gmé | issuu 51

the business of golfAs more and more golf clubs and operatorsenlist the help of management companies,GME talks to Mack Trading about how theycan help you get the most out of your club.

The leading business magazine for the pan-European golf industry

GolfGolfManagementE u ro p e page 31

November 2006www.portman.uk.com

UK £5.00 Eur €7.25US $9.25

The Driving ForceClub Car drives Europe to anhistoric third consecutive win in the Ryder Cup

The Driving ForceClub Car drives Europe to anhistoric third consecutive win in the Ryder Cup

Contents

Mark Smith’s article on the state of the golf industry (page 18) makes interest-ing reading. He states many golf clubs are in a position to report strong tradingperformances for the third quarter - with much of that being put down to the

Ryder Cup effect.

However, the Plimsoll report stated half the clubs canvassed are strugglingto break even. Mark offers several courses of action, but perhaps the one

which is most prevalent at the moment is the management route.

Companies such as 360 Golf, Pentland, Impetus Golf and Leisure,Crown Golf, Glendale Golf, The Club Company and Mack Trading offeranother route to financial security, whilst PPC Golf, although not amanagement company, will examine your clubs requirements andoffer impartial and independent advice in the same manner as anIFA would recommend an insurance policy.

For those who may be wary of the pitfalls of the modern golfmarket, appointing a management company makes soundbusiness sense. As an owner you still have possession ofyour asset but have the extra advantage of experts in allfields working to the benefit of the course. Even theshrewdest of golf course owners can’t be conversant withevery aspect of the industry.How many of you out there can honestly stick your handup and say “yes I know how to market my golf club andam doing it well?” Sure there will be some, but webelieve the majority, if they were honest, would admitto some failings.

This is of course where the management companiesreally excel, having an experienced team workingtogether as a unit - rather than as a number ofdisparate parts - to put in place sensible, economi-cally-valid business solutions.

As a golf course owner you may not feel this planof action is for you; you may feel your team isadequately placed to deal with the future. But lookat your balance sheet - if it doesn’t look healthy itmay well be that for all your team’s good inten-tions they are lacking something.

Maybe it’s just a bit of PR, marketing and nousyou’re lacking, but if you’d rather give it all over toa group with more experience - and a track recordin turning such businesses around - don’t rule it outbefore you’ve at least investigated all the avenuesopen to you.

As a wise man once said: “Better to have half a loafthan no loaf at all…”

Sink or Swim;Managing yourasset to the full

issue 51credits;editorJohn Vinicombe

contributorsDavid BowersTrevor LedgerPete SimmRob Wright

publisherMichael Lenihan

administrationSharon O’Connell

printColourspeed

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© Portman Publishing andCommunications Ltd 2006

cover story 7

duke’s course 23

old tom morris 14

egcoa 26

Golf Management Europe November 2006

News

November 2006 Golf Management Europe

Lead StoryLush golf courses could be using as muchwater in a year as a town of 12,000people, experts have warned. With morethan 2,500 courses in Britain, criticsclaim enough water to supply 30 millionpeople is being used to maintain thegreens and fairways.

Environmentalists fear the drain ondwindling water resources could getworse with the sport’s popularity poisedto soar in the wake of Europe’s dramaticRyder Cup victory.

The Murcia region of Southern Spain isset to see a course boom, with 44 newcourses to be built in the next eight yearsalone, a massive increase of more than700 per cent on the six it currently has.

A recent survey by Mintel found one-in-five Brits had taken, or would like totravel on a golfing holiday. The breaksare the third most popular activity holi-day in the country.

However, experts claim the clamour forplaying golf in sunny climes is wreckinglives abroad for generations to come.

They say the thirsty courses take valu-able supplies from drought-ridden areasof Southern Europe, like Spain andGreece, leaving neighbouring farmlandparched and brown.

They also claim research shows foreigngolf clubs are stealing water from under-ground reservoirs, that “will never bereplaced”, taking a short-term view thatis unsustainable.

Fred Pearce, author of When The RiversRun Dry which examines our use of waterresources, said golf courses are usingwater needed for farming, wrecking localbusinesses.

He said: “Water demand is a huge issuein areas such as southern Spain and thereis a lot of illegal water use, increasinglyby golf clubs pumping up water fromunderground wells.

“It is a very large drain on crucialwater resources, especially with moreinstances of drought in the region, whichis due to climate change.

“They are taking water that is neededby farmers. It is a recognised problemthat crops and vegetation disappear andfarmers suffer, and even go out of busi-ness.”

Pearce said golf clubs take so muchwater, it lowers the water table so theyare the only ones rich enough to extractmore, leaving farmers further impover-ished.

He added: “Water tables go down anddown and down so often golf courses arethe only people with the money to pumpwater, because as the water table getslower, it costs more to pump. Farmersgenerally have less money and have toreduce the amount they use.

“The way golf courses are managed is abig problem. They are taking water thatwill probably never be replaced. It isunsustainable.”

European clubs accused of “illegal water use”

More Braidwork for SGD

The 1897 James Braid designed courseon the Kent outskirts of London is aboutto begin a renovation programme underthe direction of Howard Swan and JamesEdwards of Swan Golf Designs.

Commenting on the project, HowardSwan said: ”I am very pleased to be ableto work on another James Braid course,adding Dartford to the likes ofMiddlesbrough, Workington, Old FoldManor and, of course, the highlyacclaimed renovation and restoration toGoodwood.

“We shall, as ever, look to sensitiveand sympathetic treatment of the courseand Braid’s design philosophies andintent in bringing the rather lovely, ifmodest, course at Dartford, to the pres-ent day.”

Randell newPGAsE boss

Ian Randell has been appointed thenew chief executive of the PGAs ofEurope and will take up his duties, atThe Belfry, in mid-January 2007.

The 33 year-old former chief executiveof the Ladies European Tour is currentlyoccupying a similar role with the BritishUniversities Sports Association (BUSA)where he will fulfil his contractual obli-gations before completing the moveearly in the New Year.

The important position at the helm ofthe PGAsE has not previously been filledsince the departure of the former generalsecretary, Lawrie Thornton, in August2005.

Owner of Formby Hall Golf Club, the Maghull Group, has unveiled images revealinghow the club will look once its current £10 million re-development is complete. Thecentre of excellence at Formby Hall Golf Club will be the only PGA branded NationalResidential Golf Academy in the UK when it opens towards the end of 2007.

As part of the redevelopment of Formby Hall Golf Club, a new nine hole par 3 golfcourse is being constructed in addition to the existing 18 hole championship course.The development will also comprise a 62 bedroom luxury golf residence, spa, swim-ming pool and fitness centre and also a golf science academy for group and individualtutorials with recognised golf pros.

Formby Hall plans revealed


Blarney Golf Resort situated in the rural setting of the Shournagh Valley, Co. Cork,has taken delivery of specialist turf maintenance equipment from local Wiedenmann

dealer, Seamus Weldon of Killarney. The equipment for the John Daly-designed courseincludes a Terra Spike XP deep aerator, a Pro-Cast trailed top dresser and a Groom-It

multi-purpose brush. The new course has been constructed to championship stan-dards and is the first European golf design project with John Daly’s involvement.

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Toro is celebrating another success byrenewing a five-year partnership agree-ment with the PGA European Tour. Theextended partnership means that Torowill continue as the official supplier ofturf maintenance equipment and irriga-tion products to the PGA European Tour.

As part of Toro’s support to theEuropean Tour, the company and itsdistributor network will supply each Tourvenue with full tournament assistancecovering both turf machinery and irriga-tion solutions. Additionally, Toro willprovide full technical and back-upsupport, and training for operators asappropriate.

“Toro is a market leader and canprovide us and our venues with exactlywhat we need to succeed,” said DavidGarland, director of tour operations forthe PGA European Tour.

“The high quality of its machinery, itsprofessionalism, and high-level ofsupport will continue to help us further

improve the standard of the EuropeanTour tournaments and its venues.

“One of the main reasons we wished tocontinue with Toro was because of theirrigation expertise they also offer,”Garland added.

“We need a global partner that canhelp us with all facets of course manage-ment. With Toro, its distributors, and ourown specialist staff, I am confident wecan keep the courses in top condition.”

Toro renew with the PGAEuropean Tour

A leisure company has announcedmulti-million pound plans for a newnine-hole golf course, luxury hotel, spaand 32 holiday cottages in Norfolk.

Searles has lodged a planning applica-tion with West Norfolk Council and said50 jobs would be created with theconversion of Heacham Manor, and thesurrounding farm and outbuildings.

The proposed development would seethe Grade II-listed manor converted tohouse 12 en-suite rooms, a restaurant,lounge and meeting room. A spa, swim-ming pool and state-of-the-art gym and32 self-contained buy-to-let holidaycottages would be built, and the golfcourse and a clubhouse added.

Searles Leisure Resorts’ is currentlycarrying out a £2.3m expansionprogramme to its Hunstanton resort, tocreate 155 holiday lodges and extendthe existing golf course to 18 holes andthe new plans would abut the existinggolf course.

Plans Lodgedin Norfolk

News


St Andrews Links Golf Practice Centre,now features a 60-metre long all-weathertee-line supplied by The Green Approach.The tee line is composed of ProTee all-weather turf and is part of a new exten-sion to the Golf Practice Centre whichwas officially opened in August by PeterDawson, chief executive of the R&A.

Kevin Mackay, Golf Practice Centremanager said: “We look for partners thatcan supply us with the very best inequipment and materials. Our profession-als tested ProTee last winter and werevery positive on its feel and playability.

“We were also pleased how little main-tenance it required, despite being heavilyused. We installed our 60-metre longProTee tee-line at the start of thesummer season and continue to be very

impressed with its performance. Feedbackfrom our customers has been excellent.”

Paul Chester, director of The GreenApproach said: “We supplied the LinksTrust with a sample of our ProTee turflast year so that it could be evaluatedagainst a number of other products.

“We are delighted to have come out ontop in such a rigorous examination andwe are thrilled to be supplying such aprestigious venue as St Andrews.”

ProTee is made up of 4cm long self-supporting polypropylene fibres on aurethane backing. Balls can be playedfrom a tee or directly from the surface. Itis suitable for tee-lines on practice areasand also for winter tees on golf coursesand is in use throughout the UK andIreland.

