The Golf Club Manager: September 2019

THE GOLF CLUB

MANAGER ISSUE 29 | SEPTEMBER 2019

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION

PITCHMARKSS: AND PINT BEER GA HOW BUYPINPROTECT CAN HEL REENS YOUR G

GRASS ROOTS

WE’LL HAVE TO BE MULTI-TALENTED ABERSOCH’S DAI DAVIES ON THE FUTURE OF MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW

THE IRRIGATION MASTERPLAN SEVEN KEY TIPS FOR R E N O VAT I N G YO U R S YS T E M INDUSTRY

‘WE CAN’T AFFORD TO BE COMPLACENT’

FORMBY’S STUART LEECH ON MANAGING AN INSTITUTION

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE ‘

CONTENTS ISSUE 29 | SEPTEMBER 2019

NEED TO KNOW

CAREERS

11

64

Seven tips for renovating an irrigation system

The latest jobs for GCMA members

INDUSTRY

GOOD PRACTICE

27

Interview: Formby’s Stuart Leech

52

39

How to make your course more playable

Your directory for the best advice

INDUSTRY

GRASS ROOTS

45

60

Solving the pitch mark problem with a beer

Meet Abersoch’s Dai Davies

45

11

27

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION GCMA Bristol & Clifton Golf Club, Beggar Bush Lane, Failand, Bristol, BS8 3TH Tel: 01275 391153 | hq@gcma.org.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE Bob Williams - bob@gcma.org.uk COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Mike Hyde - mike@gcma.org.uk GOLF MANAGEMENT RESEARCHER Jim Cunning - jim@gcma.org.uk EDUCATION COORDINATOR Niki Hunter - niki@gcma.org.uk FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR Shirley Edmondson - shirley@gcma.org.uk COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Marie Taylor - marie@gcma.org.uk MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Julie Knight - julie@gcma.org.uk PRESIDENT JR (John) Jones 2019/20 CAPTAIN Ian Symington BOARD OF DIRECTORS Phil Grice, Amy Yeates, Andrew Rankin, Judy Barker, Stuart Leech, Brad McLean THE GOLF CLUB MANAGER IS PUBLISHED BY: SPORTS PUBLICATIONS LTD 2 Arena Park, Tarn Lane, Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, LS17 9BF, UK Tel: 0113 289 3979 | info@sportspub.co.uk PUBLISHER Tom Irwin - t.irwin@sportspub.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dan Murphy - d.murphy@sportspub.co.uk OPS DIRECTOR Will Shucksmith - w.shucksmith@sportspub.co.uk EDITOR Steve Carroll - s.carroll@sportspub.co.uk PRODUCTION EDITOR James Broadhurst - j.broadhurst@sportspub.co.uk CHIEF DESIGNER Andrew Kenworthy - a.kenworthy@sportspub.co.uk DESIGNERS Becky Clark - b.clark@sportspub.co.uk Vicky Jones - v.jones@sportspub.co.uk Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.The views expressed in The Golf Club Manager do not necessarily represent the views of the company or the editor. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from participation in any offer, competition or advertising contained within The Golf Club Manager.

THE GOLF CLUB

MANAGER ISSUE 29 | SEPTEMBER 2019

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION

PITCHMARKS: AND PINTS BEER A HOW BUYING ECT CAN HELP PROT YOUR GREENS

GRASS ROOTS

WE’LL HAVE TO BE MULTI-TALENTED ABERSOCH’S DAI DAVIES ON THE FUTURE OF MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW

THE IRRIGATION MASTERPLAN SEVEN KEY TIPS FOR R E N O VAT I N G YO U R S YS T E M INDUSTRY

‘WE CAN’T AFFORD TO BE COMPLACENT’

FORMBY’S STUART LEECH ON MANAGING AN INSTITUTION

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE ‘

001 GCMA September 19 Cover.indd 3

28/08/2019 10:53

ON THE COVER: Formby’s Stuart Leech

WELCOME

ISSUE 29 | SEPTEMBER 2019

W

ith just two more issues of The Golf Club Manager before the National Conference in November, I want to give you an insight into how we are progressing with the arrangements for our main event.

With the programme now announced and confirmed, the final detail and preparations are always pivotal to providing a memorable conference experience. Over the last week we have had another site visit to DeVere Cotswold Water Park and walked through the three days, including the agreement of menus and trying to make sure we cater for everybody’s tastes.

As I write this, I am preparing to meet the CEO of the All England Tennis Club, Ross Mathison, at Wimbledon. Ross has presented at a number of golf and sport related conferences and promises to provide an excellent opening day keynote session on the Monday morning. I am also really inspired by the enthusiasm of our American guest speaker Colin Burns, the GM at Winged Foot in New York, who is looking forward to sharing his experiences as well as an insight into how golf is delivered in the USA. My final word on Conference (for the moment) is don’t miss the Sunday night guest show event where we will be inviting some of our distinguished guests onto the couch to share their experiences with you. We will also be providing

a platform for you to tell us of your more unusual golf club management experiences.

We have circulated the recruitment notice on page 64 for Niki Hunter’s replacement. The role of Professional Development Manager is probably one of the most important positions within our Association. As we strive to ensure we engage with the membership on all platforms this role will be pivotal to membership, education and development so feel free to share this within the industry and your associates.

Over the next couple of months I will be at a number of regional meetings and look forward to meeting you all once again.

Bob Williams – chief executive

“The final detail and preparations are always pivotal to providing a memorable conference experience“

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Putting together an irrigation

ROAD MAP

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GCMA.ORG.UK | 11

Š Irrigation Control

If your club is considering updating its irrigation system, this is the sevenstep plan they need to follow

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

R

enovating a golf course irrigation system is not an undertaking to be taken lightly. Whether it’s a complete system renovation or a partial one, following a seven-step renovation roadmap makes the process easier and less disruptive. Some key players share their experiences to help those considering a renovation in the future…

Step 1: Course Needs Clubs can generally identify what they need to do in the broadest sense.The course manager may have provided reports about the current system, recording additional working hours spent hand watering and the increasing costs of maintaining an ageing or deteriorating system.

But renovation planning should go beyond that and consider the wider vision for the course. Does it meet members’ and visitors’ expectations?

If not, where does it fall short? Are any architectural changes needed in order to remain competitive?

Are there operational, efficiency or regulatory challenges that could be solved with a better irrigation system?

Step 2: Irrigation Evaluation Lee Knight, director of specialist sports turf contractor Irrigation Control, suggests clubs consider the following as part of a comprehensive evaluation.

“Contact your local planning department at the outset to determine what’s required and confirm timescales and cost.”

An audit of your current system will determine the scale of renovation required and the enhancements needed. A significant proportion can be capital expenditure for infrastructure improvements which also need to be considered and evaluated.

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The most important is the water source. Ideally, mains water should only be used as a back-up as the cost is high and there may be potential restrictions. Are alternative sources available on site, such as boreholes, rivers, lakes or wells, and can these be incorporated?

Licenses that have lapsed, or resources that have never been considered, could be investigated along with the additional implications of sourcing power for abstraction and access for drilling which will need to be included in any planning application. A helpful option when looking for alternative water sources is to commission an independent hydrologist to carry out a desktop study. This indicates the potential for water and provides advice on licensing and longer-term feasibility.

Ensure water storage meets initial and future demand. Where mains water is the only source, consider allowing for additional capacity so that in the event of drought, the water can be managed over a greater period of time to maintain critical areas.

Carry out ground surveys and consult planners to determine any requirements for construction or for the pump house.

