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GolfManagement Europe

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Donald Trump’s $2 billion golf development inScotland has rarely been out of the news since

the US tycoon applied for planning consentpage 18

excellence in motionThe new RXV golf car from E-Z-GO is once again leadingthe industry in innovation. Just ask Arnold Palmer

issue 60may 2008

THE LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE PAN-EUROPEAN GOLF INDUSTRY

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MAY 2008 GME 3

publisher’s editorial

Golf Management Europe is publishedsix times per annum by PPC Portman.

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T 0870 241 4678 F 01394 380594E [email protected] www.portman.uk.com

Editor John VinicombeContributors Mark Alexander, Larry Bain,David Bowers, Jerry Hinckley, NevilleJohnson, Pete Simm, Mark SmithPublisher Michael LenihanAdministration Sharon O’ConnellPrint Colourspeed

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© Portman Publishing andCommunications Limited 2008

Do you frequent restaurants wherethey won’t let you in without a tie? Or doyou always put on a black tie to eatdinner in the style of a character in a PGWodehouse novel?

Unlikely given we’re in the 21st century.You’re much more likely to pull on a pairof denims and a designer label shirtbefore setting off for the local Michelin-starred gaff.

Chances are you’d balk at being toldyou had to wear a jacket and tie to eatat most restaurants – so why is it that somany courses still insist on upholding thetraditional code of dress?

Bizarrely many clubs still insist on main-taining the tradition on the course whileallowing people to wear denims andcasual shirts in their fine dining restau-rants and bars.

If it has its roots in the class structure –and let’s face it golf more than any othersport still has to face that accusation –it’s time to move on. If only the mostexpensive attire should be allowed onthe course then what’s wrong with a pairof Gucci jeans and a designer T-shirt?

That would set its owner back aboutthree or four times the cost of a pair ofchinos and a polo shirt which are seem-ingly perfectly acceptable in both therestaurant and on the course.

Surely it can’t be as simple as that. Butat a time when the majority of golf clubsare in desperate need of more peoplethrough the doors can they really afford

to maintain several hundred years oftradition and turn away a punter with awallet full of cash merely because he’sdecked out in a pair of Wrangler’s?

Given what some of the current cropof professional golfers are quite happy towear on tour, why should a pair of jeansat the local club raise such a chorus ofdisapproval?

And would you really have thecourage to turn away Tiger Woods werehe to turn up at your club to play in oneof his trademark collarless shirts?

Such regulations are coming more andmore under the microscope and have

even spawned an action group headedby author and columnist Tom Cox,whose Secret Golf Society was launchedat the London Golf Show in April.

He predicts part-time membershipdeals, relaxed dress codes and no morereserved parking spaces in all but themost exclusive clubs.

Be warned – the new generation areout there and they want to play golf.And they’re not prepared to take no foran answer. GME

Dress Code isout of fashion so let’s move on!

Michael [email protected]

With the launch of the RXV, E-Z-GO have a new golf carthat’s high on innovation.

5

Where there’s muck, there’sbrass, especially when we’retalking landfill.

20

Lodewijk Klootwijk, the manbehind the European GolfCourse Owners Association.

23

With the ‘Credit Crunch’ reallystarting to bite, we look at thebest way to raise new funds.

30

PPC

“why is it that so many courses still insist on upholding the traditional code of dress?”

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Building on the success ofAd In The Hole which wasused at the Quinn DirectBritish Masters last year,agreements are about tobe signed for their use onboth The China and AsianPro Golf Tours.

Talks are also under wayfor the use of Ad In The Holeon The PGA ChampionsTours in the US.

David Bainbridge manag-ing director of AITH (UK)said: “Although Ad In TheHole was originally designed

for long term branding, it isjust as suited for on coursebranding for the title spon-sors in their Pro-Am Daysand Corporate days.

“In the coming weeks , anew commercial directorwill be coming onboard,and he will be selling thebenefits to courses in theUK.”

Already in Scotland, SteveRobertson has beenappointed to cater exclu-sively for the Scottish market.

DeVere is also offering AdIn The Hole as an option forthe many corporate golfdays that they have at theireight venues across the UK.

As Bainbridge continued:“Ad In The Hole is a veryimportant product for golfcourses throughout Europeas it generates all importantextra revenue from an areawithin the golf club which todate has not been utilised.”

headline news

4 GME MAY 2008

Crown Golf, Europe’slargest golf courseowner/operator, hasannounced an importantchange to its seniormanagement team.

Founding director, JohnWeir (pictured) has steppedback into the role of chiefoperating officer for theBerkshire-based company -which has 33 golf venues inthe UK and more than 50courses.

He takes over from CEOPeter Manby, who left thecompany at the end ofFebruary to pursue anopportunity in the hotelsector. Said Weir: “Peter hashad a positive effect uponthe company during his

time with us and we wishhim well in his return to hotelmanagement.”

Crown Golf has steppedup the development of itsextensive property portfolioand as a result is looking fora new CEO in the UK to opti-mise both ongoing opera-tions and the property port-folio.

Added Weir: “On thetrading side of the business,we continue to be encour-aged by the positive start tothe year. With the companyre-defining its strategy toincorporate the propertyopportunities available tous, we are looking for astrategically-led CEO tomaximise the potential of

the expanded companyover the next few years.”

Crown Golf is owned bythe privately held Australianinvestment companyBennelong Group PtyLimited.

Crown Golf was estab-lished in 1994 and grewthrough merger and acqui-sition to become the thirdlargest owner/operator inthe country at the time.

In 2004, Crown Golfacquired American Golf UKfrom American GolfCorporation and NGPRealty Sub, making itEurope’s largest golf clubowner/operator.

The Crown Golf coursesare regionally spread from

Merseyside in the Northdown to Portsmouth in theSouth and St Mellion inCornwall, which is currentlyundergoing a £100m rede-velopment, which will seethe return of the EnglishOpen.

The hotel, which is morethan 30-years-old, will bereplaced by a new four-starbuilding with 80 bedrooms.

Crown restructures as Weircontinues development plan

Ad in the Hole campaignexpands worldwide

Padraig Harrington's firstventure into course designat The Marlbrook nearClonmel, Ireland, hasbeen put on hold.

The owners, the Kentfamily, have responded tothe downturn in the econ-omy by stepping backfrom the plannedconstruction schedule ontheir estate.

Membership of TheMarlbrook was pitched at€15,000 and the projectwas launched in May2007.

Set in the heart of theGolden Vale, TheMarlbrook is a 500-acre18th century estate over-looking the River Suir.

Harrington was delight-ed with the majestic back-drop for what he hoped -and still hopes - will be astunning golf course.

Respected hotel and golfindustry professional,Michael Longshaw, hasbeen selected to spear-head the strategic launch ofInternational Golf andResort Management (IGRM).

The new company wasformed to fill an opening inthe market for managementservices to golf facilities,integrated resorts and resi-dential developments.

Longshaw, who takes upthe position of CEO at IGRM,makes the move from CCAwhere he served for 14 yearsoverseeing the operation ofthe company’s UK andEuropean properties whileguiding it through a periodof unprecedented growthinto the luxury golf club andresort market.

During his tenure he wasresponsible for the success-

ful redevelopment ofBrocket Hall, the launch ofthe London, Berlin andMoscow Capital Clubs andthe establishment of CCA asmarket leaders in Russia.

At IGRM Longshaw willemploy his experience ofthe international hotel, resortand leisure industries todeliver management andoperational expertise toluxury facilities while estab-

lishing the brand and build-ing a global business.

Longshaw said: “We arecurrently in the final stagesof negotiations for long-termmanagement contractswith several prestigiousdevelopments in continen-tal Europe and Africa,whose owners share ourambition to create superiorresorts not yet experiencedoutside of the US.”

Longshaw takes the helm at IGRM

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MAY 2008 GME 5

FACTFILE;

on the cover

Ransomes JacobsenWest Road

Ransomes EuroparkIpswich IP3 9TT

United Kingdom

TEL; (44) 01473 270000FAX; (44) 01473 276300

Golfsocieteit De LageVuursche near Den Holderin the Netherlands is the firstgolf club in Europe to takedelivery of the new E-Z-GORXV golf car, launched inJanuary.

A fleet of ten electric-powered vehicles has beendelivered to the club byDuchell b.v., the long estab-lished E-Z-GO distributor forthe Netherlands.

Duco van Oosterhout,president of Duchell said:"We are delighted to havecompleted the first deliveryof the new RXV into Europe.

“It is a great golf car andvery easy to sell against theopposition once you haveexplained the economics togolf course operators.

“It is more efficient due toits AC motor; more comfort-able because it has auto-

motive-type suspension;easier to maintain and givesthe club a greater return ontheir investment.”

The E-Z-GO RXV repre-sents a major step forwardin golf car technology.

The new vehicle is expect-ed to deliver exceptionalvalue to golf course opera-tors and owners throughreduced energy and main-tenance costs, and anunsurpassed experience forgolfers through best-in-classpower, control, comfort andsafety.

The RXV is available ineither electric and petrolmodels, whilst the existingTXT model – introduced in1995 and the best-sellingfleet golf car in companyhistory – will remain a keycomponent in the E-Z-GOportfolio.

“The RXV is a gamechanger for the golf indus-try. It takes the golf car to awhole new level,” said golflegend Arnold Palmer, whohas built more than 300 golfcourses worldwide andwhose company managesmany outstanding facilities.

“E-Z-GO continues itstradition of innovationmaking the game of golfmore enjoyable for every-one who plays.

“I am proud of my long-time association with E-Z-GO and look forward toworking with them for manymore years.” GME

WEBLINK; EZGO.COM

First new E-Z-GO RXV fleetdelivered in Europe

“E-Z-GO continues its tradition of innovation making thegame of golf more enjoyable for everyone that plays”

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Carden Park Hotel, Golfresort and Spa in Chester,one of the two De VereDeluxe resorts, had thegrand opening of its stylishnew clubhouse on SundayApril 20.

A number of well knowncelebrities from the regioncelebrated the opening bytaking part in the Celeb-Amgolf tournament that washeld on the NicklausChampionship course.

Aside from the opening ofthe luxury new clubhouse,the day raised around£2,000 for Cancer Research.