St Andrews Links choose theGreen Approach

Burhill go forMayes as md

Burhill Golf and Leisure Group, the golfclub operator owned by the Guinnessfamily, has appointed Colin Mayes to theposition of managing director.

Mayes has previously worked for OldEnglish Inns, Greene King, The Magic PubCompany and Forte. Upon taking up therole, he said he plans to extend thecompany’s golf centre portfolio, as wellas seeking to acquire further leisure andproperty assets.

Viscount Boyd of Merton, chair ofBurhill Golf and Leisure Group, said: “Asa very experienced leisure and hospitali-ty business manager, Colin has a trackrecord in developing businesses and akeen eye for detail.”

Currently within the company’s portfo-lio are seven pay and play Golf Centresand three Golf Clubs.

The Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course, owned by The Duke of Roxburghe, has recent-ly renewed a preferred turf equipment supply agreement with Ransomes Jacobsen andtheir dealer for the region, Fairways GM. The equipment includes a wide range ofmachinery from the Jacobsen brand and includes ride-on greens, tees and surroundsmowers, light fairway mowers and a ride-on bunker rake.

Course manager Bruce Cruickshank commented: “Continuing this agreement withRansomes Jacobsen gives us access to some of the best quality machinery available.In my opinion, over the last five years their products have been far superior to that oftheir competitors.”

Formby Hall plans revealed

New future atMoors Valley

A troubled municipal golf course inDorset could soon be leased to anoutside operator. Concern has centredaround management of the Moors Valleygolf course in recent months as clubmembers claim council booking restric-tions and soaring fees threaten theviability of the business.

East Dorset District Council commis-sioned PPC Golf partner Mark Smith toinvestigate how the course is run andput forward suggestions for its future.

He claimed pressure from clubmembers for the council to issue moreseason tickets would “go against theethos of the venue being public andopen to all on a pay-and-play basis.”

Smith states: “There is a likely needfor substantial capital expenditure atsome point in the future, in particular inrelation to providing better off-coursefacilities. Without appropriate invest-ment, trading could decline significantly.

“Whilst the council’s trading revenuefrom the course is very commendable,running a golf course is not core busi-ness and it begs the question as towhether a specialist golf operatorrunning the business would be a betteroption for the council from operationaland financial perspectives.”

Assigning the lease to a private opera-tor could save the council hundreds ofthousands of pounds, including £170,000set aside for a new irrigation system.


Club CarGreenbank House, Swan Lane, Hindley Green, Wigan WN2 4AR

Telephone: 01942 503141Facsimile: 01942 503150

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Cover StoryClub Car has been the official car andutility vehicle of the Ryder Cup for thelast decade keeping the event and play-ers on track on both sides of theAtlantic, whatever the weather.

The rain in Spain in 1997 certainlydampened US spirits at Valderamma, butno one could have anticipated the arrivalor effects of Hurricane Gordon, whichbattered a path across southern Irelandjust days before the 2006 event.

Gusts in excess of over 40mph causedboth teams to delay their practicesessions, and heavy rainfall left bunkersflooded - and all this before play evenstarted!

Despite Hurricane Gordon’s best efforts,Club Car and it’s support teams led byLiam Ross at the Buggyman, and DonDonaldson of Caddy Car still managed toensure that the K Club delivered a seam-less professional event enjoyed by spec-tators and players alike.

Ross was contracted to manage thefleets before, during and after the event,and Donaldson was contracted by theEuropean Tour to look after their Club Carunits as well as all of the TV units, whichwere used by broadcasters from all overthe World.

The challenges faced by greenkeepingand grounds staff as a result of thetorrential downpours were numerous.

As well as the on course problems,once the thousands of spectators arrived,pathways and viewing areas quicklyturned to mud and grounds staff had tourgently resolve the problem by using theClub Car fleet of 20 252 rough terrainvehicles, ten Turf 2 Electric and ten Turf2 Petrol vehicles to get the site and thecourse back into tip top condition.

Martin Lucas, Club Car’s UK salesmanager was astonished with the amountof work that their dedicated staffmanaged to achieve behind the scenes.

Commenting after the European victo-ry, Lucas said: “The grounds staff did anamazing job to keep the event going andI am personally delighted that Club Carwas able to assist in this task.

“I think very few people appreciate theamount of work required to run an eventunder normal circumstances so it is trulyastonishing that the event was complet-ed in such a professional manner.”

Club Car helps keep theRyder Cup on course

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News


Operator Crown Golf has rebuffedmembers’ claims that The HertfordshireGolf and Country Club has been allowedto slip to “rock bottom”. Members claimthey are now planning not to continuewith their membership when it comes upfor renewal.

A social committee member of theclub, sent an email to the local paper,The Mercury, claiming: “The golf course isin a dreadful state. It is, unfortunately, aplace we now dislike coming to.

“There are now only 16 members onthe social committee. However, I dospeak for many golf and leisure membershere. We are planning to leave when ourrenewals are up in April 2007.”

He said so many grass roots memberscomplained that a scathing letter wassent directly to John Weir, chief execu-tive of course operator Crown Golf, whichtook over the club 18 months ago.

In particular, the letter tore into thefirm’s decision to release, in May, a popu-lar general manager, who members credit-ed with “an almost immediate turn-around” in the club’s ailing fortunes andpopularity.

The committee member reported thatseveral months on from the correspon-dence, rank and file golfers claim theirclub is at “rock bottom”.

He said this had spurred members intostarting a petition calling on Crown Golfto reinstate the former general manager.

In a statement issued to the newspa-per, Crown Golf said: “In the summer ofthis year, we appointed a new generalmanager, Mark Collymore, to the club.

“There have been issues in the club,but since taking up his position, Markhas worked closely with the committeeto resolve these and the day-to-day prob-lems that arise in the running of amembership club, both on the course andin the clubhouse.

“The drought this year has meant thatit has been a challenging year for all golfclubs and the course at The Hertfordshirehas suffered no more than any other inthe area.

“We are committed to ongoing invest-ment both on the course and in the club-house. Our golf membership has grownover the past 18 months and is almostfull.”

Crown defends its position asmembers threaten to leave

GME signingoff for 2006

As this edition is the last of 2006,Portman Publishing and Communications,publishers of Golf Management Europe,would like to wish all of our readers andadvertisers a very happy festive season,and the very best for 2007.

Keep your eyes peeled for a ‘new-look’GME due to be unveiled later next year.

Adderley Barker appointed atRemedy Oak

Design consultancy Adderley Barker has been appointed to design the interior ofthe new clubhouse at Remedy Oak near Horton in Dorset. The 18-hole championshipcourse has recently opened for play with the clubhouse scheduled for opening in April2007.

Adderley Barker, specialists in hospitality and leisure design, has been given thebrief to deliver an interior to match the requirements of an exclusive 400 memberestablishment. The objective is a highly serviced quality environment that assistsoperational efficiency both inside and out.

Dean Davis was one of 11 competitorsto take part in the World Golf Trick ShotChampionships held at Marriot HanburyManor recently, and despite not winningthe competition, thoroughly enjoyed theexperience.

In the lead up to the championship,Davis appeared on BBC South Today andRadio Oxford as he stepped up hispromotional awareness campaign prior tothe event.

Coverage of the championship was alsoshown on Sky Sports last month.

He is now in his 11th year performinghis unique display of golf trick shots,and his shows have taken him all overthe UK and Europe. After a successful2006 and World Golf Trick ShotChampionship he has already earned lotsof bookings for 2007.

The last year has been particularlybusy with corporate entertainment days,open days and charity events like raisingmoney for Make-A-Wish and helping LauraDavies’s Celebrity Golf Challenge to raisemoney for Great Ormond Street Children’sHospital.

Davis is currently head professional atHinksey Heights Golf Club where he runshis Tee2Green Academy Headquarters.

There is a successful adult and juniorcoaching programme and he is currentlycoaching and developing young talentedgolfers to become touring professionals.

Davis wantsmore trickshot work


The Westin Turnberry Resort, home to the renowned Ailsa and Kintyre courses, hastaken delivery of a significant fleet of golf cars from E-Z-GO. As director of golf, Paul

Burley is a man who rightly demands high standards of performance from everyoneon his team. He takes ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the discerning anddiscriminating golfers, who play the courses, enjoy every aspect of the experience.

That’s thousands of rounds of golf a year, on two of the world’s most famous courses.

New EZGO fleet at Turnberry

Wyboston Lakes are celebrating adouble whammy in the recent ClubHouseAwards 2006 held at Mere Golf andCountry Club. Operation’s director,Olivier Six was crowned ‘Manager of theYear’ and Wyboston was named in theRole of Honour for the ClubHouse‘Restaurant of the Year’.

A jubilant Olivier who was presentedwith a trophy and champagne said: “Oursuccess in these awards is due to thesupport and professionalism of ourcolleagues in every department atWyboston.

“We run as a team, and this ethosclearly stood out, not just to the judges,but also the mystery shoppers who wereimpressed by the quality of welcome andexcellence of the facilities at WybostonLakes.”

From the hundreds of clubs entered,the shortlist was whittled down to justfive for the restaurant category, and fourfor ‘Manager of the Year’.

Oliver and Wyboston Lakesup to scratch

Officials at a Somerset golf club havereceived the go-ahead for a major expan-sion of their course. Brean Golf Club,near Burnham-on-Sea, applied to extendthe 18-hole, 5,715-yard course on toagricultural land - and planners havegiven it the green light.

Several holes at the course will beexpanded and when it is completed - inthe spring of 2008 - there will also betwo new lakes for players to navigate.

Course professional David Haines said:“The back nine holes will be changingcompletely with the course being extend-ed by about 600 yards. We’ll have twonew water features which will also makeit more difficult.”

Meanwhile, a separate planning appli-cation from the club to build a new club-house and car parking area was deferredto allow planners to visit the site andassess whether the building would haveany impact on the surrounding land-scape.

Brean set forexpansion

News


David Williams Golf Design and 360Golf are close to completing a series ofsignificant modifications to the famouslinks course at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.

The 111-year-old club is working hardto preserve its status as the premier golfcourse in Wales and David Williams hasliased closely with the club on a range ofsubtle improvements following a detailedcourse audit a year ago.