Check power supplies to determine suitability. Again, consider scope for expansion not just at the irrigation point but also at the point of distribution. The increase in loads for the irrigation system may affect planned works at the clubhouse if this is the point of power distribution.

Existing infrastructure isn’t always sited in the best location. If new power and water supplies are required, explore whether a new location is more suitable and offers potential savings when bringing the services to site. Is there space for increased storage?

© Irrigation Control

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Bush Hill Park

Step 3: Choosing Your Team Your renovation’s success depends on having the right team in place.

Your golf architect, irrigation consultant, contractor, manufacturer and distributor are all specialists in their respective fields and each has an important and distinct role to play in the project plan.

Last year, Goring & Streatley invested £700,000 upgrading to a Rain Bird IC System™ and Stratus® II Central Control. The core irrigation infrastructure was completely replaced, with new pipework and rotors across greens, tees,

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approaches and fairways. General Manager Martin Hucklesby advises: “Even if you have a very good understanding of what’s involved in an irrigation renovation project, the very first thing to do is find someone you can trust. Before you go out to tender, before you do anything, find yourself a recognised irrigation consultant to work with you from start to finish as the independent expert who can answer any questions the board or committee have, and verify the information the club needs when making decisions.

“You need a very solid evaluation process. Investing a significant sum is a business decision and it needs to be thought through. There’s a lot of pressure to do a deal and make decisions quickly but don’t be swayed and take advice from your consultant. Get the timing right.

Plan to do the work in the winter – even if it means a delay. Members don’t want the course renovated in summer, so agree the timing of the work with the contractor. Take your time.”

The club’s course manager visited other clubs and sought advice from

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Lee Knight says it’s critical that clubs spend sufficient time researching both short and longterm requirements.

“Typically schemes are budget-driven and, while this is understandable, it can result in a system which doesn’t meet the course’s long term needs. The course manager will obviously have an input as to the requirements, but just as important is having management and members discuss their vision so that the designed solution meets their expectations.”

his peers as part of the planning.

Step 4: Master Planning As irrigation system enhancements are honed to meet the club’s needs, there are a few additional factors to bear in mind.

Is there an opportunity to phase improvements so that immediate upgrades can be made now and other improvements included in second or third phases? Which priorities can the club realistically afford? What timing constraints are there to take into account?

Many projects can be phased

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to minimise disruption to play and spread the cost. Even small changes can make a real difference and new technologies can now be integrated easily into many older systems to deliver cost savings which can then help fund future upgrades. Your project team can help you answer these questions, and then you’ll be in a position to establish the project scope and scale, and confirm an outline budget.

Step 5: Irrigation System Design and Specification

Step 6: Selecting Your Irrigation Partner A successful renovation can be measured by long-term results, so it’s vital to choose the right irrigation partner.

Consider Total cost of ownership Cost of water, energy, parts and labour Level of support provided. Is this 24/7 with practical help available locally?

Are references available?

Will hardware you choose today be compatible with future innovations? Technology moves on rapidly. Good decision making now will prevent costly replacement in years to come.

Peter Todd, Estate Manager at Royal Norwich, stresses the importance of considering these factors.“Choosing an irrigation supplier is a 25-year relationship decision, and the level of support that Rain Bird offered us was in excess of the norm. Being in one of the UK’s driest regions, what was at the forefront of our minds was how best to irrigate the site.

With 25 years’ experience of Rain Bird systems at The London Club, I knew that the Rain Bird IC System fault finding is simple and quick. Running

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

a diagnostic for 1,250 modules on the system can be done in under a minute with a full check in less than seven minutes.”

Step 7: Managing The Impact Any renovation project causes disruption, but this can be managed by having a pre-planning meeting with the contractor to identify the following; Programme of works – Agree start and completion dates along with a weekly list of planned works and course areas that will be affected.

Club programme – Are any specific competitions or visiting parties booked during the construction period and how can works be tailored to accommodate these?

Site compound – Identify storage areas and access points for daily works traffic and deliveries. Determine if size or weight restrictions apply and if time restrictions are needed to manage traffic.

Operating hours – Are there restrictions, such as noise because of immediate neighbours? Share this information at the outset.

Hole closure – Occasionally it

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is necessary to close holes during construction for health and safety reasons. Identify if alternative areas can be utilised temporarily or if programmes can be adjusted to accommodate events.

Site contacts and responsibilities – Appoint a person at the outset to liaise between club and contractor. Diarise regular meetings to ensure the project team is aligned.

Information sharing – Ensure members, staff and visitors are kept informed.

Stewart Judd is general manager at Bush Hill Park where a complete irrigation renovation project, including a water storage lake and borehole abstraction, was carried out in 2018.

He says:“You really can’t do enough communicating with members before any work has started, during the build and installation, and afterwards too. We had a weekly news update, a blog, and we used printed newsletters and social media. ” Capitalise on the benefits “It was a commercial decision but we couldn’t afford not to

renovate our irrigation system,” Stewart adds.“Sustainability and environmental concerns were also factors so having invested in more efficient irrigation means we get more for our money, we conserve water, and can manage how we use water. Good reviews about the quality of the course help make our club attractive to new members and visitors and irrigation plays an integral part in that. And we still talk about the renovation. We carry out an annual member survey and compared to last year when it was the toughest, driest summer, we’ve had very positive feedback about the quality of our tees, approaches and greens.”

Looking back, Martin Hucklesby found the process enjoyable.

“It can be extremely daunting, especially if you’ve not done it before, and particularly when it comes to all the financial negotiations.

“With hindsight, I would allow for a contingency. Technology gets updated quickly and things change over the 3 to 4 years in the life of a project.

“Ask your board or committee for some contingency which provides flexibility later on should you need it. The most vital feature defining a great golf course is its irrigation system. I would also use facts to communicate with members – we forget how many miles of cable and man-hours were involved. It helps members understand that it’s possible to play today on a course that’s not suffering from drought because of the significant investment their club made.”

Hear Rain Bird’s Alastair Higgs and BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton at the GCMA’s 2019 national conference breakout session on Tuesday, November 12 .

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

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2019 CONFERENCE

10-12 NOVEMBER DeVere Cotswold Water Park

conference speakers: Ross Matheson All England Lawn Tennis Club Wilma Erskine Royal Portrush GC Rob Hill Global Golf Advisors Gregg Paterson Tribal Magic Kevin Fish Contemporary Club Leadership Amy Yeates Moor Park GC Fred Popp Team Up David Bancroft-Turner Matrix TC Stuart Gillett Golf at Goodwood Karen Drake Burnham & Berrow GC Mark Hunt Headland Amenity Steve Isaac The R&A Daniel Sommerville The R&A Iain Carter BBC Golf Colin Burns Winged Foot GC Stuart Gillett Golf at Goodwood Chris Spencer Glasgow GC Mike Timson & Keith Robertson Newmachar GC Dr Roger Hawkes Golf & Health Project

The full programme, with details of every session, is available on the GCMA website

“A great way of networking

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INDUSTRY The latest news, insightful opinions and in-depth features from the golf industry

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

From the

ARCHIVES We scour the GCMA magazine archives to find out what managers were saying in years gone by Ten years ago Skype meetings and video conferencing is nothing unusual these days but it was a bit rarer when elected representatives of the National Committee trialled such a meeting for the first time in August 2009.

Previously the committee, which met four times a year, made their way down to PGA headquarters at The Belfry, at a cost of up to £3,000 a time – mainly due to the costs of getting there.

At a fraction of the expense, this trial obviously attracted some interest and everything went smoothly.

