gmé | issuu 28

keeping it in the familyIt is said that business should not be mixed

with pleasure, but that is not the case forhusband and wife Phil and Louise Harrison,

joint-owners of Woldingham Golf Club.

The leading business magazine for the pan-European golf industry

GolfGolfManagementE u ro p e page 15

December 2002www.portman.uk.com

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Contents

At a time when the rights of women golfers is still an issue world-wide follow-ing the ongoing arguments at, and about, Augusta National, the publication ofthe English Golf Union’s membership questionnaire 2002 results, only serve to

highlight another failing in the system. With a stunning 89 per cent of clubsin England showing vacancies, the apparent lack of consolidation of junior

golf is hardly likely to grant an improvement in the near future. Of the clubs who returned the questionnaire - and of the 1,896 affiliatedclubs, only a disappointing 50 per cent could be bothered to do so -75 per cent are ‘actively seeking more members.’ And 507 of thosesaid they would like assistance from the EGU to do so.

But what is disconcerting is that so few seem geared up to bringon their own ‘home-grown’ members. The statistics indicate thattoo many clubs seem only too happy to accept ‘fully-matured’golfers into the membership but have little inclination tobring youngsters in as beginners, nurture them and watchthem develop into full members over time.

And if these conclusions can be reached when only 50 percent of clubs can deign to respond to a document designedto help shape the future of the sport in England, whatpointer does it give to the overall state of play?Only one per cent of clubs recruit junior members throughlinks with local schools, while 40 per cent still utilise awritten application and interview method. While there is,intrinsically, nothing wrong with this method of recruit-ment, it must appear daunting to many youngsters whomay not have the advantage of knowing a member ofthe club who can in introduce them to the sport.Within the document, the union actually poses thequestion: Are the variety of joining processes morecomplicated than other sports? Sadly the answer isonly too obvious.

Youngsters with an interest in football, cricket andmost other sports are welcomed into clubs at anearly age with a minimal joining fee. They areaccepted with no recourse to background or ability.

There are clubs out there, working overtime inrecruiting, teaching and retaining junior golfers ofboth sexes. They are the benchmark - and otherclubs should learn from them.

It is not sufficient to rest on one’s laurels and thenask the EGU for help when memberships dry up. Eachclub needs to be pro-active and think long term.

After all juniors are not juniors for ever. Some evengrow up to have disposable income!

EGU surveyraises seriousconcerns

issue 28credits;editorJohn Vinicombe

contributorsDavid BowersAlister MarshallRob Wright

publisherMichael Lenihan

administrationSharon O’Connell

printColourspeed

Golf Management EuropeSuffolk Studios284 Ravenswood AvenueIpswich IP3 9TQUnited Kingdom

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© Portman Publishing andCommunications Ltd 2002

cover story 7

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Golf Management Europe December 2002

News

December 2002 Golf Management Europe

Lead StoryThe Royal and Ancient Golf Club hasannounced that the Royal Liverpool GolfClub will host the 2006 OpenChampionship from 20th to 23rd July.

The Open was last played at Hoylake in1967 when Argentinian Roberto deVicenzo won his first and only major title.

In the years since that historic cham-pionship, the demands of the Open interms of infrastructure, space and trafficmanagement ruled Royal Liverpool out asan Open venue.

Now, however, with plans in place as aresult of the three-way agreement signedby The R&A, Royal Liverpool Golf Cluband the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral,the Open will make a welcome and long-overdue return after a break of 39 years.

The agreement covers areas of mutualresponsibility and obligation and sets outthe major criteria of accessibility, travel,accommodation, traffic, car parking,spectator access and infrastructure.

One essential catalyst in the return tothe Wirral was the purchase by the clubof ten acres of land adjacent to thecourse plus the commitment to build anew practice ground close to Meols Driveon the municipal course owned by WirralCouncil.

Peter Dawson, secretary of the R&Asaid: “Royal Liverpool is a club with along and distinguished history and weare delighted that we are now able tobring the Open back to this wonderfulcourse at Hoylake.

“Many people have contributed to theagreements that underpin today’sannouncement and it is right that RoyalLiverpool, which is justly regarded as oneof Britain’s outstanding links, will again beput to the test by the world’s top golfers.

“I thank all concerned for their effortsand anticipate an outstanding champi-onship at Hoylake in four years time,” heconcluded.

Open Championship returnsto Royal Liverpool

Resignationfuels Augustadebate

The ongoing row over the AugustaNational Golf Club’s refusal to allowwomen’s membership has led to thefirst-ever resignation of one of thecourse’s senior members.

Thomas H. Wyman, the former chiefexecutive of US broadcaster CBS, hashanded in his membership card to theAugusta course - home of the US Masters- in protest at the controversial ban onfemale members.

Wyman cited the club’s stance as“unacceptable and pigheaded” also stat-ing that as many as 75 of the 300Augusta National members were opposedto the continuation of the ban onwomen.

Despite the loss of one of its mosthigh profile members, the AugustaNational’s chairman Hootie Johnson(pictured below, with Tiger Woods)remained defiant. In a prepared state-ment, he said: “We intend to stand firmbehind our right to make what are bothappropriate and private membershipchoices.”

Glendaletakes control

Glendale Golf has agreed a ten-yeardeal to take control of the Edwalton golfcourses in Nottinghamshire.

The Worcestershire-based companyalready maintains ten courses, but theEdwalton facility, owned by RushcliffeBorough Council, will be the first it hasboth maintained and managed.

“It’s a very exciting project for us,”said managing director Neil Simpson.“With our experience of maintainingcourses, it’s a natural development totake on the management role.”

Protesters have been angered byStockton Council’s approval of a newnine-hole course development on Teeside.

Members of the council gave theirbacking to the proposed development ofthe land at Ingleby Barwick, subject tocertain conditions - but the decisiondismayed protesters who objected toother arms of the project.

Jan Argar, chairman of the Council forthe Protection of Rural England StocktonDistrict Group, said her members felt theproposal was merely a means to get a

riverside restaurant built “through theback door.”

She explained: “This development isoutside the local plan and is on an areadesignated as a green wedge. While a golfcourse may be an appropriate thing toallow on the land, other parts of thedevelopment would be extremely intrusive.

“In addition to a restaurant, there arethe driving nets, viewing platform, talllighting and car parking. This is sendingout all the wrong messages. A greenwedge isn’t for that type of development.”

Anger over ‘Back-Door’development


‘The Willie Car’, conceived by Willie Gatti, an engineer with many years experiencein automotive design, has been developed as an exciting new option to meet thedemands of the custom golf car market. Gatti realised that few custom golf cars

included a roofline and fell short of providing the look of a car. Now thanks to hisinnovative design, ‘The Willie Car’ not only meets the aesthetic of a modern looking

vehicle, but also provides a new class of custom golf car.

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Modifications at Royal Liverpool

Blair sites golf managementBritish Prime Minister Tony Blair played down the relevance of university courses in

golf course management in the House of Commons recently. As debate raged over theprospect of new course fees for students - known as top-up fees - the Labour MP forCannock Chase, Tony Wright, used golf ironically in his question to his party leader.

He asked: “Now we have universities offering degree course in aromatherapy, rugbystudies and golf course management at the same time as the country has a desperateneed for skilled tradespeople, doesn’t this suggest we need a proper review of whatwe want our higher education system to be and how we are going to pay for it?”

Blair replied: “You are absolutely right - it is precisely for that reason that we havethe review under way.”

Jones happywith his work

European PGA Seniors tour playerDavid Jones has completed his reshapingof the picturesque Ardglass course inCounty Down, Ireland. Most of the workis on the back nine where he has intro-duced three new holes.

The alterations form part of a doubleat the progressive club, as Ardglass offi-cials have agreed to equal status for allmembers.

Jones is justifiably pleased with theoutcome of his three new holes. He said:“I used to pause on the 11th tee-box toadmire the fantastic setting. I oftenwondered ‘Wouldn’t that field on theright make a most magnificent par five.’Now it is here for everyone to enjoy.

“And, with its two new companion holesalong the cliff, and down to the sea, thereis a little loop of beautiful challengingholes added to the charming links.

“I have been tremendously impressedby the drive and vision the club hasbrought to this project,” he concluded.

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News


Scotts to close Suffolkmanufacturing base

The Scotts Company has announced that, following a three-month consultationperiod with staff, it has regretfully taken the decision to cease manufacturing at itssite in Bramford, near Ipswich, Suffolk. The news will not affect the staff and officesat Bramford, which will continue as the primary contact point for Scotts UK.

The decision has been taken following the company’s review of its fertilisers andchemicals manufacturing strategy in the UK, and production will be relocated toScotts’ Howden site in Goole, Yorkshire and another Scotts plant at Bourth inNormandy France.

Fungicide applications on aBuckinghamshire golf course have beenreduced by 60 per cent following a turfmaintenance programme dedicated toincreasing plant health.

Gerard’s Cross Golf Club near Marlowehas an 80 year-old parkland course, builton a varied soil structure which is claybased. Lee Robinson, who has beencourse manager for the last three years,says that although the club rarely closes,the greens rely on natural drainage.

“It’s a matter of trying to get thewater off them,” he says. “They’re madeup of top dressing over clay, andanything decent that’s on them, we’veput there ourselves.

“Fusarium is a serious problem roundhere. Every golf course suffers, but ours,being tree lined, has more shade andless air movement than most, whichdoesn't help.”