Williams has revamped the 467-yardpar five 12th hole, extending the fairwayby 100 yards into the practice groundand building a brand new green.

“Many at the club were concerned thatit would be difficult to assimilate theextension to the hole onto this relativelyflat open area of the practice ground,”explained Williams, “but the detaileddesign and construction has now re-created typical linksland throughout thewhole area of the extension.”

The extended fairway, which made useof a flat field beyond the original green,has been crafted into a rolling landscape,complete with swales, and is true to thelinks land surrounding the course.

Williams continued: “Royal Porthcawl isa renowned high-quality championshipcourse, but needed to present a muchstiffer challenge on some holes.

“By extending the 12th and adding anew green, protected by three revettedbunkers, we believe we have managed todo that while staying true to the course’soriginal links layout and subtle shaping.”

Peter Orpen, from 360 Golf, said: “Weare delighted to have helped RoyalPorthcawl Golf Club make improvementswhich are designed to maintain its statusas the premier golf course in Wales.

“As with many courses built over 100years ago, technological advances in golfequipment have reduced the challengepresented by many par fives - and RoyalPorthcawl has embraced the need tomake improvements to keep up with thetimes while remaining sympathetic to itsoriginal design.”

Royal Porthcawl secretary JohnDinsdale added: “The club is committedto presenting the course as a true cham-pionship links capable of hosting topamateur and professional events.

“If there is any weakness in the courseit has been on the par fives which incalm conditions can be reached in twoshots by the top players. But the fifthhole now measures 611 yards and thecurrent development being undertaken onthe 12th hole will deliver another stun-ning and challenging hole.”

Course modifications asuccess at Royal Porthcawl

Seve attendslatest launch

The official presentation of Quinta doVale Golf Resort - Algarve’s newest golfresort - took place last month. The cere-mony was attended by Seve Ballesteroswho is designing the 18 hole coursewhich, in the words of the promoters,“promises to amaze and impose itself asone of the best in the Iberian Peninsula.”

The Carrick officially opensfor play at Loch Lomond

The Carrick, at De Vere Cameron House, on the banks of Loch Lomond, will be offi-cially opened later this month by HRH Princess Anne. The championship course hasbreathtaking views, straddling both Highlands and Lowlands, and is destined to takeits place among Scotland’s elite.

Joe Longmuir, general manager, at De Vere Cameron House said: ”De Vere Hotelsand Resorts has a long pedigree in hosting world-class golf tournaments such as TheRyder Cup and we believe that De Vere Cameron House has the capacity to becomeone of the biggest names in golf events.”

New face atLinks Trust

Ewen Bowman, the golf sales managerat the Westin Turnberry Resort, has beenappointed clubhouse operations managerat St Andrews Links, and will haveresponsibility for running both the Linksand Eden Clubhouses at the Home ofGolf.

With more than 200,000 rounds a yearplayed over the six St Andrews Linkscourses both clubhouses are extremelybusy and offer a full range of services toboth local and visiting golfers includingrestaurants and changing facilities.

Ewen, who hails from Kilmacolm, joinsthe Links Trust ahead of a particularlybusy spell which will see the staging ofthe Women’s British Open, the Curtis Cupand The Open on the Old Course in thenext four years.

“I am very much looking forward tothe challenge of managing such a busyand dynamic clubhouse operation as theLinks Trust’s,” he said. “I have beenfortunate to work at such a wonderfullocation as Turnberry and I am sure thatwill stand me in very good stead formoving to the Home of Golf.”


EDUCATION 21 - 25 January 2007EXHIBITION 23 - 25 January 2007

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News


Golf roundsdown ten pc

The number of rounds of golf played inthe first half of this year was nearly tenpercent down on the same period in 2005according to Sports Marketing Surveys.

“Along with the rest of the GolfIndustry, we are anxiously awaiting theresults for Quarter 3 - hoping that thisdecline will be reversed,” said spokesmanStephen Proctor.

Figures for the first half year wereaffected by poor weather early on, andthen by the FIFA World Cup.

The St Andrews Links Trust is invitinggolfers to choose the name of the seventhcourse which is currently under construc-tion at the Home of Golf.

The winner will also get to play one ofthe first rounds on the new course whenit opens in 2008 and will be invited tothe official opening ceremony.

The development, currently known asCourse No 7, is under construction on a220-acre clifftop site to the south east ofSt Andrews.

Alan McGregor, general manager of StAndrews Links Trust, said: “It is not veryoften that a new course opens at thehome of golf and we have been acutelyaware of the interest that Course No 7has been attracting.

“We have already received dozens ofenquiries regarding the name from allcorners of the globe and this competitionpromises to be fascinating.”

Name suggestions can be made towww.standrews.org.uk until December 1.

Montgomerie and EGD todesign Bahrain Course

Colin Montgomerie has been signed upto design an 18-hole Tournament golfcourse and nine-hole short course for theRiffa Golf and Residential DevelopmentCompany in The Kingdom of Bahrain.

Monty, will work on the design of the27 holes in association with EuropeanGolf Design with whom he worked with atCarton House, Ireland.

They will work together to create twospectacular courses which complementRiffa’s vision to create “a communitywhere an international standard golfcourse is only one of your daily ameni-ties, a community where the life youimagined simply is.”

Riffa views, set in 28million squarefeet, with over 900 villas, is a luxurydevelopment which will include 24-hoursecurity, an international school, restau-rants, cafes, Country Club and a Spa.

Monty enthused: “I am delighted thatRiffa has asked me to design both an 18hole PGA Championship Course and anine-hole course. Both courses presentdifferent and very exciting challengesand I can’t wait to get started.

“I am really enjoying developing thecourse design side of my business and tobe involved in Bahrain’s first project ofthis magnitude is a terrific honour.”

Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Golfand Residential Development said: “Weare absolutely thrilled to have ColinMontgomerie and EGD on board.

“This is the first project of its kind inBahrain, which incorporates leisure andinternational standard real estate in ascenic and tranquil community settingand having a golfer and course designerof Colin’s calibre on board gives our golffacilities wonderful integrity.”

John Deerecredit Elsham

Elsham Golf Club is a well woodedparkland course, and following a recentsite appraisal by the STRI the club wasadvised to aerate its fairways rather thanirrigate, and recommended a Vertidrainer.

John Deere dealer FG Adamson and Sonof North Ferriby sourced a machine forhead greenkeeper Nigel Broadwith andhis four full-time staff to use, but theyhad one problem - they didn’t have atractor big enough to pull it.

After looking at a number of options,club manager Tim Hartley decided toenter into a new five-year finance leaseagreement with John Deere Credit, andthe club took on its first big John Deerefleet for course mowing and maintenanceincluding a 46hp 4320 compact tractorwith front loader, a tractor mountedAercore 1500 aerator and assortedmowers for greens and surrounds.

“We’ve been reconstructing a numberof tees, greens and bunkers since Iarrived here, as well as updating our irri-gation system,” said Broadwith, whocame from Fulford Golf Club four yearsago to take up the head greenkeeperposition at Elsham.

“It’s more like a heathland course real-ly, as it’s very sandy and dries up in thesummer very easily, so good aeration andirrigation is vital.”

Links Trust invites golfers toname Course Number 7


www.swangolfdesigns.comINTERNATIONAL GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

t f+44 (0) 1277 [email protected]

+44 (0) 1277 896300

Mike Emptage, assistant greenkeeper at St Augustines Golf Club, Ramsgate, Kent,has become the 2006 champion student greenkeeper, after winning this year’s pres-

tigious Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award. The competition, now in its17th year, was open to the 3,000-plus greenkeepers in the UK and Ireland, who arecurrently studying for industry qualifications, and had been nominated to enter by

their colleges.

Emptage wins Toro award

Syngenta Crop Protection has appoint-ed Simon Barnaby, to the company’s newrole of turf business technical manager.

With his in-depth industry knowledgeand extensive practical experience of turfagronomy, Barnaby will be working with-in the Syngenta Professional Productsteam to provide a higher level of serviceto customers and launch a number ofnew products over the coming seasons.

Barnaby has over 20 years experiencein the turf industry, from practical golfcourse management, to consultancy withthe Sports Turf Research Institute andcommercial roles with the UK’s leadingturf product retailers, Scotts.

“Syngenta has an outstanding range ofproducts to enable turf managers toconsistently achieve excellent results andproduce the highest quality playingsurfaces,” he said.

“There are some very exciting newadditions to be launched in the next twoyears.

“The launch of Primo MAXX last yearwas a major success and built on thereputation of Syngenta for providinginnovative solutions and high qualityproducts.”

Syngenta appoints Barnabyfor key role

A £1million revamp of Basildon GolfCourse has ended up in a bunker -because the council-owned course ishome to the biggest colony of great-crested newts in Essex.

Last-minute environmental studieshave also unearthed a colony of protect-ed badgers and several other rare speciesliving on the course.

The revelation will delay takeoverplans by golf management company JackBarker, the firm to which BasildonCouncil agreed to lease the course lastJune. Officials say it could hold thingsup for at least 12 months.

Jack Barker was the successful bidderin a field of four firms interested intaking over the course - includingBasildon Golf Club. At the time, thecouncil failed to order environmentalimpact assessments which were a legalrequirement.

Developmentplans on holdin Basildon

On Tom’s Trail...


OLD TOM TRAIL

Avoyage of golfing discoveryhas led to the site of one ofBritain�s most remotecourses. In this case it is a

course, or what remains of it, with a bigdifference.

Long forgotten, the outlines in thedune grass on the Atlantic shore ofSouth Uist in the Outer Hebrides are theclue to a design by Old Tom Morris.Where sheep and cattle graze andlapwings and corncrakes breed amongthe poppies and orchids, Old Tom laidout 18 holes at the behest of the laird,Lady Cathcart way back in 1892.

Why her ladyship wanted a golfcourse in such an outpost of theWestern Isles remains a mystery. Andwhy Old Tom, then 71 was inspiredenough to travel from his St Andrewshome right across Scotland is alsounexplained.

But there are plans to restore thecourse at Askernish and should thesecome to fruition the locals believe itwill inject a much-needed boost to theeconomy of South Uist.

There are not a few enthusiasts whomight be tempted to catch up with theTom Morris trail as this is the lastcourse by the old master that has notbeen resuscitated back to life. The fourtimes Open champion, Old Tom isregarded as the father of the moderngame and his signature on a course is aunique endorsement.