Some logged in from their homes, while others involved in the 90-minute discussion could minimise the disruption to their places of work. On balance, the majority of participants declared it had been successful and would get even better when everyone got used to the new format.

25 years ago New columnist Daniel Davies went through the different types of club competition under the headline ‘anything but strokeplay’.

“For those of us desperate to try anything that does not entail

22 | GCMA.ORG.UK

recording embarrassment for posterity or blowing gaping holes in prized official handicaps, the variations on a theme are often welcome,” he wrote.

“The beauty of matchplay or Stableford is that the trauma of a brain-storm quadruple bogey can be neatly filed under ‘lost hole’ or ‘blob’. When par has disappeared

over the horizon, the challenge of something different can nurse the most battered egos back to health.”

Davies would probably have been most pleased if, able to propel himself a quarter of a century in the future, he could see that Stablefords had replaced

medals as the club golfer’s competition of choice.

50 years ago A revelation now to stun a modern day audience used to trying all kinds of endeavours to get golfers to spend their hard-earned cash in their club. Retired captain I T ‘Pop’ Rees wrote in to bemoan that “golf is still too cheap in this country’.

“You can’t expect this great game to be supported in such a fashion”,he opined.“It is an insult; clubs must learn to balance their books – I’ve just been over to the pro’s shop and seen that Wilson VIP woods are £17.2.6 each and the irons £10.14.1 each.

This young boy Bernard Gallacher has earned more in three months than Harry Vardon or James Braid earned in three years.

“The entrance fee at Sunningdale is £100 – it is £40 here – still not enough.”

Capt Rees said clubs were starting to realise that they must charge more, give more and pay their secretaries more. You wonder, in this era of cheap tee times, of discounted membership fees and incentives, how his blood pressure may have fared.

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ICING ON THE CAKE! Steve Robinson (rijo42 National Accountants & Sponsorship Director) visits Burnham & Berrow Golf Club and speaks with Managing Secretary / GCMA South West Regional Manager, Karen Drake.

W

e took time out to visit Karen Drake the Managing Secretary of Burnham & Berrow GC, who also holds down the position of South West GCMA Regional Manager. Karen has been a customer of rijo42 for over 9 years, dating back to her time at Westonsuper-Mare. I asked Karen was it an easy decision to make when deciding which coffee company to use when taking on her new role at Burnham & Berrow GC “I had no hesitation in making that choice, rijo42 had consistently provided quality machines, service and above all a quality product, trust plays an important part in any supplier customer relationship and I’ve been hugely impressed with the level of commitment to service Steve Robinson and his team at rijo42 have supplied. On the rare occasion I’ve encountered a problem it has been dealt with promptly and efficiently,

KAREN DRAKE, OVER THE MOON WITH THE BRASIL AND OVERALL RIJO42 PRODUCT PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE.

they appreciate we have members who expect a level of service and quality that mirrors our clubs long standing reputation.”

What are your thoughts on the equipment we have provided over the years?

“The Brasil machine we have just replaced had dispensed over 100,000 drinks in the past five year period, which demonstrates the true value in investing in quality Swiss made equipment. We have recently agreed to upgrade to the new RSD Touch which comes with an enhanced GCMA pack, price card and initial free drinks package. After having the new machine on site for almost a month now its apparent that the new features have been a real winner, not only have our members noticed an improved taste they have really welcomed the addition of the flat white, double shot and decaf options.

I personally am a big fan of the

RSD screen which now allows the display of any important information we feel would benefit our members.

We currently have our club’s flyover video playing, which is great for visitors and members alike.”

How have you achieved such great sales from your coffee offering?

“The introduction of coffee and a cake has been a real winner, we either make cakes in house or buy cakes from a quality local bakery and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a great cup of coffee, we generate around £3,500 per year in cake sales and this obviously works both ways.”

CONTACT STEVE ROBINSON FOR MORE INFO: 07977 244621 / STEVEROBINSON@RIJO42.CO.UK

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

In the

LOOP

The news you need to know from the last month in the golf industry…

GCMA announce charitable partnership Golf Foundation are the GCMA’s chosen charity for 2019/2020 – with the partnership aiming to raise awareness of both organisations within UK golf clubs.

The link will also help raise funds to support junior golf activity at grassroots level.

While the GCMA, through its 1,700 members around the UK, have been a long-time supporter of the Golf Foundation’s work to help young people enjoy playing the game, it is the first time the association has designated the body as its official charity.

The first initiative in the collaboration is to encourage all GCMA members to bolt a fundraising element onto an existing competition at their club, with all money raised donated to the Golf Foundation to support junior participation.

The suggested format is to tag a £2 donation onto the entry fee for any tournament in the club diary this month.

Phil Grice, GCMA chairman, said: “Having taken over as chairman in 2018, I was conscious of the association’s social responsibility within the sport, and I’m delighted that we’ll now formally be supporting the fantastic work that the Golf Foundation does to support young people’s participation in our great game.

“As soon as Brendon (Pyle, chief executive) and Vanessa (Bell) presented the organisation’s work

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to the board, we were instantly sold on working more closely together, and look forward to developing our relationship into 2020.”

Vanessa Bell, head of funding at the Golf Foundation, added:“We are hugely excited to be working with the GCMA, not only to try and raise additional funds for the Golf Foundation, but also to develop stronger links with managers around the UK. “We have a huge number of resources that clubs are able to tap into and we simply want to raise awareness among GCMA members of how their club can be part of the drive to introduce more youngsters to our fantastic game.”

For more information on Golf Foundation, visit golf-foundation. org

Welcome to our newest GCMA members Alan Booth, at Reddish Vale, in North West region Simon Booth, at Ruddington Grange Richard Brown, at Malton & Norton, in Yorkshire region Chris Cotter, at Edgbaston, in Midland region Thomas Frayling, at Woolton, in North West region Ian Gelsthorpe, at Ruddington Grange Kevin Gooch, at Royal Norwich, in Norfolk region Kelly Gorry, at Stoke Park, in Chiltern & Home Counties region Stephanie Hayward, at Bloxwich, in Midland region Michael Heath, at Stoke Rochford, in East Midlands region Geoffrey Matthews, at Ingestre Park, in Midland region Anthony Mocklow, at Batchworth Park, in Chiltern & Home Counties region Nick Prentice, at Ruddington Grange Karl Rudakov, at Blackwood, in Wales region Stephen Tall, at Heworth, in Northern region

We want to hear from you!

We want to hear from you!

Send your correspondence, on any subject, to letters@gcma.org.uk

Simon Turner, at Hazlemere, in Chiltern & Home Counties region Ben Waters, at China Fleet, in South West

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The interview...

STUART LEECH The secretary/manager at Formby, Stuart Leech has recently joined the GCMA board. He tells Steve Carroll about life at one of Britain’s most prestigious clubs and how the association can move forward

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Y

ou spent a lot of your early career in a commercial background before moving to a private members’ club.Was Formby an easy fit?

I started off in a private members’ club environment so was very comfortable and familiar with that, and then moved into proprietary and very commercial driven operations. The committee were quite forward thinking at the time and they made my appointment because they were looking for someone to bring a few extra things to the table.

We’ve managed to incorporate a whole host of initiatives, from marketing to standards, and new ways of doing traditional things. All of that grounding seems to have come quite nicely for this role.

Since my appointment, there have been a number of high profile others at private members’ clubs, of people from a hotel background like mine, and that makes me feel quite proud to have hopefully helped a little bit to influence some of those clubs making those decisions.

It obviously means we’ve not done too bad a job here so far.