Familiar with Floratine’s soil amend-ment and foliar feed programmes fromhis last club, Flackwell Heath at HighWickham, Robinson uses their Pervadewetting agent (which is a true peni-trant), to keep the surface of his greensdry throughout the summer. This year,for the first time, he will continue withit during the winter.

“It’s a working thing. We’re trying toimprove all the time. Steve Horwood atChiltern Forest Golf Club in Wendoverused it all last winter with good results,so we’re going to see what happenshere.”

A balancingact to curbFusarium

St Andrews Links Trust has selectedDavid McLay Kidd to design its additionalpublic golf course at St Andrews, which isbeing created to meet rising demand atthe Home of Golf.

Kidd, whose recent projects include thehighly acclaimed Brandon Dunes inOregon, USA, and the new heathlandcourse, Queenwood, in Surrey, is the sonof Gleneagles course director Jimmy Kidd.

“The working party interviewed sixextremely good contenders and David wasselected for a number of reasons,” saidAlan McGregor, general manager of StAndrews Links Trust, which is responsiblefor the six public courses on the Links.

“He has the right experience andknowledge, and his achievements in hiscareer so far are very impressive. We arelooking forward to working with him onthis truly exciting new project, which willcreate a whole new dimension to golf atSt Andrews, as well as meeting the risingdemand from our various customers.”

Kidd, 34, who was born and raised inScotland, said: “I have always dreamed ofbeing given the opportunity to design acourse in my homeland, the birthplace ofthe game; however I could not haveimagined it would be at St Andrewsitself.

“The site selected by the Links Trusthas exceptional potential, a mile or so ofwater frontage, gentle rolling topographyand, fittingly, a breathtaking view acrossthe bay to the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ of StAndrews itself.

“I spent my childhood on and aroundthe classic courses in Scotland, and mycareer has allowed me to travel and playmany of the best courses elsewhere inthe world.

“I will be putting every effort intomaking this a world class golf courseworthy of association with the proud nameof St Andrews Links and all that it meansto the history and tradition of golf,”concluded a delighted Kidd.

St Andrews representsbiggest challenge to date


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COVER STORY

Cover StoryFollowing its success in the NorthAmerican and Asian markets, JencessSoftware & Technologies, Inc. is rapid-ly expanding into the European golfmarket as demand grows for a systemthat meets the requirements of Europe�scommercial golf club operators.

�Incredible!� was the reply fromJencess founder and president, KirkJensen, when asked to describe theresponse to Jencess� expansion into theEuropean golf market at the end of athree week visit to the region, whichincluded visits to seven different coun-tries and culminated in the PremièreGolf show in Marbella.

He added: �The European golf marketis one of the fastest growing in the worldand our entrance into it will furtherconsolidate our position as the leadingprovider of golf management solutions.�

With installations complete at someof the most prestigious facilities acrossthe region including St. Donat Golf &Country Club, Royal Mougins and LePrince de Provence in France andGardagolf Country Club in Italy, Jencessis solidifying its entry into the EuropeanMarket, with a number of installs sched-uled over the next few months in theUK, France, Italy and Spain.

Olivier Beauvois, of St Donat,Jencess� first European installation,summed up the reason for this success.

�We had been searching for asystem for some time within the localmarket and had even looked at severalproducts from outside Europe, but noneof them suited all of our requirements

as well as Jencess, with the major addi-tional advantage of local support,� hesaid.

Jencess UK technical director, HugoArmitage expressed his enthusiasm forthe Jencess system: �Following exten-sive analysis of other European golfsystems, our findings showed us thatwhat we have developed at Jencess hasan extremely high level of functionalityand scalability.

�Our modular approach enables usto be the �right-fit product� for almostany type of golf business.�

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Situations VacantThe English Golf Union�s 2002 survey has thrown up some interesting statistics concerningthe state of the English game and the development of junior golfers. David Bowers castshis eye over the report.

The two main points to comeout of the English GolfUnion�s membership ques-tionnaire 2002 relate to

vacancies and junior golf.While golf courses continue to be

built and existing clubs continue torenovate, there appears to be an imbal-ance in the industry.

Only half of the 1,896 affiliatedclubs responded to the questionnaire -and while the response is significantenough to determine some useful statis-tical analysis, it will also be of concernto EGU officials that half of the clubsappear content with their lot.

It can only be hoped that this doesnot signify the beginnings of a dichoto-my in the sport domestically, in thesame way the Premiership looks afterits own interests solely, in the footballindustry.

Of the 954 clubs who are obviouslykeen to learn about the state of thenation�s sport, it came as something of asurprise to learn that 89 per cent havemembership vacancies.

The figure seems unnaturally high -and while those outside the sport maypoint immediately to the old school tie

image and the cost of membership asthe main reason for vacancies, that onlytells part of the story.

The percentage of clubs activelyseeking new members (75%) and thosewho have admitted they would like helpwith recruitment (53%), are also high.InitiativesWhile 54 per cent of clubs alreadyactively run new initiatives to attractnew members, the figure of 35 per centwho have vacancies yet are doing noth-ing to fill them should set alarm bellsringing somewhere.

And it may well be in the corridorsof power at the EGU that they resonatewith a more ironic tone, for bringingthrough junior members is one answer -and therein lies another tale.

A staggering 30 per cent of clubs -almost one third of respondents - werenot aware of grant aid available fromthe EGU and ELGA to assist withjunior coaching.

This is disconcerting because theEGU sends out details of the fund annu-ally to each individual club, whichsuggests there may be something awrywith some clubs� administrative proce-dures.

If clubs are struggling for membersand there are funds available to helpwith junior coaching - the members ofthe future after all - why are some clubsnot accessing the fund?

Only they can answer that. Perhapsjunior golf is so far down the list ofpriorities, they would rather havevacancies than youngsters on thecourse. Or perhaps the wrong person isdealing with the paperwork.

Of the clubs aware of the funding,however, only 394 have taken advan-tage of it. This might suggest they werehappy with the state of their juniorsection if it were not for the statisticsthrown up by other areas of the survey.

Although the number of clubsproviding junior coaching in thesummer holidays has increased since2000, only 34 per cent of clubs offerweekly junior coaching - and 56 clubsoffer none at all.

Only seven per cent of clubs do nothave a junior organiser, but of those thatdo, 93 per cent have a club memberfulfiling the posts, presumably on avoluntary basis. That doesn�t leave a lotwho put their junior organisation in thehands of a professional - either the clubpro of the club secretary.

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Only 44 per cent have their juniororganiser as a member of the manage-ment committee, which won�t help withthe smooth integration into the club ofthe younger element.

The report itself states, in conclu-sion: �Junior golf continues to strugglein terms of numbers and most signifi-cantly girls� golf, which is why alonger-term strategy is the only wayforward.�

It continues: �Many golf clubs arestarting to relax some of the restrictionsthat previously existed and are becomingmore proactive towards youngsters asthey realise juniors are the future of golf.�

For the authors of the report to high-light this in conclusion is a significantmove. It indicates there is concern atthe EGU that too many clubs may bepaying merely lip service to their juniorsections.

It states that the percentage of juniormembership in England is just eight percent and �is still low compared to otherEuropean federations.�

Two of the aims of the researchwere to �highlight the effect that currentinitiatives have in attracting people into

the game and into golf club member-ship� and to �identify where resourcesare best focused in the future.�

To that end, it seems likely that theEGU will concentrate a large proportionof its time and effort on educating clubstowards the long-term significance ofjunior golf.

But it may also need to look closelyat the pecuniary health of clubs, whosehigh membership fees may be a neces-

sary evil as a result of spiralling costs,to the detriment of potential memberswho are put off by the fees.ViciousIt is a vicious circle that needs to beaddressed - and the EGU has alreadystarted to help in a small way after 534clubs requested their membershipvacancies be advertised on the EGUwebsite.

At the time of the research, therewere just under 39,000 vacancies. Andit would be fair to assume that the non-respondents are not all fully subscribedeither.

Bizarrely of the 29 per cent of clubswho still have a waiting list, 79 per centstill have membership vacancies -

presumably in the junior section, whichagain stresses the need for a concertedeffort in that area.

While some clubs have made join-ing easier, the report highlights the highproportion of clubs which require eithera handicap certificate - which may bedifficult for many to obtain - or theneed to be an associate of an existingmember, which may also be limitingapplications.

The method of joining at eitherjunior or adult level is a lot morecomplicated than clubs in most othersports and it is this methodology whichperpetuates the elitist perception of thesport by outsiders.

The EGU should, however, becongratulated on its far-sightedness incommissioning and publishing thisreport. The data within is enlighteningfor those both within the industry andoutside.

It can only be hoped that lessons canbe learned to safeguard the future of thesport, as it is in everyone�s interests toensure that the game continues toappeal to new members, irrespective ofage, sex, creed or social status.

�MANY GOLF CLUBS ARE STARTING TO RELAX SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS THAT PREVIOUSLY

EXISTED AND ARE BECOMING MORE PROACTIVE TOWARDS YOUNGSTERS AS THEY REALISE

JUNIORS ARE THE FUTURE OF GOLF.�

Horne Park Golf Club, Surrey has beenput up for sale with an asking price of£750,000. The nine-hole course, whichwas designed by Howard Swan, includesa driving range and practice facilities. A4,895 sq ft clubhouse with living accom-modation and a strong membership baseof 361 completes the portfolio.

Ben Allen, handling the sale for HLLHumberts Leisure said: “We frequentlyreceive requests from purchasers seekinggolf academy opportunities such asHorne Park which is an ideal businessfor someone seeking their first venturein the golf market.

