November 2020
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EDITORIAL
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DIGITAL MEDIA/WEB/DEVELOPMENT
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VICE PRESIDENT - GROUP PUBLISHER
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Joe Barks
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NOVEMBER CLUB INDEX Club and resort properties featured in this issue
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. .........36 The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch, Boerne, Texas ...................................39 Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club, Naples, Fla. ......................................11 Escanaba Country Club, Escanaba, Mich. .............................................50 The Farms Golf Club, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. ......................................36 Flying Horse North Golf Club, Colorado Springs, Colo. ................28 Harbor Shores Resort, Benton Harbor, Mich. ......................................12
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1111 Superior Ave., 26th Floor Cleveland, OH 44114 Ph: 888.543.2447
Hunting Creek Country Club, Prospect, Ky. ...........................................25 2011 - 2020
Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Ill. .........................................................42
SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES To enter, change or cancel a subscription: Web (fastest service):www.ezsub.com/crb Phone: 844-862-9286 (U.S. only, toll-free) Mail: Club & Resort Business, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058 Copyright 2020, WTWH Media, LLC Club + Resort Business ISSN 1556-13X is published monthly by WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Avenue, 26th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114. Copyright ©2020. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Qualified U.S. subscribers receive Club + Resort Business at no charge. For all others the cost is $75 U.S. and possessions, $90 Canada, and $145 all other countries. Per copy price is $3. Postmaster: Send change of address notices to Club + Resort Business, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058. Club + Resort Business does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2020 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
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Lake Merced Golf Club, Daly City, Calif. ................................................10
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The Patterson Club, Fairfield, Conn. .......................................................32 Rehoboth Beach Country Club, Rehoboth Beach, Del. ....................24 Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club, Blaine, Wash. ................................36 Streamsong, Bowling Green, Fla. ...............................................................22 The University of Texas Golf Club, Austin, Texas .................................9 Westwood Country Club, Rocky River, Ohio .........................................37 Wollaston Golf Club, Milton, Mass. .............................................................20 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
EDITOR’S MEMO
Spending & Burning AFTER THE CLUB industry took a couple of months earlier this year to catch its collective breath from the initial shock of the coronavirus outbreak, we have since published a steady stream of news reports and feature articles, and prepared a series of “The Road Back” videos (https://clubandresortbusiness. com/category/the-road-back/), that have all highlighted upbeat reports on strong activity levels, sizeable membership gains and—most surprisingly—continued investment in facilities and golf courses at all types of club and resort properties throughout the U.S. To see just how deep of a trend these reports on spending reflected—and how likely it was to continue—we recently conducted a larger survey of club managers on their current and future capital expenditure activity. We’ll publish a more detailed report on the findings in an upcoming issue, but here are some notable highlights: • Asked if their clubs executed planned capital projects in 2020, 79.9% of the responding managers said yes. • Asked to describe their financial position as a result of COVID-19, 56.6% said they were still operating profitably, 31.4% said they were breaking even, and only 11.9% said they were operating at a loss. • Asked to project their capital spending for 2021, 69.2% said they expected it to increase, 17.6% said they expected it to remain the same, and only 13.2% anticipated a decrease. • We then asked for an indication of the range for which capital budgets would be set for 2021, and these two ranges polled the highest: - $1 million-$3 million, 35.2% - $3 million-$5 million, 29.6% (greater than $5 million was also selected by 2.5% of the respondents). • Over two-thirds (66.7%) of the respondents said major golf course im-
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Our survey results on current capital spending activity and future CapEx plans had a business-as-usual tone— with the business looking pretty darn good. provement projects will next take place at their property within a year. Almost 70% said the same was true (within a year) for their next major clubhouse/ facility improvement project. We also asked for details about what the golf course and clubhouse/facility projects would focus on. Greens and drainage/water management projects stood out as the biggest priorities for golf courses, and dining venues and furnishings were cited as the top focus for clubhouses/facilities. But in both cases many other areas were also cited, indicating these aren’t emergency fixes, but part of planned, strategic improvements. We also asked the respondents to rank what they saw as their biggest forthcoming challenges in 2021. Attracting new members scored the highest, followed by retaining current members, building a balanced budget, assessment issues related to budgeting shortfalls, and
prioritizing capital projects. All in all, the survey results had a business-as-usual tone—with the business looking pretty darn good. And I dare say that if we’d asked those same questions 12 years ago after the Great Recession took hold, “just surviving” would have ranked highly among the biggest upcoming challenges, even if it hadn’t been offered as a choice and could only be given as a write-in response. Feeling the Burn While the results of our capital spending survey reflected an encouraging present and future outlook, that certainly doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of things to get worked up about in the club business. This issue features the debut of three new regular “Burning Issue” columns, for Management (pg. 10), Membership & Marketing (pg. 11) and Golf Operations (pg. 9). After skipping December’s special Top Innovators issue, all of these columns (plus others on occasion for operating areas such as fitness, technology, golf course maintenance, and more) will be regular monthly features in C+RB. So if you and/or others on your staff want to take a turn sounding off, let us know, and we’ll reserve your space.
Joe Barks • Editor jbarks@wtwhmedia.com
November 202O
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INSIDE
November 2020 • Vol. 16 • No. 11
THIS
ISSUE
12
Urban Blight Becomes a Coastal Delight at Harbor Shores Resort As the Benton Harbor, Mich. property celebrates its 10-year anniversary, what was once more than 550 acres of forsaken land, abandoned factories and lost manufacturing jobs is now a distant memory. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Design + Recreation 20 ENDING THE SPACE JAM
Locker rooms are being upgraded and expanded to take on this year’s added traffic.
+ Grounds 28 ACourse WINNING PACE
Colorado’s Flying Horse club stayed on the fast track this year with a new golf course.
5
Editor’s Memo
8
The Rob Report
9
Burning Issue: Golf Operations
SPENDING & BURNING
A FASHION FIRESTORM MAKING THE PRO SHOP PANDEMIC-PROOF
10
Burning Issue: Management
11
Burning Issue: Membership + Marketing
25
DON’T FALL INTO THE SERVICE-CHARGE TRAP
MARKETING MEMBERSHIPS IN A PANDEMIC—AND BEYOND Design Snapshot
MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE
An updated lobby has turned Hunting Creek CC into a showcase-worthy destination.
39
Super In Spotlight
CAREER AUDIT
How The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch’s Jeff Eldridge went from taxes to Texas.
33 WISE BEYOND HIS YEARS Chef to Chef
At just age 29, The Patterson Club’s Geoffrey Lanez has established himself as a well-seasoned culinary professional.
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42 Golf Operations
SIMULATORS TAKE THE GAME INSIDE
Clubs are dedicating more space to technology that’s proving to be quite a draw.
45 Product Showcase
Today’s Manager
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
Robert Sereci’s sound approach to Excellence in Club Management.
50
Idea Exchange
A SUCCESSFUL KICKOFF
Escanaba CC helps ease the pain of a lost football season.
49 Ad Index www.clubandresortbusiness.com
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THE ROB REPORT
A Fashion Firestorm In the middle of a global pandemic, a choice of apparel managed to overtake a news cycle in October. A concerned group of fashion police flooded social media in protest of Englishman Tyrell Hatton’s choice of wearing a hoodie en route to his victory at the European Tour’s 2020 BMW PGA Championship, when it was played on the West Course of the Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. With high temperatures barely cracking 50 degrees over the course of the four-day tournament, Hatton was looking for something that would keep him warm, but not restrict his golf swing. He chose the Cold RDY Hoodie from adidas, which retails for around $80. “It’s crazy the amount of people that obviously don’t agree with it,” Hatton said about the unexpected firestorm that his choice of on-course clothing set off. “If it looks smart and you’re comfortable to play in it, then I really don’t see what the issue is.” For the record, Hatton was not the first person to wear a hooded sweatshirt in professional competition, and he certainly won’t be the last—especially after his winning performance. And this wasn’t social media’s first brouhaha over on-course apparel. Influencer Paige Spiranac piques the interest of people for many reasons, but her playing attire is often credited with spurring an update to the dress code on the women’s tour.
A sport that has been struggling to attract fresh participation for more than a decade doesn’t help itself by body-shaming women and setting off an alarm over a cold-weather clothing option.
In 2017, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) sent members an e-mail detailing a strict new dress code that would be vigorously enforced. The new guidelines prohibited the plunging necklines, short skirts and leggings that have become popular among female athletes. Infractions could result in a fine of $1,000, which would double with each offense. Heather Daly-Donofrio, the LPGA’s Chief of Communications and Tour Operations, said at the time, “The dress code requires players to present themselves in a professional manner to reflect a positive image for the game.” On one hand, golf is a sport played by athletes. Uniforms in all sports have evolved over the years to help optimize performance. The heavy, cumbersome uniforms worn by Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio on the baseball field have been replaced by streamlined, form-
fitting micro-fabrics that move with the players and wick away moisture from perspiration. Would Bryson DeChambeau or Justin Thomas perform nearly as well as they do if forced to wear knickers, a button-down shirt and tie? On the other hand, golf is a sport steeped in tradition. While other sports are notorious for breaking the rules to gain an advantage—recent examples of sign-stealing by baseball’s Houston Astros and multiple infractions from the NFL’s New England Patriots (“Spygate” and “Deflategate”) come to mind—golfers still call penalties on themselves. Would a club attract more members with a loosened dress code? Doubtful— and if it did, it might not be members they really want. But a sport that has been struggling to attract fresh participation for more than a decade doesn’t help itself by body-shaming women and setting off an alarm over a cold-weather clothing option. What’s your club’s on-course dress code? Has it softened over the years? Would you object to a hoodie or yoga pants? Shoot me an e-mail and let’s keep the conversation going.
Rob Thomas • Senior Editor
rthomas@wtwhmedia.com
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BURNING ISSUE GOLF OPERATIONS
MAKING THE PRO SHOP PANDEMIC-PROOF By Kayli Lopez • Casita/Online Store Manager The University of Texas Golf Club, Austin, Texas
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY have provided a boon to rounds
played at golf clubs across the country, but clubs’ pro shops—like many dining options—were saddled with requirements for limited or no occupancy. That meant clubs had to find new and creative ways to move merchandise—and now, with the fall and spring buying seasons disrupted, they are being forced to shift on the fly once again. Kayli Lopez has been in her position at The UT Golf Club, which has long been recognized for its successful and innovative pro shop performance, for five years. But 2020 has been unlike anything she’s experienced. Here are her thoughts about the additional challenges her shop has faced this year and how the club has responded to keep its loyal patrons fully outfitted, Longhorn-style. How have sales at the UT Golf Club been impacted in the immediate wake of the pandemic and subsequent safety precautions? As in-person sales declined, our online sales increased! We saw around a 20% increase of online visitors in March when stores were forced to shut down, and then about a 30% increase in May. The number of visits to our site has continued to rise each month, as an option to safely shop from home.
COVID-19 gave us no choice but to reach our “ audience through online promotion. As in-person sales
declined, our online sales increased, and the number of visits to our site has continued to rise each month.
”
How did you initially address the decline of in-person traffic? We promoted to our members the option of shopping online in conjunction with curbside pick-up, as the safest options. Online sales are still fairly uncommon in the club industry; what’s been your thought process in emphasizing them? As the University of Texas has alumni all over the U.S., we knew we had to promote online to garner the attention of our nationwide network. And in this pandemic, you have no choice but to reach your audience through online promotion. What are the most effective ways to increase online traffic? We are in a new age where information travels faster than wildfire. On top of increasing our digital presence, we also have great members who are out there representing and promoting our brand by word of mouth. We have also established a presence on social media through which we enjoy sharing our content with all of our followers and fans. They get to keep up with what’s
The UT Golf Club has long been recognized for its successful and innovative pro shop performance, which has grown to include a robust online presence.
new, along with restocks as soon as they drop. We send a weekly newsletter and e-blast to our members with any and all updates, to ensure our network base is most informed. You can follow us on @shop.utgolfclub & @utgolfclub. Do you offer online exclusives? While we do have a few items that we carry both in-store and online, we offer exclusives in both realms from time to time, favoring both types of clientele. How are you striving to increase in-person traffic? We continuously update our pro shop with fresh merchandise so our members always have new items to pick up. On top of this, our golf tournament and club events tend to draw the social members to the club. Everyone knows where to get the hot gifts! In the absence of in-person shows, how do you plan to keep up with the latest products that are being introduced? We are proud to work closely with our reps; we’ve had to rely heavily on them during the past few months and plan to continue to do so. We’re always looking for the next big items in each area. What other advice would you offer to clubs looking to bolster their pro shop sales? Listen to your crowd and keep your eyes peeled for what’s new to come. It’s best to be ahead of the curve if you want to build your network and increase traffic. Have a Burning Issue in golf operations you’d like to comment on? Let us know at editor@clubandresortbusiness.com
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BURNING ISSUE MANAGEMENT
DON’T FALL INTO THE SERVICE-CHARGE TRAP By Nick Bailey, PGA • General Manager Lake Merced Golf Club • Daly City, Calif.