The movement of directors of golf into club management is pretty established now…

I was one of the first and very lucky that the PGA director of golf qualification was established. It’s snowballed from there but I am a firm believer that, if you want anything, you’ve got to work really hard for it. That’s always been my ethic. I don’t go into something half-heartedly and I always give it everything I’ve got. Hard work and application, combined with a little bit of forward thinking, has helped wherever I’ve been but, particularly, in this environment.

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

It’s really exciting to be at one of the premier private clubs in the UK and we’re providing a really exceptional member and visitor experience for a global audience.

What have you achieved at Formby that has given you particular pride?

When I arrived we had just gone through an internal refurbishment and, to do that, the members financed it through loan notes of a fairly significant sum.

I arrived and the business didn’t have a great balance sheet and wasn’t looking too fantastic on the P&L. As I started in the October, it was a little late to influence that particular year but we managed to finish off the internal refurb that had stalled because of budget.

That involved the hallway and reception area and, on top of that, we managed to grow the food and beverage offering. That alone is now turning over in excess of £600,000 a year. That’s more than double when I started.

We’re now in a very healthy situation with regard to record green fees coming in during 2019.

We’ve also gone through member surveys to make sure they are happy with the offering we’ve got but, more importantly, we are not bringing too many visitors in.

Trying to find that balance is quite key and maintaining it is key.

The golf course is in great shape.

We’ve had a number of really high profile events and, in 2016, we had three in one year.

That was a significant challenge but we did all three, which were really complex in some instances, to a very high standard and great plaudits.

We now think we’ve got a really great offering with a fantastic golf course but we are always looking to improve that a bit further. Equally, we’ve got a really

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good clubhouse offering that complements the course.

The main thing I wanted to try and do, and it’s a really simple philosophy, was ensure our members could walk round feeling really proud to be a member of Formby Golf Club.

As a team of staff, if we can achieve that then we’ve done really well. That’s been at the heart of everything that we’ve done.

Was it easy to balance that member/visitor combination?

It’s not easy but we do have specific member times and times when we would normally anticipate visitors. We’ve done a little bit of juggling round.

We didn’t quite get it right to start with – I’ll be perfectly honest.

Since then we’ve looked at some of the feedback we’ve had and we’ve changed that blend of

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member and visitor times on Wednesdays, which has always been traditionally a high usage member day.

We’ve been very keen to maintain member Saturdays but, on the flip side, we’ve opened up a very small amount of tee times on a Sunday morning, which has helped us with the Scandinavian market.

We’ve made sure the members are comfortable with us doing that. It seems to be working well so far.

You are continually learning and continually evolving in terms of what works. What worked three years ago might not necessarily work in a year’s time.

As long as we keep listening to the members and keep tweaking what we do, we are not too far off now. We feel we have found a level playing field for everybody.

You’re a renowned club in a wonderful golfing area. You won’t be short of members.

Does that affect the way you look at the future?

We cannot afford complacency in any way shape or form. If we want to retain a healthy membership and a healthy, satisfied, membership, we’ve got to provide something that bit special. It’s got to be better than everybody else around.

We continually work hard to try and make sure we deliver that.That, in turn, keeps us in a relatively healthy position in terms of members.

We’ve got a decent number going through the application process.We do have a fairly stringent member application process.You still need to be proposed and seconded by members of at least three years’ standing.You have to gain support of other members as part of the process.

It’s very different to my days working for Marriott when I was targeted on 25 new members a month but it does mean that our ethos, in terms of what we look for in a Formby member, can still be maintained.That’s quite important to the real heart of the club and a lot of the members here.

It’s a nice thing. It’s quite rare these days and, having been on both sides of the fence, I can appreciate it more.

It’s different, isn’t it? A lot of people now expect to come into a club with a credit card, pay their fees and get out onto the course…

Membership here at Formby has always been considered something a little bit special. If we want to continue that, moving forwards, we’ve got to make sure we do everything we can to ensure it remains something special.

One of the things we’ve not really ventured into a great deal previously is overseas membership and that’s something we are looking to try and address.

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business partner

from A-Plan Insurance Are you looking for a solution to add value to your membership and provide protection for your members and golf club?

“I met Alex at the GCMA Spring meeting in March 2019, where he was one of the guest speakers on behalf of Golfplan, there to talk about the new membership insurance plan available to golf clubs.

Timing was good as I had already started researching policies of this nature, so naturally I was keen to learn more. Alex came out to see me within a few days and I was thrilled to find out that the policy had been carefully created with the golf club, its members and the professional shop all in mind.

On April 1st we rolled out our membership renewal, making golf insurance compulsory. Many of our members did already have policies in place, but have since moved over to the Golfplan policy due to the extensive cover and great price. To date, we have over 350 members signed up to the policy, and over the last five months I have received lots of positive feedback.

I highly recommend the Golfplan Club Policy, and speaking to Alex.”

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

We have got capability in the articles to have a limited number available but we are not rushing to recruit a lot of people. It’s important we get the right people – ideally with some connection to members here. It’s not a revenue exercise. It is to try and create a global network of Formby members.

You’ve recently come onto the GCMA board. In the past, you’ve had some differences of opinion in terms of the direction of the association. Now you’re on the board, how would you hope to influence it?

There’s a whole host of different platforms that, hopefully, we can make some headway on.

One of the things I have always been hugely keen on is personal development, continued progression and constantly learning new skills, and there are a number of opportunities in that respect.

The Club Managers Association of Europe have their MDP programme, which is great but there is quite a time and cost commitment to that. I think there are a number of opportunities at the GCMA to deliver something a bit shorter, more cost effective and more regional. There is a place for everyone in the marketplace and the GCMA need to really focus on their strengths, what they already have and try and enhance that.

A really good example is that there are a number of regional meetings that are going on through the country that provide opportunities for members to network. There’s potentially more we can do to enhance those. We’ve got to do that in conjunction with the regional managers and it’s very much going to be a team process but that’s an opportunity we have in terms of learning.

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There are a number of other things. Conference is obviously really important and there are things we can add on and expand there – perhaps in a smaller form, with additional speakers and partnerships.

I am really keen on trying to help other managers. That might sound a strange statement but it’s a very lonely job up at the top and there are a lot of instances where you can’t go to one of your members or one of your committee and talk about problems.

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Equally, there might be issues with staff that you can’t talk about with some of the members and vice versa. You couldn’t talk about member issues with some of the team.

This is really important to me.

During my time at Marriott, we had a nice network of people within the 11 clubs and country clubs throughout the UK and you could always pick up the phone to somebody.

The GCMA have some really

good people out there managing and doing some fantastic jobs. If we can create that opportunity for people to pool in to some of that experience, or just have a friendly ear on the other end of the phone, then that’s a big leap forward for a lot of people – particularly with stress in the workplace and mental health issues.

Just being able to talk to somebody is quite important.

Those networks will be quite key things to try and create if we can.

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Who is Stuart Leech?

Stuart Leech has been in the golf industry for over 25 years. Starting as an assistant professional, he moved through the ranks of retail management, head teaching professional roles and ran hotel and golf complexes as a director of golf.

For 11 years, around the UK and with some of the major chains, he carried out that role before moving back into the private club environment, and has been at Formby for five-and-a-half years.

Formby Golf Club Founded in 1884, Formby runs through mature sand dunes and pinewoods and is considered to be one of Britain’s finest golf courses.

The combination of well protected greens, undulating fairways and challenging tee shots captivates visitors and has helped Formby host a series of high profile events – including the Curtis Cup, Amateur Championship, Palmer Cup and Open qualifying.