Hamish Ferguson, generalmanager, Carden Park said:“It’s been a fantastic dayand I’m sure one that willlive long in the memory foreveryone who took part.”

The £500,000 upgrade tothe clubhouse featuresbrand new saunas for thelocker rooms, the installationof six new 50” HD plasmascreens and new look diningareas.

Daniel Hodson, director ofgolf and Leisure at De Veresaid: “It has been a wonder-ful day for everyoneinvolved at Carden Parkand De Vere. The clubhouseis fabulous. It has everythingyou would come to expectfrom a top golfing resort.”

news

6 GME MAY 2008

The Kaya Eagles GolfResort in Belek, Turkey,which opened inNovember last year, hasselected RansomesJacobsen as theirpreferred supplier forcourse maintenancemachinery and E-Z-GO forgolf cars.

Formby Hall Golf Resortand Spa in Merseyside,which is set to becomehome to the UK’s first PGANational Residential GolfAcademy, has appointedMatthew Allen-Chillmanas head of golf withimmediate effect.

Golfers who become amember at a Crown Golfclub this season will beable to enjoy up to 50 percent off golf in Franceand Spain - after thecompany agreed a recip-rocal playing scheme withtwo major European golfcourse operators.

A project to supply thirtyfour AFT 45 trenchingmachines to Agriculturalcolleges across Algeria, isthe culmination of closeco-operation betweenAFT Trenchers and a part-nership of Belgium andGerman agenciesspecialising in the re-establishment of basicinfrastructures througheducation.

Patshull Park Hotel, Golfand Country Club, inWolverhampton, hasfound an environmentally-efficient way to keep itsgolf course in tip-topcondition. As part of a£180,000 refurbishment,the club is harnessingwater from an under-ground spring on theestate to provide drinkingwater for its new green-keeping facility.

IN BRIEF;Royals Antwerp, the

second oldest golf courseon the continent, has under-gone an extensive facelift torestore it to its classical best.

Owners have spent€150,000 on the restorationand upgrading of thehistoric Championshipcourse, which was originallydesigned by Willie Park Jnr in1888.

Belgian architect Dimitrivan Hauwaert spent tenweeks over the winter withAndrew Jeffery of Golf Techrebuilding 65 bunkers andre-modelling the layout toreturn it to a more classicalstyle.

Works included theremoval of redundantbunkers and re-shaping andsanding of bunkers, finefinishing, turfing and rein-statement of heather areasincluding dunescaping.

Van Hauwaert said: “Theexisting bunkers had

completely lost their shapeand form with several beingtotally out of position penal-ising only the poorly hit shot.

“They had lost their shapesthrough minor adjustmentand normal-edging mainte-nance over the years so thatthe actual sanded area hadexpanded or explodedoutside of what was theoriginal bunker edge.

“This also led to a lot ofunnecessary maintenanceand extra expense. The clubwanted a classical look sowe have now introduceduneven faces on thebunkers with fescue grassesthat will not be mown.

“I’m very happy and whatwe have created is some-thing that is quite new toBelgium.”

Royal Antwerp returns to former glory

Carden Park opens lavishnew £500,000 clubhouse

Lancashire’s richest manhas cast doubt over thefuture of his Preston golfclub.

Speculation is mountingthat Trust Inns, which isowned by multi-millionaireTrevor Hemmings, couldreduce Ingol Golf Coursefrom an 18-hole course tojust nine, making way forhousing.

According to theLancashire Evening Post,Hemmings’ officialspokesman said theBlackpool Tower owner was“reviewing his options”concerning the course.

He said: “The course is notconducive to golf and thebusiness is a loss-makingone. But nothing is signed ordecided at this moment.”

Local councillors andpeople living near to thecourse have vowed to “fighttooth and nail” to stop anynew development in itstracks.

The move comes a yearafter Trust Inns first raisedfears over the future of thecourse after they scrappedthe members’ only club fora pay-as-you-play course.

Speculation mounts over Ingol

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MAY 2008 GME 7

news

Ransomes Jacobsen’sSpanish distributor, GreenMowers has reported twosignificant sales successes atCaldes International GolfCourse and the Real Clubde Golf Sotogrande.

The Caldes InternationalGolf Course is situated 35kmfrom Barcelona in the beau-tiful mountains of Montbui.Sergio Verano, the club’soperations manager, has

purchased ten electric E-Z-GO TXT buggies.

Founded in 1964, RealClub de Golf Sotogrande isone of Spain’s foremostmembers’ clubs, and wasdesigned by Robert TrentJones.

As with Caldes, theSotogrande club has select-ed electric buggies from E-Z-GO as their preferredchoice.

Spanish Success forGreens Mowers

Potential new golfers nolonger have to worry aboutbuying golf equipment ifthey want to try the gamefollowing the announce-ment of a new schemeaimed at making the sportmore accessible.

A Sport England grant of£72,000 has been awardedto the England GolfPartnership for the purchaseof equipment for golf devel-opment programmes aimedat bringing more peopleinto the game.

The money will buy sets ofTri-golf and Golf X-tremeequipment for youngsters inschools, together with halfsets for men and women,and left handed clubs.

The equipment will thenbe put to good use throughSchool Developmentprogrammes, City Tastersessions and golf club activi-ty organised by 20 individualCounty Golf Partnerships.

Richard Flint, EGU/EWGAgolf development manager,said: “Research has shown

that the secondbiggest barrierto taking upthe game isthe cost of golfequipment.

“People are natu-rally reluctant to haveto spend money beforethey have even had achance to try golf. This initia-tive is aimed at removingthat barrier.

“People of all ages cannow go along to one of ourinner city days, or a taster

session at theirlocal golf club andknow they won’thave to worryabout having theirown clubs.”

County GolfPartnerships will loan

the equipment to golfclubs who have beenawarded GolfMarkstatus, the nationalscheme that recog-nises junior andbeginner friendlygolf facilities.

Equipment scheme for new golfers

GolfTech GmbH Golf Course Construction and

Maintenance

MD: Andrew JefferyGolfTech GmbH, PO Box 1106,

25961 Westerland/SyltGermany

+49 (0) 173 571 [email protected]

www.golftech-gmbh.de

Marine Golf Club, Germany

BAGCC

May 2008.qxd 09/5/2008 8:26 AM

news

8 GME MAY 2008

Les Bordes estate inFrance has been boughtfrom its Japanese owners bya prominent group of inter-national businessmen.

The group, led by TonyJimenez, has purchased theprestigious venue for anundisclosed sum fromKosaido International andpromised to furtherenhance the facilities at theresort.

The course, which wasdesigned by architectRobert von Hagge, is consis-tently rated as the bestcourse in Europe alongsideRyder Cup venueValderrama and consideredby many to be among thetop five in the world.

Now the new owners, LesBordes Holdings, haveannounced that they intendto charge von Hagge with

the task of upgrading thecourse further and continu-ing its meticulous mainte-nance schedules to main-tain its world rankings.

They also plan tocompletely upgrade one ofthe other two 18-hole cours-es on the estate to rival theprestigious first Les Bordescourse.

In order to successfullymanage the ambitiousupgrade schedule, LesBordes has brought insought after developmentmanager Mark Vickery,whose previous recordincludes managing devel-opments at RoyalWestmoreland, Sandy Lane,Disney and Goodwood.

Jimenez said: “Thepurchase heralds a newdawn for the estate.

“Les Bordes Holdings isdelighted to have acquiredthis exceptional golf facilityand is committed to invest-ing and expanding theestate’s facilities to the stan-dard that this exclusiveproperty deserves.

“We intend to build uponLes Bordes’ undisputedreputation as one of thevery best golf resort destina-

tions in the world,” contin-ued Jimenez.

“As a matter of course inall of our developments weseek the involvement of onlythe best professionals. Wehave entrusted themanagement of this presti-gious project to the handsof Mark Vickery.

“Mark’s international pedi-gree and track record inmulti-faceted projects of thiskind is well proven havingsuccessfully managed majorgolf developments for RoyalWestmoreland, Sandy Lane,Disney and Goodwood.

“We have been extremelyfortunate in securing thepurchase of this special andunique estate. Les Bordes istruly a hidden gem andrepresents the pinnacle ofthe golfing experience.

“A chance such as thisvery rarely presents itself. Weare delighted and veryexcited about this opportu-nity.”

Les Bordes was designedby von Hagge for BaronMarcel Bich, founder of theBic pen empire, and hisJapanese trading partner,Mr Yoshiaki Sakurai. Thecourse opened in 1986.

New Owners plan furtherupgrade of Les Bordes

Twelve holes areshaped and constructionwill be completed thisyear at Forest Hills GolfClub, a new design fromArthur Hills/Steve Forrestand Associates (AHSF)that will serve as centre-piece to Russia’s first golfresort-hotel development.

The developer behindthis $200 million project isthe Protcion Company,which also developedone of Russia’s few existingclubs, Moscow’s PestovoGolf and Yacht Club.

In addition to a five-starhotel, resort golf club andstate-of-the-art practicefacility, Protcion directorOleg Kustikov plans tosprinkle luxury secondaryvacation homes alongForest Hills’ perimeterwhich is just 45 minutesfrom Moscow city centre.

Construction of thehotel will coincide withgolf course grow-in; bothare scheduled for grandopening in 2010.

It’s Back to the Floor for Thierry

Campaigners have takena swing at plans to shift aYorkshire golf club on to apopular greenfield site - byapplying for ‘Town Green’status.

A newly-formed actiongroup has applied to thelocal authority’s legaldepartment in an attemptto block the development

of Doncaster Town MoorGolf Club’s new clubhouse.

The preferred site inBessacarr has already wonthe approval of DoncasterCouncil as part of large-scale plans to redevelopthe former Belle Vue footballground - where the golfclub is located - into amodern residential zone.

But campaign spokesmanColin Kingston says residentsare determined to fight theruling: “To develop this fieldwould be absolutely disas-trous for this area. We justwant the field to stay.”

A moratorium preventinggreenfield developmentwas lifted by the authority inFebruary.

The Club Company is toroll out its latest fundraisingchallenge after it not onlyraised money for charity,but also proved a successfulteam building exercise.