“The property has been developedto a high standard and offers contin-ued growth potential.”

News


Dubai Festival City has unveiled anenvironmentally conscious design for its18-hole recreational golf course that willopen in September 2003.

The 7,250 yards, par 72, course, whichwill be rich in water features and lushwith plants indigenous to the ArabianGulf, has been designed by Robert TrentJones II.

It will form the centre of DubaiFestival City’s golfing community, whichwill include the clubhouse, a golf acade-my, executive town homes, apartmentsand a 150-room boutique hotel.

“Robert Trent Jones II has delivered adesign which is environmentally respon-sible and which will be challenging forthe seasoned golfer and a memorable

experience for the recreational player,”said Lee Tabler, chief executive officer,Dubai Festival City Development.

“The course will be a significant addi-tion to Dubai’s growing internationalstatus as a premier golfing destination.”

The golf course project will feature afloodlit driving range, sports academyand clubhouse. Interwoven throughoutthe course will be over 300 housingunits, Dubai Festival City’s first residen-tial offering.

This golf course residential offeringwill integrate into the layout of the golfcourse, optimising views over the course,the lakes and the landscape. It willprovide a unique alternative living stylefor Dubai.

Dubai unveils eco-friendlyTrent Jones design

Macfie callstime onHayter

Kim Macfie, sales and marketing direc-tor of Hayter is to retire from his posi-tion at the end of the year.

In announcing this news DerekBoulton, Hayter’s managing director,paid tribute to the contribution Macfiehas made to Hayter’s success over hiseighteen years with the company.

Commenting on his decision to retire,Derek Boulton said, “I have been privi-leged to know Kim for a short while onlybut have very quickly appreciated theesteem in which he is held.

“I know I speak for his colleagues andnumerous friends in wishing him a longand happy retirement. Kim leaves Hayterin excellent shape to cope with the chal-lenges of the future.

“It’s my aim to build on Kim’s legacy,and to preserve all that is best about thecompany as the industry knows it.”

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Ryder Cuprole for Hunter

Speaking after the recent successfulconclusion to the 34th Ryder Cup match-es played back in September, where ofcourse Europe triumphed, BevanTattersall, courses manager at the DeVere Belfry said: “Our objective was toensure that we had the capacity to notonly prepare the greens preceding theevent, but to maintain the highest stan-dards during the tournament.

“We achieved this by reflecting thesame degree of team work and commit-ment as the European players.

“Working closely with the team fromJohn Deere and the engineers fromHunter Grinders we operated a 24-hour

on-call system that allowed us to reactto whatever situation arose. and dealwith it quickly and efficiently”

Meanwhile, two new members ofHunter Grinders joined managing directorKeith Cann-Evans at an exhibition in Osloto support the newly appointedNorwegian dealer, Reinhardt Maskin AS.

News


Following completion of a pilot schemein June 2001 to drain the tenth fairwayat the Army Golf Club, Aldershot,Speedcut Contractors were asked toreturn to the club to install a drainagesystem on a further 15 fairways.

Contract negotiations and all adminis-trative matters were concluded at theend of January 2002, which enabledSpeedcut to include this major project intheir programme at a time commensuratewith the wishes of the club and itsmembers.

However, this careful planning wasseverely disrupted by persistent wetweather, but despite this delay all workswere completed within the allotted time.

“The original contract period of 12weeks was reduced to just 10 weeks,”explained contracts manager KevinSmith.

“During this period, almost 30,000metres of pipe drains and 12,000 metresof slitt drains were installed. Main drainswere installed to a depth of 750mm, andmany of them began running immediate-ly, and early indication that the designcriteria was being satisfied.

“All drains were backfilled with 10mmgraded, washed aggregate and toppedwith selected sports rootzone.

“In areas which the club had identifiedas being of particular concern, additionalslitt drainage was installed to improvelateral water movement towards the pipedrains,” concluded Smith.

Play continued throughout the contractwith only two holes being closed at anyone time. Close liaison with head green-keeper Phil Wentworth and club secretaryJohn Douglass meant that members werekept informed at each stage.

Army club turns to Speedcutfor problematic drainage

Officials at a Scottish club are huntingmembers believed to have hacked downtrees to make a hole easier.

Two 15 ft fir trees blocked a clear teeshot to the ninth green at TillicoultryGolf Club, near Stirling, but they havebeen chopped down with a hacksaw withclub officers blaming frustrated golfers.

Greens convenor Andy McPherson said:“The trees do come into play and quite alot of golfers hit them with their golfballs.

“Some members have gone on aboutthem being taken down, so they can geta better hit at the green - but they haveno right or authority to do this.”

Hackers willbe banned

Ryder Cup director Richard Hills hailedthe work taking place at Celtic Manorduring a recent visit and claimed thevenue was becoming the “MillenniumStadium” of golf.

He visited the Gwent club in Octoberas work began on a £12m revamp to gearit up for hosting the 2010 event.

The ‘stadium’ feel Hills referred to willbe created by a natural hillside adjacentto the three closing holes, providingunrivalled viewing facilities.

Hills said: “It’s something that excitesus. The viewability which that designwill afford is going to be a big additionto professional golf. The escarpmentwhere the holes will be built and thecomplete elevation of a huge number ofpeople will make this the MillenniumStadium of golf.”

Celtic Manor’s Andy Stanton hopes thenew amphitheatre effect will encourageRyder Cup officials to increase spectatorcapacity for the event to 50,000 -presently between 35,000 and 40,000tickets are allocated.

Ross McMurray of European Golf Designconfirmed that although initial work hadbegun on an interim par-three, secondhole for the Welsh Open, construction onthe new holes and clubhouse in the UskValley would not begin until summer2003 at the earliest.

He said: “We won’t start on the otherholes before next year’s Welsh Open, andit may be later depending on the worksprogramme, tournament dates and theweather.

“We have ample time to build and bedin the new holes and iron out any snags.”

Hills HailsStadium Feel

With nearly five years greenkeeping experience at the De Vere Belfry, Andy Woodhas learnt a thing or two about producing quality golf courses. “The experience Igained from working at such a prestigious golf course has stood me in very good

stead,” said Wood. “When I started at Cosby my first priority was to update themachines, and having used John Deere for the previous five years, and experienced

the first class service from the local John Deere dealer, it was my first choice.”

New Deere fleet for Cosby


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Mox UK Ltd, specialists in the contract hire of golf cars, have recently moved intospacious new premises on the Wildmere Industrial Park in Banbury, two minutes fromthe M40. Previously working out of two premises, one in Redditch and one nearWantage, the move means the storage of all vehicles and service parts, as well assupport services, are under one roof.

Mox International is part of the Lease Plan Group, a worldwide leader in car rental.The Lease Plan Group, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO one of thelargest banks in the world.

Mox on the move

North-east’s asports mecca

Tourism chiefs in Northumbria havelaunched a drive to make the north-easta mecca for golfers. They want to luredevotees by drumming up the attractionsof the regions stunning courses.

Northumbria Tourist Board (NTB) hasdesignated £50,000 to boost the sportwhich last year brought nearly £120m tothe region. It wants to unite coursesranging from the prestigious Slaley Hallcomplex to compact Wooler, which hasan honesty box for players to contribute.

The campaign hopes not only to securethe 5,000 jobs said to dependent on golfin the region, but also boost the work-forces of the suppliers, shops and 100courses devoted to the sport.

Richard Spencer, NTB marketing direc-tor, said: “We aspire to be one of theprime golfing destinations in the UK.

“We have some truly amazing courseswith fantastic vistas of castles andcoastline in Northumberland, and greatcountryside further south.”


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Family Fortunes


Astern warning that some golfclubs in the UK could faceclosure comes from PhilHarrison who played the

European Tour for 12 years and is nowrunning his own course in Surrey wherecompetition for business is intense.

�There are a lot of courses devel-oped in the 1980s and 90s that jumpedin without due regard for the essentialconsideration - location. The rush beganwith farmers selling their land for cours-es in the hope of making a lot of moneydespite the sites being unsuitable.

�Too many courses were built, notonly of indifferent quality, but in wrongareas like flood plains. When a courseis laid out on non-golfing land onlyproblems can and will result and we areseeing that happen now. Winter�Such courses may make money in thesummer but when the rains come in thewinter months all that is given away.Some courses are closed for weeks onend and are losing money hand over fist.That situation cannot continue indefi-nitely. Many will go to the wall.� "

When husband and wife duo Phil and Louise Harrison purchased Duke�s Dene from previousowners Clubhaus, they set about changing the whole ethos of the club - including re-brandingthe clubs identity. John Vinicombe met-up with the ambitious couple.

PROFILE


When Harrison, 45, became thejoint owner with wife Louise ofWoldingham in September, 2001 it wasthe result of diligent searching. Heknew what he wanted and wasn�tprepared to fall into the trap that hassnared so many unwary investors.

�When I decided to buy it was withexactly the same approach as lookingfor a house. In other words what everyestate agent will tell you - location,location, location.

�I was looking for the ideal type ofland, chalk and limestone. That is aguarantee of playing in the wettestweather and not getting mud on yourshoes let alone the trauma of being ableto stay open or not.�

But Harrison wasn�t your specula-tive owner. He had a career steeped inthe game at all levels and knew thepitfalls to avoid.

When finishing as a tournament proin 1991, Harrison became director ofgolf at Aldwark Manor near Yorkhaving previously been director of golffor Sir John Hall and playing a majorrole in the development of the course atWynard in Cleveland. He also workedat Eden Golf Club, Carlisle and again intandem with Louise.