So was your motivation for joining the board along the lines of wanting to roll your sleeves up and getting involved?

It’s very easy to sit on the outside of anything and criticise. Usually, although I am typecasting, those people don’t tend to get involved. If you do want to change anything, you can only really do that from the inside, so get stuck in, get involved, try to make some progress and help things along.

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There are a lot of people that talk a good game. I’m always very keen that people judge me by my actions rather than the kind of marketing speak that might influence someone in another way.

Are you optimistic about the future of the GCMA? There have been a lot of changes over the past few years and more on the way with the new board…

There is a lot to do and a lot of hard work for those people who

are getting involved on the board – on many different levels. I’m under no illusions that it is going to be quite a challenge but there are also some really good people on the board.

It’s quite an exciting time to get involved.

There has been some great groundwork done over the last few years and, hopefully, we can start to work on those good foundations and move on a little further.

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What are the particular opportunities and challenges that the GCMA are looking to address?

One of the challenges, in terms of membership, is always maintaining healthy numbers. That is ultimately the lifeblood of the association so we need to make sure membership is perceived as good value and it is something, as at Formby, where people need to be proud of being a GCMA member.

There is a little bit of work to do on a whole host of platforms there but that is one of our goals. There are a lot of messages about a lot of good work that is going on, and will be going on, and the key bit is communication, making sure the members of the association are aware of all these things, have easy access to them and that’s a key opportunity for us.

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That will also involve things like benchmarking and using more industry wide stats. It is really useful for people at other clubs to realise that they are not on their own.

We’ve all got similar problems, we’ve all got similar challenges but, equally from a financial point of view, you can look at clubs of a similar profile and see where there are areas for improvement.

Also key is helping to develop the managers so they can look for those opportunities, spot those threats and make sure they can work on the club’s strengths and weaknesses as well. That’s as individuals, and members of their teams and staff, but also as a club in general.

It’s trying to take those basic business principles and apply them to every single section of the business.

Managing your team is a particularly challenging issue and the support we can give in terms of this is really important. There are a number of different companies who provide guidance but, as I’ve found very much over the years, there is no handbook to tell you how to deal with every situation and some of it is a bit of instinct, some of it is getting to know your team well, some of it is good practice and making sure you’re in regular communication with your team.

There are a whole host of different tricks and skills you can try and incorporate and making people a little bit more aware of those, just to make their job a little bit easier, is a massive improvement to help and something we as an association can offer.

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ARE YOUR GREENKEEPERS IN THE FORM OF THEIR LIVES? If your course is looking in top condition, did you know that you can nominate your greenkeeping team for a BIGGA Award, recognised nationally as among the most prestigious awards in the industry?

Any BIGGA member can be nominated and there are prizes up for grabs in the following categories:

» » »

Outstanding Contribution to the Greenkeeping Industry Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year Greenkeeping Project of the Year Entries close on 31 October 2019. For more information or to complete a nomination form, head to the BIGGA website or scan the QR code.

T: 01347 833 800 | E: info@bigga.co.uk | www.bigga.org.uk

Photograph courtesy of Ash Youd Photography

Making your golf course

MORE PLAYABLE We’re obsessed with ‘championship’ layouts but nothing puts golfers off more than a course that’s too difficult.

Kari Haug shows we can make them more fun

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C

‘

hampionship’ might be the most overused word in golf.

For the club, it can be a useful marketing ploy – a way of elevating a course that may have held no competition grander than a local PGA event into something mythical and reminiscent of an Open venue.

The tag can intrigue the casual golfer, lured in like a fish on a hook at the promise of testing pastures, only to be faced with a layout that’s simply long and punishing.

It might glitter at first but repeated visits for most of us – to endure a succession of shots that fail to reach long carries and frequent hacking out of long rough – aren’t often recommended.

With visitor green fees just as important an income stream as membership for some venues in the UK, the emphasis should be shifting – among the average course at least – from a course that’s simply difficult to one that’s a challenge but is also fun to play.

But if your course falls high on the clichéd championship scale, what can the club do to make it more playable?

This is where Kari Haug can help. An associate member of the European Institute of Golf Architects, she specialises in enhancing the playability features of golf courses – particularly from the view of women and seniors.

She has developed the concept of ‘leverage design’ – a way of improving the lot of the shorter hitter by affecting the ground game through carefully and intentionally designed landforms and slopes.

“These ground features provide the shorter hitter with leverage in four ways: propelling the ball forward to gain distance, redirecting errant shots, assisting the golfer in lofting the ball or with shot

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direction, and saving a shot from a worse fate,” she explains.

“In many respects, it is the ground game that affects the shorter player.

The shorter player has a lower trajectory shot and by default ends up playing a ground game more often.

“As architects we manipulate the contours of the land and we manipulate the ground game.

“We have the opportunity to make a much greater impact for that higher handicap player – the average player.

“Leverage design is using the ground contours, managing and manipulating the contours of the land so that it fits the game of the shorter hitter.

“Leverage design is actually just

another name for heightened attention to design of the ground game and heightened attention to the location of teeing areas relative to designed landing areas for the shorter hitter.

“It also calls for an increased awareness about the entire pathway for play for the shorter hitter, ensuring that there is a route for the shorter hitter to access secondary landing areas and green complexes.

“We especially don’t want blind hazards from teeing areas.

“For example, the shorter hitter can’t often reach landing areas.

Women, from our tees, can’t reach those areas.

“So the second shot is even more difficult. What leverage design looks

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at is ‘if we move the tees forward then perhaps our landing areas have to match where we are going to hit the ball’.

“Those landing areas won’t, in many cases, even affect the longer hitter’s game – because they are hitting an aerial shot over those ground contours.”

Let’s take the example of two players hitting to a raised green that is surrounded by bunkers on all sides. The lower handicap player, who can more easily get the ball in the air, simply flies over the top of the bunkers landing solidly on the green surface.

The shorter hitter, though, with a lower flight has to take on the bunkers and surrounding contours and trust to luck they’ll get the right

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result.

In this scenario, the less skilled player actually has the more difficult shot.

And simply moving up a tee, under the guise that shortening the length is a simple fix to making a hole ‘easier’, is “only part of the equation”.

“Where the contemporary longhitting low handicap player rarely plays the ground game between the green and 100 yards out, this is often the area with the most challenge for the shorter hitter, who is hitting a long wood just to get to the green. The ground game for this player is extremely important and slopes matter!”

So what can your course do if it is faced with this challenge? Kari has

identified a series of features that can be incorporated into a course to help the shorter hitters but which make no difference to those at the elite end of the handicap.

It starts on the tee.

“The design of the tee itself affects the flight of the golf ball,” she says.

“For example, if you tip the front of the tee upwards just a little bit you create a little launch pad and a slight hook bias for the hitter.

“I’m talking 1 to 1.5% – just a slight increase in the tilt of the tee from front to back, such as can assist the launch trajectory of the golf ball.”

“You definitely don’t want a back to front downward sloping tee as a downhill lie is a very difficult shot to hit for the higher handicap player with a slower swing speed.”

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Haug to drive forward women’s participation Kari Haug has been appointed the EIGCA’s equality advisor as part of the institute’s commitment to the R&A Women in Golf Charter.

Her role will be to oversee the EIGCA’s strategies to meet issues of gender in the game. The EIGCA have committed to improving inclusivity, diversity and equality, while encouraging more women to join and remain within the golf course architecture profession.

Kari said: “Our goals are to bring in more women as architects – trying to identify women who are interested in golf course architecture, recruiting more women and keeping them in the field. We want to promote the design of courses for women and being more cognoscente of what it takes to design a course that is playable for women.”

