39 minute read
Golf + Fitness Technology
EARNING
RANGE REVENUE
By Matt Kilgariff • PGA Director of Player Development The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe • Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
AS A GOLF INSTRUCTOR, WOULD you like to take the guesswork out of practice sessions and earn additional revenue? With Toptracer Range you can.
The Toptracer Range app has revolutionized the golf industry. It has made technology that was once exclusive to golf professionals available and accessible to all golfers. The app is the ultimate practice tool, which takes the guesswork out of range sessions by offering an engaging, data-driven experience that appeals to players of all levels and abilities.
Toptracer can transform a range business by attracting new golfers, retaining current members, and boosting revenue streams. The app stores data from practice sessions, which allows golfers to track their changes and fine tune their swing. Players can track distances to know exactly how far their ball travels with each club. In addition to tracking, it also has fun features such as games and competitions.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Tom Son, PGA General Manager of Arrowood Golf Course in Oceanside, Calif. Tom and his team installed 10 Toptracer suites, which they refer to as “The Flight Deck.” The suites have become so popular that he plans to add more soon. In addition, they will be adding a full food and beverage facility, which will include a bar and lounge to support golfers enjoying The Flight Deck.
When Tom and I spoke, I asked several questions regarding start-up expense and ongoing operational cost. I was pleasantly surprised how forthcoming he was with the details, which included the highs and lows of the process and how Arrowood’s model works.
Arrowood paid approximately $50,000 to install the electrical equipment required to support the Toptracer system. A monthly fee of approximately $2,000/month paid directly to Toptracer to lease the software. All in, including the future build out of suites and the F&B facility, total cost is expected to be $400,000 to $500,000.
My next questions were about the plan for Arrowood to recoup their costs and realize a profit. Arrowood rents each suite for $24-$36 an hour with 1-4 individuals per suite. During the slowest months of the year with the shortest hours of daylight, they average $5,000 to $6,000 a month in suite rental alone. Food and beverage revenue from users of the Flight Deck averages $20,000 a month.
Tom shared the positives and negatives of opening in the winter and doing so while coming out of a pandemic: • The wonderful opportunity to understand clients’ desires and needs and the ability to address and support them with new technology; • Realizing that the added amenity of Toptracer created addition opportunities for offering social and cooperate events, weekly leagues, etc., that drive new drive foot traffic to Arrowood; • Learning the importance of creativity and producing a more robust marketing plan to include Toptracer; • The time and effort involved in working out the kinks of the new system. Toptracer has an amazing support team in place that helps immensely with this process; • Start-up costs can be high, depending on electrical requirements and the footprint; and • Not being able to immediately maximize hourly usages. There are times during the day when suite hours are not sold out.
Ultimately, Arrowood is thrilled with its decision to add Toptracer as an amenity to the club. Ideally, Tom would really like to realize more revenue at a quicker pace, but wouldn’t we all? He projects Arrowood revenue will increase by $600,000 to $700,000/ year when the entire facility is complete and fully up and running to their desired capacity. This will be a rewarding return on investment and a much better experience overall for everyone.
Matt Kilgariff is a PGA professional who spent much of his career working for Butch Harmon and the Harmon Family. He is currently the Director of Player Development at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Prior to joining The Bridges, Kilgariff was Director of Player Development at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Matt has also been part of TaylorMade’s National Advisory Staff since 2012.
SOUTH CAROLINA HAS FOUND PLENTY OF NEW
WAYS to put itself on the map in recent years—from luring global giants like BMW, Volvo and Michelin to bring major manufacturing faciliti es to the state, to seeing some of its universiti es become nati onal powers in football (Clemson) and women’s basketball (University of South Carolina). In the golf and club worlds, the prominence and appeal of the Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Charleston areas has conti ned to grow, aided by the worldwide exposure gained from major tournaments played at Kiawah Island Resort’s Ocean Course and other venues that have shown off some of the state’s best features.