�I was being recruited in looking atother people�s courses and trying to turnthem around and in that way I set up acourse for Sir John Hall. When thatwork was finished I did a six monthsfeasibility study for Kevin Keegan whowas then manager of Newcastle Unitedand with whom I became very friendly.

�When Kevin became Englandmanager he had to concentrate on hisnew job instead and by this time I haddeveloped a good feel for marketing.�

When Phil and Louise thought ittime to look around for their owncourse it needed input from otherinvestors and behind Woldingham is aJersey-based company although theonly shareholders are the Harrisons.Ambition�We have quite a good stake in theproperty business and the course, thencalled Duke�s Dene, was bought fromClubhaus. I wouldn�t say it had alwaysbeen an ambition to own my owncourse. As a youngster my real ambi-tion was to be a tournament golfer and Iachieved that.

�In the first year of trading atWoldingham we struggled a bit but thatwas only to be expected. Clubhaus hadreciprocal membership arrangements

with other clubs in their group, butagainst that they had different managersand there was a lack of continuity.

�Now we have recruited a lot ofmembers back and more. I think themembers like the club being run familystyle and there has been no adversereaction from newcomers to a joiningfee now being charged.

�Golf in the UK is still pretty cheapand clubs will have to start pushing feesup and that includes the elitist ones.�

At Woldingham there are 600members and Harrison has achieved adifficult balance of keeping them happywhile pursuing a policy of attractingcorporate business and utilising the func-tion room where there is seating for 150.

The course, situated in the scenicHalliloo Valley between the villages ofWarlingham and Woldingham is onlyfive or six minutes off the M25. Withina 20 minutes driving radius there is ahuge golfing population but plenty ofclubs that Harrison describes as,�aggressively-run.� CompetitionHe welcomes competition and needs nolessons in how to woo the punters.Prospective members are accorded acourtesy round.

�IN THE FIRST YEAR OF TRADING AT WOLDINGHAM WE STRUGGLED A BIT BUT THAT WAS ONLY TO BE

EXPECTED. CLUBHAUS HAD RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP ARRANGEMENTS WITH OTHER CLUBS IN THEIR

GROUP, BUT AGAINST THAT THEY HAD DIFFERENT MANAGERS AND THERE WAS A LACK OF CONTINUITY.


Just down the road, are the Wester-ham and Surrey National coursesowned by Ron Noades whom Harrisondescribes as an, �astute businessman.�

Maybe the heat in the kitchenbecame too hot when Duke�s Denewent bust for £18m. Japanese-owned,the club had an up market business planthat never really happened. High inter-est rates at the time didn�t help.

But the par 71 championship coursethat opened in May, 1996, and designedby the American architect BradfordBenz, stood up to scrutiny. Phil Harrisonsays it was, �expensive to buy� althoughthere are no regrets whatsoever.

As a throwback to associations withKevin Keegan and Newcastle United,Phil and Louise welcomed AlanShearer for his golf day at Woldinghamwhen £70,000 was raised for theNSPCC and the Golf Foundation.

An astute business executive likeHarrison has more than one string to hisbow. He built up Scenic Golf specialisingin all aspects of course design, manage-ment and event management. While Philand Louise make an ideal business teamthey found enough time to raise two chil-dren, Jack 12 and Jessica eight.

As a tournament player Harrisontravelled the world and in ten yearswon nearly £80,000, qualifying for theOpen Championship five times andwinning the Pepsi Cola Challenge inRio in 1987. That same year, he alsofinished as runner-up in the BrazilianOpen.ExperienceHe is, therefore, a man with experienceof golf at every level and vitally knowswhat his members and customers want.

A fair proportion of members workin the City of London so, what could bemore natural than doing a pick-up serv-ice from the nearest railway station sothat commuters from London Bridgeand Victoria can shorten the time ingetting to the course.

It is details like that which makeWoldingham so attractive. Nothing isoverlooked and the latest improvementis a three-year agreement with TextronGolf and Turf to provide a full range ofmaintenance equipment and light utilityvehicles.

Phil and Louise Harrison are deter-mined to make a success of the newventure and after just over a year are wellon the way to achieving their goal.

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21-23BTME/ClubhouseHarrogate23-26PGA Merchandise ShowOrlando, Florida

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5-7Golf Europe, Munich29-31PGA Merchandise ShowToronto, Ontario

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october 2003

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10-13The MastersAugusta National, Georgia

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From Little Acorns...


With many golf clubs inEngland facing amembership crisis, it istime for clubs to dedi-

cate themselves to developing a begin-ners� programme, such as SNAG(standing for Starting New At Golf).

This innovative programme canrejuvenate your club�s membership listsand inject your finances with new lifeand energy.

Recent research from the EGU (seepage three) and the English Ladies GolfAssociation has revealed the extent ofthe national member shortage, with 89per cent of clubs who responded statingthat they have membership vacancies,75 per cent of whom are actively seek-ing new members.

This almost universal problem canbe tackled in a number of ways, but themost permanent solution must lie inattracting youngsters into the sport -and keeping them there for life.

It is vital to encourage young peopleinto golf, not least because dwindlingmembership figures mean lost income,and other membership and financedrives are likely to have less permanentimpact on the overall figures.

To balance the books, a golf clubcan increase subscriptions, which arelikely to prove unacceptable to existingmembers; cut costs; attempt to increaseadult memberships or develop newmarkets - such as young peopleElitistGolf has traditionally suffered from anelitist tag which has been hard to shake,especially for private clubs.

With the growth of public pay-and-play courses, opted for by many whofeel uncomfortable with the restrictionsof traditional clubs, it is especiallyimportant for clubs to secure theirfutures by investing in a beginner�sprogramme, such as SNAG, in order tofunnel new blood in from the bottom.

Getting the youngsters in is likely toprove a worthy investment of anyclub�s time and money. Children startsports young - Tiger Woods first pickedup a club at the tender age of three -and with such a host of competition,from Game Cubes to football, theyounger they start, the more likely theyare to stick with it.

After all, as the Jesuits said, �showme the boy at seven and I�ll show youthe man.�

Most sports have realised by now that by introducing children at an early enough age candrastically bolster memberships in later life. But can the same really be said for golf?Jenni O�Connor reports on a new initiative that could change your club�s way of thinking.


What was true of religion fourhundred years ago is no less true ofleisure today, and in the meantimeparents are keen to see their childreninvolved in healthy, outdoor activities.

Moreover, beginners are adults too -not just kids. Experience shows thatthose starting with SNAG learn quicker,developing their swing faster andmaking the transition to real golf easier.

Designed to be fun, SNAG wasdevised by two former American PGATour Players, Wally Armstrong and TerryAnton, who have a passion for teachingand making golf accessible to all.

The original kit was reputedlydrawn up on the back of a napkin, andTom Lehman, winner of the 1996 Open,formally endorses SNAG, and hascalled it �more fun than real golf.� Evenmore importantly, the game also holdsits head high as an effective teachingsystem.

Described by Betty Clarke, thedirector of education and research at theAmerican LPGA, as �the most compre-hensive and refreshing� teachingsystem on the market, SNAG usesbrightly coloured, oversized, light, andabove all perfectly balanced, clubs andballs to enable children and adult learn-ers alike to improve their technique andaccuracy very fast - without causingany damage. FunTo increase both fun and playability, theSNAG Coaching System includes fixed,and even moving targets which the ballsstick to, and specially designed �launchpads� which serve as both a tee and ahighly effective anchor for the wholeswing set-up.

SNAG is therefore independent ofthe playing surface and with its lowcompression, large balls it can beplayed virtually anywhere, in restrictedor open spaces from a school gym orplayground to a golf practice area.

The programme also includes amanual called Encouraging Beginnersinto the Sport. This sets out in detailhow to integrate and manage beginnerswithin the club, so as not to upset theestablished membership.EndorsementsIt has been selected as the preferred�first touch� system by PGAs andFederations around the world, includingthe US, Japan, Sweden, Denmark,Belgium and Holland and is installed inover 2000 golf and educational facili-ties. Formal endorsements include thePGA of Belgium and the LPGA ofJapan.

The other major barrier to taking upgolf has always been cost - and SNAGcan help in this department too.

They are promoting a starter pack(consisting of a �launcher � club, a�launch pad�, two SNAG balls and 30minute instructional video) and sixgroup lessons with a participating pro -which will cost just £49.

Beginners will each receive apersonal development plan and a certifi-cate at the end of the course. The safenature and limited space requirement ofSNAG allows beginners to acceleratetheir progress by using their ownSNAG equipment for practising inbetween lessons in any open space oreven at home - this keeps up the enthu-siasm and interest which goes withimprovement and early success.

Its fun nature and the fast learningcurve possible with the SNAG systemgreatly reduces the frustration whichbeginners learning the traditional wayoften experience, further increasingtheir chances of staying with the game -and going on to invest in green fees andclub memberships for many years tocome.

In other words, SNAG can helpkeep the game alive, which can only begood for the industry as a whole.

GETTING THE YOUNGSTERS IN IS LIKELY TO PROVE A WORTHY

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THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO STICK WITH IT.

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Customers Say Our Cars Are The Best We would agree. Independent customer surveys have shown time andagain that Club Car vehicles are rated first in performance and reliability. Our revolutionary new IQ system provides you with a safer, morereliable car that is fun for golfers to use. Our Cars also run on a unique light weight aluminium chassis that doesn't rust and produces thelightest car on the market.