Speed chutes, which are usually placed on a landing area, can help kick the ball of a shorter hitter forward while a funnel – most often employed close to second or third shots – can assist in keeping the ball away from a hazard.

“If your ball enters into that funnel, it’s going to either funnel it into a favourable position for your next shot or it’s going to funnel, or propel, it forward.”

But the over-riding key is to consider the pathways for a shorter hitter and keep them at the forefront of your mind when designing or redeveloping a course.

“What would that typically be?” asks Kari.“You can do simple things like removing blind hazards, for example.

“Remember that the average height of women, at least in the United States, is 5’4” and the average male height is 5’9”.

“What can you visually see down the fairway? Can you see hazards?

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That makes a difference.

“It’s about ensuring that there’s a good landing area off the tee. When a shorter hitter is hitting from their tee, why not measure where their landing area is?

“If that’s hitting into a slope that will shunt the ball off into long rough then you don’t want that.

“You want them to reach an equitable landing area with similar conditions to those where the longer hitter would be reaching, but maybe a bit further down the fairway so that the second shot is fun and playable.

“While all of this may sound like an expensive endeavour, the cost of not creating a more enjoyable golf experience may be even greater as golfers and their families are lost or don’t return due to a high level of course difficulty and lack of enjoyment.

“Also, costly mis-steps can be avoided by employing the services of a golf course architect as you

consider priorities to make your course more playable for the average patron.

“An architect could also identify simple maintenance corrections that can make a golf course much more playable.

“For example, a forced carry over long rough is one of the most difficult and exhausting barriers to enjoyment for the shorter hitter – and this is a relatively inexpensive correction to make.

“Finally, keep in mind that many ground game landforms may not even affect the longer hitter’s game because often they are often in a fly-over zone, unless of course we are dealing with a true links-style golf course where wind is frequently a factor.

“This type of course would require even more consideration and thoughtfulness for all players during the architect’s design process.

“And remember that the second shot is just as critical as the first.”

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Want golfers to repair their pitchmarks?

BUY THEM A BEER Lecturing people in course etiquette doesn’t work, says Troon Golf’s European director of agronomy Simon Doyle. If you want golfers to listen, you’ve got to do something different

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I

t’s cause for a toast if you’re caught on camera at one Troon Golf property.

Players captured on social media repairing their pitchmarks can celebrate in the 19th hole with a free beer.

If it sounds a bit like bribery – an outlandish way of trying to solve one of golf’s age old problems – then Simon Doyle, Troon Golf’s European director of agronomy, would prefer to call it “positive reinforcement”.

For the company, which runs the likes of The Grove and Fairmont St Andrews in the UK, have come to the same conclusion many of us have rather suspected when imploring golfers to clean up after themselves.

You just can’t tell people what to do.

Even the most passive observers will notice the signs dotted around clubhouses and on the golf course urging members and visitors to repair their pitchmarks and rake bunkers.

It’s basic etiquette, but the same sideways glance at the twitter accounts of plenty of greenkeepers and course managers on a Monday morning will reveal it’s a plea that’s largely ignored.

Pock-marked surfaces and footprints in a newly raked hazard drive hard-working staff to distraction and yet the traditional message goes unheeded no matter how passionately it is promulgated.

“It’s the industry’s oldest problem,” admits Doyle.“There are fewer people repairing ball marks then there used to be. I believe it’s to do with so many factors. There is awareness, respect and lack of knowledge of etiquette.

“Everyone is a bit busier today in their lives. Their mind is elsewhere sometimes and I get it. It’s unfortunate and it’s just something we have to deal with.

“People don’t want rules. Rules don’t

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work in golf and many hospitality businesses anymore. It’s just different.

That’s gone.We have to realise that and take a different approach.

And so we come to the idea of a free beer – a way of encouraging golfers to behave in a certain way and rewarding them if they do.

Doyle explains:“It’s trying to find different ways to motivate people.

It’s taking a different approach and saying ‘hey, if we see you out on the golf course repairing a ball mark, tweet it, or if we see you and it’s tweeted, you will get a free beer in the clubhouse’.

“It’s finding a fun way to educate people on repairing ball marks as opposed to the negative ‘you can’t do that, you shouldn’t do that’.

“It’s typically non-members and we know the membership market is less and less and more daily play.

They naturally have less respect for the property as it is not ‘their’ club.

“We have to understand that and find different ways to educate and

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encourage them. Otherwise it’s just a losing battle.”

And losing the battle is a dispiriting feeling that all greens teams know only too well.‘Extremely frustrating’ is how Doyle describes the effects 18 holes full of pitchmarks have on the morale of his teams.

For a start, it bogs them down when it comes to cutting greens.

Pitchmarks have to be repaired before the blades can properly do their work. Otherwise, there’s a danger of causing even more damage.

“If you can imagine that you’ve got a fresh pitchmark and, typically, that’s causing a slight protrusion above the green,” he says.

“As you mow over that, the blades will catch the protrusion and essentially scalp and kill that piece of grass. You now have dead turf. If that ball mark was properly repaired, by stretching it across, you would recover that area.

“It’s either repaired nicely and no one notices the difference or it gets

mowed over and it’s even worse.”

With teams trying to get the greens cut before the first wave of golfers hit the course not too long after sunrise, you can imagine how stopping that task to clean up could be de-motivating.

But there’s also the fatalism that the tried and tested ways of hitting the message home to golfers aren’t getting through.

“We’ve had some interesting studies in places where, if the work is done wrongly, we’re better off doing it ourselves,” Doyle continues.

“It’s somewhat of the wrong attitude but it’s also the reality, especially with the daily fee golfer.

That’s why I like the positive reinforcement method.

“It’s ‘hey, you guys help us out and we’ll help you out and do something for you’. That’s what I like. The rules and monitoring – you can only do so much with that.”

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Good

PRACTICE Advice on golf club management issues – from finance to clubhouse rules and employment law

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

Your best practice

DIRECTORY

B

irdies, eagles and albatrosses – dealing with ringed birds found on the course It is not uncommon to find ringed birds on the golf course. It is important to ornithology that these birds are reported, dead or alive, as this will help in various environmental studies around the world.

If the bird is alive and well and if

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you can see the ring, binoculars or scopes almost certainly required, then you can report it to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) on their ring reporting page.

If the bird is dead, then there should be no problem distinguishing the rings and reporting a dead bird is arguably more significant to science or the police as the death may not be natural but deliberate.

If the ringed bird is a pigeon,

then it is likely to be a racing pigeon. Its leg ring contains a country, i.e. UK (GB), a year date 18,19 etc) and a reference letter and number N64440, for example.

If the pigeon is still alive and needs help, or if you just wish to record its passing with the owner you can contact the Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) where you will find advice for caring for an injured or exhausted pigeon (do not feed it bread) and the

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The GCMA’s golf management researcher, Jim Cunning, rounds up the best advice for golf club managers telephone number on a separate leg ring.

A pigeon is worth anything from £100 upwards (The record is £1.07m) so the owner will be very pleased to hear from you.

Credit: Thanks to Neil Sjoberg, Epping GC for his contribution to this article.

owner’s name address and phone number. If the bird is from overseas then see the RPRA’s foreign stray details for further contact details.

Racing Pigeon owners will buy a group of leg rings (say 100) all consecutively numbered and registered to their name and address. The address or telephone number may also be on the bird’s feathers so gently open each wing and look for an ink stamp on the top side of the wing, or on a

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Interviewing staff: Moving beyond the standard interview questions How do you identify talent? When it comes to interviewing, it’s far too easy to reach for those standard interview questions and a give a generic interview.