What knocked Old Tom�s course onthe head was the RAF taking most ofthe land for a runway in the mid-1930s.When the airmen left there was noattempt to revive the links and the onlygolf played on South Uist is close by atAskernish.

There are just 60 members, no prop-er clubhouse and green fees are deposit-ed in an old red tin honesty box (£10 aday and play as long as there is light).Two tours of the nine holes covers5,114 yards and par is 67.Bunker HouseThere is a so called �bunker house�nearby with changing rooms but notoilet. To obtain relief and grab a bite ofhot food there is no alternative thannipping into the Borrodale hotel.Golfers keep their equipment at homeand are proud to play the oldest coursein the Western Isles. It hasn�t changed alot since Old Tom�s day.

The nine holes are set in rollingdunes of the scenic machair land on a20 miles strip of white shell beach andfacing the Atlantic rollers. There is notmuch of South Uist; 22 miles north tosouth, seven miles east to west and thewestern shore only broken by a head-land with mountains to the east.

The island is dominated by BeinnMhor at 620 metres and Hecla (606metres). No wonder Old Tom had nohesitation in laying out a course in suchenthralling country.

In fact he was moved to write:�Second to none in the various elementswhich go to make up a really good golfcourse.� If Old Tom wanted a wee dramor two he had to shift to the nearbyhotel and he must have wanted a restor-er after that journey from St Andrewsundertaken by train, horse and cart,ferry from Oban and donkey cart afterlanding at Lochboisdale five milesaway.

South Uist, where gaelic is stillspoken by the crofters and fishermen,underwent a drastic makeover 50 yearsago and it had nothing to do with golf.It became the site of a missile rangefrom where British and Americanboffins launched the first guided experi-mental nuclear weapons and is stillgoing strong today.

The presence of the MoD is impor-tant to the economy of the island but ifOld Tom�s course is restored thenfurther regeneration will be welcomed.

And it is all due to one man.Glasgow-based golf consultant GordonIrvine heard rumours about a lost TomMorris course and decided to investi-gate.

Getting to Askernish was no prob-lem for a 21st century Scot with astrong exploring streak. There are twoplanes a day from Glasgow toBenbecula 20 miles from the course.The longer route is taking the eight hourferry from Oban as Old Tom did.

Old Tom Morris is widely acknowledged as being the father of the modern game, and evento this day, has a huge world-wide following. John Vinicombe reports on a �new� coursethat has been discovered in Scotland which has all the characteristics of Old Tom.


Gordon Irvine didn�t journey alone.Nor did Old Tom who was accompa-nied by a younger companion. Irvinewent with a team of experts. MartinEbert, the course architect, agronomistAlistair Beggs and greenkeeper ChrisHaspell made up the party in search oftell-tale traces on lost greens and fair-ways.

�It was like finding the Holy Grail,�exclaimed Irvine. �I originally heardabout it by accident when I was fishingin Ayrshire and the factor happened tomention Askernish and I became inter-ested. When I got there the locals start-ed to talk about not the existing nineholes of their club but the old coursewhich is just over and to one side of it.

�I talked to one of the islanders whois in his 80s and he remembered playon the old machrie course which theycall dune grass. We found one or twoold green sites. You could see roughlythe shapes and we believe we found 12or 14 holes. Untouched�Other Old Tom courses have beenrestored and altered to keep up withmodern technology but this wascompletely untouched.�

Word of Irvine�s discovery soonspread. He has enlisted the voluntaryhelp of greenkeepers from all over theworld indicating the growing interest inAskernish. Irvine himself is a mastergreenkeeper and Martin Ebert and asso-ciate Tom MacKenzie are based inChichester and used to work as designassociates with Donald Steel. Nowthey are on their own.

Irvine is planning this winter forhalf a dozen fellow experts to re-visitthe site while at Askernish golf clubchairman Ralph Thompson pledged hissupport for the project.

�We cannot believe this massiveinterest in the course. But it is the lastTom Morris course that has not beenrestored. It is a hidden gem. Mostpeople who remember the old courseare sadly gone but we have worked onold plans and other information.� Feeshave been doubled to £100 to showcommitment to the restoration.

Permission has been granted byStoras Uibhist, the community buy outcompany to go ahead with the projectand a final planning OK is expected tobe given soon. If the funding can beobtained the course could be ready asearly as next summer.

To help raise money life member-ships are being offered at £2,500 carry-ing an invitation to a grand openingtournament plus a few local goodieslike a painting of the course by a localartist.InterestRalph Thompson�s enthusiam matchesthat of Irvine. �It is absolutely fantastic,the whole island is enthusiastic. Interestis being shown from all over the world.Only the other day I had a call aboutAskernish from a golf magazine in NewYork.

�I live only a mile from the courseand know how everybody feels. It willgive the local economy a boost. Themain economy is fishing althoughpeople come to work at the rocketrange who, with the local council arethe biggest employers.�

Remarkably little red tape stands inthe way of restoring Old Tom�s course.The land is owned by South UistEstates Ltd. However, the communitycan purchase the land on which theylive and thus determine its future.

The landowners have agreed to sellthe assets to the people and StorasUibhist has been set up to buy the landand manage it in perpetuity. By sodoing they hope to reverse the declineand depopulation.FundingBut who picks up the final tab?Explained Irvine: �Funding is down tothe islanders who are desperate to get itgoing. I understand the R&A have beenapproached but, all the work has beendone on a voluntary basis.

�Outside assistance would be appre-ciated and I cannot emphasise too muchhow the project excites the imaginationbut no deadline has been set. Youcannot set a definite date with some-thing like this.� C

ours

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courtesy

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Ebert


{Business Rate Reviews}

You can’t escape them, but we could reduce them,so let’s talk about loweringyour Business Rates.

A Link to Scotland


DEVELOPMENT

Anew championship linkscourse on the popular islandof Sylt, in Germany, openedrecently in true Scottish

style - fitting for a course designed by aScottish architect.

A young Scots piper lead the open-ing procession to the tenth tee where theceremonial golden ball was struck tosignify the opening of the second nineholes (the first nine opening last year).Local folk singers were on hand toentertain club members and inviteddignitaries with traditional sea shanties,reminding them of the island�s seafaringheritage.

The naval background of the Club,and reason for its name - Marine GolfClub - goes back many years. An origi-nal rudimentary nine-hole course waslaid out by members of the RAF whenthey were stationed on Sylt followingWorld War II.

Later the course was inherited bythe German navy when they took overthe military base. The membership hasnow grown to include a large cross-section of golfers including localislanders and a large number of wealthysecond-home owners.

When golf course architect KenMoodie, of Creative Golf Design, visit-ed the site in 1999, it was extremely flatand had few features of interest, otherthan a couple of conical hills in thewestern part of the site which had been

constructed as anti-aircraft gunemplacements. Although some lowdunes had once existed, these had beenbulldozed flat during the war so that thesite could be used as a grass landingstrip for military aircraft.

Remnants of its former use includedwide concrete roads, which required tobe removed, and underground fueltanks which had to be avoided in thedesign process. The main attributes ofthe site were its good size of 76 Ha, seaviews to the east, and the potential tocreate a classic links course.ChallengeEnvironmental sensitive areas were alsoidentified and needed to be preservedwhich added to the design challenge.The fact that the local authority hadoriginally given permission to work insome of the habitat areas, which wasonly later over-ruled by the regionalauthority, meant that substantialchanges were required late into thedesign process.

Ironically, the habitat in questionwas that of dry grassland which isprecisely the habitat which the creationof the new golf course has now beenresponsible for developing over theremainder of the site. Much of the natu-ral dry grassland habitat had been lostdue to agricultural practices which hadturned it into �improved� grasslandwith a high ryegrass and meadowgrasscontent and �millions� of dandelions.

Driving across these areas in a buggywere impossible in summer as the airfilter quickly became blocked by dande-lion seeds! The decision was thereforetaken to remove the top 15cm of topsoilfrom all of the planned playing areas toremove the weed sward, weed seedbedand the most fertile layer of soil in orderto favour the finer links grasses.

This soil was stockpiled in thenorth-east quadrant of the site and soldto the local authority for use in cappingan old rubbish tip, with the moneygenerated feeding back into theconstruction budget.

The golf course was built by localcontractor, Peter Jacobsen, with special-ist expertise provided by Andy Jefferyand his team at Golftech. After aninauspicious start where the originalgolf course contractor went bankrupt,Jeffery was first employed by the club,and later by the original earthmovementsubcontractor - Peter Jacobsen GmbH -to project-manage the development.

He brought in shapers, finishers andmachinery to provide the requiredspecialist expertise, and this lead to thebirth of his own company, GolftechGmbH. Moodie believes that Jefferyhas been a lynchpin in the success ofthe development and his knowledge andexperience of links golf has been veryuseful in conveying his stylistic require-ments to the German speaking membersof the construction crew.

Germany may not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking of examples oftraditional Scottish links-style courses, but architect Ken Moodie has worked wonders atMarine Golf Club as Rob Wright reports.


His background in greenkeepingalso proved invaluable since he waswell placed to assist with the initialgrow-in of the new course and hadgood contacts with the PGA ofGermany though which he was able toarrange additional staff to assist theclub with the maintenance up toOpening. CommitmentA young Scottish greenkeeper, StuartCrossan, was brought in as the HeadGreenkeeper in charge of the grow-inand his team showed great dedicationand commitment to present the coursein excellent condition for the Openingtournament, especially given the climat-ic and timescale challenges they had towork with.

Traditional links bunkers wereconstructed with revetted faces usingturf harvested from the site. This wasnot only in order to instil the right char-acter in the course but also to cope withthe windy nature of the site whichwould have blow the sand out of park-land-style bunkers.

As Andy Jeffery comments, thewind presented a major challengethroughout the entire constructionprocess: �Due to the shape of theisland, which is very thin (sometimesonly 700m wide) the effect of the windis dramatic from all directions. There isno clear prevailing wind direction asour team discovered during its two anda half year stay here.

�If an easterly wind blows insummer it brings very warm air whichdries the soil out to such a degree thatsoil preparation and seeding becomesunbearable as everything becomes adustbowl.