MANY YEARS AGO, service charges were introduced as a problem-solver for the private-club industry. The idea was seen as being great for eliminating issues with the bad tipper or the forgetful member. Members who were late for their tee times would no longer need to sign chits; cash would no longer be needed, and clubs could offer a great rate of pay to their service staff by having high service-charge payouts and the use of outside events help to cover the associated labor costs. Many clubs have since looked for ways to increase their service charges (some have increased them from 18% to 20% for outside events), with the idea that increasing the compensation will improve the service that club members receive.
A club’s compensation model with service “ charges has an inverse relationship to its most
desired skill sets. The charges are just another hidden dues fee that members incur, and would be better treated as such.
”
Yet member clubs continue to struggle with foodand-beverage issues more than any other department. Boards and club managers spend countless hours in the boardroom, reviewing how to improve member service while not adding to what the club is losing in F&B. If you were to rank the importance of services at a club, member dining will always come out as among the most important. Having Ashley who always remembers you like two sugars in your iced tea, or Luis who knows you like your burger with sliced pickles instead of on the side, or Daniel who stays open an extra 15 minutes to serve you a cold beer, even though you are the only member left on the course— all of them cannot be overlooked as key factors for member satisfaction and contributors to an extremely valuable experience. Having your preferences known 10
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is why people are, and will continue to be, members of a private club. Yet a club’s compensation model with service charges has an inverse relationship to its most desired skill sets. Banquets with large parties, expensive dinners and drinks lead to big service charges. Monday golf events where 140 players eat a box lunch are lucrative events for your serving staff, as they are low on effort but high on compensation. A Tuesday group of tough bridge ladies who order a water and half a sandwich brings $9 for the server who works that table, yet a business meeting for which the server places pastries, sodas and bottled water in the boardroom brings $75. Management of these service charges has increasingly become a burden on department managers, and especially in California, where current and future litigation makes these service-charge payouts even more dangerous for potential club liability. Service charges, simply put, are just another hidden dues fee that a private club member incurs, and they would be better treated as such. In California, service charges are also taxable—another hidden cost that the membership could avoid. In any normal club operation, you would compensate your employees based upon their service and value to the membership. A better approach would be to raise dues and facility fees for outside events and to empower your management staff to find the people who get the most joy out of going the extra mile for your members. Compensate them appropriately, to reflect the goals of club members. The challenges of 2020 have brought forward an excellent opportunity to reassess how we run our food-and-beverage operations. But until this common trap is eliminated, service charges will continue to work against what all clubs value the most in their F&B operations. Have a Burning Issue in club management you’d like to comment on? Let us know at editor@clubandresortbusiness.com www.clubandresortbusiness.com
BURNING ISSUE MEMBERSHIP + MARKETING
MARKETING MEMBERSHIPS
IN A PANDEMIC—AND BEYOND By Laura Pelletier • Marketing & Membership Director Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club, Naples, Fla.
THIS YEAR AT EAGLE Creek Golf & Country Club, we were able,
thankfully, to not only continue our momentum with membership sales this year, but to exceed expectations. Currently, we are on track to double our initial sales goals for the year. I can attribute this to making the necessary adjustments in our marketing plan mid-season as the pandemic arose. The marketing plan I created during the summer of 2019 for Season 2019-2020 was flipped upside down in February and March of 2020. In Southwest Florida, we are a very seasonal location; only 18% of our residents are year-round. When the pandemic first hit, a lot of buyers cut their season short and went back up north. So how could we grab the attention of those buyers who were no longer here? My experience was that this summer, prospects spent their time online researching golf and country clubs while they were quarantined. August is a traditionally slow month for buyer inquiries and phone calls, but this summer we never stopped. This was a sign to me that there was pent-up demand from buyers to reclaim the season they had lost and that when they felt comfortable enough to travel, prospects would visit the club and community. Indeed, this fall we welcomed those “online” prospects, which is translating to a record-breaking November. We also dedicated the spring and summer months to hiring a local company to develop a new library of videos that would go beyond highlighting the amenities of the club to also dive into how our members live inside the community, outside of club events. We featured scenes of fellow members hosting neighbors for dinner in their home and other everyday scenes that we had never presented visually before, to help show potential buyers what their life would be like after their round of golf or their tennis match. We also had to rethink our community-wide open-house events, which traditionally attract over 100 visitors through the gates and into our clubhouse within a four-hour period. We now allow home-
A partnership with a local Porsche dealership for a tournament hosted by Eagle Creek G&CC garnered strong public and social-media exposure to help increase membership momentum.
owners to conduct open houses with a list of precautionary measures in place, such as no more than four visitors in each property at one time, mandatory masks and hand sanitizer on-site. And this season, I believe, we will take our larger open-house event digital. For the new members we have added, to ensure they are still properly welcomed and assimilated into the club while restrictions are in place, General Manager Don Madalinski, CCM, and myself have conducted “New Member Zoom Orientations” as well as in-person orientations that are held outside on our verandah, or six feet apart inside the clubhouse. I have also implemented a “3060-90” new-member marketing plan, through which they receive a small gift (personalized notepads, beach towels, pewter license plates, etc.) at every milestone. This is a great way to “check in” with each new member to ensure they are getting acclimated to the club. To “welcome back” our current members, we plan to give them their address directory and package it with a tote bag as they drive under the clubhouse porte cochère. We will host a drive-through event, with music and our employees greeting them, as they pick up their directories for the season. For me, a new and regular part of selling club memberships is to also convey to buyers that our amenities go beyond tennis, golf and social events. Eagle Creek is now providing added values such as delivery of food and pantry items to their door at no additional cost. Going forward, I think the key to continuing to find new prospects will be to have a good mix of digital advertising, social media and local advertising. Over the past year we have spent more time and money online, and will continue to do that. This can be tracked and has provided us with great results. To also help increase membership momentum, we elevated our exposure as we played host to The Florida State Golf Association’s 59th Men’s Senior Amateur Championship. To help put a spotlight on the club and use this event to increase sales, press releases were written and sent to the local media. We also partnered with our local Porsche dealership for a hole-in-one prize; they donated a two-year lease on a Taycan for a lucky golfer. From a social-media standpoint, this was a success. We had players tag the club with the luxury car in hopes of winning the lease. The dealership also tagged the club and reposted it to thousands of their followers, and we parked two Porsches outside our front gates to garner more public interest. We also placed event banners on the light posts, to help brand the community to visitors and buyers. Is there a Burning Issue in membership and marketing you’d like to comment on? Let us know at editor@clubandresortbusiness.com
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
November 2020
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» HARBOR SHORES RESORT
URBAN BLIGHT BECOMES A C
HARBOR SHORE As the Benton Harbor, Mich. property celebrates its 10-year anniversary, what was once more than 550 acres of forsaken land, abandoned factories and lost manufacturing jobs is now a distant memory. By Rob Thomas, Senior Editor
HARBOR SHORES RESORT in Benton Harbor, Mich. is much more than the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and The Inn at Harbor Shores. It is the realization of a vision made possible by $900 million in strategic investments and a collective array of relationships and community partners, including Whirlpool Corp. Joshua Doxtator, PGA, the resort’s General Manager, credits Whirlpool and its vision and continued commitment to the community as the reason for Harbor Shores’ existence and its success in now celebrating 10 years on the shores of Lake Michigan. “When industry left town in the 1970s and ‘80s, the area was riddled with abandoned factories and ultimately waste sites,” Doxtator says. “Benton Harbor has been home to Whirlpool since 1911, and the leadership within the corporation stood by one of their values by ‘doing the right thing.’ 12
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A COASTAL DELIGHT AT
RES RESORT
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“
Harbor Shores is not just a golf course. It saved a piece of land that was completely inaccessible, contaminated and abandoned by previous businesses.
”
—Jackson Davison, Golf Operations Manager
AT A GLANCE:
Harbor Shores Resort
Location: Benton Harbor, Mich. Founded: 2010 Golf Course Design: Jack Nicklaus Signature Course Annual Golf Rounds: 15,000 Members: 172 Main Clubhouse Size: 7,360 sq. ft. General Manager: Joshua Doxtator, PGA Golf Operations Manager: Jackson Davison Golf Course Superintendent: Nate R. Herman Executive Chef: Calie Jean Director of Service and Engagement: Christine Clayton Director of Instruction: Ross Smith
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“Ultimately Harbor Shores is a testament to that value,” he adds. “Whirlpool committed to cleaning up the area and, with the help of various local and state organizations, developed an environment that offered opportunities to stay, live, work and play.” For example, the 14th hole on the golf course alone had enough waste removed to fill a football field 70 feet high. The course, which plays host to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship every two years, sits on the same site where 6,000 manufacturing jobs were lost over an 18-month period in the 1980s. The empty buildings sat on nearly 3 million sq. ft. of industrial materials and contaminated soil. In 2008, that property had little state-equalized value; by 2017, the same land had a taxable value of nearly $74 million. Harbor Shores also hosts the Whirlpool Community Charity Golf Event that attracts 630 players over two days, raising more than $2 million every year. Those funds assist The First Tee of Benton Harbor, the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor, and local schools.
“To say the relationship is strong would be an understatement,” says Doxtator. “Without this event, funding for local youth development would be difficult, and so many young lives would not be impacted. We are extremely fortunate and blessed to have the devotion of a global organization in our community.” The charity event, says Jackson Davison, Harbor Shores’ Golf Operations Manager, is all about the kids. “These kids are the future of this community, and being able to reach them and give back in such a positive way provides a great deal of satisfaction, especially when it involves getting the kids into the game of golf,” he says. The golf course plays a tremendous part in supporting the community by providing jobs, increasing a tax base significantly from zero, and supporting local youth programs, Davison adds. “Harbor Shores is not just a golf course. It saved a piece of land from the ruins it was in,” he says. “A piece of land that was completely inaccessible, contaminated and abandoned www.clubandresortbusiness.com
by previous businesses. If it wasn’t for the vision and the efforts from some of the local business leaders, this land would have been forgotten.” ALTERNATIVE RECREATION The Harbor Shores property also provides recreation such as parks, walking trails, access to water activities in the Paw Paw River, and development for homes and other local businesses. “One of the most significant impacts would be the beach at Jean Klock Park,” Davison says. “This was an area that was completely trashed, abandoned and never maintained. Harbor Shores committed to revitalizing such a beautiful piece of the lakeshore, and also committed to maintaining the entire park.”
As Harbor Shores celebrates 10 years on the banks of Lake Michigan, it’s hard to recall the urban blight that was left behind when industry left town in the 1970s and ‘80s, leaving the area riddled with abandoned factories and ultimately waste sites. The property went from little state-equalized value in 2008 to a taxable value of nearly $74 million in 2017.
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For the soy pearls: • Freeze 1 ½ quarts canola oil in a 5-inch-wide, 2-quart cylinder for at least 3 hours • Bring 240 grams soy sauce just to a simmer • Add 4 grams agar agar and 5 grams sugar, and stir until it begins to slightly thicken • Using an eye dropper, drop small droplets of the soy into the frozen oil to set the agar agar, being careful not to overlap • Strain from cylinder and store in enough oil to cover under refrigeration —Joshua Doxtator, PGA, General Manager
“
There are some great stories of how golf was good for a community, but there is none greater than our story.
”
For plating: • Using a 3 ½-inch ring, stack as follows: Bib lettuce, tuna, apples, avocado, soy pearls and micro wasabi • Garnish with chips SUBMITTED BY DAVID N. DADDEZIO, PC1, EXECUTIVE CHEF, VICMEAD HUNT CLUB/BIDERMANN GOLF COURSE, WILMINGTON, DEL.
Now, Jean Klock Park Beach is completely maintained by Golf Course Superintendent Nate Herman and his Course and Grounds C&RB youShores. detail“They how do you tie your beehives and team atCan Harbor a fantasti c job and make it a very tomato and herb gardens with your Farm enjoyable desti nation for all,”together Davison says. Table Dinners? Herman has been in the industry for 20 years and at Harbor Daddezio The bee hives and gardens have really bolstered Shores since 2017. The park isn’t the only portion of the property our culinary program, while promoting good stewardship open the community,At he our notes.annual farm-to-table dinner, of thetoenvironment. we paired the honey from our hives with locally produced
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ATTRACTING ATTENTION Maintaining and growing visitor traffic is an issue for properties across the country. Doxtator takes a two-pronged approach to helping Harbor Shores thrive. “First, people need to know you exist,” he explains. “[That requires] really taking the time to analyze your data, define your guest, comprehend barriers and ultimately use all available resources to go after target markets. “Understanding where your guests are coming from, and why, is important—but delivering on the promises that you promote is vital to the sustainability of the resort,” Doxtator adds. “Fulfilling expectations might keep you in business—but exceeding them daily, with every guest, allows the opportunity for growth and retention.” Once guests are on site, the goal is to keep them engaged as long as possible. “Our entire team has a basic set of principles, called ‘Top 4 at the Shore’ [see box, pg. 17], that equip them for success and encourage them to create relationships with guests,” Doxtator says. “They carry a card with these four principles and this quote: ‘We exist for our guests; make them remember you for something good today.’