In a Back to the Floormeets Hell’s Kitchen experi-ment, senior managementstaff left their desks anddonned restaurant uniformsfor the day to prepare andserve a three-course dinnerfor members.

Led by CEO of thecompany, Thierry Delsol, tenmembers of staff, workedfrom 9.30am to 11pm toprepare a menu offering a

choice of nine dishes for 50discerning members andtheir guests. The diners thenpaid as much for the mealas they thought it wasworth.

“The day was a greatexperience and an oppor-tunity to work as a teamoutside of our comfort zone.

“We all had a lot of funbut also had to deliver aspecial experience to ourmembers. All was done withimmense spirit.

“The money raised tosupport the charity was asuperb reward for ourefforts,” said Delsol.

Residents block Doncaster’s plans

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MAY 2008 GME 9

Toro’s StudentGreenkeeper of the Year2007 has recently returnedfrom an eight-week educa-tional trip to the US.

Avon Bridges, 27, won thetrip after beating off stiffcompetition in his regionalheat and then from sevenfellow greenkeepers in thenational finals held atBIGGA House last year totake the prestigious title.

Having completed a six-week residential turfmanagement course at theUniversity of Massachusetts,Bridges is now back at workas head greenkeeper ofLuton Hoo Golf Club inBedfordshire.

Bridge’s trip also includedvisits to Toro’s headquartersin Minneapolis and the GolfIndustry Show which tookplace in Orlando.

Toro’s top Studentreturns from US jaunt

SkyCaddie GPS, the offi-cial rangefinderof the PGA, hascompletedmapping someof the world’smost famousgolf courses -including 2010Ryder Cupcourse CelticManor and2011 OpenChampionshipvenue Royal StGeorges.

With more than 2,100courses now mapped in

Europe and havingbecome the PGA’sofficial distancemeasuring device,SkyCaddie starts theSummer seeking tostrengthen its posi-tion as the world’sleading GPSrangefinder.

In recent weeks thecompany’s ‘courseenablers’ - the team

of professional mappers

who walk every inch of acourse to create a bespokeSkyCaddie GPS footprint -has also mapped TheDuke’s, Duchess’s andMarquess’s courses atWoburn; the Old Courseand Cashen Course atBallybunion; and the flag-ship Majlis Course and NickFaldo-designed WadiCourse at The Emirates GolfClub, Dubai.

And The Belfry, Wentworthand all 12 courses at Turkeyholiday hotspot Belek -

including the MontgomerieCourse at Papillon Golf Club- have also been painstak-ingly measured.

Jackie Hitchcock, ofSkyCaddie Europe, said:“We’re absolutely delightedto announce that thoseprestigious courses havebeen mapped - and thereare more in the pipeline.”

SkyCaddie has nowmapped 80 per cent of theUK’s courses, with the aim ofreaching 90 per cent by theend of May.

SkyCaddie en-route to map Europe

news

May 2008.qxd 09/5/2008 8:32 AM

Golf scorecard collectorBob Davies is attempting toset a new world record asthe first person to obtain ascorecard from every coun-try that plays golf.

“I currently have score-cards from 222 differentcountries in the world,” saidthe 65-year-old Scot, wholives on the east coast ofAustralia.

“I have scorecards fromcountries including,Antarctica, Diego Garcia,Tristan Da Cunha, Nepaland Bhutan to name just afew, and I am now concen-trating on building myEuropean collection.

“I have scorecards fromevery country in Europeexcept for Montenegro,Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova,and Albania and I washoping that clubs in Europemight be willing to send mea sample of their scorecardso as I can add their card tomy collection.”

Any club that wishes tohelp Davies expand hiscollection can do so bycontacting him at thefollowing address:

Bob Davies, PO Box 584,Woolgooga, NSW 2456,Australia.

news

10 GME MAY 2008

Ransomes Jacobsen’sMalaysian distributor,Tractors Malaysia, hasdelivered new Jacobsenmowers to one of themost prestigious resorts inthe country - GlenmarieGolf and Country Club -including two LF3800 fair-way mowers and twoAR250 rotary mowers.

A new owner has beenfound for a successful golfclub close to the M1 inBedfordshire. CaddingtonGolf Club, near Luton,developed into a wellestablished business by itsprevious owner, wasbought for more than theguide price of £1.25m byMcGees.

The Tytherington Golf andCountry Club in Cheshirehas appointed Mark Lawas the new generalmanager, who previouslyheld a similar position atEsporta’s LancashireHealth and Racquet Clubfor 18 months.

Golfplan-Fream, Dale andRamsey have brokenground on 18 new holes inthe exclusive resort townof Bodrum, Turkey.Golfplan has designedmore than 160 courses in26 different countries, butthis project — slated for aspring 2009 opening — willbe the firm’s first in theemerging golf destinationof Turkey.

MJ Abbott has beenappointed by St AndrewsBay Development Limitedto carry out extensiveremedial work to theTorrance Course atFairmont St Andrews. There-modeling has beendesigned by US architectGary Stephenson, founderof The Linksmen GolfDesign Group.

IN BRIEF;Toro and Marriott

International have signed aworldwide partnershipagreement that will see Toromachinery and irrigationproducts supplied to allMarriott golf propertiesoutside the US and Canadauntil at least 2012.

The new deal will benefitthe Marriott hotel and resortgroup’s existing 28 golfproperties outside the USand Canada, plus all its newdevelopments across theglobe.

“This is a significant step inToro’s partnership withMarriott,” comments Toro’scorporate accountsmanager for Europe, theMiddle East and Africa,Andy Brown.

“As a partner, we are acomprehensive resourceworking at every level of thebusiness, from corporate

strategic planning to profes-sional service at local levelvia our network of 107 inter-national distributors.”

Stephen Follett, director ofgolf operations for MarriottUK, added: “Marriott is thelargest golf resort operatorin the world and it’s essentialthat all our properties are

maintained to the higheststandards.

“Toro is well knownthroughout the world as theleading supplier of qualitygolf course maintenanceequipment and we lookforward to seeing all ourcourses benefit from thispartnership.”

Toro and Marriott sign partnership

Bob keeping score as heaims for a world record

A marine ecologist wantsto see a Sussex links coursegiven ‘back to nature’.

Littlehampton GC’s linkscourse should be allowed torevert to a saltmarsh, saysProf Brian Morton in hisrecent book on the historyand ecology of the town’sbeaches and river.

Relocating the course,with the possibility of attract-ing lottery funding and using

a top designer to create achampionship level facility,would be a bold steptowards regeneratingLittlehampton's west bankarea, he says.

The restored saltmarshand the many thousands ofvisiting birds it would attractwould in turn bring largenumbers of tourists andornithologists toLittlehampton, creating jobs

and boosting the economy,claims Prof Morton.

“It is more valuable to thepeople of Littlehampton asa nature reserve andeducational centre,” hesaid.

“You would have perhaps500 people a day goinground the marsh to see thewildlife, rather than a fewhundred members of thegolf club.”

Plan to return links back to nature

May 2008.qxd 09/5/2008 8:34 AM

www.dreamshotgolf.comFor further information please contact Jenny Stevenson on 01789 207378

May 2008.qxd 06/5/2008 5:01 PM

Fairway mowers suppliedby Ransomes Jacobsendealer, Burrows GM, arebeing used by Chris Whittleand his greenkeeping teamat Royal Birkdale as prepa-rations for The OpenChampionship gather pace.

Whittle has been using thetwo-wheel drive version ofthe Jacobsen LF-3400 lightfairway mower for the pastfew years and his currentpair of machines will besupplemented by a furtherthree from Ransomes

Jacobsen’s tournamentsupport fleet as the presti-gious event in July gets evercloser.

“I’m absolutely delightedwith the performance ofthese machines; they haveperformed boringly well,” hesaid. “They have beenextremely reliable and thequality of cut is superb, wetor dry.”

The R&A have stipulatedthat the fairways will be cutin one direction only, onceevery day from tee togreen, with all clippingsboxed off. The fivemachines will drive in stag-gered formation down eachfairway to achieve therequired finish.

Royal Birkdale has seenmany alterations over thepast couple of years withonly holes seven and 12remaining in their originalconfiguration.

Bunkers have beenremoved, refurbished ormoved with eight new onescreated to bring the totalup to 123.

“I won’t be changing mymaintenance regime, it willjust become more intense inthe final weeks leading upto The Open.”

“We’ll mow the greens at3mm, twice in the morningand once again in theevening; tees and surroundsat 6mm daily; the fairwayswill be maintained at 9mm,with the semi-rough at30mm.

“I have ten permanentstaff and I will supplementthose with 12 experiencedgreenkeepers from localclubs.

“We'll be working from4am until 10pm and we’rereally looking forward to itwith increasing anticipa-tion.”

news

12 GME MAY 2008

The Club Company hasannounced the comple-tion of a £85.5m refinanc-ing with Anglo Irish Bank.

The Club Company wasacquired by BoundaryCapital and Managementfor £96m in June 2006 withthe support of a group ofhigh net worth investorsand Anglo Irish PrivateBanking.

The re-financing willprovide funding for a 20per cent cash distributionto investors and willprovide £6m for re-invest-ment into the clubnetwork.

This fresh investment willtop-up the £10m investedin club facilities sinceBoundary’s acquisition ofthe group.

As part of the re-financ-ing, The Club Companyhas completed a de-merger of its property andoperating interests withinthe overall deal.

Preparations on coursefor the Open at Birkdale

Campaigners fighting tostop Basildon Golf Coursebeing reshaped using thou-sands of tonnes of rubblehave taken their fight toParliament.

Basildon Labour MPAngela Smith led a parlia-mentary debate on the

decision by the EnvironmentAgency to allow buildingwaste to be brought on tothe course.

Protesters against thescheme fear there will be upto 12,000 lorry loads ofrubbish taken to the site,over a six-month period.

Smith is angry at BasildonCouncil for allowing thecompany Jack Barker Ltd toreshape the course’scontours with 120,000 tonnesof rubble.

Members have vowed tokeep fighting the decision toallow the course to be

reshaped and have raised£14,000 to fund a full judicialreview.

In April, a High Courtjudge ordered a review intothe controversial decision toallow thousands of tonnes ofrubble to be brought on tothe course.