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The Goddess of Love

CLUB INSIGHT


Aphrodite is, legend has it,the goddess of beauty andlove. Apparently, she waft-ed in from the foaming sea

off the south-west coast of Cyprus andlanded on a virgin beach near Paphos, atown now famous for its treasure-troveof ancient mosaics.

Given her celestial charms, the storyis she had a very warm welcome. But ifshe slipped into Paphos today, Venus�alter ego would struggle to find some-where to lay her head.

The town�s attractions appear to begeared more to those on a package holi-day than the more casual visitor.Paphos is reported to have few decentplaces to stay.WorshipedHowever, if she were to drive another tenminutes south along the coast, she�d soonalight upon Aphrodite Hills; a brand newdevelopment where both beauty and love- love of golf, sun and quite a few otherthings leisurely - are slated to beworshiped in equal measure. And theunfinished temple is already drawing awilling congregation and accoladesfrom miles around.

The £150m integrated leisure and realestate resort includes a five-star Inter-Continental Resort Hotel, a health spa,gymnasium and tennis academy, plus an18-hole championship specked golfcourse (designed by Cabell Robinson)and golf academy - all set in 578 acres ofvibrant, Cypriot terrain, dripping witholive groves and carob trees.

If hedonism were a god, he�d proba-bly be playing golf at Aphrodite Hills.There are two other 18-hole golf cours-es in Cyprus, but this is the first projectof its kind on the island with such anexpansive remit.

Reports are that another five morecourses are planned for the world-renowned Island of love, splendour andsunshine over the next five years.Whether they�ll share the breadth ofAphrodite Hills� brief remains to be seen.

But as far as the Cyprus TourismOrganisation is concerned, the visionbehind this particular bold initiative isthree-fold. Firstly, to help establishCyprus as an international destinationfor playing and learning golf.

Secondly, to improve tourism in�shoulder� periods of early spring andlate autumn, and finally, to promote thegame on the island and introducejuniors to the sport.

One gets the distinct impression thatthe Cypriot authorities are not lookingto fulfil their vision using half measures- despite limited experience in large-scale resort development. An impressionwhich didn�t evade the course�s world-renowned designer, Cabell Robinson.

�Cyprus had the foresight andconviction to do what few other, muchlarger tourist countries had done, i.e.assemble a large professional designteam - at considerable up-front cost - toformulate a meaningful and viablemaster plan with which to seek plan-ning permission. "

Rob Wright struggles to avoid getting bitten by the love bug from a new golf, leisure andreal estate concept still in development on a beautiful island state at the crossroads ofEurope, Asia and Africa.


�I have been designing courses herein Europe for more than thirty yearsnow and I have rarely had the goodfortune to be part of such a qualifiedteam.�

With such a prestigious designer on-board, the authorities are plainly hopingto attract competitions that�ll draw aninternational crowd to their shores;hence the championship speckedcourse, the wide-ranging complementof family-focused leisure facilities andthe 290-bedroom five-star hotel devel-opment, due for completion in Spring2004.DeveloperLanitis Development Ltd own andmanage the course. They are asubsidiary of the Lanitis Group ofCompanies - the second largest employ-er in Cyprus.

Large resort developments centredon golf and real estate are primarily anAmerican phenomenon. However,Lanitis seem to have learnt a few thingsfrom their transatlantic cousins.

In November 2001, top resort devel-opers from around the world gatheredat the Royal Ascot Ballroom for theInternational Property Awards and sawAphrodite Hills given the MercedesBenz Gold Award for the Best CypriotDevelopment - the only time a resortstill under construction has ever wonthe �Best� award in its category.

Meanwhile, sales have continued atan impressive pace. Over 45 per cent ofthe properties were sold in the first year(2001) alone.

Quite clearly, the area�s unique mixof sensitively-designed, low-risespacious villas, townhouses and apart-ments, with wide-ranging family-focused leisure facilities carries interna-tional appeal and are set to reap hugerewards for the developers.

Although officially opened byPresident Glafcos Clerides of Cypruson November 1st this year, the coursewas actually unwrapped for the public amonth earlier.

Early reports are that it�s playingextremely well. At first glance,Robinson�s design has Stateside writtenall over it. The large, free-form tieredtees with wide, undulating fairways andexpansive, well-bunkered greens allhave his home continent�s signatureabout them.

But what�s particularly distinctiveabout this course is that it�s set on twofairly high, gently-sloping plateaus witha deep, verdant gorge bisecting the two.

Robinson hasn�t ducked thisextraordinary feature and has set thechallenge of a 200m carry across thecanyon off the back tees on the thirdhole. It�s a par five and then some.

And the steep-sided ravine dramati-cally features again on the seventh, witha feisty 30m-elevation drop complicat-ing club selection to the large, undulat-ing green, which has somehow had itsfulsome, bunker-bearing hips squeezedinto a grove of old olive trees at thebottom of the gorge. BuggiesPlayers on this buggy-only course willhave a further do-or-die mission justgetting down to the green and up out ofthe canyon to the next tee along alengthy, meandering cart path.

Back among the clouds, however,the plateaus themselves are carved outof a government protected �forest� ofcarob and olive trees and comecomplete with mountain views.

From this fairly lofty vantage point,it�s possible to see the sparkling blueMediterranean Sea from all but a fewholes around the course. At between130-200m above sea-level, if you�re noton top of your game, the views alonemay mean that it takes you a while toget round.

Even so, the fairways are generousoff the tee. Robinson�s thinking is thatit is after all a resort course �and play-ers should enjoy their game rather thanbe constantly punished by losing ballsin the rough alongside narrow fair-ways.�

�CYPRUS HAD THE FORESIGHT AND CONVICTION TO DO WHAT

FEW OTHER, MUCH LARGER TOURIST COUNTRIES HAD DONE, I.E.

ASSEMBLE A LARGE PROFESSIONAL DESIGN TEAM - AT CONSIDER-

ABLE UP-FRONT COST - TO FORMULATE A MEANINGFUL AND VIABLE

MASTER PLAN WITH WHICH TO SEEK PLANNING PERMISSION.�


Fact FileClub: Aphrodite Hills (Lantis Development)

c/o 1 Promachon Eleftherias Street, 2nd FloorSuite 303, Ayios Athanasios, 4103 LimassolCyprus

Telephone: 00 357 26 818 700Facsimile: 00 357 26 818 701Email: [email protected]: www.aphroditehills.com

Golf Director: Michael Stagnetto

Course Info: 18-hole CourseRed Course: Par 71, 6665 metres (Opened 2002)

Members: N/AGreen Fee: €77

And then there�s the length of thecourse itself to consider. For a par 71,6,665m is quite a stretch and does makethe buggy-only rule a welcome restriction. InterludesNevertheless, the cart paths connectingthe holes look set to provide playerswith relaxing interludes through a large-ly unspoilt landscape (only eight percent of the site has been developed) asRobinson was at pains to build �a play-ing field which has not been created todominate the natural environment but toharmonise with it.�

Every hole has multiple tee boxes tovary the length at which the hole can beplayed. Aside from the pro tees at theback, each hole has two sets of men�stees (competition and normal) and unusu-ally, two sets of women�s tees as well.

But then, why shouldn�t equalityalight upon golf, too? It�s made a playmost everywhere else these days.Subsequently, the lads get to play to6,600 and 6,200 yards, whilst the ladiescan play at around 5,600 and 5,200 yards.

With 340 more-or-less bankabledays of sunshine each year, the coursewas naturally going to rely on hybridwarm season grasses to survive.

But to ensure that lush, luxury lookassociated with the most picturesquecourses, automatic irrigation was amust.

But as rainwater can sometimes beabsent for as long as five months at atime in the Mediterranean, the teamhad quite a battle on their hands to getall the water the course needed. Therewere the usual delays, protracted nego-tiations and tussles over preclusivepiping costs.

Together with the decisions toinclude a sewage recycling plant forirrigation and a costly desalinationsystem, the determination to ensure thecourse looks and plays better by beingwell-served with adequate water, allappears to have been worthwhile, judg-ing by the pictures on these pages.

Then came the tiptoeing aroundhistory. Ten thousand years of bygonedays and civilisation were bound tothrow up a few surprises and, sureenough, quite a few artifacts of histori-cal interest saw the light of day againafter an extended period of retirement.Ancient ruins and old limestone kilns,as well as old olive presses and cisternsbegan to appear.

Work was initially delayed for thebest part of a year while archaeologistsextensively surveyed the land, butpatience prevailed as the wait eventual-ly paid off. One old limestone kiln actu-ally features in one of the bunkers,whilst a few others punctuate the liesurrounding some of the holes.

For all the effort involved, AphroditeHills really does look as if it deservesevery success. Sensitively co-ordinatingarchitecture and environmentally-friend-ly landscaping have combined to createa very sincere facsimile of Cyprus�history and culture. HavenNaturally, she wouldn�t have had anysay in the matter, but I get the impres-sion Aphrodite would have assented tothe use of her name in connection withsuch a potentially sensual haven ofdelight.

And with her heavenly familyconnections, she could probably affordto invest in a little real estate, too,which would solve the accommodationissue should she struggle to get theamount of attention she�s been used tofrom her typical, pleasure-seeking disci-ples.

New year; New show


The 2003 British TurfManagement Exhibition atHarrogate will once againoffer greenkeepers an ideal

opportunity to see for themselves whatthe market has to offer.

Last year�s show attracted 8,629visitors over the three days, and, withthe introduction of the Clubhouse exhi-bition, that figure should be exceededover the three days of January 21-23.