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“Quite honestly, the entire piece of property is available to the public, with the intention of the facility as a whole being the central point of the revitalization of this community,” Herman says. “It took some time to adjust my perspective [in that way]—however, whether it is the Jean Klock Park Beach, the trails, or the golf course, our goal is provide our guests and members with the best experience possible in a financially responsible manner, and including those who utilize the facility outside of golf.” The massive scale of the Harbor Shores property leads to some unique challenges for Herman and his team. “This property provides multiple daily challenges, primarily due to the size of the property,” he says. “A typical 18-hole facility averages between 120 and 140 acres. But we are on 530 acres with three very different micro-environments. The travel time alone can be problematic, on top of the wear and tear to the equipment [and] management of the staff.”
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES “Our team owns this—and in return, I believe, our repeat business and new business continues to grow exponentially.” STEADY STAFFING Situated in a region that has seen more than its fair share of unemployment, Doxtator says staffing issues for Harbor Shores don’t necessarily come in the form of hiring, but retention. “In the hospitality business, keeping your team engaged, proud and ultimately loyal is extremely difficult,” he says. “I was fortunate to come up in the business in a heavy culture-driven environment. I understood early the importance of people, and of learning how to communicate and lead based on sincerely engaging and including them. “Culture is important to me and our team,” he continues. “Regardless of position, every team member on site should know their role and its importance to the success of Harbor Shores. The dishwasher is just as important as the GM—if a guest receives a dirty plate, how does that impact our business and guest? Providing value in each position is vital and celebrating the successes is important, Doxtator adds. “I’m big on our team ‘knowing the score,’” he says. “Each department has an active scoreboard that shows how we’re doing, and it’s updated daily.
The entire team at Harbor Shores Resort carries a card with this basic set of principles, called ‘Top 4 at the Shore,’ to help equip them for success and encourage them to create relationships with guests, says General Manager Joshua Doxtator: > 10/10 Rule—Engage and initiate connection with our guests within 10 feet or 10 seconds. > Leave a L.A.S.T.ing Impression – Listen with sincerity; Apologize regardless of fault; Solve within reason and provide an equitable solution; Thank the guest for their feedback. > Develop and Anticipate Attitudes – Know the desire of the guest before they ask. Providing directions and introductions are vital to their service experience. > Give them I.N.F.O. – Inform the guest of the expectation; Never assume they know where they’re going or who they will see next; Follow their lead; Offer to take them there.
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Club + Resort Business 17
The massive scale of the Harbor Shores property—spread out over 530 acres—leads to some unique challenges for Golf Course Superintendent Nate Herman and his team. “The travel time alone can be problematic, on top of the wear and tear to the equipment [and] management of the staff,” Herman says.
This helps our team engage and understand they’re an important factor to our overall success. Regardless of how much competitive spirit someone has, nobody likes to lose; by actively being reminded of the score, we try harder and gain loyalty among our team—because we can’t win if everyone doesn’t play their position.” DINING DIVERSITY Whether guests are dining at The Inn or the golf course while on property, Executive Chef Calie Jean, who joined the resort in February 2020, is charged with directing their culinary experience. With prior experience at ski resorts in the Colorado Rockies, Jean says there was a little bit of a learning curve when it came to understanding what the needs of the guests would be. “A lot of time was dedicated to talking with our members and golf professionals, to get an idea of what their favorite food experience is while enjoying the game of golf,” she says. 18
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“My goal was to create a menu that accentuates their favorite game,” she adds. “Our offerings highlight simple favorites made with local ingredients and housemade products. The simplicity of the menu allows us to focus more on daily specials that celebrate seasonal fare, so we can offer a new experience to our guests each time they visit.” While diners would naturally expect to find great food at Plank’s Tavern on the River, which is located at the Inn, and at the golf course’s restaurant, The Grille, it may surprise some that on-course options are nearly as plentiful. “Our on-course dining options available at Jack’s Place [the course’s turn house] and from the beverage cart boast the same simple freshness that you can find at the clubhouse, including a houseroasted beef sandwich with horseradish Havarti spread and grilled chicken Caesar wrap [with house-made Caesar dressing],” Jean says.
COPING WITH COVID Like every other property, Harbor Shores was not immune to the global pandemic. A clear and open approach kept members and guest informed and comfortable. “I think our biggest focus in coping with COVID was doing our best to create a genuinely safe environment for our members and guests,” Doxtator says. “Communicating what we were doing to ensure their safety, and following through on sanitation procedure and protocols, was a priority. “We recently conducted a survey among our members and it was resounding that our efforts didn’t go unnoticed,” he continues. “It falls in line with the core of who we are—making every guest feel like they’re the most important person on property every single day.” At the golf course, Davison’s staff placed a premium on sanitation routines, specifically with the golf cars, GPS and accessories. “Our Guest Service team sanitized and cleaned the cars in heavy detail after each www.clubandresortbusiness.com
use, and we made sure this was the priority each day,” Davison says. “Although there was a high cost associated with these practices, it helped to ensure a safe environment for our members and guests and allowed them to enjoy their experience.” ON THE HORIZON A decade in operation is really just a blip on the radar for many clubs, and the future of Harbor Shores remains unwritten. Doxtator, for one, has an idea of what may lie down the road, but isn’t quick to make predictions. “I’ve learned to not limit yourself by trying to predict the future,” he says. “Yes, we have plans in place to expand on the offerings at Harbor Shores and ultimately become the one-stop shop for everything resort-, golf- and entertainment-related. “Our focus is to engage guests year-round, but how do we do that differently from everyone else?” he adds. “There is plenty of opportunity on the horizon, and as we continue to see visitors from all over the Midwest, we will invest in the areas that matter. “Regardless of what we do next, we will make sure that every person who visits the resort understands why it exists,” Doxator adds. “There are some great stories of how golf was good for a community, but there is none greater than our story.” C+RB
Culinary options are plentiful under Executive Chef Calie Jean. In addition to Plank’s Tavern on the River, located at the Inn, and The Grille at the golf course, Jack’s Place at the turn of the course, and the beverage cart, also offer fresh and inventive menus.
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November 2020
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DESIGN + RENOVATION
ENDING THE
SPACE JAM
Locker rooms are being upgraded to take on this year’s sudden influx in golf traffic with more room for showers, saunas and other features. By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
MUCH LIKE THAT FRESH-FROM-THE-SHOWER FEELING, clubhouse locker rooms are rejuvenated not only by structural makeovers, but by the steady stream of members and guests who have been using clubs as one of the few places to which they’ve been able to get away this year. And as pandemic-weary players resume their golf games and look for ways to socialize safely, locker rooms and adjoining amenities are offering a welcome reprieve from the confines of home. From spacious showers to reopened amenities like shoeshine and card-room facilities, these locker rooms demonstrate how clubs can operate effectively with the right safety practices in place. 20
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MASS APPEAL At Wollaston Golf Club in Milton, Mass., members were due for a change in the locker-room facilities. Following the completion of a 2015 survey and subsequent queries by the club’s planning committee, management learned of the desire for improved accommodations for golf and fitness users. “We received overwhelming feedback on the need to address the size and location of the women’s locker room, improve the men’s locker room and the need for a year-round golf fitness facility,” says Clubhouse Manager Nikki Gulla. “On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most important, the men’s locker room upgrade was www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Photo Courtesy Wollaston GC
SUMMING IT UP > Determining the best use of space reserved for lockers may require rethinking size and style.
> Adjoining common space for locker rooms, such as
lounges and card rooms, promotes socialization with proper distancing.
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rated 4.3 and the women’s locker room upgrade was rated 3.7.” As a result of a multiphase construction plan, a 5,000-sq.-ft. men’s locker room inside a golf-centric facility opened its doors in March 2019, while a new women’s locker room housed within the existing clubhouse was completed six months later. These respective spaces boast a more streamlined design, with 504 half-lockers in the men’s locker room (vs. 372 full and 90 half-lockers previously) and 138 half-lockers in the women’s (vs. 40 full and 92 half previously). “The new half-lockers are wider and deeper than the old ones, making the transition to all half-lockers easier,” Gulla notes. Designed in a transitional style, each locker room is distinguished www.clubandresortbusiness.com
by aesthetics that maximize its respective location. The men’s locker room, on the top floor of the golf building, has a vaulted wood-plank ceiling that, according to Gulla, “promotes a sense of grandeur and open space.” Painted in shades of warm gray, neutral tones are balanced out by steel and burgundy plaid carpeting, burgundy benches and wood-stained lockers. A central wet area contains a vanity with four sinks, four urinals, three full-stall toilets, six showers and a steam room. A small lounge area and outdoor deck overlooking the golf course provides space to relax and unwind, while a shoeshine and locker room attendant area completes the layout. October 2020
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DESIGN + RENOVATION
WOLLASTON GOLF CLUB Milton, Mass.
“The locker room serves as a welcome home base for members before and after their rounds. New membership candidates continue to be impressed and excited by the new space and can see its full potential.” —Nikka Gulla, Clubhouse Manager
KEEPING CLEAN WITH AN UPTICK in golf traffic following the return of members to the greens, locker rooms are getting a full workout. As more clubs resume full operations, these facilities are enhancing sanitization and cleaning processes to ensure maximum safety. At Wollaston Golf Club, locker rooms are staffed by an attendant during all hours of operation who is responsible for sanitizing high-touch surfaces. Shared toiletries (with the exception of hand soap) have been removed, as have all towels (to temporarily discourage the use of showers and/or the steam room). Sanitization is at the forefront of business practices at the Streamsong resort, especially since the onset of COVID-19. “Comprehensive cleaning protocols, combined with strictly monitored disinfectant procedures, are in place that have further elevated Streamsong’s cleanliness standards throughout the locker-room areas,” notes Director of Golf Scott Wilson. Social-distancing signage provides a gentle reminder to members, particularly in common areas like the clubhouse and locker rooms. Hand-sanitizing stations are available in most public areas of the resort, while travel-sized samples are offered to all guests.
Many club and resort properties are now dedicating attendants during all hours of locker-room operation who are responsible for sanitizing all high-touch surfaces.
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Because the women’s locker room is located in the clubhouse basement, a softer color palette balances out the darkness. Warm grays are softened by tints of white and cream, a light-gray locker stain and muted seafoam accents. In sharp contrast, towel storage and a breakfast console are outfitted in a dark wood stain. In addition to the lockers themselves, the women’s locker room includes a wet area with four showers, fullstall changing spaces, four full-stall toilets and four sinks. A ladies’ lounge with television, soft seating, a card table and space for continental breakfast round out the services for women. (Because the men’s locker room is not housed in the clubhouse where the fitness center is located, a small men’s-only room featuring eight day lockers, a shower and toilet was added to the design.) “The locker room serves as a welcome home base for members before and after their rounds,” says Gulla. “New membership candidates continue to be impressed and excited by the new space and can see its full potential.” SHOWERS OF HAPPINESS In response to increased demand in its active golfing community, Streamsong Black, one of three courses at the resort in Bowling Green, Fla., recently underwent a clubhouse-wide renovation that included an expanded locker room. The renovated space, which was unveiled to members in the fall of 2020, resulted not only in a larger footprint, but a facility first. “Prior to the locker room renovation, the Streamsong Black locker rooms had no showers and were much smaller in size,” says Director of Golf Scott Wilson. With an additional 4,000 sq. ft. in the clubhouse, the locker rooms were allotted ample space for both male and female golfers. The men’s locker room contains four showers, while the women’s locker room has two showers, along with the addition of oversized vanities. The men’s locker room includes 18 full and 18 half-lockers, and the women’s locker room holds seven full and six half-lockers. To emphasize the resort’s brand, each locker is engraved with the Streamsong logo. The overall style is “grounded in terrain [that] speaks to www.clubandresortbusiness.com
STREAMSONG BLACK Streamsong, Fla.
“The new locker rooms incorporate colors that are warm extensions of the land, such as yellows, browns and light grays, that speak to the unique characteristics of Streamsong’s landscape and climate.” —Scott Wilson, Director of Golf
the unique characteristics of Streamsong’s landscape and climate,” Wilson describes. (The resort was previously a strip mine.) “The new locker rooms incorporate colors that are warm extensions of the land, such as yellows, browns and light grays.” LED high-hats illuminate the space and underfoot, commercial carpeting outfits the locker room. Bamboo-style receptacles for used towels extend the neutral tone of the overall décor. Thanks to the increased space in the locker rooms, guests are able to maintain social distancing with ease—a design perk that proved especially useful during the COVID-19 pandemic. “With the closure of [the resort’s other two courses for renovations] from April through September, there was an extremely high demand for Streamsong Black,” says Wilson.
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BRANDED BY THE BAY At Rehoboth Beach Country Club in Rehoboth Beach, Del., members are reaping the benefits of a club on the water year-round, thanks to a property-wide renovation project inspired by its coastal location. This past summer, the club unveiled brand-new men’s and women’s locker rooms as part of a larger renovation that included the clubhouse, pool and short-game greens. By adding 6,000 sq. ft. to the 42,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse, both locker rooms benefitted from revamped spaces. The women’s locker room absorbed a former enclosed porch, while the men’s locker room was repositioned by transforming a former dining room into a men’s grill room. A combination of full and half lockers were swapped out in favor of stacked lockers.