Drill’n’Fill aerator’s reputa-tion as a problem solver inturfcare is spreading acrossEurope. Koln Golf undLandclub (Cologne) recent-ly took delivery of their ownDrill’n’Fill from Ecosolve.

The recent sale broadensEcosolve’s growing devel-opment in Europe inresponse to the growingpopularity of the aerators.

All over the continent, golfclubs are using the equip-ment to tackle previously

insurmountable aerationissues.

The machine’s ability tocreate 12 inch deep hollowtine-like ducts and backfillthem simultaneously hasenabled remedial treat-ment to be used to curemajor problems of poordrainage rather than torebuild.

Koln is delighted with itspurchase, having seengood results at Gut KadenGolf Club in Hamburg,

Munchen Eichenreid Nord inMunich and various coursesin Holland.

“This club aspires to pres-ent a course in prime condi-tion,” said Rolf Henrich,chairman of greens at Koln.

“We appreciate thatinvestment must be madeto achieve that, but if wecan avoid greens recon-struction, there are majorbenefits to finances,membership, playability andsmooth running of the club.”

The Shropshire GolfCentre, part of the BurhillGolf and Leisure Group, haswon a prestigious barmerchandising award fromthe UK’s leading brewerScottish and Newcastle.

The ‘Best VisuallyMerchandised Bar’ awardrecognised The Shropshire’sbar for its outstandingcleanliness, friendliness of

staff, signage, promotionaldisplays and use of differenttypes of glasses.

The award was made toJames Lever, generalmanager of The ShropshireGolf Centre who said: “It is agreat accolade to the foodand beverage team at TheShropshire that we havebeen recognised by the verybest in the drinks business.”

Ecosolve expands in Europe

Cheers for best bar award

Landfill plans angers Basildon members

May 2008.qxd 09/5/2008 8:40 AM

May 2008.qxd 01/5/2008 9:39 AM

May 2008.qxd 11/4/2008 2:07 PM

MAY 2008 GME 15

club focusWEBLINK; MANORHOUSEGOLF.CO.UK

While glaziers reinforce fifth-storeywindows at the headquarters of interna-tional finance companies in preparationfor the fall-out (literally) of the well-publicised credit crunch, many in golfwill be saying simply ‘welcome to ourworld’.

Little pockets of recession have beeneating away at the industry for as long aswe can remember. On the majority ofoccasions it’s not been quite as bad as the‘experts’ predicted but the consensusseems to be that a storm is on the way.

While many have seen that as a harbin-ger of change, others are resolute in thefact they don’t have to slash entrance feesand subscriptions to survive. Shrewdbusiness acumen and a satisfied clientbase is a solid platform for stability evenin times of the tumbling pound.

One such is the Manor House Hoteland Golf Club at Castle Combe,Somerset, which, when it’s not playinghost to the stars of the forthcomingremake of the classic 1941 Claude Rains’movie Wolfman - which it was whenGME visited - is already in fine shape andprepared for any consequences sub-prime mortgages can throw at it.

General manager Paul Thompson hasbeen with the hotel for four years follow-ing a career in pure hotel managementand he believes a degree of exclusivity is agood economic defence.

He explained: “If we lost more thanfive per cent of our membership each

year we’d get worried and that, for us, interms of a standard across the industry, isreally good.

“We have a very, very high entrance feeand subscriptions are a big ‘ask’. So in thesouth-west we are the most expensiveclub you’ll come across.That has done anumber of things: because of that we’vebuilt, over the years, a very stablemembership, who see it as an investmentversus something that is quite transient.

“If you look at the entrance fee chargedby the majority of our competitors - andthen the subscriptions you pay - actuallywhen the bill comes through for renewal,it’s quite an easy decision not to pay it; tolay off or look for another club.

“The problem with that is that otherclubs’ memberships are very transient, soyou’re actually building up a ‘churn’ ofmembership. Some lose as much as 40 or50 per cent of their membership eachyear.

“To be a member of that sort of clubenvironment is a very different proposi-tion to ours, which is more long term -these members are going to renew, there’sno debate about it. Providing we satisfythem of course.They see it as a long-terminvestment.

“So our membership isn’t transient; itbuilds year on year.There are enough‘factions’ to cater for the age groups youmight wish to join.There’s enough therefor new members not to feel excluded butequally we’ve not got this wash every year.

Keeping the Wolf from The Manor

Part of the Exclusive Hotelchain, The Manor HouseHotel and Golf Club issituated in one of themost beautiful locationsyou’re ever likely to find.No wonder then thatfilms such as Stardust andWolfman have beenfilmed there. PublisherMichael Lenihan visitedthe Castle Combe club.

May 2008.qxd 07/5/2008 9:45 AM

16 GME MAY 2008

FACTFILE;

The Manor HouseCastle Combe

Near BathWiltshire SN24 7JW

England

TEL; (44) 01249 782982FAX; (44) 01249 782992

EMAIL;[email protected]

GENERAL MANAGER;Paul Thompson (above)

COURSE MANAGER;Paul Bishop

CLUB FOUNDED;1992

“There is some real panic in the indus-try about membership. Some haveslashed their entrance fees and takensome fairly dramatic actions to try to dealwith it.That’s where the business is at intheir cycle.

“Our membership is set so that iftomorrow we were to walk away from afairly hefty entrance fee to somethingmuch more low grade, then firstly, wewould jeopardise our relationship withthe existing membership; and secondly,we’d end up in this transient bun fightwhich everybody else is in.

“What we’ve got is a fairly matureproduct where the golfing experiencegets better year on year - our member-ship demands that. Our objective with theclub is to make it a members-only envi-ronment, but we’re six or seven yearsaway from achieving that.

“So we have a balance of membershipand corporate, along with hotel and visi-tor green fees.That balance we managewell as we can’t afford to upset themembership.

“We manage hotel and golf togetherbut in my mindset quite differently. Itwould be wrong for one to becomedependent upon the other.They comple-ment each other very well. And there willoccasions during the year when an eventwill take over the whole hotel and thewhole golf course. And that works bril-liantly.

“But in this day and age we need to befar more resilient. At the moment we’retalking about what would happen if thereare bad times ahead. But we have anumber of market segments here so we’reactually only looking at a couple whichwould go down where others wouldcontinue to perform.

“We know the membership we havewill stay pretty loyal during a recessionperiod, but the corporate golf would godown. So we would have to look at othermarkets to stabilise that.”

Last year around 20 per cent of roundscame from corporate golf for which thereremains a big demand despite othercourses suffering because of last year’sinclement weather.

In total Manor House enjoyed 26,000rounds in 2007, which, when the weatherwasn’t particularly good, is an encourag-ing figure.The course is generally regard-ed as a good challenge. And for thoseinterested in such figures the time for theaverage round is three hours, 15 minutes.

So has Thompson had to make anysubstantial changes to achieve this strongmarket position?

He said: “I was really lucky when I firstcame here that I had a really strong pro,Steve Slinger, who’s now running oursister property Mannings Heath. Stevehad the technical knowledge of the courseso he was very good at bringing me on sothat I understood about good definition,various chemicals, good greenkeepingpractices and the golfer’s perspective.

“We’ve been very lucky at the ManorHouse.The current group has owned itsince 1992 and since then the level ofinvestment has always been consistentregardless of what was going in terms ofmembership or corporate guests.

“The course, as it stands today, hasbenefited year on year from that andwe’ve always had the view that I couldstop spending on the course tomorrowand for about 12 months the averagegolfer wouldn’t know the difference.

“There would be enough to keep itgoing but you would be sowing a legacyfor the next 24 months... three years...four years. Manor House has beenconsistent in its investment which hasenabled us to keep our product distin-guished from local competitors.

“What we’ve been able to do, which Idon’t believe our competitors have, isconsistently invest in the course - whichhas always had a magnificent topography- to ensure the standard of presentation

“We manage hotel and golf together but in my mindset quitedifferently. It would bewrong for one tobecome dependentupon the other. Theycomplement eachother very well.”

May 2008.qxd 07/5/2008 9:47 AM

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MAY 2008 GME 17

and the quality of what is underfoot hasremained solid. And that’s a reputationwe’ve been very discreet about, but whichhas paid off over the years in the terms ofthe golfing experience.

“So there was nothing much brokenwith the course when I got here. It wasperforming well and has continued toperform well and we continue to exceedthe expectations of our golfers. From thatpoint of view it’s very pleasing. It’s a goodteam up there - very consistent.”

Not surprisingly for a club whosemembership needs to be - shall we say -on the affluent side, the main demo-graphic of members is the 40-60 range.As Thompson pointed out, outside pres-sures are much more likely to play a partin the decision of the younger element.

“There’s an easier conversion at the40-60 age than earlier than that. Peoplecan move at the drop of a hat in theirworking environment.We’ve had somechallenges with our junior and ladiessections to grow those over the past twoyears.We offer a good competitive pack-age for juniors so it would be worrying ifit continued for a third year.”

Thompson employs one member ofstaff full-time merely to sell member-ships, which - in the same way membersview their subscriptions - is seen as along-term investment.

“We had one new member join lastmonth who had taken two years toconvert,” explained Thompson. “That’s alot of work but it paid off.”

Manor House is keen to maintaincertain standards from both its membersand its visitors. “We nearly had a heartattack when we dropped the long sockrule,” explained Thompson.

“But we do enforce the dress code, butI wouldn’t say it’s easy. Golf is only areflection of society. Every committeemeeting we have an example of where theetiquette or dress code hasn’t beenobserved. I think the jury’s out.

“ When we dropped the long sock rulehalf the membership thought it was greatthe other half thought we’d opened thefloodgates.We’re in a compromise situa-tion.Where we’re at seems to please mostpeople.We’re in an all-right place at themoment.”

And so is Paul Thompson. Happy inhis role as general manager at a clubwhich is seen to be leading the way forothers. But, like the hotel he manages sostudiously, the Stratford-upon-Avonborn, 34-year-old won’t sit back and takeany thing for granted. So a new role maynot be far away.

“It would be difficult to leave the golfknowledge alone. I’ve worked with somegood people here who’ve taken time toeducate me in what we’re doing and howwe do it.To walk away from that piece ofknowledge would be a mistake.