The exhibition will play host tostands from the best-known players inthe market - and also one or two lesserlights, keen to show their products canprove just as effective.

A quick browse through theprogramme throws up some familiarnames and hopefully this feature willgive just a taster of what you can findon offer.

Dennis will be displaying its famedbrand of mowers on stand B32 - andthis year, the Derbyshire-based compa-ny is stressing the �multi-tasking� abili-ties of its products.

The FT mower range, offered in 17,20 and 24in widths, is based around aremovable �cassette� system whichenables the one machine to performmany functions.

There is a choice of ten cassettes,including the five and nine-bladedcutting cylinders, for the traditionalstriped finish; scarifiers with 1mm and2mm wide blades; a verti-cutter; a tung-sten-tipped verti-cuter offering greaterdurability; a turf brush; a slitter; a sorrelroller; and an ironing roller.

In addition, the company will also beexhibiting an extensive range of Brayhand tools as well as a variety of newtools from Better Methods (Australia) Pty.ZallysSister company, Zallys UK, will be onthe Dennis stand displaying the EcoPowered Carriers range of environmen-tally friendly, battery-powered loaders,available in either pedestrian or ride-onversions.

The Scotts Company, one ofEurope�s leading authorities on turfnutrition and peat control, is launchinga new active ingredient approved for usagainst turf diseases in the UK sportsand amenity market.

This bucks the recent trend forcompanies in the marketplace to with-draw active ingredients because of thehigh cost of registration and approval.Greenkeepers will be offered a briefingon the new fungicide, which is claimed tobe particularly effective against fusarium.

The company will also be display-ing the benefits of its new range oforganic-based turf fertilisers and willexhibit - for the first time - the newScotts Sportsmaster Organic High N(13+5+10+TE).

Designed for all turf areas with amowing height in excess of 12mm,Sportsmaster Organic offers thebalanced analysis appropriate for usethroughout the growing season.

Stand B5 houses Lindum Turf,which has made the short journey fromits base at York. It is concentrating onits three main turf grades - Tees Turf;Ryegreen and LT1 Greens.

At 70 to 80 per cent bent, LT1Greens, is possibly the highest percent-age bent grass turf available in the UK.

The mixture of browntop bent,chewings and slender creeping redfescue has been at the forefront of thecompany�s sports turf list since itsinitial development 12 years ago.

Campey Turf Care Systems willmaintain its reputation for constantexpansion of its range by unveiling arear-mounted stone and gravel chuteattachment for the Dakota 410 turftender, on stand B35.

The new attachment enables newly-installed drainage trenches to be back-filled as part of the same operation,affording greater productivity.

The 410 is the smallest of fourversatile units that comprise the Dakotarange, allowing groundstaff to use onemachine to transport materials, applytop dressing, spread fertiliser, sow seed,fill bunker and level earth.CampeyCampey will also be launching a newmachine in the KORO range of turfrenovation equipment and will bedisplaying, for the first time, theRAYCAM Hi-Lift Trailer, designed toease the task of top-dressing application.

The impressive performance ofBarenbrug�s popular perennial ryegrass,Bargold, will be on display at stand A20.

Introduced a year ago, Bargold hasproved extremely successful with golfclubs throughout the UK, includingthose at St Andrews. It is now includedin two key Barenbrug seed mixtures. "

The 2003 installment of BTME promises to be the biggest yet following the acquisition byBIGGA of the Clubhouse Show. David Bowers takes a look at who will be doing what overa busy three-day period toward the end of January.

BTME 2003

The Jacobsen LF-1880 is the lightest 5-gang fairway mower on the market, weighing in at under a tonne. Patented, articulating 46cm (18") reels precisely follow ground contours delivering a smooth, uniform finish on undulating fairways, approaches and surrounds.Find out about the Jacobsen LF-1880, LF-3400, LF-3800 and LF-4677 on Stand A23 at BTME 2003.

Greens mower precision with fairway mowerproductivity: the NEW Jacobsen LF-1880

www.ransomesjacobsen.comCentral Avenue, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich IP3 9QG England. Tel: +44 (0)1473 270000 Fax: +44 (0)1473 276300


It forms 30 per cent of Bar Platinum- including leading bents and fescuesfor a hard-wearing, disease-resistantsward that establishes quickly and isdrought tolerant - which is recommend-ed for tees and fairways.

And Bargold is one of three perenni-al ryegrasses in the Bar Extreme blend,which is selected to provide a veryhard-wearing sward resilient to closemowing and one which recovers quick-ly from damage. Again, ideal for teesand fairways.

Surrey-based Charterhouse Turfmachinery is launching an addition tothe Antonio Carraro range of highwork-rate, super-compact tractor.

Although the company is yet torelease full details of the new product, itclaims it will be a welcome addition to�one of the most comprehensive equip-ment line-ups for all major greenkeep-ing tasks� at the exhibition.

The company will also be promot-ing the range of Verti-Drain deep aera-tors, the Rink range of top-dressingmachines, the Turf Tidy range of attach-ments and a selection of spikers, corersand core collectors. The Haslemere turfspecialist can be found on stand B33.

A newcomer to BTME is Hertford-shire-based Bayer Environ-mentalScience. The company was formedfollowing the takeover of AventisEnvironmental Science last summer.

While the company may be new, theproducts on stand C33 will be familiarto groundstaff - fungicide RovralGreen; the worm suppression/fungicideMildothane Turf Liquid; and herbicidesSpearhead and Finale.

The difference is, they are all nowpromoted under the Chipco ProfessionalProduct brand name - the umbrellabrand for Bayer world-wide. Thecompany will have its well-respectedtechnical manual - including an exten-sive weed identification library andpests and diseases wall chart - availablefree of charge.

Vitax has recognised the need foruniformity and will launch the slow-release, fine turf granular fertiliser,

LongLast, in three languages, followingsuccessful trials in Germany andBelgium.

The product, which can be seen onthe Leicestershire-based company standat A8, will be available for French,Spanish and German-speaking green-keepers in packaging printed in theirnative tongues.

The new, multi-lingual 25kg bagscome in response to an increasingEuropean demand for a product whichhas performed well in the UK since itslaunch at BTME 2001.

Sales and amenity manager, CliveWilliams, believes putting the smallprint in the appropriate language is anatural progression. He said: �Theconcept of a totally soluble, granularfertiliser is revolutionary enough, with-out the added complication of alanguage barrier.�LaunchpadJohnsons Sport and Amenity is onceagain using BTME as a launchpad fornew products - this time for several newcultivars, including DLF Trifolium�sManor Agrostis Tenuis.

Manor is claimed to offer a superbcombination of both high-shoot densityand tolerance to close mowing, thusreducing weed invasion. It provides atrue putting surface as well as an attrac-tive all-year-round dark green colour.

Ransomes Jacobsen�s new JacobsenE-Walk and LF-1880 mowers maketheir debuts at the exhibition. The E-Walk is a new all-electric walk-behindgreens mower, while the LF-1880 is afive-reel lightweight fairway mower.

Stand A23 will also showcase the E-Z-Go LPG TXT golf car with Prolink�sonboard GPS monitor and informationsystem, and many other key productsfrom the Jacobsen and E-Z-Go range.

Bernhard will be offering free on-site demonstrations to show visitors ofits Express Dual and Anglemastergrinders.

Supporting the PGA Tour in 2002,Bernhard used the Express Dual 3000spin grinder and Anglemaster 3000

bottom blade grinder to ensure all cylin-der mowers cut to tournament perfec-tion every day. To see the full rangeavailable, visit Bernhard on stand B31.

Another launch is that of the new3696M Articulator rotary mower, onstand C40, distributed in Europe byLastec UK.ProcedureA manual height adjustment version ofthe popular 3696H, the new additionadds 18 seconds to the height-changingprocedure, with a cost saving of £2,000.Powered by a 36hp water-cooledKubota diesel engine, the new modeltackles even severe slopes with ease.

Farm and Garden Machinery�s standat C23, will feature the range of highly-durable, Japanese Shibaura tractors,out-front rotary mowers and powerequipment.

The company will also be showcas-ing the Tanaka range of low-vibrationbrush cutters, as well as hedge trim-mers, pole hedge trimmers, chainsawsand blowers.

On stand C26, Headland will launchits revolutionary TriCure surfactant inpellet form. Already available as aliquid or granule, TriCure now comes inpellets, specifically designed for hoseend applicators.

Available in three pellet packs, thepellets reduce run-off during irrigationand rainfall, as well as effectivelypreventing and treating localised dryspots.PeopleBut BTME is not just about products -it�s about people too, and their expert-ise. Contractor MJ Abbott will beexhibiting fresh from the recentcompletion of a splendid Kyle Phillips-designed, 18-hole course at The Grove,Kings Langley.

The venue is set to become�London�s country estate� when it opensin July.

Abbott has also recently carried outsympathetic reconstruction of the fourthgreen at the Harry Colt-designedSwinley Forest GC, Sunninghill.


�As it is a Colt original, consideredto be one of his best courses, it wasvital we did not significantly change thevisual characteristics of the hole,�explained Abbott�s contracts directorNigel Wyatt.

To see how they did it - andrevamped the existing irrigation systemwith Rainbird 750 eagle valve in headsprinklers - visit stand C7.

Swan Golf Designs will be exhibit-ing on stand M23. The company hasrecently been commissioned by theCzech Golf federation to undertake afeasibility study into the provision ofsimple golf facilities - practice grounds,academies, three, six and nine-holecourses and ranges - throughout theformer eastern bloc country.