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DESIGN + RENOVATION REHOBOTH BEACH COUNTRY CLUB Rehoboth Beach, Del.
“In the past, members would simply drop off their shoes, play golf and have lunch. The layout of these rooms was [designed] to provide an inviting entrance and sitting area where the members can relax with their friends.” — Michael MacDonald, General Manager/COO
“These lockers are about three-quarters of the size of a full locker and enable us to accommodate more [of them],” says General Manager/COO Michael MacDonald. The men now have 292 lockers, up from 251, and the women 115, up from 72). To add some panache to an otherwise sterile setting, an inviting color palette was in order. “The colors selected around the club are light and airy, with an ocean feel, as we are located on Rehoboth Bay, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean,” notes MacDonald. In the women’s locker room, maple lockers in white dove blend well with creamy furnishings and soft blue/grey carpeting. In the men’s locker room, rich mahogany lockers in cherry mocha exude a more masculine tone and are complemented by plaid carpeting. To create a seamless design between wet and dry areas, each locker-room area flows directly into separate amenities, including a women’s card room and a men’s grill. “The layout was to provide
an inviting entrance and sitting area where the members can relax with their friends while having lunch, cocktails and enjoying a sporting event or playing cards,” MacDonald explains. In the women’s lounge, a floral-print couch and soft chairs create a cozy nook for unwinding by the fireplace. The men’s grill room is outfitted in navy wallpaper, wood tables and green leather chairs. Both genders also benefit from individual saunas—a first for the locker rooms (and a member-driven suggestion). Since the August opening of the renovated space, Rehoboth Beach members have embraced the revamped amenities. “In the past, member would simply drop off their shoes, play golf and have lunch,” says MacDonald. “Now it’s more a place they can be proud to show their friends.” As evidence of this enthusiasm, he points out that 80 new members have joined the club since April. “This renovation has rejuvenated our club,” he adds. C+RB
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DESIGN SNAPSHOT
MAKING A
GRAND ENTRANCE Updating the clubhouse lobby has turned Hunting Creek CC into a showcaseworthy destination. By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Lobbies are sometimes short-changed in property-wide redesigns at the expense of larger-impact spaces such as new bars or dining venues. But as a common area of the club that sees a lot of foot traffic and serves as a primary pass-through, lobbies are literally where new member prospects get their first impressions of a club—and where existing members form lasting ones. And for Hunting Creek Country Club in Prospect, Ky., recreating this space has given new life to a previously outdated clubhouse, and helped to energize an active membership while also creating new interest among prospective ones. Last year, Hunting Creek worked with the Louisville, Ky.-based interior design firm Hubbuch & Company to create an entry way in a more contemporary design that better reflects the club’s brand. According to Membership Director Lisa Ann Harris, the new space “increases functionality with an inviting feeling for members as well as guests, while maintaining an updated and eye-pleasing aesthetic.” The updated space, which retained its original 932-sq. ft. layout, was unveiled to members in the summer of 2020 to wide acclaim, despite some construction challenges caused by the coronavirus outbreak. November 2020
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DESIGN SNAPSHOT
An additional couch has provided more seating while maintaining an intimate setting, to help better position Hunting Creek’s lobby as a place for socializing before or after dining.
ROOM TO RELAX To better position the lobby as a place in which to socialize before or after dining, management concentrated on establishing an inviting layout. Harris describes the lobby’s vibe as “a lounge atmosphere that is comfortable yet chic.” The previous design seated up to five people on one couch and two end chairs; an additional couch now brings the head count up to eight guests, while maintaining an intimate setting. Also helping to set the scene for a relaxed environment, designers opted for lobby décor in soft, warm neutrals with blue accents. High ceilings with stained wood beam board draw the eye upward, as do a mix of downlights and lamp lighting for added ambiance. Custom area-rug carpeting offers an element of coziness underfoot, bolstered by the lobby’s original fireplace, which did not undergo any changes. While the lobby serves as a central destination for members and guests, it also bridges the gap between other areas of the clubhouse, including the Fireside Room, golf simulator room and the hallway to the grill room. The open design enables easy access to the outdoor patio, so guests can move comfortably from one spot to another.
Since its opening, Hunting Creek has put special practices in place to maintain social distancing. Lobby furniture has been positioned six feet apart, and a sanitizer station is now set up at the main entrance. Masks are required and extras are available for any members who may have forgotten to bring their own. To further minimize the risk of contact spreading, table magazines have been removed from the lobby, and the club newsletter is now available electronically as a mobile app and on Hunting Creek’s website. “This area is cleaned and sanitized between each group that sits, socializes or eats in this location,” says Harris, adding that the housecleaning staff wipes down doors and door handles hourly.
MEETING THE COVID CHALLENGE During the course of Hunting Creek’s clubhouse renovation, construction came to an abrupt halt at the onset of COVID-19, creating its own set of headaches for the design and renovation team. “The delayed opening caused the project to go over budget and our anticipated post-opening operations budget to be pushed back,” explains Harris of the original April 1 scheduled opening. An extra $200,000 was tacked on to the $4.5 million budget (which included a new Olympic-sized pool). Fortunately, the team got back on track three weeks later, and the project wrapped in June.
Design touches that have emphasized soft and warm neutral tones with blue accents throughout the renovated lobby area have helped to further create the desired relaxed environment.
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The updated lobby opened in the summer with special practices in place to ensure its safe use, including a sanitizer station, availability of extra masks and removal of table magazines.
As club culture adapts to changes necessitated by the pandemic, Hunting Creek is prepared to provide a welcoming environment for seasoned and future guests. “The lobby is now a more comfortable place to sit and discuss membership options with potential new members, and to begin and end club tours and serve as a hub of member activity,” says Harris. “In less than one year, we have transformed our clubhouse structure from a tired and dated facility to a showcase,” she adds. “And in less than two years we have transitioned our entire club, from one in decline to one on the move.” C+RB
MA ST E R P L A N N I NG
A RC H I T EC T U R E
Design Snapshot
HUNTING CREEK COUNTRY CLUB Prospect, Ky.
Project: Lobby redesign as part of larger clubhouse and facility renovation/expansion Interior design/architect: Hubbuch & Company, Louisville, Ky. Contractor: Sullivan Cozart, Louisville, Ky. Lighting: Custom made by Hubbuch & Company Carpeting: Lexmark Furnishings: Fairchild Chair Company
I NT E R I O R DE S IG N
P RO C U R E M E NT
STUDIO JBD & JEFFERSON GROUP ARCHITECTURE Peter Cafaro / 401.721.0977 / PCafaro@JBDandJGA .com www.clubandresortbusiness.com
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COURSE + GROUNDS
A WINNING
PACE With the grow-in and opening of a new championship golf course this year, a Colorado Springs, Colo. property is on the fast track to enhancing its status as a premier 36-hole golfing destination. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor
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TALK ABOUT AN UNDERSTATEMENT. “It has been an interesting year,” says Wendy McHenry, General Manager of The Club at Flying Horse and Flying Horse North Golf Club in Colorado Springs, Colo. Like other golf course properties across the country that have had to find innovative ways to grapple with the effects of COVID-19, The Club at Flying Horse has approached the challenges like a thoroughbred. In addition to coping with all of the demands brought on by the coronavirus pandemic for its existing operation, the property completed construction of a new 18-hole golf course, Flying Horse North, which opened in August. Fortunately for McHenry, she was able to take a “hands off ” approach to the golf course construction project and concentrate on running the rest of the operations at The Club at Flying Horse, which opened in 2005 with an 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf. Instead, she was able to know that the new-course project was being ably directed by the team that included owner Jeff Smith, Director of Agronomy & Facility Operations Dan Hawkins, Director of Golf Jake O’Dell, PGA, and Managing Director Fredo Killing. The Flying Horse team also had a strong rapport with golf course architect Phil Smith, who was involved in the construction of the original golf course. “The nice thing about working with Phil Smith and having a previous relationship with him was that we knew there were some things we would want to do differently [for the new course],” says Hawkins, who had worked on two other golf course construction projects before Flying Horse North. “Because of our past relationship, [the new course] got a lot of attention from him.” EYE ON THE PRIZE The property in Black Forest, Colo., a census-designated place in El Paso County where Flying Horse North is located, six miles away from the original golf course, had the attention of Jeff Smith as well. He had owned the property for seven or eight years before the course opened, and home-site sales on the property began in the fall of 2017. However, McHenry says he always envisioned a golf course on the land, and Phil Smith, who had started his own firm and for which Flying Horse North would be his inaugural 18-hole project, began walking the property in 2012 to ensure the proper placement of each hole. At 7,600 feet above sea level with a lot of elevation changes on the course, Flying Horse North straddles both sides of the Palmer Divide, a caprock escarpment-style ridge that separates the Arkansas River basin from the South Platte basin. Lying in the thick of the dense woodlands that give the Black Forest its name, the first four holes are lined by tall ponderosa pines on both sides and have minimal undergrowth. Three of the holes are almost exactly the same length, but they play differently because of the dramatic elevation changes and prevailing winds. The fifth through the 10th holes travel across prairie land, while Nos. 11 through 18 return to the forest. The golf course also offers views of the front range of the Rocky Mountains, Pikes Peak, and the Air Force Academy. “It’s really a different look. The North Course just seems like it’s much bigger. It has a mountainous feel to it,” says Hawkins. “The wind can be an issue from day to day. It might blow from the north one day and from the south the next.” The golf course even has a 19th hole—an 85-yard par 3 next to the 18th green—that can be used to settle bets. “Golfers don’t always use it as a betting hole, though,” Hawkins says. “People just want to play 19 holes and extend their round one more hole.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com
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COURSE + GROUNDS
Golf Scorecard
FLYING HORSE NORTH GOLF CLUB
The Club at Flying Horse opened in 2005 with an 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, which is now complemented by the new Flying Horse North course on the Black Forest property six miles away.
GETTING OUT AHEAD Flying Horse began marking the land for the new golf course in 2016, and construction got underway in May 2017. Luckily, the coronavirus pandemic had little effect on construction. By the time Colorado shut down on March 13, only three holes were left to complete. Golfers could not play for three weeks, and the property couldn’t staff golf operations or keep tee sheets. However, McHenry says, the health department allowed the property to continue to maintain the golf course. “We really tried to maintain a center-of-the-road approach,” she adds. During the construction of Flying Horse North, Hawkins’ role was to hold the line on the budget, make sure “we got what we paid for,” oversee the inevitable changes that arose during construction, and relay those changes to the ownership. With an eye toward minimizing the time and expense of maintaining the golf course in the long run, Hawkins had invaluable input on the design of the new golf course as well. For example, the property developed a tree-clearing plan around the green
complexes on some holes and hired another outside contractor to conduct a shade analysis. “Bunkering was another item we wanted to be sure to focus on,” says Hawkins. “We wanted them to look good and to fit into the landscape.” Instead of long linear edges on the top of the bunkers, the Flying Horse North bunkers have “fingers,” planted with native grasses, that reach into the hazards. “The design minimizes maintenance around the bunkers and aesthetically, it’s a good look,” notes Hawkins. “In the fall, they show color where native grasses go dormant.” Other than mowing the native grasses around the bunkers once a year, the grounds crew will not have to maintain them. Flying Horse North has capillary concrete bunkers, an upgrade the property had made to the original course in the fall of 2018 as well. This bunker-liner system provides drainage control and optimal moisture levels to eliminate maintenance and playability issues such as washouts, soil contamination, and plugged ball lies.
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We are one of the very fortunate businesses out there. We have been able to find silver linings in this situation. —Wendy McHenry, General Manager
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Location: Colorado Springs, Colo. Club Website: www.flyinghorseclub.com Golf Holes: 19 Course Designer: Phil Smith Property Type: Private No. of Members: 150 Year Opened: 2020 (soft opening) Golf Season: May through October Annual Rounds of Golf: TBD Fairways: Ryegrass Greens: T1 Creeping Bentgrass
Speeding up the pace of play, wide fairways reduce the amount of time golfers spend looking for balls in the rough. Hawkins also had a lot of input into the type of grass on the new golf course—decisions that were driven by the Flying Horse North elevation. He chose the disease-resistant T1 creeping bentgrass for the greens and perennial rye grass for the fairways, tees and rough. He consulted with other area superintendents who have T1 bentgrass about its maintenance, and selected rye grass for the rest of the course because it germinates quickly. However, he adds, the rye grass might be more susceptible to winter kill because of prolonged snow cover. At 600 more feet above sea level than the original course, he adds, the North Course will hold snow longer. In addition, he reports, because of the depth of the snow and the shading from the pine trees, the staff will have to watch for snow mold. The topography of the two golf courses is different as well. The Club at Flying Horse course plays into the prairie, and more than 1,000 pine trees have been planted on the layout through the years. “With two different designers, the two courses are very separate from each other,” says O’Dell, who was more involved with the marketing of Flying Horse North than the design. “We really trusted Phil [Smith] with his vision, which we all really liked. He and Dan have a great relationship.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Superintendent Profile
DAN HAWKINS
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It has been a record-setting year. Our rounds are up almost 25 percent. Golf has been a good reprieve.