“But equally I’m very passionate abouthotels and I feel there are enough hotelsand golf courses married together in thiscountry to keep me going for a littlewhile.” GME

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May 2008.qxd 12/5/2008 11:47 AM

trump international

18 GME MAY 2008

Few golf developments have attractedthe kind of media furore that has accom-panied Donald Trump’s plans for the

Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.In fact, it’s unprecedented.

The ongoing debaclehas set alight fevered

debates about large-scalegolf projects and has sparked

a political rumpus that hasrocked the ScottishGovernment.

The drama surrounding theUS tycoon’s bid to build twochampionship golf courses, aclubhouse, golf academy, turfgrass research centre, luxury hotel,950 holiday apartments, 36 villasand around 500 homes on a 1,400-acre stretch of Scotland’s northeastcoast has been enthralling.

In fact, the twists and turns stretch asfar back as October 2005 when JackMcConnell - then Scotland’s first minis-ter - met Trump in his New York HQ.

McConnell couldn’t have foreseen thecontroversy that would eventuallysurround the US$2 billion golf develop-ment and in April 2006 went so far asinviting the mogul to become a part of anetwork of overseas-based friends ofScotland chosen for their valuable experi-ence and willingness to help the country.

McConnell said: “Donald has shown areal passion for Scotland. He is a globallyrecognised figure who can help us topromote Scotland. I am delighted that hehas taken up my offer.This is a good bitof business for all concerned.”

Early that month The Menie Estate hadbeen revealed as the location for Trump’ssuper resort.

Donald Trump is rarely far from controversy, but his latest$2 billion development has eclipsed any of his earlierescapades. Mark Alexander reports on the events lead-ing up to next month’s public enquiry.

Top Trumped

WEBLINK; TRUMPOFSCOTLAND.COM

May 2008.qxd 23/4/2008 1:07 PM

MAY 2008 GME 19

A month later McConnell became thefirst politician to be criticised for gettingtoo close to the flamboyant tycoon.

Fast forward a year and it’s all change.In May 2007, Alex Salmond became thefirst Independence Party leader to bevoted as Scotland’s First Minister. Healso became the MSP for the Gordondistrict which includes the Menie Estateand therefore precludes him from anyinvolvement in the planning process.

At this stage Trump’s dream of creatingthe greatest golf course in the worldseemed to be progressing smoothly. Butevents were soon to take a turn for theworst.

Plans for the Menie Estate started outmodestly enough.The previous owner,Tom Griffin, wanted to create a singlegolf course connected to a country househotel.The American businessman hadbought the land for £25,000 more than adecade earlier after it had lain empty for anumber of years. After investing heavilyin its restoration, he wanted the place tobecome self-sufficient.

“He bought it when it was run downand the house was just a shell,” saysRichard Le Sueur, an Edinburgh-basedgolf course architect who Griffin initiallyapproached to draw up plans for theestate.

“He spent a huge amount of time andmoney restoring it [but] he wanted theestate to run itself. He started talkingabout a golf development which was afairly obvious move for an estate of thatsize with a big chunk of links land.”

Le Sueur says the initial plans wererelatively humble. “His brief was fairlyloose. He talked about a relatively small-scale development with one golf course, apocket of housing and possibly a hotel.My job was to look at the whole estateand design the best possible golf courseusing pretty much whatever I wanted.”

Although Griffin’s plans were reservedin comparison to Trump’s, he was stillacutely aware of the controversy that thedevelopment would attract and hadproactively surveyed the land.

“He spent years getting reports doneby environmentalists and dunes experts,”says Le Sueur. “He took a very softly,softly approach and wasn’t in any hurryto get planning. So when I turned up hehad plenty of information for me to startputting a design together.”

Le Sueur completed a routing in June2005 after a series of visits to the site. “Iwas up there a lot longer than normalpartly because it was a complex job tocome up with the best course but alsobecause I was enjoying myself too much;it’s the ideal site which doesn’t comealong that often.”

By the end of the year, Le Sueur wasshowing the Trump team around aheadof their acquisition, and despite his bestefforts was replaced by Tom Fazio.

“I really couldn’t believe anything likeit existed,” Fazio said of his first visit.“This property has acres of dunes rang-ing from several feet to 100 feet in height.They look like they are thousands of yearsold.The key here is not what we’re goingto do, but what we’re not going to do.”

In fact, Fazio didn’t get a chance to domuch.When it became clear that Trump’sambition was to create a links golf coursethat could host an Open, Martin Hawtreewas called in to develop Fazio’s routingwhile the American returned to the US.

Crucially, Hawtree had worked withthe R&A on Open Championship linkscourses in the past. He said: “I amintrigued by balance in the compositionof a golf hole, trying to ensure that thewider landscape surrounding a hole, inthe case of this project towering dunes, isfully balanced by great playing interestwithin the fairway and green.”

The initial designs were submitted toAberdeenshire Council on November 27,2006. As 2007 drew to close, the coun-cil’s Formartine area committee approvedthe plans by seven votes to four.

Nine days later, the council’s infra-structure committee threw them out onthe casting vote of the Lib Dem chairmanMartin Ford who was later sacked ascommittee chairman.Three days after thecouncil’s rejection, the finance secretary,John Swinney, attended a function at oneof Trump’s country clubs in the US and aday later Salmond met two Trump aidesin a hotel in Aberdeen in his capacity as aMSP.

Amid the surreptitious meetings,Scotland’s chief planner decided to “callthe plan in” thereby ensuring the affairwould be assessed by ministers, a movethat reportedly George Sorial, themanaging director of international devel-opment for the Trump Organisation, hadinitially proposed.

By February, Swinney announced theaffair would be considered in a publicmeeting. “Given the nature of the appli-cation and the considerable public inter-est,” he said, “it is important that theprocess to examine the issues is as effi-cient, transparent and inclusive as possi-ble. For those reasons I have determinedthat there should be a public localinquiry.”

The inquiry will begin on June 10,although Trump believes it’s already inthe bag. Speaking to Vanity Fair late lastyear he said: “Because I am who I amand my mother is Scottish, between youand me, I’m going to get it.” GME

“Because I am who I am and my mother isScottish, between you and me,

I’m going to get it.”

May 2008.qxd 23/4/2008 1:10 PM

20 GME MAY 2008

property matters

There is considerable merit to thesaying “there’s money in muck” when itcomes to improving UK golf venuesthese days. Perhaps imported “inertspoil” may be a profitable solution foryour own venue.

In this article I highlight some keyissues for you to consider: the benefits,why it works financially, pitfalls to avoidand getting permission to go ahead.

So what is “inert spoil”? Basically it isexcavated soils and rubble from localbuilding sites that the EnvironmentAgency classifies as non-contaminated.

The soils and rubble are therefore suit-able for recycling by tipping them onto a

nearby golf course tocreate interesting

contours rather thanhaving to transportthem to a registered

landfill site forspecialistdisposal.

Golf venuescan benefit in a

variety of ways.Most notably thefinancial rewardscan make the

difference betweena project being

economically viable

or not. Given the current tough tradingclimate this is a welcome scenario.

Schemes can vary greatly from smallscale: such as solving drainage problemsin low-lying areas, providing moundsbetween fairways for safety, creating a parthree course, recontouring a drivingrange or practice ground, perimeterbunding for external security etc; to largescale projects such as building a golfcourse from scratch on bare land or total-ly revamping a poor quality existingcourse.

Why It Works FinanciallyHaulage companies will pay you for the

right to tip inert spoil on your golfcourse.Typical rates are anything from£30 to £100 per lorry load (exc VAT).With the correct paperwork, golf coursesare exempt from charging Landfill Taxwhereas registered landfill sites are not.

This is a major advantage as it makesyour golf venue potentially more attrac-tive to a haulage operator compared to aregistered landfill site.

The actual rate paid depends on thelocal supply/demand situation andhaulage distance. If building sites areproducing large quantities of spoil andthere are few local venues that can take itthen tipping gate prices rise and viceversa.

With many clubs desperateto make ends meet in adifficult economic climate,extreme measures oftenneed to be considered.Mark Smith delves into thesensitive subject of landfill.

Landfill? Not such arubbish solution

WEBLINK; PPCGOLF.COM

May 2008.qxd 06/5/2008 6:38 PM

MAY 2008 GME 21

In addition, the shorter the traveldistance, the more loads a haulagecontractor can shift per lorry per day thusincreasing its revenue. Long distances alsomean higher fuel costs.These factorsalong with the Landfill Tax exemptioninfluence what a haulage company canafford to pay you to take its spoil.

To give you an idea of the financialsums involved, small scale schemes mightneed anything from say 1,500 to 4,000lorry loads of spoil for the reshapingworks. 3,500 loads at a gate price of £60per load produces a spoil revenue of£210,000.

If the average delivery rate is 50 lorriesper day then the importation process lastsbetween three andfour months.

A largescale schememight involve50,000 lorryloads or more.50,000 loads at agate price of £60per load producesa hefty spoil revenue of£3 million.

If the delivery rate is 75 lorriesper day then the importation processshould take around two-and-a-half years.

Out of the spoil revenue you need topay for various items.You therefore haveto evaluate the “risk/reward” balance byconsidering the likely gate revenue, thecost of shaping works and manning thesite, finishing works, choosing reliableadvisers and contractors, disruption tothe existing business and the ease andcost of obtaining planning consent toname but a few.

However a major benefit is that, ifhandled correctly, the physical improve-ments via the spoil importing exerciseshould be self-financing and cash posi-tive.There are however, a number ofpitfalls to avoid.

ContaminationEven a handful of contaminated loads

found on site can be very expensive toremove and the Environment Agency hasstrong enforcement powers includingshutting your scheme down.

The contamination risk is not a majorissue if you choose your spoil supplierwith care.

Make sure that they have a strong trackrecord in the business and ideally stick toa single supplier. Be prepared to have aregular contamination testing programmeand be “open book” with theEnvironment Agency.

Conflicting objectives There have been examples of “dodgy

muck shifters” pretending to create golfcourses which in reality were little morethan landfill sites.They brought spoil onsite in vast quantities as quickly as possi-

ble with littleregard tothe quality

of the golfcourse they

were creating.In some cases

the golf coursewas not even

finished with thedeveloper clearing off

to sunnier parts with a pile ofcash never to be seen in the UK again.