Whereas candidates will spend time prepping for the interview, the failure to adequately prepare will most typically come from the person asking the questions.

Often the temptation is to speak about the club, the members and the vision, not giving enough time to assess the candidate fully.

The basis of an interview is to set up a discussion that allows you to identify patterns in their behaviour and predict how they will perform in the future. A great interview is always a conversation — it’s never one-sided. Look at the quantity and quality of questions they ask you. Remember, hiring is always a risk but if you trust your instinct, check references and prepare the right questions, you will be well on the way to hiring talented staff.

Five revealing questions to ask In any of your previous roles,

did you receive a promotion?

Talents are good at what they do and good managers will recognise this, giving them more responsibility and a more challenging role.

How did you go about researching the club?

This question immediately gives you insight into their processes.

If they have taken time to research and have shown initiative then they are a serious challenger.

Are you I or We? No matter how strong a candidate is, success is built though teams, managers and mentors. Do they answer with ‘I this, I that’ or ‘We this, We that’?

Are you committed to continual education and learning?

Talents love learning new skills.

Probe to see what they have done in the last year and plan to do in the next 12 months.

What is your greatest fear about the position?

You can check their honesty – anyone who claims not to have a fear is lying. Talented candidates are honest about shortcomings.

Will your club need more disabled parking spaces?

The blue badge disabled parking scheme in England is undergoing its biggest shake-up since it was introduced in 1970, with the changes having been introduced on August 30.

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

The result is expected to increase the number of those entitled to a blue badge by around 30%, which will also increase the demand for dedicated parking spaces.

Scotland and Wales have already implemented similar rules to include some mental impairments, but the criteria has yet to be altered in Northern Ireland.

The biggest change was that from August 30 people with hidden disabilities were granted access to the scheme. The idea is that people with less obvious health conditions, such as autism, will have the same right to park in disabled bays as those with physical disabilities.

While the catch-all phrase, “hidden disabilities” encompasses many health issues, some of the most common are: ADHD Amnesia Anxiety Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Asperger’s Syndrome Crohn’s Disease Complex mental health disorders Epilepsy Huntington’s Disease Irritable Bowel Diseases Lupus ME Rheumatoid arthritis Ulcerative Colitis The new criteria will extend eligibility to people who: Cannot undertake a journey without there being a risk of serious harm to their health or safety or that of any other person (such as young children with autism).

Cannot undertake a journey without it causing them very considerable psychological distress.

Have very considerable difficulty

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when walking (both the physical act and experience of walking).

The change follows a consultation that found many people with mental health problems struggle with the same travel issues as those with physical disabilities.

Many golf clubs are likely to see increased demand for further disabled parking spaces and while there have yet to be any changes to the current guidelines, it may be prudent to ensure your club has at least the minimum according to the guidelines.

The disabled parking provisions for England and Northern Ireland recommend that, where the car park is in excess of 50 spaces, 4% should be reserved specifically for people with disabilities. In smaller car parks at least one space should be provided.

The Scottish Government has different criteria, which are that you must provide a minimum of at least one disabled car parking space per 20 parking spaces. If you have less than 20 parking spaces, you must provide one disabled parking space. Where physically possible, allocate 4-6% of your available parking spaces for disabled people.

In Wales, the guidelines are one space for every disabled employee and 6% of the total spaces for disabled visitors.

more help for those returning to work after sick leave.

The government has launched a consultation on the proposed changes and further details can be found on the gov.uk website.

The consultation will close on October 7.

Workers currently need to earn at least £118 a week to receive statutory sick pay, although the threshold is reviewed every tax year.

It is unclear if the plans would benefit “gig” workers on freelance or short-term contracts, but the Department for Work and Pensions said the consultation did not seek

Changes in Sick Pay Eligibility Proposed Two million low-paid workers could receive statutory sick pay for the first time.

Currently, employees must earn at least the equivalent of 14 hours on the minimum wage to qualify, however, the government is looking at extending that eligibility to those earning below this threshold. There could also be

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to “undermine the flexibility in the UK labour market”.

Around 1.1 million people in the UK are considered gig economy workers, receiving little or no holiday or sick pay.

To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) you must be classed as an employee.

Agency workers are also entitled to SSP. You need to earn at least £118 per week to be eligible for SSP. You need to have been ill for at least four days in a row, including non-working days to

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claim SSP. SSP is currently £94.25 a week.

If your employer has a sick pay scheme you may get more.

The maximum amount of time you can claim SSP for is 28 weeks.

The government is also looking at making statutory sick pay more flexible, as it seeks to reduce the number of people quitting work after a period of sickness.

Each year more than 100,000 people leave their job after a sickness absence lasting at least four weeks.

It will explore allowing phased

returns to work, in which people would continue to receive statutory sick pay, as well as offering small businesses who help employees return to work a rebate.

It will also consider whether to change legal guidance to encourage employers to intervene early during a period of sickness absence.

For example, employees could be given the right to request modifications to their working patterns – similar to the right to request flexible working – to help them return to work.

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

From the

HELPDESK This month: How can we invest our surplus and... what’s the deal with THAT Local Rule?

We are a members’ club, CASC registered. We have some surplus cash in the bank which we would like to invest.

Are there any restrictions on the type of financial investments we put the money into?

There are no restrictions that we are aware of, but obviously any income you receive may not be regarded as Qualifying Income, especially if some of the investment income comes from investments funded by NonQualifying Income.

See here to navigate that minefield: gov.uk/guidance/workout-taxable-income-for-a-casc We are keen to attract passing visitors into our club (for coffee, snacks and so on).

Are we allowed to advertise (for example, visitors welcome)?

Assuming visitors are allowed, do we need them to sign in?

I presume you are licensed under a Club Premises Certificate and therefore you can only serve members, guests who are signed in by a member, and visitors who pay a green fee.

Remember, you cannot create day members unless 48 hours elapses after you sign them up.

If you have a ‘full-on’ licence, i.e. a Premises Certificate, then there are no such restrictions and anyone

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can enter.

Library document gcma.org.uk/ library/10027/ has information on licensing, if you wish to explore further.

Each time a trustee changes, according to our Club Rules, we elect a new trustee at our AGM and I advise the solicitors of this change.

Our solicitor says that trustees are ‘appointed’ not ‘elected’.

Can you please confirm/advise, as trustees at our club have always been elected. Is there a difference?

Trustees are elected or appointed (sometimes a mixture of both) in many different ways, depending on the club’s constitution.

They might be elected by members or appointed by committee or the other trustees.

By electing them the club as a whole are therefore appointing them so it is essentially the same.

Can you clarify for me the situation regarding the potential Local Rule about dropping a ball in play at the point where you believe your ball was lost or out of bounds?

At our club we are considering introducing this as a Local Rule, but there is some debate whether this can be used in qualifying

competitions.

The GCMA newsletter of 11th January makes it clear that this can’t be used in competitions for CONGU purposes.

On the other hand, the professionals are quoting that the R&A have no objection and they overrule CONGU. As we understand it, CONGU are the authority until the WHS is adopted and CONGU are quite clear that the Local Rule is not acceptable for any Qualifying Competitions or handicapping purposes.

The club holds officers liability insurance for club officers and committee.

Would a club member coopted to serve on a properly constituted sub-committee enjoy the same indemnity under the policy?

Yes, as long as the rules of the club allow you to co-opt the member becomes an officer of the club and will be covered.

An online helpdesk offers an advisory service to members. Visit gcma.org.uk/members to find out more.