All of this has helped to spur an infl ux of new residents, which was only accelerated as the pandemic took hold. South Carolina ranked as the fi ft h fastest-growing state between 2020 and 2021, almost enti rely because of people moving in from more crowded areas to the north. In additi on to more growth seen along all of the well-known parts of the state’s eastern seaboard, the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson triangle in its northwest corner also conti nued to swell, as not only the state’s largest metro area but one that climbed into the top 60 in the U.S., as of the 2020 Census.
In between all of the development and growth seen on the state’s outer edges, however, South Carolina sti ll has an expanse of rusti c landscape and hamlets that bear more resemblance to when the state was founded as one of the original 13 colonies in 1663. That is certainly the case in Ninety Six, S.C., with a populati on that sti ll just barely exceeds 2,000.
While there is confusion over how the town got its name, Ninety Six’s place in history is clear, as the site of several signifi cant skirmishes during the course of the Revoluti onary War. A star-shaped fort that the Briti sh Army created to protect the strategically important town has been preserved as the center of an historic site now maintained by the Nati onal Park Service, helping to draw interest to the area while protecti ng it from overdevelopment.
That appeal, and protecti on, was enhanced further with the creati on of Lake Greenwood through the constructi on of a hydroelectric dam as a Great Depression-era project in the late 1930s. Now part of a state park located just a few miles outside of Ninety Six, the lake spreads across three counti es and
AT A GLANCE:
GRAND HARBOR GOLF & YACHT CLUB
Ninety Six, S.C.
Founded: 2004 Ownership: Private Management: East Coast Golf Management Website: www.grandharbor.net Golf Course Design: Davis Love III Annual Golf Rounds: 25,000 General Manager/President: Mike Buccerone, PGA Director of Golf Operations: Craig Malone, PGA Golf Course Superintendent: Chuck Wideman Food & Beverage Manager/Executive Chef: Daniel Hill “Slices” Pizza Chef: Donald Elmore Director of Member Engagement: Kristin Kelley Real Estate/Office Manager: Chasity Davis
The Grand Harbor team stays focused on fi nding new ways to meet members’ every need once they’ve decided to call the community home. Left to right: Craig Malone, PGA, Director of Golf Operati ons; Kristi n Kelley, Director of Member Engagement; Chasity Davis, Real Estate/Offi ce Manager; Mike Buccerone, PGA, President East Coast Golf Management; Chuck Wideman, Golf Course Superintendent; Donald Elmore, “Slices” Pizza Chef; and Daniel Hill, Food & Beverage Manager/Executi ve Chef.
measures over 11,400 acres, with 212 miles of shoreline.
WELL WORTH THE EFFORT
All of these features help make the area stand out as an especially unique part of not only South Carolina, but the nati on—but only if the eff ort is made to fi nd it. That was the case when Joe Williamson and his wife, two lifelong Philadelphians, set out on a road trip to scout out where they could relocate for the post-work stage of their lives. They fi rst barreled all the way down the coast to explore Florida, but then started to make their way back north through Georgia, aft er not fi nding anything to their liking in either of those states.
Aft er persistently inquiring about possibiliti es in the Carolinas, the Williamsons heard about the special att racti ons of the Ninety Six/Lake Greenwood region. That led them to sett le in the private, gated Grand Harbor community that is spread throughout three uncrowded neighborhoods and along a total of 17 miles of the lake’s shoreline.
The Williamsons have since spread the word to others about Grand Harbor, including family members, and those who have come to check it out always have a similar impression, Joe Williamson reports. “They always comment on how everyone seems so happy,” he says. “And I tell them there’s a simple reason for that: We all want to be here.”
A large part of that happiness comes from the ameniti es provided for community residents, as part of the membership in the Grand Harbor Golf & Yacht Club that comes with property ownership. While the community remains relati vely small nearly 20 years aft er its founding in 2004, with 315 homes now built or under constructi on, residents have access to a Davis Love III-designed, 18-hole golf course, three clubhouses, four pools and poolhouses, a private marina, an Equestrian Center, a Tennis & Fitness Complex, hiking trails and more. And many of these ameniti es, including the golf course, were designed and built aft er houses were constructed.