As it will be your golf course and yourland, your objective should be to carryout the development to a high profession-al standard so as to increase the value ofyour asset. You therefore need to chooseyour project team carefully to ensure thatthey share your objectives.

DisruptionDon’t underestimate the impact of a

spoil scheme on your existing trade.Whilst you generate substantial incomefrom the spoil you may have to closecertain parts of your venue whilst youcarry out the works resulting in a loss ofprofits. Good scheme design and carefulplanning can minimise these losses.

Cash transactionsNever allow cash transactions on the

gate. It is a recipe for disaster.You needtrustworthy staff checking the lorriescoming into the site and you need to keepa proper “paper trail” of spoil deliveries, atwhat time, the lorry registration number,where the material came from etc.

You then use the paper trail to calculatethe revenue that the haulage contractorowes you and to satisfy EnvironmentAgency checking requirements.

Getting Planning ConsentThis is often the biggest hurdle to over-

come since the planning process thesedays is rarely straightforward.The plan-ning application as a minimum is likely torequire a design and access statement, aplan showing the proposed contours, across section plan and a landscaping plan.

As well as providing the above informa-tion a key question is whether anEnvironmental Impact Assessment isneeded.This is because EnvironmentalImpact Assessments can be expensive toproduce given the amount of detail thatthey may require.

For example you may be asked toinvestigate and report on the effects ofsome or all of the following impactswhich may result from your proposedscheme: landscape and visual, flora andfauna, archaeological, noise, traffic, soilsand geology, water resources, air quality,planning policy amongst other things.

It is up to each relevant planningauthority to determine whether anEnvironmental Impact Assessment isrequired. If it is then you can ask theplanning authority to provide you with ascoping opinion that gives formal guid-ance on what specific detail you need toprovide as part of the planning applica-tion.

A vital additional component of thestatutory consent process is obtainingformal exemption from the wastemanagement licensing regulations.TheEnvironment Agency is responsible forissuing the exemption certificate.Thisexemption means that spoil deposited onthe site is not subject to the Landfill Taxlevy.

If you feel that you might like toexplore the possibility of importing inertspoil to improve your golf venue andrequire further information, then I wouldbe delighted to discuss your specificneeds.

I can be contacted via the propertysection at www.ppcgolf.com or on thenumber advertised below. GME


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MAY 2008 GME 23

in personWEBLINK; EGCOA.ORG

Cyndi Lauper once famously sang inher own inimitable way Girls Just Want toHave Fun.

That is exactly what LodewijkKlootwijk is doing as he sets about hismission of establishing the EuropeanGolf Course Owners Association(EGCOA) as one of Europe’s majorinfluential bodies in the golf industry.

For someone who didn’t have aclue what hewanted to do as

a career when hewent to university,

Klootwijk hasn’tdone too badly.

The Dutchman’smain aim has always

been to have fun in life,right from studying for a

Business Studies degree atuniversity and his first job at a

golf course in 1989 through tohis present position as director of

the EGCOA - and it has held himin good stead in life so far.

“I started playing golf at the age of 14but got a student job at a golf coursebecause I needed some money for beerwhen I was university,” explainedKlootwijk. I didn’t know what I wanted todo when I went to college, but I had oneaim and that was to have fun in the thingI was doing.

“I stumbled across golf and I had somuch fun. It challenges me and it inspiresme. I have some success now and then, Imeet lots of good people and that makesme happy.

“I started working in 1989 and I wasvery young. I wanted to find out how itworked and it’s still an industry that Ienjoy. It’s exciting finding out otherpeople’s troubles and problems and find-ing a way forward.

“I work with people that I like in a funand inspiring atmosphere and I get totravel to lots of places as well. Not manypeople can say that in their workplace.”

From his humble beginnings, Klootwijklearned every aspect of golf and the busi-ness and development side of the game,

Lodewijk Klootwijk is thedriving force behind theEuropean Golf CourseOwners Association - anexpanding network ofowners and operatorsacross mainland Europe.Pete Simm caught up withone of Europe’s most influential leaders.

The Flying Dutchman

May 2008.qxd 30/4/2008 3:57 PM

24 GME MAY 2008

managing several courses before accept-ing the challenge of helping launch theEGCOA in 2004.

It may only be in its fifth year, but theorganisation is growing bigger with everyyear as its influence spreads and it repre-sents more and more of the continent’sgolf course owners.

Klootwijk said: “My first real job waswhen I became a manager at a golfcourse. It was a financial challenge so itwas a good challenge. I had to be creativein surviving, I did a lot of business plan-ning and development in golf and I havetaken things on from there.

“We had 250 courses andnine countries on boardwhen we started theEGCOA but we want tobe as big as possible andif we want to have influ-ence then we have tohave a lot of members.

“We now havemembers in 17 countriesand represent more than600 courses and that iscontinuing to grow.

“We have two newowners in the CzechRepublic and Lithuania andthey have both applied for membership.Nine national associations - Finland,Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland,Italy, France, Slovenia and Portugal - arealready members while we are talking toother national associations.

“The EGCOA is getting bigger withevery year and I think our responsibilityand one of the biggest goals is that we tryto promote change in golf.”

It is this challenge that really excitesKlootwijk, and you feel a real sense ofresponsibility when he talks about theproblems in the game - especially thecasual golfer - and the way he proposesto tackle them in the future.

But at the heart of his ideas remain thethree main principles that the EGCOAhave adhered to rigidly since they cameinto being - namely to look after the inter-est of the golf supply side of the golfindustry on a EU level; to professionaliseand improve the golf business and togrow it as well.

“The big change in golf is what willhappen over the next five to ten years,”

said the 41-year-old, who lives inAmsterdam with his girlfriend and firstchild.

“The major strategy in golf used to befor members only. Now, though, thegrowth in golf isn’t just membershipsbecause the new generation of golfersdon’t need to be a member to play thegame when they want.

“I would term this group ‘floatinggolfers’.The aim for us is to help our golfcourses try to attract them because whenyou have a lot of members it can be quiteeasy.

“It is quite a challenge to makethese ‘floating golfers’ play at

your course and the impor-tant thing is that we should-n’t get sucked into thediscount golf spiral.Thatwould be bad.What weneed to do is try to changeattitudes.

“There is an oversupplyof golf courses at themoment, especially incountries such as England

and France. France hasparticularly suffered for the

last ten to 15 years and that’salso bad for golf.

“What we need to do to ensure thegrowth of the game is to find the beststructure to take golf forwards. I feel thatmaybe the EGCOA has the biggest possi-bility to promote change.That’s a verystrong message to have and I feel that wecan promote it.”

Klootwijk is convinced the key to this isto produce and share as much knowledgeas possible so the golf industry can beeducated in the best ways to take thegame forward.

With a view to this, the EGCOA haveformed several high-profile partnershipswith other governing bodies in the sportincluding the European Golf IndustryAssociation, Club Managers Associationof Europe, European Institute of GolfCourse Architects, Federation ofEuropean Golf Greenkeepers Associationand Golf Environment Europe.

Klootwijk was one of the leading speak-ers at the Golf Business Conference inWarsaw last month while, prompted bythe success of the Golf 20/20 program inthe US, he will present the findings of the

first Golf European Economic ImpactStudy to the EGCOA’s annual confer-ence in Berlin in November.

He said: “Education is an importantpart of our goal to provide more profes-sional standards in the golf industry.

“Some countries in Europe are moresuccessful than others so what we aregoing to do is compare them all to findthe right model for discussion.We are notafraid to be critical in our findingsbecause this is essential if you want to getchange in golf and get discussion.

“We have been inspired by the Golf20/20 programme in the US to start agolf benchmark study so we can continueour research in Europe, not just now butin the years to come which is very impor-tant to show the progress we are making.

“We are doing that with the help of fiveother bodies.The PGAs of Europe will becoming on board with us soon as well andwe have been very keen in getting thesepatrons in because we have to worktogether and co-operate with each otherto spread the message.

“Central Europe is an important targetfor growth and I think we can supplythem with a lot of information and knowl-edge, not only in running the courses butalso in investment for the future.

“There are still some courses beingbuilt in other countries such as Spain andHolland and all knowledge is vital. Forexample, if France had had the informa-tion that’s available now they would notfind themselves in the position they arein. Courses were built in the wrongplaces.”

And Klootwijk also believes there isroom in the future for EGCOA membersand national associations to work togetherwith their country’s federations for thegood of the game - as the Dutch arealready doing.

He added: “In Holland, we have a golffederation and we co-operate with themin a very good way.The way I see thesituation is the EGCOA meeting thesupply of golf with the courses and thefederation the demand with the golfers.

“It’s a very good relationship, it’sunique and I think it’s a logical and verygood role model which could be themodel for the future.”

Now that sounds like it could be a lotof fun. GME

May 2008.qxd 30/4/2008 4:01 PM

May 2008.qxd 29/4/2008 1:10 PM

26 GME MAY 2008

irrigation

February this year was the sunniest,driest on record. Since then a wettishMarch and a very showery, even snowyApril meant the ground became prettysaturated and summer grass got off to alush start.

May’s warm sun and consequent evap-otranspiration - or ET in greenkeepingspeak - will by now be burning off all thatfree water, so you can bet your bottomdollar golf clubs will readily be pressingthe irrigation system buttons. But timeshave changed in golf ’s water cycle.

You only have to look at the R&A’sdefinition of sustainability - surely nowthe most used word in course manage-ment - to know why the days of simplyturning the taps on when things get a bitdry are long gone.

Optimising the playing quality of thegolf course in harmony with the

conservation of its naturalenvironment under econom-ically sound and socially

responsible management interms of water usage means going easy,keeping strictly just to what is needed.

The key word is control and that’swhere technology steps in, along with an

array of big name products. The bigbut - no pun intended - for use ofwater on the course these days is theeffect of the overall turf management

programme.Best practice advice - and it’s even

coming from the irrigation productmanufacturers - is aimed at

cutting the volume.Aeration, drainage,nutrient input,mowing height: incombination theseall contribute togreenkeepers need-

ing less of it to keep acourse in good

playable condition.There’s the promotion too

of deep-rooted fescue grasses for fairwaysand tees. Research into water savingvirtues of newer grass types is on-going,

but the jury - though still out - is likely toreturn a favourable verdict quite soon.