�A south-westerly wind impactsbrings heavy devastating rain washingout all but the best established newlyseeded areas, and if you experience anorth wind, then just stay in doors - itcuts like a knife through butter!� Heavyrains towards the end of the first seed-ing season were responsible for wash-ing out three of the greens on two occa-sions meaning that they had to bepainstakingly rebuilt.

�Although there were indeed testsalong the way for my company, wehave had a very enjoyable two and ahalf years on the island and it was apleasure to be allowed the chance tobuild Germany�s first links golf course.I certainly take a wealth of new experi-ence and many great memories withme.�PotentialThe course measures 6,244m from theback tees with potential to extend it byover 200m should the club secure amajor tournament. The wind is such afactor on the island that the course willplay much tougher than its card lengthand the architect, Ken Moodie, alongwith club officials are hopeful that thecourse will host a European Tour eventin the future.

GolfTech GmbH Golf Course Construction and Maintenance

Managing Director: Andrew JefferyGolfTech GmbH

PO Box 1106, 25961 Westerland/SyltGermany

+49 (0) 173 571 8631

[email protected]

Decline or Growth?


PROPERTY MATTERS

At the time of my July articleon selling golf courses itlooked as though 2006 wasgoing to be chalked up as a

very poor trading year for UK golfcourse operators.

However with the great Europeanperformance from our Ryder Cup play-ers in trouncing the Americans at the KClub and some generally good autumnweather it may not be so bad after all.

Golfers are coming out to play againalbeit not quite �en masse�. After a poorstart for the first six months of the yearmost operators have been reportingstrong trading performances for theyear�s third quarter. Let�s hope that thegood run continues right up toChristmas and all the way through2007.

The good third quarter performanceshave to be tempered against the finan-cial study of UK golf course operatingcompanies by Plimsoll Publishingwhere it reported that of the 960 compa-nies studied almost half are strugglingto break even. For the general health ofthe golf course industry this is a worry-ing statement.

However the �flip side� from thisstudy is the interesting observation thatthe other half of golf course operatingcompanies were delivering outstandingfinancial returns. How can it be that onehalf is struggling and the other half isdoing well? I have some thoughts onthis but which half does your golfcourse fall into? Hopefully the latter.

In my view the macro-economicmarket for operating golf courses in theUK can be seen at best as a market thathas reached maturity or at worst is indecline. If I am right, this observationhas some important future ramificationsfor those who operate UK golf courses.

All business markets irrespective ofthe industry tend to go through distinctstages. For example for UK golf in themid to late 1980�s we saw the �embry-onic stage� of proprietary golf courses(courses in existence with the mainpurpose of making profits).

From �embryonic� the next stage is�growth�. The rate of growth of newproprietary golf courses in the 1990�swas little short of breathtaking withover 700 new courses being built in theUK increasing the nation�s total stockby circa 30 per cent.

The main characteristic of a marketin the early stage of growth is plenty ofcustomers for everyone and price sensi-tivity not being a major issue. How truethis was in the late 1980�s / very early1990�s. Waiting lists were still long atmany golf clubs and prices for member-ship and green fees were generallyhealthy from an operator�s perspective.

Inevitably a market in the earlystages of growth will at some pointreach the latter stage of growth wheretrading conditions start to get tougher.Unfortunately this happened all tooabruptly for the UK golf industry withthe economic recession from around1992 onwards lasting to the mid 1990�s.

So many new courses were part waythrough construction that developershad little option but to finish them.They did so having to bear cripplinglyhigh interest rates which in turn madetheir development loans hideouslyexpensive if on variable rate deals.

Add to this the increased supply ofcourses coming on stream via newopenings and golfers being less able toafford the prices charged for golf it isno wonder that so many new courseswere in financial difficulty at the time.Unfortunately as we all know manyfailed and went into administration.MaturityWhat happens after the �latter stage ofgrowth� in the market lifecycle model?Almost always you hit the stage of�maturity�. A key characteristic of amature market is customer price sensi-tivity and certainly we have seen thishappen in the UK golf market fromaround the mid 1990�s onwards.

The previous norm of being able tocharge substantial one off joining feesfor membership, typically a year�sannual subscription, has gradually beeneroding year on year.

Long membership waiting lists haveall but disappeared except for the mostprestigious venues and the proliferationof offers such as the �2 for 1� green fee(a great marketing tool for operators inthe early days) may now have the effectof lowering average green fee rateswithout substantially driving overallgreen fee revenue.

In his third and final article discussing property matters, PPC Golf partner Mark Smithtakes a look into his Crystal Ball to see what the future holds for golf clubs in the UK.Does your club have the marketing and business expertise to survive?



{Property Management}

If you’re thinking aboutbuying, selling, leasing ormanaging a golf operation,let’s talk.

You may be wondering why I amdragging up the past because if youhave operated a golf course in the UKover the last few years the above willhave been readily apparent to you. Ihave done so because in my view itgives a strong pointer to the future.

The market lifecycle model usuallygoes one of two ways after you hit thestage of �maturity�. The market eithergoes into a stage of long term �decline�(the UK coal industry is a good exam-ple of this) or something initiates newgrowth which starts the lifecycleprocess again (look what Apple�s Ipoddid for listening to music on the go).

For golf in the UK, what might initi-ate new growth? Ideally we want asubstantial increase in the number ofpeople playing the game coupled withinnovation in the golf marketplace.

Examples of the latter since the year2000 include the TopGolf Game withcomputerised chips in the golf ballswhich appeals equally to golfers andnon-golfers alike and the �golf in anhour� concept from Playgolf at theirfabulous Northwick Park venue.

Since there are only a handful ofthese venues in existence compared tomore traditional venues, �big picture-wise� they are still in the embryonicstage of the market lifecycle.

For all of us in the golf industry I dohope that we can initiate new growth inthe game and do not end up with themarket going into the stage of �generaldecline�. If we do unfortunately fall intothe latter then what will happen to golfcourse operating companies?

I am pretty confident that we willnever see an �overnight collapse� of themarket but I am equally confident thatthe law of nature will prevail - survivalof the fittest. The best will continue todo well at the expense of their averagecounterparts and the weakest will with-er or die off.

Is the recent Plimsoll report point-ing in this direction with half thecompanies trading very well and theother half struggling to break even? Ithink that it could be.

If you are an operator in the halfthat is producing very good financialreturns then great. If you have �theglass is half full� mindset then you willno doubt want to carry on as you are.

If you are a little more cautious ofthe long term future and think that themarket is heading for long term declinethen you might draw the conclusionthat now is a good time to �exit� beforethings get worse. ExitBy exit I mean sell your golf businessoutright or lease it to a good golf courseoperator and if this is of interest to youthen I would be pleased to discuss withyou how to successfully do it.

If you are in the unenviable positionof being in the other half of golf courseoperating companies struggling tobreak even then I recommend that yougive some serious consideration to yourlong term strategic options. I discussedthese in my two previous articles forGolf Management Europe in the Julyand September 2006 issues.

You basically have four mainoptions: hold, sell, lease or managementcontract and if you are not sure of thebest route then I would be very happyto talk through the various options withyou.

For those of you that do fall in the�wrong half� of the Plimsoll report Iwill leave you with a great quote fromPeter Drucker, the forefather of modernmanagement thinking, who said:�Marketing and innovation make youmoney; everything else is an expense.�How true this is.

I would hazard to guess that thoseof you who are struggling to makemoney are nowhere near as good as youcould be on the marketing and innova-tion aspects of your golf business andagain if you would like further informa-tion on how to improve these aspectsthen I would be delighted to hear fromyou.

If you would like to discuss anyaspect of this article, them you cancontact me through the property sectionat www.ppcgolf.com.

A Tartan Triumph


AScottish parkland coursehas overcome the seventiesslump and a more recentattack of anthracnose to

host its own �Masters� as part of thePGA Tartan Tour, for the third year insuccession.

Built in 1978, and envisaged as thecentre piece of a business, housing andleisure complex, Deer Park Golf andCountry Club on the outskirts ofLivingston in Scotland, suffered fromthe economic downturn, which affectedsimilar projects all over the UK.

Having failed to attract theAmerican and Asian business expected,the 18 hole course, has risen phoenixlike, following its acquisition 18 yearsago by The Muir Group. As well asinvesting in the course itself and bring-ing it up to championship standard,John Muir is achieving his vision of anAmerican village.

A business park and leisure complexincluding ten-pin bowling, a gym andan indoor swimming pool have beenbuilt in the same area, the most recentaddition a development of 138 luxury

apartments and penthouses. Futureplans include a hotel. �Now we�veeffectively fulfilled what we set out todo from the start,� says golf managerStuart Cruickshank.

�We�ve got 1,800 members, amixture of private and corporate whoare either local businessmen or thosewho have moved their businesses herefrom outside.

�They have a choice of twomembership categories, either joiningthe Country Club, which entitles themto use the pool, squash courts, ten-pinbowling and multi-gym facilities, or theGolf and Country Club which includesthe golf course as well.

�The new apartments are selling to asimilar market. Property in Scotland isstill rising in value and many local busi-nessmen see an apartment here as aninvestment, while we�ve buyers fromall over the UK who are either downsiz-ing or retired and looking to buy aretirement home.�

Cruickshank, who will have been atDeer Park 12 years this month, wasfamiliar with certain Floratine products

when he arrived, but it was whenGreentech became distributors for thecompany in 2001, that he decided toembrace the complete Floratineapproach.

�I�ve known Stuart for over 17years,� says Tom Brannan, a directorwith Greentech. �There was no specificproblem at Deer Park. We both thoughtthat soil analysis would give us a betterinsight into what was happening in theroot zone and once we had the resultsthey would help us compile a moreprecise, targeted package.�

Initial soil analysis showed calciumlevels to be low, with higher thannormal soil based iron levels, whichwere unavailable to the plant. Bulkcalcium was applied along withCalphlex to make it soluble and avail-able, and the excess iron was flushedout with Maxiplex and the soil pene-trant Pervade.

Foliar feed, applied every fortnightincluded Astron to promote rooting, andRenaissance a micro nutrient packagetogether with Knife a form of liquidiron.

Deer Park Golf and Country Club in Scotland, which hosts its own �Masters� event on thePGA Tartan Tour, sought the expert advice of Floratine earlier this year to overcome arather mystifying occurrence on its greens. Article by Carol Dutton.