“I wouldn’t even call this a golf community,” says Mike Buccerone, PGA, President of Murrells Inlet, S.C.-based East Coast Golf Management (ECGM), which added Grand Harbor to its portfolio in 2011. “It’s all about creati ng a lifestyle, with the club serving as an amenity center.”
ECGM has 23 “Course Partners,” 18 of which are packaged and marketed as part of a Myrtle Beach Golf Trail. But it also encourages visitors to discover what’s off ered inland, through a fi ve-club Mid-
lands Golf Trail that includes Grand Harbor.
And for those who fi nd their way to Grand Harbor—be it through a golf package or word of mouth, and whether it’s for a day of golf or the rest of their lives—much has been done to provide memorable experiences and help elevate it beyond being just another dot on the map. A recent $3.5 million investment, funded in part by what Buccerone calls “a strategic pre-paid dues program” that off ered gift cards and other incenti ves to parti cipants, improved the golf course, which is branded as The Patriot Golf Club to highlight its Revoluti onary Era connecti ons (the course even includes replicas of the remains of Briti sh forts), and also renovated the property’s primary clubhouse.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
The golf course improvement, highlighted by outf itti ng all 62 bunkers with the Bett er Billy Bunker drainage system, was ti mely because Grand Harbor, even with its
Donald Elmore brought his experti se to help Slices become an instant success, selling 6,000 pizzas in less than a year. The restaurant was branded to ti e in with The Patriot, Grand Harbor’s name for its golf course, and give “Slices” extra meaning.
tucked-away locati on, caught the pandemic wave along with the rest of the industry and saw rounds soar from the high teens in 2019 to nearly 25,000 in 2021. “We really didn’t have bunkers before—we had rock,” says Golf Course Superintendent Chuck Wideman. But washouts are now avoided and the course can be maintained, no matter what the weather brings, to keep pace with the higher demand.
And those higher levels of play “are here to stay,” notes Director of Golf Operati ons Craig Malone, PGA. “We have an unreal ladies’ program and are starti ng to see real growth with juniors, too,” Malone says. “Overall, we’re giving a lot more clinics and
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BAG RACKS
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PODIUMS
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Grand Harbor’s Davis Love III-designed golf course offers a variety of features that have been further enhanced by the recent renovation that fitted all 62 bunkers with the Better Billy Bunker system. The course adds additional character through replicas of Revolutionary War-era forts and structures— and even a moat— that highlight the area’s history.
lessons; [the growth in rounds] has given us an opportunity we’re going to make sure we don’t lose.” Grand Harbor also raises its golf profile by hosting the men’s and women’s championships for the Big South Conference in the spring.
Inside and around the clubhouse for the Grand Harbor community (there are separate clubhouses for The Retreat at Grand Harbor and The Plantation at Grand Harbor communities), the renovation, which nearly doubled the building’s size, has now made the club much better equipped to serve what Buccerone (who has being doing double-duty as a temporary General Manager) describes as “a tailgate atmosphere nearly every day.”
A new Tap Room offers a wide variety of specialty beers, high-end wines (“we got rid of our house wines,” says Buccerone) and other libations—even Prosecco on tap. And more porch, patio and outdoor seating, around an abundance of available heaters and firepits, have helped to encourage visits year-round, even when there might not be any games to watch.
To help feed all the thirsty patrons as they spend more time at the clubhouse, Grand Harbor has scored an immediate hit with its new “Slices” pizza operation, which opened in early March of 2021. This was not just a matter of adding pizza to an existing menu—Slices (named and cobranded with The Patriot course, to have double meaning) has been established as a separate restaurant, with its own preparation and cooking space, its own chef (Donald Elmore, who brought experience
The Grand Harbor community enjoys access to 17 miles of the shoreline of Lake Greenwood, which was created in the late 1930s by a hydroelectric dam built as a Great Depression-era public works project. In total, the lake spans three counties and over 11,400 acres.
from an independent, high-end local pizza restaurant) and a full variety of pies available in both 10-inch and 16-inch sizes, with cauliflower crust available for the 10-inch.