The environmental clamour for judi-cious use of water will not go intoreverse. Yet golf course irrigation contin-ues to be big business, and getting bigger.Ironically because clubs have to be waterprudent and efficient to a much higherdegree, it’s high tech irrigation set upsthat help them achieve it. So less wateractually means more irrigation.

When a manufacturer of mowers andother turf care equipment as significantas John Deere joins the party it says asmuch.With apologies to Rain Bird et al,they now sit alongside Toro in terms ofvying for both ‘wetting it and cutting it’business.

One distinguishing feature is that JohnDeere has decided to add the word Golf -as well as Irrigation - to the name of itsnew enterprise.Toro on the other handcan claim they have been ‘doing’ irriga-tion products since 1962 - before it waseven called Toro.

John Deere moved into the irrigationmarket in the US in 2006, and atJanuary’s BTME announced it wasmaking its range of sprinkler heads, rotorsand such like available to courses in theUK and Europe via selected dealers.

The manufacturer is the official equip-ment supplier to the PGA Tour, so it willbe interesting to see what inroads itmakes in the irrigation sector.

Among what’s on offer now to coursemanagers and head greenkeepers fromJohn Deere is a line of internal replace-ment assemblies, comprising stainlesssteel rotors that the company says fitsinto a number of sprinkler heads made byother manufacturers.

A club obviously doesn’t need to belocked into a single brand system - farfrom it these days. Mix and match irriga-tion set-ups? Not yet perhaps, althoughit’s interesting to see that integratingfittings does work.

Head greenkeeper at Newark GolfClub in Nottinghamshire, GraemeMacdonald, fitted ten new John Deere

Cutting edge irrigationbigger business than ever

For many years, the golf irrigation market has beendominated mainly by Toroand Rain Bird - with Hunterbringing up the rear. Now,with John Deere enteringthe fray, Neville Johnsontakes a look at what is onoffer now we have a newplayer on the scene.

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May 2008.qxd 29/4/2008 1:21 PM

28 GME MAY 2008

sprinkler heads across two greens inspring last year as a trial run well aheadof the range’s launch over here.

Apparently he wanted some extrasprinklers to match his existing system,but was having trouble getting hold ofthem and the fittings themselves werealso causing problems. He had wanted tomake changes to some of the greens andDerbyshire irrigation consultants Irriplanhappened to mention that John Deerewas soon to be offering irrigation partsand could supply replacement heads tofit.

He says he installed them himself, hadno trouble with them ever since, and willbe replacing more heads around thecourse this year. At the BTME launchJohn Deere said that it planned to intro-duce a full irrigation package into Europein the not too distant future.

This would include advanced control,sensing and communications systems, soputting them in the running with Toro,Rain Bird and the like for total installa-tion supply via contractors or direct tocourses.

At the moment though it’s Toro andRain Bird that have the lion’s share ofirrigation hardware and software, eachoffering full-blown computerized systemsto clubs.

The latest gizmo from Toro Irrigationis its Golf Decoder Controller, whichcame on the scene last year.Toro said itsintroduction was to bring aerospacecontrol of irrigation to the golf course atan affordable price.

As a stand-alone set-up it can help agreenkeeper run up to 200 water stations:in conjunction with Toro’s PC-basedSitePro it means up to 3200 can becontrolled, as well as a pump station andsensors.

When setting up a new irrigationsystem a contractor can install decodersas far away as 4.5 kilometres from thecentral station using a single 2-wire2.5mm cable.Toro claimed that its GDCwas especially useful for clubs regularlyrenovating or lengthening holes. Headscould be added with minimum hassle, itsaid.

Irrigation was seen perhaps to be keep-ing pace with the techno advances of thegame itself. A course that upgraded itsirrigation set-up recently and went forToro’s latest GDC/SitePro system isHampton Court Palace Golf Club,owned by Crown Golf.

Existing irrigation at the 112-year oldThames side course in the grounds ofHenry VIII’s royal palace was gettingwasteful. According to the club’s generalmanager Guy Riggott, 40 per cent of thewater used was lost.

Specialist firm Irritech was called in tomanage the project and selected the newdecoder system.The installation contractwent to East Sussex firm Lakes andGreens.Work began last September andwas completed in six weeks. Keeping thecourse open throughout installation was apriority and the installers opted for moleploughing rather than trenching to ensurethis.

Interestingly, this is the only golf coursein Britain within the grounds of a royalpalace, and where any excavation wasnecessary. Hampton Court’s coursemanager is now operating and program-ming a whole-course watering plan onscreen from the comfort of his office.

He also has a hand-held remote controlto start the system when he is out on thecourse - keeping a closer eye on themowing perhaps!

Irrigation equipment is a big invest-ment, so getting it right is going to becritical, not just when you install it, butfor many years to come. So with waterbecoming increasingly expensive, it’sgood news to learn that the new rotorsfrom Rain Bird use 23 per cent less waterthan other systems, last up to ten timeslonger under the harshest conditions, andhave the best coverage to deliver a moreplayable course.

Rain Bird has recently tested its newEagle rotors against its closest competi-tors in a series of field and laboratorytests, and the results have surprised evenRain Bird’s own researchers.

The purpose of this test was to meas-ure the retraction and extension reliabilityof rotor heads on the golf course, simu-lating acceleration of typical on and offcycles in extreme conditions over longterm use.Testing was stopped after 660cycles without an Eagle Rotor failure,while all other competitors’ rotors failedmuch sooner.

Standardised Rain Bird testing proce-dures were used consistently on all rotors,and a ‘standard’ sand mix was applied tocover the top of each rotor to a depth ofone inch, in order to test the flushingaction of all rotors under extreme work-ing conditions.

All tests were conducted in accordancewith the Irrigation Association documentRecommended Audit Guideline dated April2007.

When John Deere does get up andrunning with its full range of irrigationkit, the wooing of golf ’s end-users andthose that recommend and install willsurely intensify.

Branding and brand loyalty in particu-lar may play a big part.The hard sell ison. Less water maybe, but more seekingto help make it go a long way. GME

“At the moment though it’s Toro and Rain Birdthat have the lion’s share of irrigation hardware”

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30 GME MAY 2008

finance

The recent credit shock and financialmeltdown in the US capital markets hashad an impact on golf course and golfclub owners around the world.

While golf owners, as with other busi-ness, have grown accustomed to havingcheap and plentiful funding sources forfacility purchases and expansion, thecontraction or ‘de-leveraging’ in thefinancial system has forced owners toseek new sources of financing, or rush toraise capital from partners, friends andsometime from family members.

This tight credit market has also beenjoined by a quickening inflation ratewhere costs of labour, energy, food, andchemical products have soared. The‘double hit’ of both higher credit costsand inflation on costs of goods and serv-ices used at golf courses will be revealedon financial statements later this year.

In addition, many new developmentprojects may be put on hold a while untilthe economic outlook becomes lessworrisome.

For larger, multi-course owners, debtcosts can play a large role in the successor failure of their businesses. Largercompanies typically use debt as a tool toenhance returns and also to acquire moreproperties. As noted above, the tightercredit markets have resulted in both high-er rates to borrowers and also less avail-able debt at any price.

With smaller and more expensiveloans, multi-course operators

who were planning anexpansion may

put these planson hold.

Some owners,who have secure lines of capital

or strong lending relationships will beable to continue to acquire courses.

For the strongest operators, the tightcredit markets may drive course pricesdown and this may prove to be an oppor-tunistic time to buy.

Single course operators, or familyoperations, traditionally have avoideddebt. In years past, as single course oper-ators stood on the sidelines and watchedcompanies acquire numerous facilities,they have worked on a pay-as-you-gobasis.

While this may have limited thenumber of opportunities to buy addition-al courses over the years for suchinvestors, they may not be as highly lever-aged as many of their industry peers and,as a result, would be in a better positionto ride out the current economic globalstorms.

With an eye for running a tight ship,these owner/operators may well be thebest positioned to acquire troubled cours-es in the near future.

A critical strategy for both multi-courseoperators and single course operatorsgiven our current economic realitiesshould be to develop new financing rela-tionships. While an operator may notneed a loan today, having the ability toborrow much needed funds for a majorrepair or new course purchase is essen-tial.

With many banks and large financialinstitutions rethinking their lending rela-tionships due to losses in subprime orother financing ventures, golf ownersshould not think their lender will alwaysbe with them - many lenders havestopped financing golf projects or havegone out of business altogether.

In order to help keep a number ofoptions open, golf operators need tofamiliarise themselves with both basicand complex financing programs thatmay be in the market today.

A key to establishing a financing rela-tionship is to create financial data and abusiness plan that is easy to understandand covers specific points of interest alender will have in determining if financ-ing can be provided.

For over 20 years, TextronFinancial’s Golf FinanceDivision has been recog-nised as the industry leaderin golf lending. To date, thecompany has providedover US$5 billion in golfcourse and equipmentloans across the globe.National sales director,Jerry Hinckley, offers someadvice about raising creditin a tough financial market.

How to survive the‘Credit Crunch’

WEBLINK; TEXTRONFINANCIAL.COM

May 2008.qxd 06/5/2008 10:49 AM

MAY 2008 GME 31

The golf business often is not an indus-try that banks have dedicated staff toserve. Rather, the owner must play theroll of customer and educator in obtain-ing financing.

Having an updated business plan is animportant step in staying on top of main-taining strong financial ties with lenders.

It is important to note, this effort doesnot necessarily increase operating costs,but it will take a few hours a year tocompile and keep the information updat-ed year after year.

The business plan will be particularlyhelpful from a lender’s perspective if ittries to identify risks in the business andhow the owner is addressing these.Theseinclude, competition, pricing, expenselevels, management issues, etc.

The other important factor in keepingfinancing relationships up-to-date is tocontact your lender at least once a year todiscuss if they are still making loans togolf courses and wish to continue holdingyour particular loan.

If not, this may be a problem for youand your property in the future as a

result of you choosing to remain with alender who may not understand yourbusiness or long term financing needs.

In addittion, your decision may wellleave you with considerable refinancingrisk in what is already a tight creditmarket.