�During foliar feeding the plant willtake in enough to sustain it for ten to 16days,� explains Brannan. Working as ateam Brannan and Stuart increased theaeration and top dressing programmeand continued to take soil samples eachwinter. The condition of the courseimproved year on year and inSeptember 2004, Deer Park hosted itsfirst Masters tournament

Last winter, for no apparent reasonanthracnose appeared. �Initially wewere mystified,� remembers Brannan.�The disease appeared out of the blueand the conditions which encourage itwere not there.

�Last year was a challenge,� addedCruickshank. �I was managing thewhole complex and early on in thegrowing season I was stretched to thelimit. I took my eye off the ball, and ournutritional programme was badlyaffected. It was this disruption to thefeeding programme that brought on theanthracnose which wiped out almost 70per cent of the grass on the 18th green.�

The two men embarked on a strongfoliar recovery programme whichincluded PK Fight a product containingphosphite and potassium in a readilyavailable form, Carbon Power toimprove nutrient uptake, Trical, Astron,Renaissance and Per 4 max to increasesward density. Conditions graduallyimproved and by spring the affectedareas were treated to aeration, topdressing and over seeding.

�Floratine gives me flexibility andallowed me to put together the rightpackage to rectify the situation,� saysCruickshank. �It�s a very technicalapproach and very manageable allow-ing me to react to changes in climateand conditions on the course.�

David Snowden, the company�sEuropean technical director recom-mended a special pre-tournamentprogramme for Deer Park in the run upto this year�s Masters to increase grassstrength, helping the plant cope with thecloser tournament cutting length andincreased traffic on the greens.

�I was anxious to toughen up theplants, especially the new ones, keepingthem full of goodies without promotingnew leaf growth,� said Snowden. �Iwanted to maintain continuity andcolour and help the sward cope inextreme heat.�

The pre-tournament package wasapplied at four to five day intervals sixweeks before the Deer Park Masters.The night the tournament finishedCruickshank and his staff made the firstof four to six applications of Snowden�s�recovery� package.

Appearing on the Golf Channel, thegreens at Deer Park did Cruickshankand Muir justice. Craig Lee came in atfive under par to take the trophy for thesecond time, and perhaps next year hecan make the hat trick. But who everwins the prize, one thing�s for certain,the Deer Park Masters is here to stay.

How Dry are YOURGreens?

Pervade Soil PenetrantBetter InfiltrationFaster Percolation

Evacuation of Water Logged SoilImproved Air Exchange

Dew Removal

Contact

David Snowden [email protected] +44 (0)7799 036996www.floratine.com

Before After

Construction Remodelling Water Features

Tel: 01604 468908Fax: 01604 474853www.deltagolf2000.co.uk

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Mox really deliver on the whole package...�I hadn�t dealt with Mox before coming to Hever Castle, and didn�t know too much about them. I�vesince found that the great thing about Mox is their attitude to customer service � it�s the same as mine:pro-active, always keen to look after the customer, and make sure they�re getting what they want.�Jon Wittenberg , General Manager (pictured left) Hever Castle Golf Club, Kent.

Making the most from your buggies? Wondering about introducing them at your club? If you want a company that�s a partner not just a supplier, then come and talk to us on 0088770011 664466 000044, or e-mail us at [email protected]

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The Grand New Duke


CLUB INSIGHT

When you think of golf inSt Andrews, thoughts ofthe Old Course and allthe history that goes with

the game�s most famous venue immedi-ately spring to mind.

Images of the Swilcan Bridge, thelegendary 17th Road Hole and of giant,rolling fairways and greens come flood-ing into view.

But if you venture a couple of milesout of town, you will discover a coursevery different in its nature and chal-lenge but just as enjoyable and guaran-teed to help make your visit to theHome of Golf all the more memorable.

The Duke�s Course, spectacularlysituated overlooking St Andrews andthe Fife coastline, was already regardedas one of the finest heathland champi-onship courses in the British Isles whenit was designed by five-times British

Open champion Peter Thomson andunveiled in 1995.

But American multi-millionaireHerb Kohler�s reputed £35 millionpurchase of The Duke�s and the luxuri-ous Old Course Hotel, Resort and Spain October 2004 has opened a new andexciting chapter for a course still verymuch in its infancy.

Shortly after completing the acqui-sition for the Kohler Group, Kohlerturned to leading golf architect TimLiddy to re-design and fine-tune differ-ent elements of the course.

Liddy, an understudy of Americanarchitect Pete Dye who had designedKohler�s renowned course WhistlingStraits in America, set to work onremodelling the bunkers, adding newtees, planting new heather, gorse andtrees and re-designing the finishingstretch of holes. !

When Herb Kohler purchased the Old Course Hotel at St Andrews back in 2004, not onlydid he acquire the world-famous hotel, but also the Duke�s Course which has recentlybeen significantly remodelled by Tim Liddy. Interview by Pete Simm.


The work was finished in June thisyear and the final result will not leaveyou disappointed. All of The Duke�soriginal majesty has been retained whilethe new additions truly makes it one ofthe �must play� courses for golfers of alllevels.

Andy Campbell, golf and landscapemanager at The Duke�s Course, said: �Idon�t think anyone who plays theDuke�s will come away thinking theyhave played a run-of-the-mill blandcourse.

�It�s unlike any other and will leavea lasting impression on you. We havehad a good reaction since we re-openedfully after the changes. The feedbackwe�ve had has been nothing but posi-tive.Different�The course is very different and thepeople that played here before thechanges can�t believe how much it haschanged when they have come back.�

Central to the changes made is thework that has been carried out on thebunkers, tees and the final four holes.

Rather than being high-sided, thebunkers now mirror the soft-edged onesfound on heathland courses in the early1900s while five sets of tees means thepar-72 course can accommodate anystandard of golfer, with yardages rang-ing from 5,216 off the red tees to adaunting 7,512 off the championshippegs.

And the changes made to the15th,16th, 17th and 18th holes haveonly strengthened The Duke�s claim tobe one of the great inland challengesrequiring both accuracy and inventiveplay.Manoeuvre�A common trait of my design isrewarding the player who can manoeu-vre the ball. It identifies the golfer withgreater ability,� said Liddy at the re-opening of the course and it�s difficultto argue with him.

Campbell said: �The main differ-ence is the bunkering which is a uniquestyle for the United Kingdom thesedays. It is like the Old Course youwould have played before Old TomMorris started work on it.

�One prominent golf journalistwrote that they are like the type ofbunkers you will find playing in Floridabut that is not the case.

�Tim has used the old traditionallinks style of bunkering. Players have touse strategy and think their way roundthe course. There are a lot less blindholes and shots.

�What you see is what you get interms of the location of the bunkers butthe challenge comes with the distanceyou must hit the ball to avoid them as itis very deceptive.

�It�s a style that is certainly differentand unlike any other courses you willfind at the Home of Golf.

�The course is certainly moreplayable for a wide range of people andcan take golfers of all levels but Timhas performed the changes in a veryclever way.

�If you want to be heroic and go foryour shots then that�s fine, but you canget just as much enjoyment from thecourse if you�re more conservative anddon�t hit the ball a long way.

�The 18th hole used to be a longslog up the hill with three big hits to atwo-tiered green.

�It wasn�t an enjoyable hole to playunless you were a masochist but nowthat is all different. We can only gaugewhether the changes have been asuccess by the reaction of the peoplethat come and play and by golf archi-tects but the initial feedback has beenvery good.�

The early signs for the new,improved 2006 model of The Duke�sare encouraging then and six of theworld�s leading golfers took timeoutfrom their busy schedules to see thechanges for themselves in September.

Ryder Cup heroes ColinMontgomerie, Darren Clarke and LeeWestwood were joined by Ernie Els,Vijay Singh and Thomas Bjorn in acharity skins tournament and TheDuke�s case for holding a major profes-sional tournament in the future by thefact NONE of them managed a birdieduring the five-hole competition.


Fact FileClub: Duke’s Course St Andrews

Craigtoun, St AndrewsFife FY16 8NSScotland

Telephone: 01334 474371Facsimile: 01334 477668 Email: [email protected]: www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk

Golf Manager: Andrew Campbell (pictured)Head Pro: Neil Paton

Course Info: 18-holesPar: Par 71, 7512 yards (Opened 1995)

Members: 350Green Fee: £50 - £95

Campbell said: �I believe TheDuke�s has the potential to be a greatgolf course. The potential was therebefore and there is more chance of thatnow being realised with the changes.It�s certainly more playable.

�There is undoubtedly interest frommajor bodies to hold a major tourna-ment here in the future. Mr Kohler hasa reputation for excellence. The USPGA Championship was held at hiscourse Whistling Straits in 2004 and itwould be lovely to have an event here.

�The skins competition we stagedwas a great event. Nearly 2,000 peoplecame along to watch and I think theprofessionals that played all enjoyed it.They only played 7,8,9, 17 and 18 butno one managed a birdie and I don�tthink they played the tougher holes onthe course either.�

As you would expect from a facilityowned by the Kohler Group, TheDuke�s excellence on the course ismatched off it.

The luxurious clubhouse offersextensive five-star facilities and stun-ning views over the course to the sea asyou unwind after a hard day on the fair-ways while two new par-three practiceholes, a driving range, chipping andbunker area and putting green are avail-able if you want to work on parts ofyour game.ComponentsWith a dedicated and professional teamof event organisers on hand to help ifyou want to stage a golf day there, TheDuke�s has all the components to makeit one of the venues to play golf in theBritish Isles. The task now is for theword to spread past its older statesmancousin.

As Campbell said: �We accept thefact that people come to St Andrews toplay the Old Course and then to playsomewhere like Kingsbarns. Our job isto be one of the third courses that theyplay during their visit and that�s whatwe�re aiming at.�

�WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE COME TO ST ANDREWS TO PLAY

THE OLD COURSE AND THEN TO PLAY SOMEWHERE LIKE

KINGSBARNS. OUR JOB IS TO BE ONE OF THE THIRD COURSES

THAT THEY PLAY DURING THEIR VISIT AND THAT�S WHAT

WE�RE AIMING AT.�

Owners Reunited


EGCOA CONFERENCE

The environmental impact ofgolf is one of the many fasci-nating topics to be discussedat the inaugural European

Golf Course Owners Associationconference in Amsterdam later thismonth.