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GCMA.ORG.UK | 57

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Grass

ROOTS All the latest news, views and interviews from across the GCMA’s various regions in the UK

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

Meet the

MANAGER

Sponsor of the 2017 GCMA Manager of the Year award

With Dai Davies, general manager at Abersoch, in Gwynedd

The stunning links surroundings of Abersoch

H

ow did you get into golf club management?

I’ve always been a golfer and when we (my wife and I) moved back to Wales from London we set up an HR consultancy. The manager’s position came here following a retirement and we applied for it.

We run it as a consultancy together and the golf club is our

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primary client.

What do you like most about your role?

I think it’s the variety of issues that come your way. There is a huge spread of different responsibilities from day-to-day management, marketing, course control, meet and greets to dealing with greenkeepers, bar staff, caterers, professionals – there are all sorts of people that you interact with and

try and bring together to create a product that people want to buy and that’s marvellous.

What are the challenges in that day-to-day world?

It’s geography, from our point of view. We are right on the end of a peninsula and to get people to come and play we’ve got to get them past a lot of very good golf courses.

Once they are here, we want

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to provide a traditional Welsh welcome and hope they will come back and enjoy the course, the views, the hospitality and the village itself.

How do you see the state of golf?

I’m fairly optimistic at the moment.

– more optimistic than I was a couple of years ago.

More people are looking at the game and playing it and there’s a move towards more flexible approaches to golf, in terms of either 12 or 9-hole competitions.

It’s also the way people are looking to make golf more relaxed, whether that’s attitudes to competitions or the way they dress and there seems to be a bigger groundswell now, on the more positive aspects, than perhaps there was a couple of years ago.

How difficult has it been, at a traditional club like yours, to maintain that balance of ensuring those values are upheld while relaxing things a little bit?

The strategy I’ve tried to adopt, and hopefully is working, is to do things a small step at a time.

It’s little bits and pieces without trying to be too radical too quickly.

You have to take your traditional membership with you and show them what benefits are coming out of the changes that you’re trying to make.

Hopefully, that will manifest itself

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“To be able to call on a professional body to help in those situations can’t be put into a price bracket”

Dai Davies

in maintaining membership fees at a reasonable level, increasing the serviceability of the club and providing more and better services for them. Everybody is resistant to change so it’s got to be small steps.

What will golf club managers be doing in 20 years’ time?

They will certainly have to be multi-talented. For a club this size, they have to have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies.

My concern is the red tape and the bureaucracy. We’ve seen welfare officers, GDPR – all these things that are coming in and the

danger of being swamped into red tape is huge.

What clubs have to realise is that to be able to maintain a well run club, that conforms with all the legalities and regulations, and everything else that is required, they might have to put some investment in.

That may not manifest itself in a decent return but it has to be done.

The golf club manager of the future has to be a good delegator.

What opportunities lie ahead for the GCMA? It’s the fundamental support for all of that change in legislation and bureaucracy,.where they will have a significant batch of information centrally that we might not necessarily have on our own.

To be able to call upon a professional body to help in those situations can’t be put into a price bracket. It’s hugely valuable.

What is your favourite golfing memory?

It was playing Loch Lomond, in a charity golf day, having Martin Kaymer’s caddie, and finishing off on the stroke one hole with a birdie. It was Kenny Logan’s golf day and the experience was incredible. It was fantastic.

Get In Touch To contact Abersoch, visit abersochgolf.co.uk

GCMA.ORG.UK | 61

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

From the

REGIONS INTERNATIONAL MATCH GCMA vs. ADGF, July 9 and 10 RCF La Boulie and SaintGermain GC, Paris The annual match against our French counterparts took place at RCF La Boulie and Saint-Germain Golf Clubs, near Paris.

La Boulie’s Vallee course was in excellent condition and it was a ding-dong battle in the greensomes before the GCMA eventually came out on top 5-3.

The course was the first to host the French Open, something it has done on many subsequent occasions, and it proved a tough challenge from the back tees.

The evening’s gala dinner witnessed some splendid food and wine as well as a stirring call to arms for the following day from South East regional captain Steve Armstrong.

Saint Germain, a Harry Colt course, was not as hilly or as long as Le Boulie and that was fortunate given the weather was sunny and very hot when play resumed.

Fielding a very strong side, including three scratch players, the French team, captained by Geneva GC’s Jean-Marc Kalenitchenko, fought back strongly.

The GCMA, however, responded magnificently to the challenge.

Although the singles were lost by 8.5-7.5, the visitors won the overall match by the narrowest of margins - 12.5-11.5 and claimed the Donald Gregoire Trophy.

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The whole occasion was splendid, said GCMA South East regional manager, and International Match manager, John Edgington.

“Thanks go to our French hosts – their hospitality was truly ‘magnifique’ and ‘entente cordiale’ prevailed once more. If any members are ever in the Paris area these are two must-play courses.”

The GCMA now lead the overall series 10-4 and the French are now champing at the bit to reduce the deficit next year.

The GCMA team was: Steve Armstrong (Mid Kent – regional captain), Ian Symington (GCMA national captain), Adam Riddle (Royal Ashdown Forest), Steve Billings (Redlibbets), John Holmes (Ifield), Andrew Hall (Dartford), Peter Foord (Dulwich & Sydenham Hill), Mike Verhelst (Bury St Edmunds), Mike Hoare (retired), John Aughterlony (Rochester & Cobham), Chris Cooper (Shooters Hill), David Mabbott (Langley Park), Brian Bamford (Cherry Lodge), John Edgington (GCMA South East regional manager), Grant Leggate (Chestfield), Tony Marsh (retired).

Regional Managers Full details at gcma.org.uk/ regions Chiltern & Home Counties

David Cook East Anglia

Gary Smith East Midlands

Rod Savage London & Home Counties

Maureen Brooker Midland

Rob Wormstone Norfolk

John Barnard North West

Neil Annandale Northern

Peter Jobe Northern Ireland

Jim Cullen Scotland

Bernard Flockhart South East

John Edgington South West

Karen Drake Southern

Paul Gaylor Wales

Mike Rees Wessex

Alex Taylor Yorkshire

Steve Boustead

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GCMA.ORG.UK | 63

GCMA RECRUITMENT

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE VACANCIES BELOW, VISIT GCMA.ORG.UK/JOBS

WOODSOME HALL GC ::: GENERAL MANAGER

This private members’ golf club was formed in 1922 with a course originally designed by James Braid. The Grade I listed clubhouse dates from the 16th century and, coupled with a first-class course, provides a unique golfing experience. The club also boasts a Dormy House.

The current General Manager is retiring shortly. The club is therefore looking to appoint an enthusiastic, forward thinking, innovative and suitably qualified individual to take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the club in accordance with the strategies and policies determined by the committee.

For details and how to apply, please visit www.gcma.org.uk/jobs/woodsome-hall-gcgeneral-manager Region: West Yorkshire | Salary: Competitive | Closing Date: September 30, 2019

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Partner Network The GCMA’s Partner Network supports the association’s work to professionalise the industry and promote a culture of excellence in golf club management.

Thank you to all our partners who continue to support the association.

strategic partners

business partners

official suppliers

gcma.org.uk/partners

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

June 2019

STATISTICS UK&I 27,025

Hole-in-ones made during June competitions

Total competitions recorded

471

959,296

total rounds of golf recorded

LOWEST EXACT HANDICAP

Gents

Ladies

-5.0 -5.0 231,594 Downloads of HowDidiDo app

6,409

eagles or better

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374,756 birdies

3,420,509

Stats provided by HowdidIdo.com

pars

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