If yes, you should request the currentlending terms to see if you could restruc-ture your loan to improve your rate orextend your term. If you are dissatisfiedwith your lending options, seek outlenders that specialise in golf and under-stand the market. They are few and farbetween, but they do exist.

As you move forward during thesechallenging times, golf operators will bemore successful in handling the newissues relating to financial turbulence bystaying on top of the latest news in thebanking world, and know where they arewith their lender.

If possible, having more than onefinancing option in place will help tomake sure the business can keep movingforward, even as credit markets remainchallenged. GME

“If you are dissatisfied with your lending options,seek out lenders that specialise in golf and

understand the market. They are few and farbetween, but they do exist.”

May 2008.qxd 07/5/2008 6:14 PM

my view

32 GME MAY 2008

There’s a simple reason why GlobalSatellite Positioning systems – betterknown as GPS – have become so popularat golf courses around the globe. Putsimply, GPS presents a win-win proposi-tion for golfers and course operators.

My company, ProLink Solutions, basedin Arizona, US, are the world’s leadingsupplier of buggy-mounted GPS systems,and has driven the growing global accept-ance of the devices. In fact, ProLink willsoon announce new distribution agree-ments in France, Spain and China.

By raising the standards for reliabilityand service, introducing innovativefeatures and technology, and producing aquantifiable return on investment,ProLink has made GPS a necessity ratherthan a luxury item - and earned a reputa-tion as a trusted partner to courses andresorts worldwide.

Of course, it all starts with the golfer.Players using ProLink GPS enjoy numer-ous benefits that enhance their experi-ence. In a recent survey conducted atupscale courses, 88 per cent of golferssaid the presence of ProLink GPS made

their rounds more pleasurable.ProLink’s 10.4-inch

screens mounted to the roofsof buggies feature colourful,

realistic and richly detailedgraphics of each hole.The

system provides precisemeasurements tohazards, landmarksand flag place-ments, so golfers

don’t waste timesearching for mark-

ers and ending upwith inexact distancesfor their efforts.

ProLink GPS reducesguesswork, which can lead to lower scoresand a brisker pace of play.

Likewise, the system lets golfers orderfood and beverage items before reachingthe clubhouse at the turn, shortening thetime spent between the ninth green andtenth tee.

ProLink GPS even serves as a safetydevice; the pro shop can send inclementweather alerts via the screen, and golfersmay relay an emergency message shouldhealth issues arise on the course.

This feature literally saved the life of aman in Hawaii earlier this year.

Golf courses, in turn, realise improvedefficiency and revenue gains throughmultiple streams.

Offering this first-class amenity andplayer aid allows courses to increase theirfees incrementally.While pace of playnaturally picks up thanks to the distancemeasurement feature, management canalso monitor each group’s movement andsend alerts to those that fall behind.

Quicker round times - as much as 30minutes on average at some courses -mean additional foursomes on the courseeach day. And golfers playing ProLink-equipped courses are more likely to makerepeat visits due to the enhanced experi-ence.

Through the on-screen menu func-tions, food and beverage managers maypost daily specials and promote high-margin items, boosting sales by up to 30per cent. In fact, golfers are more likely topurchase costlier, cooked-to-order mealsrather than a simple snack since their waittime is reduced or eliminated.

Pro shop sales and merchandisepromotions can also be broadcast on-screen.

Management may also utilise theProLink system to monitor buggy fleetsand optimise operations using fully inte-grated,Windows-based workstations.Buggy battery levels and other wear andtear indicators are readily available.

Europe still keyfor ProLink

Widely acknowledged as the market-leadingsupplier of GPS-based systems to clubs world-wide,ProLink Solutions have recently parted companywith European distributor Elumina Iberica. CEO,Larry Bain, details the advantages of GPS, and justwhat ProLink has to offer your club.

WEBLINK; GOPROLINK.COM

May 2008.qxd 07/5/2008 9:59 AM

MAY 2008 GME 33

JACKS BARN, COMMON ROAD, SHELFANGER, NORFOLK IP22 2DR

Telephone: 01379 641651 Fax: 01379 640866Email: [email protected]

Website: www.watermation2000ltd.co.uk

Robust back-end reporting throughuser-friendly software yields a multitudeof course statistics, all designed to raisethe bottom line.

One of the ProLink system’s mostuseful tools is its proprietary tournamentsoftware, called ScoreCast. Designed inco-operation with the PGA of America,ScoreCast provides a Tour-like experiencethrough real-time, on-screen tour-nament leaderboards.

The system has proved atremendous draw for eventplanners looking to delivera top-notch outing fortournament participants- increasing revenuefor courses featuringProLink.

ProLink courseshave found that theycan return over 200 percent annually on their invest-ment in the system. Incrementalrevenues more than pay for the cost ofleasing the system.The value proposition,along with ProLink’s dependability andquality support, makes installing ProLinkGPS a very sound financial decision.

This is evident in ProLink’s world-classroster of course partners.

Those using ProLink include a pair offormer Ryder Cup hosts, the K Club(Ireland) and Valderrama (Spain), 2003Presidents Cup site Fancourt Hotel andCountry Club Estate (South Africa), anda bevy of top-flight clubs and resorts

throughout the US, Mexico, Asia and theMiddle East.

More than 700 courses globally nowrely on ProLink as a trusted partner,counting on the company to provide asuperior product and support. Half ofProLink’s workforce is dedicated tocustomer service, support and assistance.

As its global presence grows, so doesProLink’s success in attracting major

advertisers to its media network.Advertising produces anincreasing portion ofProLink’s revenue, which itshares with course partnersparticipating in theprogram - further offsetting

system costs at little or noexpense to the course itself.Eager to reach the affluent

audience using the ProLinksystem, powerful brands including

Cadillac, General Motors and FedExhave placed ads on the screens.

Studies have shown the promotions tobe remarkably effective as golfers viewingthese ads - kept static and silent so theydon’t distract from play - exhibit recallrates in excess of 70 per cent.

ProLink has quickly earned a reputa-tion as a force in the digital out-of-homemedia segment, one of the fastest growingadvertising categories. In 2007, ProLinkwas granted membership in the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau, andentered a partnership with ABC, whichsells ads on ProLink’s screens.

While ProLink can boast of its innova-tive marketing platform and having morethan twice the installed courses of allcompetitors combined, the companycontinually searches for ways to enhanceits products and services.

ProLink recently established a StrategicAdvisory Board to provide expert adviceon a range of topics to bolster its indus-try-leading technology, golfer-friendlysystem, customer support and internaloperations.

The first member of the StrategicAdvisory Board is longtime PGA Tourstandout Brad Faxon. A 25-year Tourveteran with eight career victories,Faxon’s playing experience, knowledge ofgolf, and extensive network of associatesand contacts will prove invaluable inhelping ProLink further distance itselffrom the pack.That’s just one of manynew developments at ProLink.

Courses that sign on with ProLinktypically stay for the long haul. In 2007,ProLink enjoyed a renewal rate ofapproximately 90 per cent among thosewhose leases were due.

Given ProLink’s preferred statusamong the world’s elite courses, clubs andresorts, it’s no surprise the company post-ed record revenues last year.

The future looks equally bright.ProLink has proved itself a necessarycomponent of any successful golf facilityby making the game more fun for playersand more profitable for course operatorsand owners. GME

May 2008.qxd 07/5/2008 10:01 AM

the last word

34 GME MAY 2008

Golf may still have a reputation as asport stuck in the 19th century – butthere are still plenty of people lookingto drag it kicking and screaming intothe 21st.

Anybody who was present at thefourth annual London Golf Show inApril, would have witnessed that forthemselves.

And I don’t just mean the modernclothes; the ‘Who’s Your Caddy?’t-shirts or the latest threepenny-bitshaped driver.

Some people are really having a goat giving the game a modern market-ing twist – and all power to their elbowI say.

None more so than a young man Igot chatting to by the name ofJonathan Ashworth.

He was at the show to launchGolfBall3000, which is, would youbelieve, a 3,000km car rally culminat-ing in a golf tournament at La Manga.

What a way to encourage peopleto get involved with golf!

Apparently this is a golfing version ofsomething called the GumBall3000

which is a 3,000km rally with an entryfee of £60,000!

I had visions of the film CannonballRun and was hoping to lock horns withRoger Moore, Jackie Chan andCaptain Chaos. But the entry fee forthe golfing version is a lot more modestat under £800. And it seems certain toattract petrol-heads and golf junkies.

I wonder how that idea would havebeen received at Augusta National,where they’ve only just really come toterms with the invention of the internalcombustion engine. Seriously of courseit’s not autoism the powers-that-be atthe home of the Masters are oftenaccused of but merely racism, sexismand the infinitely lesser misdemeanourof simple elitism…

That’s why I was astonished that offi-cials at the Georgia club had decidedto place a virtual suggestion box onthe Masters website, encouragingpeople to provide suggestions on howto get more people playing the game.

Young Mr Ashworth could post hisidea there but it would probably beoutnumbered by the plethora of

suggestions put forward by MarthaBurk. I just hope the person responsiblefor sifting through the suggestionswasn’t a prissy old Southern belle of aspinster – “Why Mr Redneck. Wouldyou looky here at the quaint old words.What on earth does **** mean?”

I hope her medical insurance is up todate.

Here’s my suggestion – and it can beread without causing Scarlett O’Harato live up to her moniker. Why not chillout a bit? Why not slacken thosenoose-tight rules, such as the one ofwhich Tiger Woods’ caddie SteveWilliams fell foul?

So he walked a few holes withoutwearing his cap… For heavens’ sake.Not everyone wants to wear a sweatyold cap in the heat of the day. I know Idon’t. A caddy uniform. I ask you.

As long as he doesn’t turn up in a t-shirt with ‘Who’s Your Caddy’ embla-zoned on it, where’s the problem?

So that’s my suggestion – let’srespect the tradition and history of thegame, but without being a slave to it.

And perhaps that might, just might,encourage a few more people to giveit a try. GME

A road race to the finish;Oh and a spot of golf

“He was at the show to launch GolfBall3000, which is,would you believe, a 3,000km car rally culminating ina golf tournament at La Manga.”

David [email protected]


Are you looking for a

Financial Lifeline?If you’re thinking about buying, selling, leasing or managing a golf operation, call us in total confidence for some honest advice.


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