Such an undertaking merelyexpands further an already impressiveportfolio which extends from Iceland toOman and from the USA to China.

Current renovation projects includeGolf Club Hubbelrath, Golf Und LandClub Koln, Royal Wimbledon, RoyalEastbourne and Aberdovey, while newcourses are being designed for Essex,China, Zagreb, the Ukraine and fourprojects with St Andrews InternationalGolf developments.

The new Toro SimpleSet Rotor willbe unveiled on stand M10, which willoffer greenkeepers an exceptionallycost-effective pop-up sprinkler whichdelivers outstanding performance.

Ideal for golf courses, sports fieldsand landscaping applications, the newSimpleset sprinkler is very easy toadjust - just a simple twist of the adjust-ment band on the pop-up confirms thespray direction.EffectiveThe new sprinkler has a full pop-upheight of 127mm, which means that itcan deliver an effective spray, even intall turf. Other standard features includesan interchangeable nozzle, arc adjust-ment from 30 degrees to 360 degrees,and SmartArc memory with a slip clutchfor vandal-proof operation.

The new Amazon bottom bladegrinder from Hunter Grinders is to belaunched at the show. A first in themarket place, the Amazon is a majordevelopment in bottom blade grinding,designed to save time without compro-mising performance.

It is the only bottom blade grinderthat will grind both edges of the bottomblade simultaneously. The automatictraverse and most importantly automat-ic in-feed on both grinding heads, allowthe grinder to run independently.

Once set up, which takes as little asthree minutes on the first blade, andeven less on subsequent blades, themachine can be left with no furtherinput required from the operator.

Aptly named, the Amazon is arugged, powerful machine engineeredto a quality finish.

Almost 100 years of experience ingrass. Annual production of over80,000 tons of seed, grown in 25carefully chosen countries. Sold throughan efficient marketing organization,spread across the world. Our ownbreeding stations in various climatezones on 5 continents. A staff of 550dedicated people, satisfying demandingclients in almost 100 countries all overthe world. Proud of these figures? Of course we are. But far moreimportant we believe, is how webecame so successful.The answer to that is Quality. The Quality of our bredvarieties, our seeds, our packaging, our service, our people.

So, if you want the best seed under thesun, call 01359 272000 and we willbe pleased to advise you.

THE BEST SEED UNDER THE SUNTHE BEST SEED UNDER THE SUNBarenbrug UK Ltd., 33 Perkins Road,Rougham Industrial Estate, Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 9NDTel:01359 272000 Fax:01359 272001E-mail:[email protected] www.barenbrug.co.uk


Conflict of Interests?

Today most clubs strive tokeep their golf courses open365 days of the year. Theincreased competition from

neighbours means that a club�s member-ship numbers are under constant threatas the �grass is greener� syndromeentices members away.

Consequently, offering both condi-tions and facilities that are first rate allyear round is of primary importance.But how many clubs can truly achievethat?

Golf had been enjoying a purplepatch during the late 80s and early 90swhen the clamour of newcomers takingup the game far exceeded any despairabout days lost to inclement conditions. DemandMany new courses were built to meetthe sudden demand, there were waitinglists and clubs� coffers were swelled bythe additional income. All was verysatisfactory.

Not quite the same story remainstoday. While golf is undoubtedly still anincredibly popular game, the choice ofclub available for the golfer is enor-mous, and many waiting lists havedwindled.

Some of those courses constructedhurriedly to satisfy the market, ignoredthe basic principles of turf lore andgreen construction, so there was no waythey were going to provide playablesurfaces, day in day out. Closed coursesmean departing members. CompetitionIn addition, the competition for secur-ing new members, attracting prosperoussociety days and the like is ever greater,and all are crucial if clubs are to retainsound balance sheets.

So what is it that attracts the golfer�ssignature on the membership form? Afamous venue, a smart club house?Possible contributors, but ultimately, it isgood golfing days - that means playingany day of the year that they choose onwell drained greens and good puttingsurfaces. If they are thwarted in this quest,they may be tempted to look elsewhere.

How golfers judge the quality of acourse is a broad-ranging debate, butone could confidently predict that theperformance of greens would be highon their list of priorities.

Were they too fast? Too slow? Toohard? Too wet? Cut too short or toolong?

The possible reasons for complaintare manifold - some are not easily recti-fied by human intervention. Nonetheless,trying to produce the perfect surface forplay is as much a priority for the green-keeper as it is a necessity for the golferand therein lies the seed for discontentand disharmony between the two parties.

The greenkeeper�s loyalty to theclub is unquestionable. Frequently anaccomplished golfer himself, he is onlytoo aware of a course�s playing require-ments if the round is to be deemed as agood one. With his turf manager�sexpertise, he will be on a constant questfor a well presented course whichattracts compliments for his team.

The club secretary will have a simi-lar interest in the course�s performanceand ability to offer great sport to themembers. Happy golfers create content-ment and stability within the member-ship and visiting players. Happy golferswill return and continue to bring theircustom with them.

The greens chairman will also havean involvement, as he represents theclub membership and voices their aspi-rations regarding course performance,alterations and �new build� projects.

Good playing surfaces all the year round is what attracts members but the challenge ofhaving to produce these can put greenkeepers at loggerheads with both membership andmanagement. Giselle Ford reports.


So, although there is a commondesire to present the course in the bestpossible condition year round, with notemporary pin positions, no floodedfairways, no grassless tees and no ruttedcart tracks, it can be virtually impossi-ble to achieve, even more so withoutinternal conflict.

These days head greenkeepers orcourse managers have been trained to avery high standard. They will usuallyhold a college diploma in golf coursemanagement, and will frequently becontinuing to attend courses aimed atdeveloping and updating their agronom-ic and course husbandry skills.

Grounds maintenance staff will alsocommonly be encouraged to go on dayrelease or one-day courses organised byBIGGA or IOG and funded by the golfclub itself.

Greens staff are effectively beinghoned by the club as part of its goal toproduce a better course, and this repre-sents a sound investment for the futurebenefit of the club. These skills areemployed on the course with the purposeof producing the best possible playingconditions whatever the time of year.

If it is in summer, greens need to beas fast as practicable without inducingundue stress. Roughs should be a sensi-ble depth, while fairways may be kept ina condition that is appropriate with thecourse�s design or nature - be it heath-land, parkland or links, for example.

This involves a greens managementpolicy ensuring irrigation is sufficient tomaintain grass growth but not to suchan excess that greens are too soft andwhere cut height must be low enough togive good green speed, but not so lowthat it stresses the plant and increases itssusceptibility to disease attack.

All such operations are not just for agreen�s performance and aestheticappearance.

They are an integral part of theoverall long term management of thecourse and prevention of its unexpecteddeterioration.WinterIn winter, the opportunities for conflictare far greater. Players want to keepplaying but difficulties mount up for thebeleaguered head greenkeeper. Wetareas need to be protected to preventdamage to soil structure and the deathof grass plants themselves.

It is this time of year that golfersmeet more obstacles in their quest for365 day play. How often does one hear,�Its not raining today! Why are weplaying on temporary pin positions?�The simple fact is that this is the green-keeper�s way of presenting the coursein the best possible condition on thatday.

Such actions have long term as wellas short term benefits - short term he ispreventing destruction of soil structurecaused by compaction of a wet andextremely pliable soil mass. This helpsretain the essential drainage and aero-porosity properties of the green�s soil.Long term, he is closing the green as aform of insurance.

If he allows it to remain open, notonly is he encouraging the above prob-lems for the duration of the winter, buthe is also allowing damage that willtrouble him in the spring and evensummer periods too.

Slow soil warming due to reducedaero-porosity and wet, sodden rootzoneprevents grass species growing as rapid-ly in the spring, leading to poorer greenperformance. In mid-summer, the greenwill be less able to cope with heavy, sub-tropical rainfall. The closure of the greennow, in winter, seems more sensible.

However, the non-greenkeepingfraternity, met with closed greens, willprobably feel uncharitable.

Members may take the view that thegreenkeeper is being over-protective ofthe course and treating it as his ownpatch, while they are the fee payers andfinancial providers for the club. Theymay thus feel that a little more leewayregarding closures should be given.

The sum of all this is that keeping thecourse fully open should be in every-one�s interest and thanks to modern turf-care techniques, such as deep drill aera-tion�n�backfill and linear deep scarifica-tion, there is no reason why it should notbe playable all the time.

If there are severe problems, newgreen construction to a full USGA spec-ification may, on the face of it seem thebest option, yet few non-greenkeepersrealise that a whole raft of newhusbandry techniques are required tosustain a reconstructed green.

In many cases it may be preferableto improve the properties of existinggreens, especially where the history ofthe incumbent soil and grass species isknown thoroughly.

With waterlogging problems, the useof non-disruptive drainage equipmentand treatment such as the Ecosol Aero-filSystem, will retain drier greens throughthe winter and periods of exceptionalrainfall, coupled with better growth inthe spring and summer. The use of suchsystems allows essential work to beconducted without compromising ordisrupting the running of the club.OpportunityThe greenkeeper is given the opportuni-ty to improve course performance; thesecretary sees continuous play and theresultant continuity of income, while thegolfer is able to use the entire course forlonger than he was previously able.

As for play 365 days of the year?Well, we can dream of that and as longas our climate is not too cruel - it ispossible!