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— Jake O’Dell, PGA, Director of Golf
BUSINESS AS USUAL Because the grounds crew also had to continue to maintain the original golf course while the Flying Horse North course was under construction, Hawkins says, “Maintenance-wise, we were pretty much business as usual.” The two golf courses have separate grounds crew staffs, but Hawkins says the maintenance of the two properties is similar. He also says labor has been an issue this year. “We usually have H-2B workers from Mexico, but we didn’t get them this year because of the pandemic. We’re working with local labor—high-school and college kids,” he reports. Nevertheless, the staff has streamlined maintenance inputs. Growth regulators reduce mowing from three times a week to twice a week, and native areas around the tees create no-mow areas. “With the wider fairways, we have less rough to mow,” Hawkins notes. Because the golf course is in a desert area that averages 15 inches of moisture a year, he adds, “Humidity is not an issue for us. Therefore, disease pressure in minimal.”
Title: Director of Agronomy & Facility Operations Education and Training: B.S. degree in Landscape Horticulture/Turfgrass, Colorado State University Years at The Club at Flying Horse: 17 Years in Golf Course Maintenance Profession: 28 Previous Employment: The Ridge at Castle Pines (Colo.) North Certifications: Qualified Supervisor, Colorado Department of Agriculture Duties and Responsibilities: Oversee golf maintenance activities on two courses, Flying Horse North Golf Club and The Club at Flying Horse (an 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf); create and review annual budgets with each superintendent; review, adjust, and implement agronomic plans; work with superintendents to create long-range plans on improving each property to stay current with new technologies in equipment, irrigation, chemicals and fertilization; help facilitate communcation with golf shop personnel and other property directors to ensure everyone is on the same page for how activities on the golf courses affect overall club goals and operations.
To meet its irrigation needs, Flying Horse North installed a state-of-the-art system that has single-head control and 60-foot spacing between the heads. The irrigation system has strong, flexible, lightweight HDPE pipes that are fused together with no joints. The non-toxic, corrosion- and chemical-resistant qualities of the HDPE pipe make it environmentally sustainable and durable as well. “It will move and flex a little bit with frost,” says Hawkins. “If there were water in it, it wouldn’t break the pipe.” Hawkins’ course-maintenance approach tries to “keep things on the dry side,” and he can set irrigation programs with a computer system so that the maintenance crew can water only where necessary. “If need be, we can hand-water instead of running heads, so we can isolate dry spots,” he notes.
The property also installed a 12-inch magnet in its pump station to reduce mineral deposits in the water. In addition, the water penetrates the soil more effectively after running through the magnet. “You can also put [the magnets] on a hose and water,” notes Hawkins. Because the tee boxes are smaller, the grounds crew has to do more maintenance, such as divot repair on the tees. However, Hawkins isn’t complaining. “It’s a good thing because people are using them,” he says. During construction, the golf course construction company did the mass excavation of the property, finished grading the land, performed the drainage and irrigation work, replaced the topsoil and finished grading it, seeded the property, and repaired punch-list items. “As soon as they grassed it, we took over the hole,” says Hawkins. “As each hole
Only three holes were left to complete for the new Flying Horse North course when Colorado issued shutdown orders for the pandemic in mid-March. The club secured permission to continue maintenance operations. www.clubandresortbusiness.com
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COURSE + GROUNDS Course + Grounds Operations Profile
FLYING HORSE NORTH GOLF CLUB
The new Flying Horse North course includes an 85-yard par-3 19th hole next to the 18th green.
came on and matured, we would start mowing it.” A regimented nitrogen program for the bentgrass helped it develop root mass. The course was fertilized every week, and topsoil was stripped off to create good organic matter. “During grow-in, you spend a lot of time focusing on filling in areas,” notes Hawkins. As the new golf course matures in the next two or three years, he reports, the maintenance staff will start a nutrition program. In addition, he says, the grounds crew will return to a more sustainable fertility program in the next 12 to 18 months. “We will use more natural fertilizers in the coming years. We will back off of the fertility program and get down to one or two applications a season,” Hawkins says. The crew also rolled the greens and used triplex mowers to minimize patterns on the putting surfaces.
Annual Course Maintenance Budget: $1.3 million Staff: 7 full-time and 10 to 12 seasonal employees Other Managers: Mark Bietel, Golf Course Superintendent; Jordan Goldbrandson, Assistant Superintendent; Will Milton; Equipment Technician Irrigation System: Toro 2-wire with Lynx central control, single-station control; all pipe is HDPE; Toro mapping apps allow communication in field via smartphone or iPad systems; 2,000 heads on 60-foot spacing Water Source and Usage: Well water, annual gallonage TBD (due to grow-in phase just completed) Equipment: Toro lease, includes Outcross, fairway, rough, surround, greens mowers, and utility vehicles Technology: Entire course, features, and irrigation system are mapped and allow for the use of this data to accurately apply products and water where they are needed on the property. Spectrum Technologies 3 pup weather station Maintenance Facility: Full 12,600-sq. ft. maintenance facility includes offices, lockers, bathrooms/showers, fuel station, washpad, fertilizer/chemical storage, breakroom, wireless internet, broadband, material bins, equipment repair and grinding rooms, cold storage for vehicles Aerating and Overseeding Schedules: Future plans include regular aeration schedule on all turf areas; interseeding of turf will occur as needed Upcoming Capital Projects: Began work in October 2020 on temporary clubhouse, parking, and golf cart storage
SPREADING THE WORD The Club at Flying Horse has created a Signature membership through which people can belong to both golf courses. No one can join only the North Course, but members of the original golf course can upgrade to the Signature membership. “Our club was fully established when we added the second golf course. The most logical way to go about that was to add another tier of membership,” says McHenry. So far, more than 100 golfers have joined both courses, while 200-plus belong to the original course. The property has other amenities to offer as well, including a 50,000-sq. ft athletic facility with a fitness center, spa, full-size gym, and year-round pool; seasonal pools;
tennis facilities; a 35,000-sq. ft. clubhouse and several restaurants; golf shop; and private event spaces. Accommodations include a 40-room, high-end lodge and four two-bedroom villas. Future plans include construction of an additional 64-room lodge, for a total of 104 guest rooms, and construction of a separate clubhouse at Flying Horse North. Located an hour away from Denver and within driving distance of states such as Texas and Arizona, McHenry says Flying Horse has a “good driving market.” “We’re a small private country club with a boutique resort,” she states. “This product doesn’t exist in our area. It sets it apart from everybody else.” Even after dropping Monday outings this year because of COVID-19, O’Dell says, “It has been a record-setting year. Our rounds are up almost 25 percent. Golf has been a good reprieve.” McHenry agrees. “We are one of the very fortunate businesses out there,” she says. “We have been able to find silver linings in this situation.” C+RB MORE ONLINE
Accommodations available to Flying Horse members and guests include a 40-room, highend lodge and four two-bedroom villas. Future plans include construction of an additional 64-room lodge, for a total of 104 guest rooms. 32
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For additional details about the development of the new Flying Horse North course, see the online version of this article at www.clubandresortbusiness.com www.clubandresortbusiness.com
CHEF TO CHEF
WISE BEYOND
HIS YEARS By Gerald Ford, CMC, Contributing Editor
I RECENTLY SPENT SOME QUALITY time with Certified Executive Chef Geoffrey Lanez, Executive Chef of The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn. The Patterson Club is situated on 170 acres in Fairfield’s Greenfield Hill section. It was founded by General Electric employees in 1929 and today, as one of Fairfield County’s premier private country clubs, offers a family-oriented experience by delivering high-quality personal service to members, their families and their guests through golf, racquets, recreation, dining and social events. Chef Lanez started cooking in college at Johnson & Wales University (JWU), even though his passion started much earlier, often getting him chased out of the kitchen by his mother. As an undergraduate student at JWU, he began building a name for himself by competing on the student level and studying under prominent chefs. He went on to earn his MBA from JWU and at just age 29, has already established himself as a well-seasoned culinary professional through his robust education, advanced training and participation in various national and international competitions, in addition to his exemplary work at high-end clubs (prior to joining The Patterson Club, he was Executive Sous Chef at the Somerset Club in Boston, Mass. with Executive Chef Michael Shannon). At The Patterson Club, Chef Lanez manages and oversees a team of about 40 staff and three kitchens to produce a high-quality dining experience for the club’s more than 450 member families. He also stays active in culinary competitions, and prior to the pandemic’s disruption, he and I competed together in Stuttgart, Germany earlier this year as members of the National Culinary Team USA. If and when things return to normal, Chef Lanez’s goals are to compete for the title of the American Culinary Federation’s Chef of the Year and to become a Certified Master Chef. He www.clubandresortbusiness.com
plans to continuously grow as a chef and leader through his current role at The Patterson Club and to inspire other culinary leaders who share the same passion for the highly skilled art of food. Certainly, Chef Lanez’s leadership skills were put to the test this year, and we thank him for taking the time to share his insights into how he has helped to steer his club through the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
CHEF PROFILE
GEOFFREY SOSA LANEZ, CEC CURRENT POSITION: Executive Chef, The Patterson Club, Fairfield, Conn. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: Executive Sous Chef, Somerset Club, Boston, Mass. EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: • Johnson & Wales University, Bachelor’s in Food Service Management, 2012 • Johnson & Wales University, MBA, 2014 • IKA/Culinary Olympics 2020 (silver and bronze medals); Boch Culinary World Cup 2019 (two silver medals); AKA Culinary Team USA Member, World Cup Villeroy, 2017 • U.S. representative, Chaine Rotisseur Young Chef competition, Durban, South Africa, 2014 • Northeast Region representative, ACF Student Chef of the Year competition, 2014 • Captain, Silver Medalist Team, ACF National Student Team competition, 2013 • Apprentice, American Culinary Federation USA National Culinary Team, IKA/Culinary Olympics, 2012
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Recipe SEARED HALIBUT
with Potato-Leek-Corn Ragout, Pickled Cherry Tomatoes and Pea Tendril-RadishFennel Salad
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SEARED HALIBUT:
672 grams (168 grams per portion) halibut 56 grams tarragon and dill cure (see recipe below) 28 grams whole butter 14 grams lemon juice 28 grams white wine 28 grams fish stock 28 grams canola oil to taste kosher salt to taste black pepper 7 grams chives, sliced
PROCEDURE FOR THE SEARED HALIBUT:
1. B egin by fabricating and trimming halibut loins. Cure for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. 2. Take plastic wrap and tightly wrap the halibut loins, tying the ends of the plastic wrap to create a consistent cylinder. Allow it to rest for 12 hours. 3. Heat a sauté pan and add canola oil. When it begins to smoke, turn the temperature down halfway. 4. Season halibut fillets all around and sear until golden brown, then flip over. Deglaze the pan with white wine and roast in a 350º F. oven. 5. O nce it reaches an internal temperature of 114º F., take it out of the oven and add fish stock and lemon juice. 6. A dd butter and emulsify it into the pan, creating your butter sauce. Baste halibut fillets and garnish with chives.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TARRAGON AND DILL CURE:
28 grams kosher salt 28 grams sugar 8 grams dill 8 grams tarragon
PROCEDURE FOR THE TARRAGON AND DILL CURE: 1. Begin by chopping dill and tarragon. 2. Mix with kosher salt, sugar, dill and tarragon. 3. Reserve for fillets.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE POTATO-LEEK-CORN RAGOUT:
28 grams marble potatoes 28 grams smoked bacon 28 grams corn 28 grams leeks 112 grams heavy cream to taste kosher salt to taste black pepper 3 grams parsley
PROCEDURE FOR THE POTATO-LEEK-CORN RAGOUT:
1. In a sauté pan, begin rendering bacon until crispy. Remove and drain fat. 2. Using the same sauté pan, add bacon fat back into the pan and begin sweating down shallots and garlic. 3. Add roasted corn, blanched leeks and potato, and sauté. 4. Deglaze pan with white wine vinegar and add heavy cream. 5. Reduce heavy cream, season and finish with butter and herbs.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PICKLED CHERRY TOMATOES: 4 each cherry tomatoes 56 grams red wine vinegar 56 grams water 56 grams sugar 3 grams thyme 3 grams tarragon 1 each bay leaf
PROCEDURE FOR THE PICKLED CHERRY TOMATOES:
1. Remove the core of each of the cherry tomatoes and score throughout. 2. Blanch and shock cherry tomatoes and remove skin. 3. Take red wine vinegar, water, sugar, thyme, tarragon, and bay leaf and bring it up to a boil and pour over cherry tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PEA TENDRIL, RADISH, AND FENNEL SALAD: 28 grams pea tendrils 14 grams radish 7 grams fennel 7 grams olive oil 7 grams lemon juice to taste kosher salt to taste black pepper 3 grams chives 3 grams parsley
PROCEDURE FOR THE PEA TENDRIL, RADISH AND FENNEL SALAD:
1. Combine, pea tendrils, radish, fennel with chives, parsley, kosher salt and black pepper. 2. Toss with olive oil and lemon juice. SUBMITTED BY GEOFFREY SOSA LANEZ, EXECUTIVE CHEF, THE PATTERSON CLUB, FAIRFIELD, CONN.