The rapidly expandingEGCOA represents closeto 600 golf courseowners in 12 Europeancountries and nationalowners associations ineight European coun-tries.

Its prime objective isgrowing the golf busi-ness; professionalisingand improving the sectorand looking after the inter-ests of golf course owners ona European level.

The objective of the EGCOA 2006conference is to bring together golfcourse owners and other importantindustry partners.

The theme of the event is: �Growthe game and improve your business.�

The landscape of golf in Europe ischanging and the conference will focuson the development of golf in various

European countries. Analysingthese changes and looking at

solutions found by golfcourse owners will be avery important part ofthe programme.RangeThe broad range ofspeakers has huge expe-rience in the golf indus-try. Among them is theCEO of the NGCOA,Mike Hughes, who will

talk about the role andsuccess of the organisation. Among the many speakers

scheduled to speak at the three-dayevent, Niall Flanagan of St AndrewsLinks Trust, will talk about the secretsof operating the most famous course inthe world. !

This month marks the inaugural European Golf Course Owners Association conferencewhich will take place in Amsterdam on November 23-25. As Steve Brine reports, the eventwill unite over 600 golf course owners from countries throughout Europe.


Henk Jan de Boer, director of foodand beverage BurgGolf, will teach golfcourse owners how to make goodrevenues on their food and beverageoperations, while Falk Billion, an inde-pendent golf course appraiser willexplain what influences the value ofgolf courses.

Andrea Sartori from KPMG, will bepresenting the results of his company�slatest Golf Benchmark Survey, one ofthe largest researches ever undertakenin the golf industry; while Roger Pride,one of the most respected figures in theUK golf industry will address thedevelopment of golf tourism.

Pride, marketing director of theWelsh Tourist Board will address dele-gates on the growing economic forceholidaying golfers can bring to a coun-try.PresencePride said: �I am delighted to be repre-senting Wales at this European confer-ence. Wales has dramatically grown itspresence as a global golfing destinationin recent years and I�m hoping to beable to help explain to the conferencesome of the great successes of our golftourism strategy.

�I hope the delegates will also getsome useful insights into developingbrands and marketing campaigns whichreally make a difference to their ownproducts.�

Toro is the main sponsor of the firstEGCOA Conference. Other sponsors ofthe event include EyeOn, Syngenta,Club Car, Duchell, Mindstyle, GolfMarnoch, Diamond Golf Architects,Floratine, Barenbrug, Pro Grass and theMövenpick Hotel.

In order to make this a memorableconference, the EGCOA has arrangedaccommodation at the MövenpickHotel which is within walking distanceof the centre of Amsterdam, renownedfor great sightseeing, Christmas shop-ping and famous galleries and muse-ums.

Lodewijk Klootwijk, (pictured left)of the EGCOA said: �The prime objec-tive of the association is to look afterthe interests of the club owners byrepresenting them on a EU level incontact with the European Commission,other EU golf bodies and relevant EUorganisations. We generally support theowners by spreading and sharingknowledge.

�We like to think we improve thegolf business by creating variousprograms for growing the game, creat-ing a positive public opinion on golfand co-operating with other EU stake-holders.

�The Amsterdam conference is avery important innovation for theEGCOA because it is a platform in thefull glare of public attention whereimportant issues facing the industry -and the planet - can be discussed.

�For-instance, we are thrilled tohave Jonathan Smith, CEO of GolfEnvironment Europe who will be lead-ing a very topical session titled Golfand the environment - walking the walk.People in the golf sector know environ-mental issues are big news.

�As members of society themselves,they sense the widespread social andpolitical support there is for greaterenvironmental sustainability.Concerns�They are increasingly aware of thevalidity of concerns over such issueslike water, waste, energy, pollution andecology. They often feel frustrated thatgolf�s environmental impact is misun-derstood and that people outside thesector do not recognise the positive rolegolf can and is playing.�

Also attending the conference willbe golf course designer, Roger Jones(pictured above right), who has recentlybeen working with Paul McGinley onthe design of the new Macreddin GolfClub of which he is part owner.Macreddin has recently been named aPGA European Tour Course.

�THE PRIME OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSOCIATION IS TO LOOK

AFTER THE INTERESTS OF THE CLUB OWNERS BY REPRESENTING

THEM ON A EU LEVEL IN CONTACT WITH THE EUROPEAN

COMMISSION, OTHER EU GOLF BODIES AND RELEVANT EU

ORGANISATIONS. WE GENERALLY SUPPORT THE OWNERS BY

SPREADING AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE.�


Jones, who hasrecently joined theEGCOA said: �Havingbeen in the golf businessfor over 20 years, as aprofessional golfer and now asa designer, and having justbecome a golf course owner myself itwill be very interesting to meet otherowners from around Europe.

�I am particularly keen to talk withthose from the developing golf coun-tries in Southern and Eastern Europe.

�I�m sure that I will be able to learnfrom other owners and I hope that myyears of experience in the industry canbe of use to fellow members and to theassociation.

�Finally, as withmost other conferences

the real business will bein the bars and lounges and

I�m sure the EGCOA confer-ence will be no different!�

The conference will also focus oninternet usage at Golf Courses, whichwill look at email marketing, onlinereservations bookings and databasemanagement.

Further information about the inau-gural EGCOA Conference, which takesplace between November 23-25, andcan be found at www.egcoa.org.Delegate places are currently availableat €530 for EGCOA members, and€765 for non-members.


ELY

E Y

www.elygolfconstruction.com

ELYELY GOLFInternational GolfCourse Constructionand Renovation

J. & E. Ely Ltd49 Woodlands RoadSonning CommonReading RG4 9TD

Reading, United KingdomTel: +44 118 972 2257Email: [email protected]

Appointed contractor for the renovation work undertaken atRoyal Liverpool for the 2006Open Championship

JOHN GREASLEY LIMITEDAshfield House, 1154 Melton Road, Syston, Leicester LE7 2HB

Telephone: 0116 269 6766 Fax: 0116 269 6866

Email: [email protected]

�Specialist in Golf Course Construction�

Wychwood Park, Royal BirkdaleRudding Park, Gog Magog

Chilwell Manor, Goodwood

BAGCC

For a live demo visit www.eluminaiberica.comor contact [email protected]

or telephone Jeremy Moore on +44 1789 207419

Over 60 Courses can�t be wrong!

Firm Focus


COMPANY PROFILE

Golf facility owners search-ing for that missing link toturn their business into athriving success are being

offered an alternative way to fulfil theirdream by an innovative managementcompany.

For every successful 18-hole golfcourse, driving range, pitch and putt ormini-golf course, there are countlessothers built that are struggling to attractthe numbers needed to make ends meet.

But Irish firm Mack Trading -Amenity Management is determined thenumber of success stories in golf coursemanagement should far outweigh thefailures and believes its experience andknowledge can help transform thosefacilities not achieving their full poten-tial into profit-making organisations.

Mack Trading pride themselves asbeing specialists in operating, manag-ing and marketing public and propri-etor-owned golfing facilities in the UKand Ireland.

�We don�t give consultancy oradvice, we run golf courses,� said LiamMcCabe, managing director.Profit�We are a management company and Idon�t believe there is another aroundthat can deliver more profit than wecan. We have taken on courses beforethat no one would have dreamed oflooking at and made them successful.�

Liam, (pictured above right) 33,founded the company with his brotherColm, 35, in 2000. And it did not takelong for Mack Trading, who after gain-ing a broad knowledge of the gameworking in golf course construction, toestablish itself as a leader in the field ofoperating golf courses.

Rathbane Golf Course, in Limerick,won the Golfing Union of IrelandProvincial Club of the Year last year asa result of the company�s expertisewhile Golf Punk voted Manchester�sHeaton Park Golf Centre their 2005Municipal Course of the Year.

As McCabe admits, Mack Tradingis ruthless in its pursuit of success.Traditional management practices areexamined and, if necessary, reformed toproduce financially sound business

alternatives but the results in turningpreviously unviable facilities into soundgoing concerns are there for all to see.

The company presently has fourgolf courses, two driving ranges (withanother in development) and two parthree courses on its books in Irelandand England. At the heart of their strat-egy for each course is a set of principlesthat are adhered to at all times.

To expand each facility�s customerbase, Mack Trading works on the theo-ry that �business breeds business� andthat a course should be busy at all timesthrough peak and off-peak pricingstructures. Costs are kept to a mini-mum, while a weekly audit ensures�continuous improvement� in the serv-ice that is delivered.

�The model we use is extremelysuccessful,� added McCabe. Eachcourse is unique but the approach is thesame for them all. We have a motivatedstaff with individual managers for eachcourse and the weekly audit ensuresthat things are always improving.�

But Mack Trading also has its eyeon the future and is committed topromoting the game for the next gener-ation, and to help break down the barri-ers that have traditionally limitedcustomer basis�.

Each facility the firm operates hasan active junior golf programme thatintroduces the game to youngsters whomight otherwise not have the chance toplay for social or economic reasons.Junior Golf�We have made an enormous commit-ment to junior golf and our programmeis based on the successful First TeeProgramme. All of our facilities target20 per cent membership for juveniles.

�Heaton Park, now has a ten-baydriving range exclusively for juniorsand I don�t believe there�s another likeit in the UK. Our commitment to juniorgolf makes financial sense; for too longthe golf industry has turned its back onpotential customers. Success in ourbusiness depends on widening accessand increasing our customer base.�

With companies like Mack Trading,golf appears to be in good hands as itlooks to the future.

Mack Trading provesgolf can be profitable

Mack Trading - Amenity Management

Tel: (44) 0161 654 4293ROI: (353) 056 777 1575

Email: [email protected]: www.macktrading.net

M

Time for Golf?


OPINION

We all know the problems.Most clubs suffer from itand the symptoms are thesame everywhere. The

growth of supply of golf clubs in the1990s has left too many clubs chasingtoo little business.

Add busier lifestyles with lessleisure time to spend, coupled with adecline in the cachet of membership forthe majority of golfers and the sport hasbecome less relevant to today�s genera-tion.

