-GOLFMAX
Golfmax Insurance Plans ..................................67
www.mooremclean.com • 888-404-0000
Iceberg Dispensing Systems Ltd.
www.icebergdispensing.com • 905-326-3381 .....27
Kubota Canada .................................................21
www.kubota.ca • 905-294-7477
NGCOA Canada Golfmax Purchasing Program44,45
www.ngcoa.ca • 866-626-4262
NGCOA Canada Research Department ...........56
www.ngcoa.ca • 866-626-4262
Nutrite..............................................................42
www.nutriteturf.ca • 800-265-8865
Winter 2007
Ontrak Purchasing & Consulting Services........25
www.ontrakpurchasing.ca • 905-632-8592
Optima Research ..............................................52
www.optimarketing.com/golf • 877-978-9977
Rain Bird International.......................................2
www.rainbird.com/golf • 604-931-6565
Textron Financial Corporation............................3
www.textronfinancial.com • 877-395-5368
Total e Golf ......................................................37
www.totalegolf.com • 905-660-6131
Waterloo Biofilter Systems................................28
www.waterloo-biofilter.com • 519-856-0757
63
Membership
NGCOA Canada Membership
It’s in the numbers
NEW MEMBERS
65%
Golf facilities that
belong to the
NGCOA Canada
August 16, 2007 to October 11, 2007
members who
participated in the 2007
Take A Kid To The
Course Week
Primary contact:
Title:
Mailing Address:
City:
Province/State:
Alberta
Telephone: (
Athabasca Golf & Country Club
Email:
)
Fax: (
Website:
Bow Island Golf Club
Bow Island, AB
Preferred method of communications:
❑ Email
❑ Facsimile ❑ English ❑ French
Course Owner(s):
British Columbia
Salt Spring Island Golf & Country Club
FAC ILIT Y T Y P E
Ganges, BC
❑
❑
❑
❑
Victoria, BC
9 holes / Par 3 / Driving Range
❑ 18 holes
27 holes
❑ 36 holes
over 36-hole operations. Please indicate total # of holes ____
Public
❑ Semi-Private
❑ Private
Manitoba
Clear Lake Golf Foundation
Onanole, MB
Northernaire Golf and Country Club
Arnes, MB
CORPORATE MEMBERS
O WN E R S HIP T Y P E
❑ Privately Owned
❑ Member Owned
❑ Government Owned (Federal / Provincial / Municipal)
*please circle one
Credit Card Number:
❑ Associate Membership: open to member-owned or
government golf courses (not-for-profit)
Cardholder Name:
Members who see
the benefit year
after year
64
Springvale Nurseries
2.5
million
member savings
through the Golfmax
Purchasing
Program
Berwick, NS
Winter 2007
$
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA
GST*
GST*
GST*
GST*
PAY M E N T
❑ Regular Membership: open to private owners or lessors
of profit-oriented golf facilities
Campbellford, ON
+
+
+
+
Over 36-hole operations add $62.50 per each additional
9 holes exceeding 36 holes
* Above rates are subject to change without notice.
6% GST (#89503 9253RT0001)
❑ Cheque
SoilAir Systems Canada Inc.
Atlantic
AN N UAL DUE S
9 holes / Par 3 / Driving range . . . . . $375.00
18 holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $745.00
27 holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $895.00
36 holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,095.00
M E M B E R S HIP T Y P E
Eastern Ontario & Outaouais
97%
Postal/Zip Code:
)
Athabasca, AB
Uplands Golf Club
560
Primary Golf Facility/Company:
❑ MasterCard
❑ VISA
❑ American Express
Expiry:
Applicant Signature:
Date:
570
individuals who attended
the 2006 Golf Business
Canada Conference &
Trade Show
Winter 2007
Contact us or mail or fax payment to:
National Golf Course Owners Association Canada
105-955 Green Valley Crescent, Ottawa, ON K2C 3V4
Toll free: 1-866-626-4262 Tel: (613) 226-3616 Fax: (613) 226-4148
Email: [email protected] Website: www.ngcoa.ca
65
Parting shot
PARTING SHOT
66
NATHALIE LAVALLÉE
Playing
Catch Up
Course Owners Must Catch Up in Numbers Game
Seven years ago when I came to the golf industry
from the hotel industry, I was amazed at how little
benchmarking statistics existed in the Canadian
golf industry. As a sales manager for a major hotel
chain, all of my pricing decisions were based on
historical data such as occupancy, booking pace for
the week/day in question, average daily rate and
how my competition did on rate and occupancy for
that exact time period the previous year.
I see many similarities between hotels and golf
courses, however we haven’t embraced the yield
management techniques that help hotels identify
their weaknesses and strengths and enable them
to grow and return the maximum ROI to their
owners/investors.
Most hotel chains now have Directors of
Revenue Management who, on a daily basis, analyze pricing strategies. Although a hotel’s historical
information plays a key role in setting these
strategies, the Director of Revenue Management
also dissects their competitive sets’ performance
during the same time the previous year. These daily
reviews can only happen if the entire industry buys
into the importance of benchmarking data and the
hotel industry certainly has.
The Star Report is the Holy Grail in the hotel
industry and owners and management companies
insist that all their hotels report, on a monthly
basis, their daily occupancy and average rate to the
Star Report. RevPar (revenue per available room) is
one of the key benchmarks used by owners to
assess how their hotels are performing in their
marketplace. It’s not unusual for hotels to outperform their RevPar over the previous year and
lose market share all at the same time. Have you
noticed that it’s more difficult to get deals on hotels
these days? A lot of that has to do with the average
daily rate and how thoroughly it is being tracked by
owners. Several chains have corporate policies
stating that special rates such as “friends and
family” cannot be made available if a property’s
daily occupancy is above 85 percent. It’s about
maximizing revenues on a daily basis.
If hotels and their owners didn’t have the Star
Report, they could not accurately judge their
performance and they certainly couldn’t take their
own comparative data “to the bank.” The competitive set data is key to budgeting and owners/
management companies use RevPar as a key
financial measurement when looking for a buyer
for an individual property or a cluster of hotels.
Believe me, turnover in the hotel business is not
foreign and the Director of Sales and Marketing is
pretty much guaranteed a call from the VP of Sales
at the corporate office if their hotel loses market
share for a few months in a row, even if they are
meeting budget and exceeding the previous year’s
revenues. In today’s highly-competitive market,
no one wants to leave a single dime on the table.
Seven years later, I’m still surprised to see
how few golf courses measure their revenue per
available tee time (RevPat) and how little benchmarking data is available. In my opinion, the golf
industry is no less sophisticated than the hotel
industry and I’m still somewhat confused as to why
golf courses haven’t connected the importance of
this data to the success of their operation. I’m
certainly not suggesting that all golf courses run
out and hire a Director of Revenue Management
but I would like to see more owners/operators
become involved in the Golf Research Centre. As
an operator, you should view benchmarking data as
the key to financial success – it is the only way that
you will be able to measure your success in an
industry that is continuously evolving and becoming
more sophisticated every day.
Visit www.golfresearchcentre.com to submit
your data or contact David McCafferty, Director,
Golf Research Centre, NGCOA Canada for additional
information.
NATHALIE
LAVALLÉE
Nathalie Lavallée is the Director of
and
Members
Communications
Services for the NGCOA Canada and
has been with the association since
2000. Nathalie started her career in
the hospitality / tourism industry as a
policy assistant to the federal
Minister of Tourism and Small
Business before moving to the hotel
industry where she worked as the
association sales manager for a
major hotel chain in Ottawa. She can
be reached at [email protected].
Winter 2007
GOLF BUSINESS CANADA