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C+RB When did you start making adjustments for COVID at your club? LANEZ It was mid-March; the club converted to 25 for indoor
dining and canceled all catering events. We also started to do a curbside to-go, family-style meal for four people that they can order through our dedicated club app that can be downloaded from our website. That menu consists of three different choices, a rotating salad and a rotating dessert, and every meal includes cookies and the main course. Members can order and pick the meals up Thursday through Sunday. It’s the same menu of three choices for the four days. We go a long way to make the price reasonable and focus on a 50% food cost; that way, the price is between $55 and $75, everything included. The process is pretty simple and starts when the order is placed. The member gets a confirmation code that goes into our system, and it prints automatically through our POS system. We organize it by date, to limit our costs, and the cutoff time for orders is 6:00 p.m. the night before. As members arrive for pickup, they call the direct line, then a member of the service team brings out the food, drops it directly into the trunk, and that’s that. C+RB Did you make any modifications to how you work in the
back of the house? LANEZ We now have a complete check-in procedure with foot traf-
fic patterns and a temperature-monitoring station. In the kitchen, we use masks while we work and the staff works spaced out. Additionally, we needed to modify how we served our family meal. I also developed a new system for how we receive product; we installed tents and a welcome center together, at the same spot where all the delivery drivers drop off. All produce and anything in a carton, we sanitize, remove from the external containers, then break down the shipment so that no boxes enter the building. If for some reason we need to bring in a box, we sanitize it with a solution that kills any bacteria or virus within three minutes. It’s a system that has become efficient.
GETTING PERSONAL with Chef Lanez Do you have any hobbies? I try to play some video games— right now, it’s RuneScape. What’s your go-to book? The Eight Pillars by James Allen. What is your favorite thing to cook? Right now, pho. What’s your favorite thing to eat? Panda Express. What’s the best seller on your menu? The best seller is seared halibut with a potato ragout, pickled cherry tomatoes, crispy potato, and an herb salad (see recipe, opposite page). You can have lunch with anyone dead or alive— who is it? My mom would be great; I don’t see her every day. Or having lunch with my mentors or my girlfriend, since I don’t see her often either. What’s your most commonly used phrase? Make it work; make it happen. What’s your favorite piece of kitchen equipment? My slicer!
LANEZ It has been challenging getting the staff to come in; be-
to look at that data and forecast later on in the year. Right now and for the foreseeable future, we have to assume that we will do the same amount of activity and business. I don’t think coronavirus will be gone soon, but our membership feels comfortable coming to the clubhouse, so we are trying to predict what lays ahead. We are confident that the curbside business will increase. Surprisingly, some members are coming three or four times a week.
cause of circumstances with day care and family members, there have been a lot more callouts than usual.
C+RB What are some offerings that you are considering for next
C+RB What’s the biggest challenge you’ve now been facing day-
to-day?
year? C+RB How do you keep your team engaged? LANEZ I spend a lot of time working with the team on their goals.
Together, we spend a lot of time increasing their responsibility and ability to handle more, to grow their skill sets. With my management team, it is a little different. Weekly, we go over labor and sales, then develop a plan for how we will tackle the kitchen organization and cleanliness. With the most engaged cooks, I lean on them to create specials, and broaden their skill set by showing them new techniques and products. C+RB How are you approaching budgets for next year? LANEZ We are trying to project for what is going to happen in
January and the beginning months of 2021; then, we are planning www.clubandresortbusiness.com
LANEZ Currently, I am working out a pizza program featuring a
moveable pizza oven. Additionally, I am looking into a vertical salamander to do some fun preparations like tacos al pastor or gyros. I am optimistic that it would be very cool for the membership, and I am confident they would love the addition.
Gerald Ford, CMC, is a contributing Chef Editor for Club + Resort Chef and a contributor to Club + Resort Business. He is also the Founder and Culinary Director of Legit Culinary Concepts, an organization that aims to improve the quality of life for chefs and culinarians around the world by providing tools and systems tested and developed with the experience of a master craftsman. Previously, he was the Executive Chef of The Ford Plantation (Richmond Hill, Ga.). November 2020
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GOLF OPERATIONS
SIMULATORS TAKE THE GAME INSIDE Whether they’re used to conduct lessons, fit golfers for new equipment or just to provide pure entertainment, clubs are dedicating more space for indoor simulators that are also proving to be invaluable for member retention and recruitment. By Rob Thomas, Senior Editor
IN STEP WITH THE BOOST in golf rounds that the pandemic has brought them this year, clubs are also investing major dollars and dedicating valuable space to new or upgraded golf tech centers. As a result, data that was once only available to major equipment manufacturers and touring professionals is now also at the fingertips of club pros and their members. At The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. a retrofitted space that was originally used for member workouts is now The Performance Center and has become a golf training, fitting and “enjoyment center,” according to Scott Heyn, PGA, General Manager/Chief Operating Officer. The space, approximately 1,000 sq. ft. with a 12-foot ceiling, is in the clubhouse next to the Golf Shop, located near the driving range and the putting green.
The Farms uses a Foresight “Hawk” system and GCQuad monitors. “We also use Swing Catalyst, which works in conjunction with the Foresight technology, to add swing and motions data,” Heyn says. The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.) unveiled its 2,700sq. ft. Richard C. Helmstetter Performance Centre earlier this year. With two hitting bays—one that opens out to the driving range and the other featuring a Full Swing simulator—the facility allows Matt Kilgariff, Director of Player Development, and the golf staff to now offer enhanced instruction, as well as state-of-the-art club fitting to members. Swing Catalyst, a Virtual Green with PuttView, and Blast Motion are just a few of the additional bells and whistles offered at the club. A stocked bar and games such as Zombie Tag on the simulator offer entertainment options for golfers and non-golfers alike. Members of The Bridges are able to reserve the facility for private, corporate or social events. If Kilgariff conducts lessons as part of the event, The SUMMING IT UP Bridges team can provide video analysis to those who > Whether starting from scratch to create a dedicated space or retrofitting participate—complete with the host’s corporate logo an area shared with another use, more clubs are introducing golf tech at the beginning and end. centers to their properties. Carl Hetterle, PGA Head Professional of Semiahmoo > Tech centers can generate golf-related revenue in a variety of ways, Golf & Country Club in Blaine, Wash., now utilizes a including instruction, club fitting and rentals for recreational use. space just outside the club ‘s pro shop, which was > Added food-and-beverage sales can be generated by providing even a limitoriginally used as a bag storage room, for “The Eagle’s ed menu in conjunction with tech centers, and the amenity has also proved Nest,” which was built out in the spring of 2019. The to help boost membership interest and year-round usage of the club. 36
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Photo Courtesy The Farms GC
The Performance Center at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. is approximately 1,000 sq. ft. and is housed in retrofitted space that was once used for members’ workouts.
new facility includes a simulator that was originally located at the Semiahmoo resort, located about 3.5 miles from the golf course, and operated out of the property’s spa. “When I was hired at Semiahmoo, it was one of my first initiatives to relocate the simulator to the golf club where the golf pros could best utilize the equipment and create a great experience for members and guests,” Hetterle says. Hetterle uses Flightscope technology in The Eagle’s Nest, but is no stranger to all that’s now on the market. “With nearly 10 years of experience in the industry, I have used most types of launch monitors, including Foresight, Flightscope and Trackman,” he says. “Utilizing this experience with these platforms, I have performed 1,000-plus fittings and hundreds of golf lessons.” Having a dedicated space is nice, but not always needed. At Westwood Country Club in Rocky River, Ohio, the tech center shares its footprint half the year. “The building we use doubles as our caddie house in the summertime,” says John Sico, PGA, Director of Golf. “Although it would be ideal to have use of the simulator for all 12 months, right now we only use it seven months out of the year.” Sico utilizes two different platforms—TruGolf E6 Connect for members to play on courses or practice at the virtual driving range, and Trackman for teaching and club fitting. “The simulator is very popular and often requires reservations at least a www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Scott Hetterle, PGA, made it a priority to relocate the simulator at Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club—which had been housed at the resort spa nearly 3.5 miles away—to on-site space near the club’s pro shop. November 2020
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GOLF OPERATIONS
Managing the Cost Budgets for tech centers vary wildly, just like any other aspect of operating a golf course. But there are ways for all clubs, and not just the lucky few with “unlimited” funds, to be able to provide Tour-level statistics for their members. Paul Calabrase, National Sales Manager for SkyTrak, understands that many clubs can’t afford a comprehensive, dedicated training facility. “We help a lot of clubs in this scenario,” Calabrase says. “All you need is the SkyTrak Launch Monitor, a hitting mat and net. This can start as low as $3,000 if you already have a computer or iPad. From there, we see accounts upgrade to better mats, add a TV or even add a simulation cage for projection.” The SkyTrak app gives professionals the driving range with shot tracer, launch angle, back spin, ball speed, side spin, side angle and more. It allows the club or instructor the ability to instruct, fit or give customers the ability to hit balls indoors. Ryan Dotters, CEO of Full Swing, has equipped major champions like Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day with simulators in their homes, and many more clubs across the country with high-tech packages. With simulators starting at $39,900 and going up from there, Full Swing is a leader in the industry.
week in advance to secure time,” he says. “New equipment comes out in January, February and March and the weather doesn’t allow us to get outside at that time, so we use simulator fitting nights to perk up sales during the offseason.” BOOSTING NUMBERS The Eagle’s Nest at Semiahmoo G&CC has bar seating and two large chairs for guests to comfortably enjoy food and drinks while using the simulator. “Our first year, we saw growth in F&B from use of the simulator especially on days with rain, snow or frost in the forecast,” says Hetterle. A limited menu is offered at Westwood CC, with orders called in to the club’s grill room. Someone from the valet or golf staff delivers orders to the tech center, Sico says. “Because our simulator isn’t connected to the clubhouse, it doesn’t affect our F&B numbers as much as we would like, but enough to keep offering it,” he adds. The bigger potential payoff comes from the draw that the technology can have for member retention or recruitment, especially
“
Having a golf option in the winter months keeps our members engaged and coming to the club and ‘thinking golf’ all 12 months. —John Sico, PGA, Director of Golf, Westwood CC
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”
Simulator technology can get expensive, but it doesn’t have to break the bank when clubs are dealing with tighter budgets. SkyTrak offers entry as low as $3,000.