This has been particularly true of thelate �20�-50s male demographic, or theso called �Money rich but time poor�who should be the backbone to the clubbut has fallen off more than any otherstrata because their life styles and timeconstraints cannot justify the commit-ment.

There are around 850,000 membersin the UK but around 6.5 million casualgolfers according to official R&A statis-tics and golf memberships are reducingyear on year.

Clubs have exacerbated the problemby embracing �2 for 1� deals that furtherdetracted from shrinking revenue.People need to play golf in company -you don�t spend four hours playingyourself - and yet golf clubs have saidyou can bring in a friend for free, effec-tively reducing the income take of analready shrinking income cake!

Casual green fees are harder, andexpensive to attract via direct mail orineffective via newspaper advertising.Users are often disloyal and will easilymove elsewhere if someone offers thema slightly better deal next time - the �2for 1� user is typical - and often it isclaimed that they do not look after thecourse as well.FlexiCardLeisuret has a leading industry solutionwhich is aimed to be an in-between stepbetween membership and ad hoc casualgreen paying. The Golf FlexiCard is asimple Epos based swipe card thatallows casual golfers to purchase from achoice of green fee packages to suitthem and their pocket.

The golfer gets points that convertinto rounds which can redeemed fordifferent values at different times.

The golf club can balance potentialrights of members with additionalincome from local golfers. Clubs getmoney upfront, data-capture informa-tion and can provide a welcome pack toplayers knowing that with the amountof points they have purchased they willcome back.

In return, golfers know they havegot value for money, flexibility aboutwhen they can play and potentially havethe ability to rollover points into a newmembership year, without the burden ofactually being a member.

Also they feel an affinity to the clubthat may lead to membership in thelonger term and want to be informedabout their local clubs so that they cantake advantage if something crops upthat fits in with their busy schedule.

Andrew Smith, md of Leisuretexplains the rational for a Loyalty cardsystem : �The Golf FlexiCard was bornout of my own experience. I play golf toan averagely high handicap - but with ajob and three young children telling mywife that I had joined a golf club wouldhave been the first step to divorce,� helaughed.

�Yet I want to play, can afford it,and would like to have some affinity toone - or more local clubs. I askedaround and many of my friends were inthe same situation. They were happy tospend the equivalent of a golf member-ship playing golf but didn�t wantmembership so were not playing. Thereis huge unfulfilled demand here.

�The FlexiCard system enablesgolfers, who would only normally becasual visitors, to develop an affinity toa club prior to potentially greaterinvolvement (e.g. membership).

�A �£ = Points� scheme whichallows them to purchase points atvalues that suit them, and may then beredeemed on the golf course at off-peaktimes. The more points the golfer buys,the lower the point cost to him.

It�s no trade secret that memberships are on dwindling across Europe, with more and moregolfers choosing to play on a pay-and-play basis. Not too long ago, you were either amember of a club or you weren�t, but there is another way as Andrew Smith discovers.


�For clubs also this system repre-sents an opportunity to utilise off-peaktee times and as an extra revenuescheme to underpin the club�s member-ship revenues,� continued Smith.

�This helps to keep subscriptionsdown and release more capital toimprove the course and facilities. Wehave experience of re-enforcingmembers� rights so that they see thebenefits of the flexicard system workingfor them.�

Allan McLundie, general managerat Overstone Park in Northants wasmore than impressed with the results.�The Golf FlexiCard sold several cardsof £300 in its first week which was thetop level that we set it at,� enthusedMcLundie.

�It proves that there is a niche outthere of loyal users who like your facili-ties, don�t need much encouragement tocome back, but are not necessarilyprepared to pay for memberships.

�If they take out a loyalty card wehope that they will come back morefrequently and in the long term possiblyeven play enough to warrant joining theclub membership. We consider it animportant step in the development of asuccessful club.

�The Golf FlexiCard gives us flexi-bility because we can easily change thepoints system in order to even out thepeaks and flows. If for instance theFriday morning becomes too popularand members find it difficult to book,we can alter the amount of points for aparticularly time much more easily.

�We have decided to veto use of thecard on Saturday and Sunday morninguntil 11am in order to ring fence thattime only for members. But we getmoney upfront from a player who prob-ably was never going to join the club

and give him something back in returnso that he knows he is valued and wecan build a relationship with.�

At Craythorne in Derbyshire, theproprietor Tony Wright says that asignificant benefit is the visuallness ofthe card. The fact that the card actuallyshows the points you hold and changeswhen cards are put into the reader is amarketing advantage. �We can rotatemessages that changes as cards geteither redeemed or additional moneygets put on,� he said.

One of the most successful expo-nents of a loyalty card system is RyeHill in Oxfordshire where nearly 1,800users - or members - use the card.

Pricing starts at £145 for 60 points,and a weekend round can be redeemedagainst ten points and a weekday roundagainst six points, effectively translat-ing into weekend rounds costing morethan £24 whilst a weekday eveninground can costs as little as £14.50

The Golf Flexi-Corporate Cardoffers a big opportunity. Local compa-nies could use the system to purchase acorporate membership card containing acertain number of rounds. �TheFlexiCard system would make it easilytransferable, simple to monitor and totrack the usage. The club can take avery significant amount which is heldon a separate card at the club office.

�We have one large hotel chaintrialling and there has been huge inter-est in the system. We really perceived itas an additional memberships/user cate-gory not as a complete all in onemembership�s structure but it can beused as such.

�It was there to fill in the gapbetween casual users and full member-ship. It has implications for 90 per centof all clubs,� says Smith.

�The ten per cent that are unaffectedare generally such robust privatemembers clubs that they don�t need anyextra business but these are few and farbetween nowadays.�ServiceOne of the drawbacks is that potentiallymembers could downgrade to the GolfFlexiCard, but this is not a concernaccording to Smith: �We provide a serv-ice that analyses their customer baseand generally would recommend thatclubs ring fence their membership bene-fits and provide additional benefits toattract members.

�For instance, one club is nowgiving their members one free meal amonth in the club restaurant when oneis purchased but only for members.

�It�s a good chance to re-evaluateyour memberships benefits that oftenhave not changed in years and make itexciting to attract new memberships aswell as loyal affinity card users.

�For nearly ten years we have lever-aged Britain�s largest golf database withnearly 2.5 million golfers on a proximi-ty basis to clubs in order to generatenew potential members during particu-larly the early part of the seasons,�continued Smith.Yield�Typically a direct mail campaign to6,000 golfers within 20 minutes deriva-tive of a typical club would yieldbetween 7.5 and 15 per cent responserate given reasonable weather and anoffer that attracts.

�However, increasingly member-ships weren�t being sold from this targetaudience. The Golf FlexiCard nowprovides the element of retention, inaddition to lead generation from ourGolf database, and this neatly squaresthe circle,� Smith concluded.

�IT PROVES THAT THERE IS A NICHE OUT THERE OF LOYAL USERS WHO LIKE YOUR FACILITIES, DON�T

NEED MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT TO COME BACK, BUT ARE NOT NECESSARILY PREPARED TO PAY FOR

MEMBERSHIPS.�

The Golfers Benefits:Creates affinity to club, with orwithout membership constraints.Offers flexibility and value, basedon time or spend preference.Can purchase up to 5 options forpoints with subsequent savings.Credit points instantly update on card creates interest.

The Golf Club Benefits:Increases revenue yield from Newsector. Upfront payment aids cashflowwith Guaranteed Repeat Business.Simple software for easy pro-shopusage.Marketing and full product supportavailable.

For a FREE demoContact Leisuret on 07785 517407 or visit our website www.leisuret.co.uk

Portfolio


01797 320636

The Choice is ClearA highly reliable all-in-one touch-

screen terminal, the Jiva 8015series is now available with the

option of an infra red, glass touch-screen. With a spill proof, water

resistant structure to allow for easycleaning, the new Jiva 8015 IR is

proving to be the perfect choice forBar and Restaurant applications as

well as Retail outlets.

01480 226800

Royal Dornoch choose ToroRoyal Dornoch has made a majorinvestment in the quality of its

championship and recreational linkscourses with a five-year exclusivedeal for both Toro machinery andirrigation. Under the new agree-

ment, the club has acquired acomprehensive range of new Toro

machines including tees, greens andfairway mowers.

01473 270000

Onward by DesignOnward Golf Resort previously

known as Talofofo Golf Resort inGuam, has purchased a significant

package of Jacobsen course mainte-nance equipment from local dealer,NBK Trading Corporation. In 2005

the Talofofo operation was sold andthe course closed for extensive

renovation and remodelling, and itis due to re-open this month.

0871 220 5353

Wentworth in all its GloryAn awesome course and a great dealof weather were the order of the dayat Wentworth for this year’s final of

the Midland Section GreensomesKnockout Pairs competition, an

event run by BIGGA and sponsoredby Scotts. Mark Rayner, of Scotts,

said: “Even though the weatherwasn’t great, we had a good day and

the course looked superb as ever.”

01473 270000

Cardrona choose EZGOThe Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golfand Country Club has taken delivery

of a fleet of electric-powered golfcars from E-Z-GO. The golf cars,purchased from Fairways GM of

Kinross, are the E-Z-GO TXT modelswith the patented Precision Drive

System. All are equipped with DeltaQonboard chargers and also single

point battery filling systems.

0141 814 3366

Fairway GM for WiedenmannFairways GM, the grounds care

dealer based at Inchinnan, has beenappointed as the new Wiedenmann

UK distributor for Scotland. MikeJames, operations manager atWiedenmann UK commented:

“Fairways GM are a sister companyof ours and it made sound business

sense to appoint them as ourdistributor for Scotland.”

01473 270000

OHSAS 18001 for RJThe final element in achieving a

fully integrated management systemwas realised recently when

Ransomes Jacobsen was accreditedwith OHSAS 18001 by Lloyd’s

Register Quality Assurance (LRQA),one of the world’s leading manage-

ment systems and certificationcompanies. Ransomes Jacobsen is aTextron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.

0141 814 3366

Terra Spike G160Chris Stiligoe, acting head green-

keeper at Great Barr Golf Club nearBirmingham, has taken delivery of aWiedenmann Greens Terra Spike fromTH White. The decision to select the

Greens Terra Spike was unanimous;the plus points being the build

quality, the simple tine retentionsystem and the simplicity of setting

the depth and heave.

gmé | issuu 51

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