THE GREENKEEPER�S LOYALTY TO THE CLUB IS UNQUESTIONABLE. FREQUENTLY AN

ACCOMPLISHED GOLFER HIMSELF, HE IS ONLY TOO AWARE OF A COURSE�S PLAYING REQUIREMENTS

IF THE ROUND IS TO BE DEEMED AS A GOOD ONE.

Taking Stock

OPINION


While many retailers haveadded direct and webbased marketing to theirmix, the addition of bricks

and mortar stores to a successful multi-channel sales organisation is less typical.

Golf Network is a golf marketingaffinity company promoting golf events,holidays and goods through directmarketing, its website and throughalliances with golf courses and hotelgroups. Founded in 1998, the companyhas created a database of 500,000European golfers and has now decided toexpand further through a network of 40retail outlets.Ambition�Our ambition is to change the way inwhich golf products are sold,� saidPeter Durham, sales director at GolfNetwork. �Golf shops have traditionallynot offered the consumer a completebuying experience. Golf Network isabout to change all that.�

Indeed the company�s retail outlets -which number six to date - offer adiverse range of goods and services tomeet golfers� requirements.

These range from a lifestyle area forbrowsing golf holidays or golf days onscreen, a spike bar where golfers canchoose and change their own spikes, to

tailoring a set of golf clubs to meet agolfer�s specific requirements based onheight, weight and ability.

�Golf Network stores use warmwood with a good use of colour lightingto create a very pleasant shopping envi-ronment. This combined with strongbranding in a concession type layout,laser custom fitting, a ladies and juniordepartment and well trained, knowl-edgeable staff delivery a superb shop-ping experience,� said Durham.

�Good in-store service demandsexcellent information visibility. How-ever, retailing of golf equipment is farmore complex than that of most otherretail environments since each productcan have a myriad of variations.�

For example, one set of golf clubscomes with different shaft options,different lengths, lie angles and grips.Each version of the product will beappropriate for different customergroups.

Such complexity makes the creationof item codes more challenging thanmost retail environments and demands asystem that will allow a level of free textfacility when placing purchase orders.

Golf Network also faces the chal-lenge of retaining financial control whilstundertaking rapid expansion.

�However, due to experience, golfequipment manufacturers are reluctant tosupply in large volumes to retail outlets.In order to create a network of 40 retailoutlets with a broad range of products,we have to build excellent relationshipswith our suppliers,� said Durham.ReviewHaving reviewed the market, GolfNetwork opted for an integrated suite ofsoftware products from KPOS whichcomprises a five-user Retail*Star headoffice stock control system.

�The KPOS solution is PC andWindows-based at both the head officeand in-store, with the very close inte-gration between the two that we requirefor our retail operation,� Durham says.

Shops have access to Retail*Starfrom the back office for stock enquiries,inter-branch transfers, goods receiptsand barcode label printing. Localbranch stocktaking facilities are alsoprovided, using hand-held devices, withan automatic upload of stock takinginformation for reconciliation on thecentral stock system.

Even before KPOS had been rolledout to every store, Golf Network wasattaining benefits from the deployment -specifically in a detailed, real timepicture of stock availability.

The creation of a successful retail network requires excellent financial control with stockvisibility to support an attractive retail environment. Emma Mansell-Lewis reports on anew system which aims to deliver a new shopping experience for golfers.


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Retail*Star enables Golf Network toscan stock availability across the compa-ny, drilling down to specific productinformation, including sales rates andhistory. �I can see a complete picture ofour stock holding, whether stock is in-store, reserved for a customer, ondisplay, or damaged and awaiting collec-tion by a supplier.�

In-store access also enables staff tosee stock availability in other stores andreserve stock for a customer. �We canalso reallocate stock between stores if itis selling better in one area, reducingthe overall stock we have to carry.�

Store staff can also place orders forstock - orders are authorised at headoffice and forwarded to the supplierwith minimal human interaction, reduc-ing the number of people required tohandle purchase ordering.

KPOS has also tailored the systemto support in-store purchase of �trade-in� items.

Unlike most retailers, Golf Networkallows its in-store staff to accept usedgoods as part of a sale, that are thensold on from either the same store oranother in the chain. TrackingThe system uses barcodes to provide fullitem tracking from initial purchase withcost price through detailed classificationand resale price. It also uses exceptionreporting to raise an alert at head officeif the prescribed mark-up is not beingachieved on resold trade-in items.

�If staff have paid too much for anitem we can insist it is sold at less thanthe expected mark-up,� says Durham.�This will impact on the overall resultsof the store - and the staff bonus.

�Such immediate visibility of infor-mation is essential to ensure the busi-ness meets its profit margins whilst, atthe same time, empowering staff tomake business decisions and build theirown customer relationships.�

The system will be deployed in eachnew store, and this information visibili-ty is also proving valuable to GolfNetworks in the development of itsrelationships with suppliers. Thecompany is regularly sharing informa-tion on product sales, geographically,with product manufacturers.

�Sell through is a key objective formanufacturers these days,� says Durham.�They love the fact that we can providethem with detailed feedback on sales oftheir products across our stores. As aresult, they are keen to work with us anddevelop specific promotions in-store.�

Looking ahead, Golf Network�s nextplan is to develop a loyalty card systemusing the KPOS technology already inplace in-store.

�Golf Network is on track to open40 stores within the next five years andKPOS will be with us all the way - thesystem is key to our successful expan-sion,� Durham concluded.

�GOLF NETWORK STORES USE WARM WOOD WITH A GOOD USE OF COLOUR LIGHTING TO CREATE A

VERY PLEASANT SHOPPING ENVIRONMENT. THIS COMBINED WITH STRONG BRANDING IN A

CONCESSION TYPE LAYOUT, LASER CUSTOM FITTING, A LADIES AND JUNIOR DEPARTMENT AND WELL

TRAINED, KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF DELIVERY A SUPERB SHOPPING EXPERIENCE.�

Portfolio


01425 476261

ESN put to the TestDifficulties with growth and colour,

along with conflicting sodium levelsin irrigation water, had for sometime,

created problems for East SussexNational. After lengthy consultations,

the club opted for the SweetwaterSolution generator, distributed in theUK by Hydroscope. Within six weeks,

the system generated a noticeableimprovement in grass growth.

01473 270000

New addition for IsekiFollowing a successful debut atSALTEX in September, the Iseki

TXG23 junior compact tractor is nowavailable in the UK. Competitively

priced at £8,695, the TXG23 is a21st century tractor that is designedfor use on the golf course where itsclass-leading power and versatility

make it the ideal workhorse for awide range of duties.

01480 226800

Arcot Hall’s new FerrarisOne of the most prestigious private

member’s clubs in the north-easthas signed up with Toro for all its

course maintenance machinery, afteryears of buying equipment ad-hoc.

Arcot Hall Golf Club, near Newcastleupon Tyne, has agreed a five-year

lease deal with Toro which hasalready seen the club take delivery

of three new mowers.

01797 320636

The Futures VibrantDED has announced that they arenow distributing the exciting and

comprehensive Vibrant range ofEPoS Touchscreen Terminals. Vibrant,part of a multi-billion pound global

company, provide an exceptionalrange of EPoS terminal solutions all

sharing the same leading edge tech-nology plus world-class build quality

and reliability.

01473 270000

The White MoveRansomes Jacobsen and TH White

have entered into an agreementwhereby the Ransomes Jacobsen

direct sales business at Redditch willbecome owned and managed by THWhite. To ensure continuity and a

smooth transfer of responsibilities,all staff at the Redditch branch have

been offered the opportunity tobecome employees of TH White.

01373 454577

New Brochure now availableWith the continued growth of the

company, Somerset-based companyBuilding Additions has introduced a

new brochure for architects andspecifiers, covering its complete

range of folding partitions andmoveable walls. The design led

brochure is testimony to the compa-ny’s position as specialists at the

forefront of the market

01797 320636

Re-Writable Cards from DEDA cost-effective, re-writable cardsystem from DED is set to revolu-

tionise the visual card market. Thecard’s large display area fully illus-

trates text and images for temporaryvisitor badges, club membership andidentity cards. The cards themselvescan be re-written up to 500 times,

and includes photo capturing, data-basing and magnetic stripe encoding.

024 7637 7000

Lynx snares John DeereJohn Deere has appointed Lynx

Express to handle its FLASH (FastLocating And Special Handling) partsrequirements between Germany, theUK and Ireland. John Deere moved

the contract (worth £2m per year) toLynx following a successful trial.

Instead of dealers receiving deliver-ies in the late afternoon, Lynx will

deliver parts before 10.30am.

Count on it.

© 2

003

The

Toro

Com

pany

From the front nine to the backyard,you can count on us.

With over 88 years of experience, Toro is the most trusted supplier of turfequipment and irrigation systems to golf courses, parks and individual lawnsaround the world. Our commitment to providing innovative, high qualityproducts and systems to help grow and maintain turf is legendary. We careabout preserving the tradition of golf. We also care about providing the rightsolution to you. Make Toro the preferred name at your home today.

www.toro.com

RENT AND WIN

We will rent you one.

IT�S A CASH MACHINE. BUT DON�T BUY IT.

MOX - Member of LeasePlan Group - Tel : 0870 1646 004 - Fax : 0870 1646 009

Do you want to improve your club�s image, please a demandingclientele and generate extra profits at the same time? Do you want tofinance, maintain, insure your fleet of golf vehicles all in one simplemonthly bill? May we suggest doing it with the European leader.Please contact MOX or visit our website at wwwwww..mmooxx-iinntt..ccoomm..

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