with the surge of interest among new or returning golfers that many clubs have seen. Northeast Ohio clubs experience some brutal and unpredictable weather during their long offseason, and Sico says quite a few “regular foursomes” have booked Westwood’s tech center on a weekly basis. “Having a golf option in the winter months keeps our members engaged and coming to the club and ‘thinking golf’ all 12 months,” he notes. “The more options we have for them, especially in the offseason, cuts the edge off members who think they are paying dues at a time where there’s nothing available to do at the club.” For Kilgariff, the Performance Centre at The Bridges has been a strong addition to both recruitment and retention. “On the recruitment side, when someone comes and visits the club, they see something [special] the club has to offer,” he says. “We’re able to develop a great teaching program and have the amenities to support that program.” Ryan Dotters, CEO of Full Swing, has equipped clubs, resorts and Tour professionals with simulator technology across the country. “We know that all clubs are looking for ways to keep members and guests happy and on property longer, more often and year-round, while feeling like there is something new for them and their families to enjoy,” he says. “Whether the goal was revenue generation, member retention or [to provide] a resort guest amenity to stand out, every installation has surpassed expectations and [the club properties] have seen increases in food and beverage across the board,” Dotters adds. “[The simulators provide] a new reason to be in the clubhouse with friends for hours, and it’s a new way to provide family entertainment—while the kids play golf or one of the multisport options, parents can enjoy a drink or a nice meal.” C+RB MORE ONLINE
For more insights into how clubs are making productive and profitable use of simulator technology, see the online version of this article at www.clubandresortbusiness.com www.clubandresortbusiness.com
SUPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT
CAREER AUDIT After 20 successful years as a course superintendent, Jeff Eldridge tried his hand as a tax-service franchisee—but the pull of the turf quickly brought him back to the industry and eventually his current position at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. By Jeff Bollig, Contributing Editor
UNSURE ABOUT HIS CAREER PATH as a golf course superintendent, several years ago Jeff Eldridge decided to join a friend by investing in H&R Block Tax Services franchises and managing several offices himself. It wasn’t that Eldridge wasn’t successful. To the contrary, he had quickly climbed among the hierarchy of golf courses in Kansas City. He was recognized by his superintendent chapter for excellence, and PGA Senior Tour players ranked his course conditioning among the top five on tour. It wasn’t even that he was necessarily burned out. He had been in the profession full-time less than 20 years, and liked the work. But Eldridge was looking down the road. He had a young family and wanted to be around and involved in their lives. He knew but one speed—run fast with your head down. Something had to give. “I just didn’t like where I was,” Eldridge says. “It was not like it used to be. It seemed like a change would be good for me.” 39
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Fast-forward some 10 years later and Eldridge is now the Director of Agronomy at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch, located 25 miles northwest of San Antonio in Boerne, Texas. In the end, it was back to the golf course management profession, and Texas won out over taxes. C+RB How did you first become a golf course superintendent? ELDRIDGE I graduated from Emporia (Kan.) High School in
1983 and decided to study pre-engineering at Emporia State University. I liked the chemistry and the physics courses, but the calculus not so much. I decided to move to Colorado because we had used to live there, and I liked the area. I wanted to establish residency and then go back to school. I spent a year pouring concrete foundations. It wasn’t fun work, but I enjoyed being outside. I knew I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to be outdoors. www.clubandresortbusiness.com
SUPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT Super in the Spotlight
JEFF ELDRIDGE, CGCS Current Position: Director of Agronomy, The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch, Boerne, Texas Years at The Club at Cordillera Ranch: 2 Years in Golf Course Maintenance Profession: 33 Previous Experience: > Golf Course Superintendent, Lake Quivira Golf and Country Club, Shawnee, Kan., 2013-18 > Area Sales Manager, Bayer Environmental Science, Kansas City, Mo., 2011-13 > Golf Course Superintendent, Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate, Leawood, Kan., 2000-09 > Golf Course Superintendent, Lakewood Oaks Golf Course, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 1996-2000 > Golf Course Superintendent, Deer Creek Golf Club, Overland Park, Kan. (assistant first nine months), 1990-96 > Golf Course Superintendent, Emporia (Kan.) Country Club, 1989-90 Education & Training: B.S. Horticulture (Turfgrass Concentration), Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colo., 1987 Honors and Awards: > Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association (HAGCSA) Superintendent of the Year, 1993 > HAGCSA Chester Mendenhall Award (meritorious service), 1999 & 2008
So I went to Colorado State in Fort Collins and enrolled in the Ag school. I just kind of gravitated to horticulture because I liked the science. I really did not know what a golf course superintendent did and had not had any exposure to them. I did not play golf growing up. But I did pick up the game with my college buddies and we began to play a lot at the public course. I fell in love with the game and that got me exposed to the golf course. I worked on a course during college, and that started me on the road to being a superintendent. C+RB What was your early career path? ELDRIDGE I returned home to Emporia
after graduation and became a golf course superintendent at Emporia Country Club. That was 1989 and I worked there a year. There was an opening for an assistant at Deer Creek Golf Club in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park and nine months after taking the position, the superintendent left for another job and I was promoted to superintendent. Deer Creek was a good course and a very popular daily-fee facility. I moved to Lakewood Oaks in the eastern Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit in 1996, and then moved to grow in a new Jack Nick40
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laus Signature course, Lionsgate Golf Club, in 2000. I was there nearly 10 years. C+RB And then you became a tax man? ELDRIDGE Yes, a buddy and I invested
in H&R Block Tax Services franchises. I had plenty of managerial experience, so I thought it would not be that difficult. And it wasn’t really, but ultimately it wasn’t a good fit. After about a year, I knew that
was not the direction I wanted to go in. A few months later I made the decision to get back in the golf business. C+RB How did that go? ELDRIDGE It was hard. I had several
interviews and made the final group for a couple of the openings. But in the end, it was hard for them to hire someone who was not coming directly from a golf course. It was discouraging, and there were times I thought it might not happen. C+RB But you did make it back to the industry eventually, right? ELDRIDGE I was fortunate. Bayer was looking for an area sales manager in Kansas City and I got the job. My territory was to cover several Midwestern states. I was on the road a lot, and was missing out on a lot of family activities. My kids were playing sports collegiately and in high school. I was missing a fair amount of games and that really got to me. After two years, I began to look for a superintendent position and again was fortunate to land at Lake Quivira Golf and Country Club in Kansas City. Even though I left Bayer, I have nothing but good to say about the company, my bosses and the experience. I am a better golf course superintendent after working there. I learned so much working beside the likes of Dr. Wong and Dr. Golembiewski and other technicians. Plus, I talked to so many golf course superintendents and learned
Golf Course Profile
THE CLUBS OF CORDILLERA RANCH Website: www.clubsofcordilleraranch.com Year Opened: 2006 Ownership: Private (DH Investments) Golf Course Type: Cut out of the Hill Country with trees, native and elevation Golf Course Designer: Jack Nicklaus No. of Holes: 20 (18 plus 2 practice holes) Par: 72 Yardage: Longest (Gold): 7,464 yards Golf Season: Year-round Annual Rounds: 23,000-25,000 typically (will approach 30,000 in 2020) Grasses: Tees and Fairways: Zoysiagrass Rough: Bermudagrass Greens: Bentgrass Water Features: Numerous ponds, streams and waterfalls
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Course + Grounds Operations Profile Staff Size: 25 Other Managers: Kris Negley, Golf Course Superintendent; Sarah Jackson, Assistant Superintendent; Patrick Drinkard, Equipment Manager; Nick Menger, Irrigation Assistant Water Sources: Multiple—well, river, runoff, recycled, potable Aerating and Overseeding Schedules: Overseed driving-range tee area (Bermuda); Aerate greens, spring and fall; aerate tees and fairways once and verticut three times Upcoming Capital Projects: None planned. Just completed sodding collars, fan installation and a driving-range tee project.
from them. It was a great learning experience and I’m glad I did it. It was priceless and I definitely learned to work smarter. C+RB You had spent your entire professional life in the Kansas City area, so why then the move to Texas? ELDRIDGE Cordillera is a Nicklaus course and so is Lionsgate. The regional GM over Lionsgate became the GM at Cordillera and reached out to me just after I started the tax businesses. That was 2010. I felt I couldn’t take it because I needed to give it a chance. They called me again in 2018 and with my kids out of high school I felt I could give it a harder look. It was a good opportunity, so I explored it and felt it was the right move for me. C+RB That was quite a move geographically, though. What were the biggest changes from a turf-management perspective? ELDRIDGE I had experience with all the grasses: zoysia fairways and tees, Bermuda roughs and bentgrass greens. But the biggest difference was managing the greens, because it stays hotter longer here in Texas than in Kansas City. Generally, in Kansas City you hoped to make it to Labor Day. Here, it stays that way through September. The key is good air movement. We have one fan on several greens and two on No. 13, a par three with one of our largest greens. Plus, we need to make sure the greens get exposed to the morning sun. Tree management is important. We have
removed a considerable amount of trees and that has improved turf conditions. C+RB What makes the golf course enjoyable, yet challenging to play? ELDRIDGE I think our terrain makes it enjoyable. We have quite a variety when it comes to the layout of the holes. We are in the Hill Country and there are some amazing views. We really aren’t a parkland course, although we have trees. It really isn’t a prairie course, but we have areas of native. It’s unique with elevation. The fairways are generous, so it isn’t hard to keep the ball in play. But we do have small greens, and the bunkering in the fairways and around the greens means you need to be strategic in your placement. C+RB You mentioned the heat—what other weather challenges do you have? ELDRIDGE Water management is an issue because although we get as much rain annually as in Kansas City, it is generally more spread out and then comes all at once. We will go quite a while between rains. Another interesting difference is the layer of clouds we get several mornings, when the wind comes from the south. The early mornings can be cloudy and that does not make for good bentgrass growing conditions. We really don’t get snow, maybe flurries once in a while. We will have frost delays in the mornings from time to time. That is really the only time we close down. C+RB What about the agronomic challenges? ELDRIDGE We get some bacteria wilt on the greens early in the summer, so we must watch that. We’ll also have some large patch issues with our zoysia. We treat with fungicides, aerate and make sure to man-
age the thatch. We do not always have the best water quality, so we do acid injection to manage the bicarbonates. We also have a system to mitigate the high sodium and chloride levels. Our par-three No. 16 green is a challenge, so in addition to a fan we also just finished installing a Sub Air system. We also exposed the drain cleanouts, to help vent the greens down to the drain tiles. C+RB What’s your management structure? ELDRIDGE My duties are more strategic
and facility-wide. I manage a contractor responsible for the non-golf grounds, do the budgeting, establish the spray, agronomic and tree-management programs, and do the ordering. You might say my view is from 30,000 feet. I’m out on the course, but I try to let our superintendent, Kris Negley, handle the day-to-day operations. I also oversee the projects and make sure we are positioned to have a golf course that meets the expectations of the golfers. I report to a General Manager and ultimately the owners, DH Investments. C+RB What has business been like in
2020? ELDRIDGE My goodness. It’s been busy.
We generally average 23 to 25,000 rounds a year, but we’ll approach 30,000 by the end of the year. People want to get out and play, and golf is a good activity during the pandemic. C+RB
MORE ONLINE
For an extended conversation with Jeff Eldridge, see the online version of this article at www.clubandresortbusiness.com
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
November 2020
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TODAY’S MANAGER
STRUCTURAL
INTEGRITY After a detour into an engineering discipline confirmed that clubs were his true passion, Robert Sereci has combined sound principles with creative remodeling to earn Excellence in Club Management honors. By Joe Barks, Editor
After he had already established himself as an accomplished club manager, Robert Sereci, CCM, paused his career to join his father, an expert in earthquake engineering, to launch a technology startup specializing in “structural health monitoring” for the measurement of buildings’ integrity. Three years later, Sereci says, he “realized how vital club management was in fulfilling my purpose” and returned to the profession. He picked up right where he’d left off, eventually becoming the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of Medinah (Ill.) Country Club in 2015. And his leadership in directing a dramatic repositioning and revival of that storied club in less than half a decade led to his recognition as the 2019 winner of the Excellence in Club Management Awards’ James H. Brewer Award (see box, pg. 44). That honor attested, once again, to how Sereci’s success in club management has also reflected his ability to apply a startup mindset and bring real innovation to the business. As 42
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Michael Scimo, Medinah CC’s ex-Officio President, said in presenting Sereci for the Brewer Award at the Excellence in Club Management Awards dinner, Sereci’s “unconventional leadership style” was critical in convincing the club’s Board and membership that “we can navigate complex issues and continue to boldly innovate to secure our future.” That future had been defined just before Sereci took his position in 2015, through a “Medinah 2020” plan that established a five-year strategy for turning around a seven-year decline in membership that the club had experienced, even after hosting the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup and investing more than $12 million in golf course renovations. But as detailed in C+RB in August 2017 (“Medinah CC’s Surprising New Moves”) and August 2020 (“Reinforcing Clubs’ Brands”), the strategy only became reality, with over 350 new members added in five years, because of how Medinah, after Sereci arrived, began to operate much more like a startup operation than one steeped www.clubandresortbusiness.com
in a rich history that dates to when it was founded as a country retreat by Shriners from Chicago’s Medinah Temple in 1924. “It’s often difficult to be entrepreneurial in clubs, because it’s an environment where the tolerance for failure has traditionally been small, so the fear of failure prevents experimentation,” Sereci says. “And when you have beautiful golf courses and facilities at places like Medinah, which has one of the most iconic clubhouses in the world, it’s easy to focus on the bricks and mortar and the grounds, and to not see the need for having an entrepreneurial mentality, which includes acceptance of failure and a constant focus on ways to reboot and innovate, no matter how much tradition may exist.” UNEXPECTED, BUT NOT UNBEATABLE One thing that “Medinah 2020” did not anticipate was a pandemic in what was supposed to be the triumphant, culminating year of the plan. This year, Sereci admits, has presented some new challenges for his management style. “As a people person, I disproportionately rely on relationships and in-person communications, so virtual meetings and having staff work remotely meant I had to recalibrate and adjust my way of motivating and inspiring,” he explains. But the challenge of determining how to operate Medinah under the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, he adds, was no more daunting than many other personal and professional tasks he has taken on in a career that has involved working for nine clubs of
varying types, sizes and financial situations in multiple continents. That experience of “starting from scratch nine times,” Sereci says, helped him recognize that the pandemic was really just another “Groundhog Day” event that called for the same startup mentality he has used to help begin the transformation at Medinah and elsewhere. “The key, especially in clubs that have rigid and entrenched cultures and traditions, is not to try to bring about huge change all
The “Medinah 2020” plan that Robert Sereci brought to life after arriving at the club in 2015 did not anticipate a pandemic in its final year. But applying the same entrepreneurial approaches that have dramatically transformed the club have also helped it respond to this year’s challenges in positive and innovative ways.
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TODAY’S MANAGER
Medinah CC’s simple but impactful responses during the pandemic included building a beer garden with picnic tables (above left) and installing a large portable LED display (above right) that would help it communicate and stay connected with the membership.
at once, but rather to take the approach of ‘benign innovation,’ by implementing smaller things that can make an immediate impact and help to gain buy-in and establish trust,” Sereci says. “That’s what we did initially at Medinah, with things like our chicken coop and vegetable garden and food truck. “We took the same approach [in responding to the pandemic],” he adds. “The most important thing was to find simple, out-ofthe-box ways to enhance the sense of community and member relationships that we’d established with all of the other changes we’ve made through the years, and to not be as concerned with how elaborate or ‘perfect’ they might be. That led us to do things like quickly building an on-site beer garden with picnic tables, and to bring in a giant, portable LED display that would add to how we could communicate and stay connected with the membership.” Those additions (pictured above) and other simple but impactful, and appreciated, steps that the Medinah staff has taken have been key to helping the membership feel even more comfortable this year in using the club, which has seen a record number of golf rounds and strong numbers in other parts of its operation. At the same time, Sereci reports, they’ve helped to continue to add recognition of, and interest in, Medinah among potential new members, as an application pipeline and waiting list continues to build. “[This year] has actually provided an incredible opportunity for clubs to focus even more on the value proposition they can offer,” Sereci says. “The normal activities available to the community that’s outside the club gates—sporting events, movies, plays—all disappeared. That left the door wide open for clubs that have properly focused on building their own communities and relationships. You can have the best-looking facility, but if you don’t have a [club] community, it doesn’t mean much.” C+RB
A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE The Excellence in Club Management (ECM) Awards were established by the McMahon Group, Inc., the St. Louisbased consulting firm, in 1997 and have been co-sponsored by Club + Resort Business since 2006. The National Club Association became an additional sponsor in 2018. The annual awards are selected through nominations submitted on behalf of qualified candidates by other parties. Award recipients are selected solely on the basis of their achievements at the club they currently manage. A Selection Committee comprised of a peer group of leading club managers conducts the judging for the ECM Awards. Awards in four categories are given each year: • The James H. Brewer Award, for a manager of a Country/ Golf Club with 600 or more full-privilege members • The Mead Grady Award, for a manager of a Country/Golf Club with fewer than 600 full-privilege members • The Mel Rex Award, for a manager of a City, Athletic or Specialty (Non-Golf) Club • The “Rising Star” Award for an assistant club manager A full listing of judges, in addition to information on past winners and on how to nominate candidates for future years’ awards, can be found at www.clubmanageraward.com. The 2019 Excellence in Club Management winners were honored at an Awards Dinner held at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas on February 8, 2020 (“The Toast of Texas,” C+RB, March 2020). The Awards Dinner was sponsored by Denehy Club Thinking Partners, ForeTees LLC, Izon Golf, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives and Preferred Club.
Medinah CC was one of the first clubs to introduce a food truck, which has served it especially well during the pandemic and has led to multiple inquiries this year from other clubs about how to establish and operate one, Robert Sereci reports. 44
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
O������ F�������� Adirondack Comfort
Product: Aspen Adirondack Chair Features: ▶ Bold wide timbers ▶ Crisp sheared edges ▶ Dramatic angular frame ▶ An evolution and reinvention of of our classic Adirondack, with a new, contemporary look ▶ Deeply reclined seat and extra tall back provide roomy relaxation for all sizes ▶ Large flat armrests are the perfect place to rest a drink ▶ Optional detachable footrest extends the comfort to the tips of your toes ▶ Constructed of the highest-quality teak wood from countries with an official commitment to manage their timber resources sustainably ▶ Traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery held together with wooden dowels are combined with stainless-steel hardware to ensure quality construction that will withstand a lifetime of use ▶ The high oil content of teak makes it virtually immune to rot, allowing for superior performance in marine environments ▶ Teak modern Adirondack chairs can be left outside in all seasons and will naturally oxidize to a soft, silvery gray. It requires little to no maintenance to keep this look
P�� S��� Super-Light Carry
Product: SL1 Golf Bag Features: ▶ Superleggera “super light” weighing only 57 ozs. ▶ Water- and stain-resistant with sealed zippers ▶ Attachable matching rain hood ▶ STITCH signature single divider fits 14 clubs ▶ Personalize your SL1 by adding your initials with our Signature Ingot (1.5” x 1.5”) ▶ Gunmetal hardware and finishes ▶ Wider feet for added stability ▶ New comfort strap ▶ Tonal legs and bottom ▶ Durable pocket configuration ▶ Four new colors: blue, black, white and gray
STITCH Golf
www.stitchgolf.com
Country Casual Teak
www.countrycasualteak.com
All In on Alon
Product: Alon Collection Features: ▶ Transitional woven design with aluminum powered-coated frames ▶ Optional premium cushion chair and seat pads ▶ Available in 26 frame finishes
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Texacraft
www.texacraft.com
Patio to Poolside
Product: Corsica Collection Features: ▶ Graceful, flowing curves ▶ Subtle end-of-arm rolled detailing ▶ Complements any decor ▶ Designed by Peter Homestead ▶ Simple and refined styling makes this patio furniture set perfect for poolside lounging, hanging out on the patio, or sitting comfortably in your outdoor dining area ▶ Lightweight aluminum frames can be powder-coated in any of Tropitone’s colorful, yet durable, finishes ▶ Fabric selected from Tropitone’s plethora of fabric offerings
800-543-0488 • www.verdin.com
www.tropitone.com
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Product: Verdin Golf Course Clock Features: ▶ Many two- and four-faced models ▶ Clocks are custom-made and UL-approved ▶ Superior Moonglow backlit dials are shatterproof ▶ Custom headers, colors, and dials with logo ▶ Optional installation and maintenance by Verdin technicians
The Verdin Company
Tropitone 48
Timely Remembrance
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www.clubandresortbusiness.com
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
K������ E�������� Ice Ice Baby
Product: Sphere Undercounter Ice Machine Features: ▶ First machine to make spherical ice in North America ▶ The demand for unique cocktail design at a reasonable cost is high ▶ Makes clean, clear 1.8-inch diameter ice balls for amazing cocktail presentations with minimal dilution ▶ Eliminates the mess of ice molds or the high price of third-party ice vendors ▶ Sphere ice looks beautiful, is more sanitary and is more profitable than any other option in the market today ▶ Fits neatly under a bar, taking up less than 25 inches wide of all-important undercounter space ▶ Makes up to 50 lbs. (500 spheres) of ice production per 24 hours ▶ Built-in storage bin with 36-lb. capacity ▶ Durable stainless-steel exterior with easy-to-remove-and-clean air filter
Hoshizaki America
www.hoshizakiamerica.com
M����� S������� + A��������� Join the Club
Product: ClubProcure Features: ▶ Program offers clubs 150 ways to save time and money ▶ More than 3,000 clubs nationwide leverage ClubProcure’s strategic relationships with well-known, national companies to gain tremendous buying power ▶ Pick and choose which offerings work best for your needs ▶ This year marks the 25th anniversary of ClubProcure servicing the club industry
ClubProcure
www.clubprocure.com Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation of Club + Resort Business Publication Title: Club + Resort Business Publication Number: 1556-13x Date of filing: September 29, 2020 Frequency of issue: Monthly Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $75 per year Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Contact Person: Bruce Sprague Telephone: (888) 543-2447 Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Publisher: Tom McIntyre, WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Editor: Joe Barks, WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Senior Editor: Rob Thomas, WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Owner: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Scott McCafferty, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Mike Emich, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Marshall Matheson, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Tax Status: Not applicable Publication Title: Club + Resort Business Issue Date for Circulation Data: September, 2020 Net press run: Average, 13,646; last issue, 14,723 Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: Average, 8,920; last issue, 10,693 Total Paid and/or Requested Distribution: Average, 8,920; last issue, 10,693 Nonrequested distribution by mail outside county: Average, 4,213; last issue, 3,832 Nonrequested distribution outside the mail: Average 309, last issue, 181 Total Nonrequested Distribution:Average 4,522;last issue 4,013 Total Distribution: Average, 13,442; last issue, 14,706 Copies not Distributed: Average, 204; last issue, 17 Total: Average, 13,646; last issue, 14,723 Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average, 66.4%; last issue, 72.7% ELECTRONIC COPY CIRCULATION Requested and Paid Electronic Copies: None Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a): 8,920; last issue 10,693 Total Requested Copy distribution (15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a): 13,442; last issue 14,706 Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both print & electronic copies) (16b divided by 16c x100) 66.4%; last issue 72.7% I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). Pat Curran, Digital Media Manager
ADVERTISER INDEX CHAMBERS www.chambersusa.com
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CLUBPROCURE 800-363-5480 / www.clubprocure.com EUSTIS CHAIR 978-827-3103 / www.eustischair.com
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FORETEES sales@foretees.com / www.foretees.com
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GSI EXECUTIVE SEARCH 972-341-8143 / gsiexecutivesearch.com
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HOSHIZAKI AMERICA 800-438-6087 / www.hoshizakiamerica.com
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INFRARED DYNAMICS 888-317-5255 / www.infradyne.com
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MINOR’S 800-243-8822 STUDIO JBD & JEFFERSON GROUP ARCHITECTURE 401-721-0977 / Pcafaro@JBDandJGA.com TRI-C CLUB SUPPLY – DUFFY’S 800-274-8742 / www.duffystric.com
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TYSON TysonFreshMeats.com/Foodservice VERDIN 800-543-0488 / www.verdin.com
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November 2020 l Club + Resort Business l 49
IDEAEXCHANGE A SUCCESSFUL KICKOFF
By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor
WHILE MUCH HAS BEEN LOST during the coronavirus pandemic, golf course properties across the country have been inventive in finding ways to turn a bad break into something good. Many properties have been offering free golf to high-school athletes who have lost their sports seasons because of COVID-19. Frequently, these initiatives have been driven by sympathetic former high-school athletes who remember how important their sports were to them as youths. With Director of Golf Jeff Rae providing the impetus, Escanaba (Mich.) Country Club, located in the Upper Peninsula’s Delta County, is among the properties that has reached out to student-athletes. Since August, a few days after the announcement that the high-school football season had been canceled throughout Michigan, the semi-private property has been offering free golf to the county’s middle- and high-school football players. Even after high-school football was reinstated in September, Escanaba CC continued to offer free rounds through the remainder of the golf season. Rae, a former football player himself, got the idea to provide the free golf when he was listening to a podcast, and someone made a comment about mental health.
“A light bulb went off. I had something to offer these kids,” he says. “We’re a smaller community with a large number of football players. Players work all off-season to prepare for August. To have something dropped on them like that as children is devastating. “My biggest concern is the mental state,” he adds. “What sport did I turn to when I was in a mental state? When I was going through challenges, I always turned to golf.” Before giving away free rounds of golf, however, Rae ran the idea by the club’s Board of Directors in a group text. The entire Board was behind it within minutes. After posting word about the initiative on Escanaba’s Facebook page, the site had more than 25,000 hits within the first 24 hours. Parents, coaches, and athletic directors got involved, and media outlets covered the story as well. Football players in grades seven through 12 have been allowed to play at Escanaba CC anytime the tee sheet is open, and about 200 to 250 players have taken advantage of the free golf. The program has been open to six or seven football teams in the county, plus a couple of other nearby schools. Although about 30% of the football players came for the first couple of weeks, Rae says about 70% have stuck with it. “Many of them have fallen in love with the game,” he says. About 60% of the kids were new to golf, he adds, and 40% had “at least swung a club before.” Many of the students also lacked equipment, so Rae put the word out through social media that Escanaba CC was looking
“When I was going through challenges, I always turned to golf,” says Jeff Rae, Escanaba CC’s Director of Golf (at right in photo), in explaining his idea to offer free golf to local football players after their season was cancelled by the pandemic. 50
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Football players in grades seven through 12 have been allowed to play for free at Escanaba CC whenever there’s an open tee time, and nearly 250 players have taken advantage of the offer. for clubs for the aspiring golfers. “Within two days, we had 15 sets of golf clubs in the pro shop,” he says. At the beginning of the program, Rae met with the football players before they teed off to discuss expectations with them. He educated them on the basic fundamentals of golf, showed them how to fix ball marks and replace divots, and explained how to make a tee time. He told them to drive golf carts where they’re supposed to be driven and taught them about the dress code. “We’re not super-strict. We prefer collared shirts, but we expect a T-shirt at least,” says Rae. Some of the players have even shown up in their football jerseys. They also have helped to take care of the golf course, which was established in 1915 and has been rated the No. 1 course in the county for a reader’s choice award for seven of the past nine years. “As long as people treat our golf course well, we want them here,” Rae says. With the free rounds for students numbering in the hundreds, Rae has given generously of his time as well. He has offered formal and informal lessons, and students have approached him with questions. “If any kids want instruction, I’ll teach them,” he says. His office faces the No. 1 tee box, and he will go out and give a five-minute lesson on the golf swing when he sees a group of students on the first tee. Escanaba CC did not have a junior program this year, but some of the football players and the junior golfers have played together. “Not only do they get to play golf and have something to do, they also get to make some new friends,” says Rae. His ultimate goal, of course, is for the student-athletes to play golf regularly. Considering the way the program has exceeded expectations—Rae originally thought that maybe 50 or 60 football players might try it—he’s certainly off to a good start. www.clubandresortbusiness.com
NEW! BACK OFFICE SYSTEM WITH FORETEES BUSINESS