Varieties include “Big Cheese” (with mozzerella, provolone, white cheddar and parmesan); Margherita; Carnivore (sausage, ground beef, bacon, ham and pepperoni); Herbivore (mushroom, green peppers, red peppers, red onion, olive and tomato), Pollo Loco (with barbecued chicken), and the “Kitchen Sink” (combining the Carnivore and Herbivore). If that’s not enough, a “Create Your Own” option is also available.
With a walk-up window outside the clubhouse as well as availability throughout Grand Harbor’s dining venues and other locations, Slices’ pizzas began going out of the restaurant’s new double-door, gas-fired oven, which can hold eight 16-inch pies at a time, and into boxes and trays as soon as it was turned on. “We sold 6,000 pizzas in less than a year,” Buccerone reports (at $10 for smalls, $16 for larges, and more for the Kitchen Sink and the add-ons for the buildyour-own varieties).
Inside and out of its renovated primary clubhouse, Grand Harbor is now bett er equipped to meet members’ penchant for having “a tailgate atmosphere nearly every day,” says Mike Buccerone, President of East Coast Golf Management.
“People see Slices now like they have their own personal chef and it’s their own kitchen,” Buccerone adds. “We could barely keep up on Super Bowl Sunday.” The club’s regular daily and nightly menu off erings have also developed a loyal following, with Food and Beverage Manager/Executi ve Chef Daniel Hill not letti ng the property’s locati on prevent him from featuring fresh market catches, fi lets, sirloins and ribeyes, as well as Chef Daniel’s Crab Cakes with Red Deep Sea Sweet Crab.
To further extend the club’s reach and help to dispel any impressions that it might be too remote or isolated, the Grand Harbor team also makes eff orts to connect with the nearby town of Greenwood, the county seat with a populati on of just under 25,000. The club partners with the Inn on the Square, a bouti que hotel in Greenwood, for wedding coordinati on and for lodging for visitors who come to play the courses on the Midlands Golf Trail.
The club also takes full advantage of all of the ample space that exists within the community boundaries, even coming uip with inventi ve ways to generate some extra revenue streams. With the luxury of having plenty of room for its golf course maintenance operati on, it uses some of the buildings to store boats, luxury cars and other equipment for its resident members. The space that’s available for the club’s Equestrian Center, which currently has a waiti ng list, has also helped draw recogniti on for all that can be found at Grand Harbor, as long as the ti me is taken to fi nd your way there. C+RB
Getting Into the
Swim of ThingsClubs are pulling off their pool covers with refreshed digs, as they gear up for another run of record-breaking usage.
By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
SUMMING IT UP
> Pool design has been infl uenced by pandemic-weary members in search of safe recreati on opti ons. > With more att enti on paid to pool complexes, design plans are also encompassing waterside dining. > Factoring in extra decking space supports the need for more outdoor furniture while enabling social distancing.
TIME TO DUST off the diving board and unfold the lounge chairs: It’s pool season once again and clubs are ready and waiti ng. Aft er a banner year of outdoor recreati on, when members turned out in droves, seeking refuge from the pandemic, pools became the hot spot for young families and seasoned clubgoers alike.
As faciliti es prepare their pool complexes for what promises to be an equally acti ve year, revamped designs are diving deep into other non-swimming ameniti es to appeal to landlubbers as well. Enhanced poolside dining faciliti es, along with new swim sites, are desti ned for another memory-making summer.
EXTENDING THE SEASON
While swimming weather has a short window in the Midwest, one club has found a way to lengthen the usefulness of its pool facility. At Thunder Hills Country Club in Peosta, Iowa, an outdated pool was replaced last June with a larger model and a revamped cabana. The $2.2 million constructi on project, which was completed last June, has proven to be a valuable investment.
A bump up from the previous footprint, the club’s 4,200-sq. ft . pool boasts an extra 500 sq. ft ., providing ample space for a slew of features. Novice and advanced swimmers can take advantage of the newly designed in-water seati ng pods, along with a water aerobics workout area and lap lanes. According to General Manager Andy DeSollar, a 30-percent increase in decking enables up to 175 guests (up from 100) to enjoy a post-swim reprieve.
In fact, the club’s pool competes for att enti on with an updated 3,700-sq. ft . cabana, accessible via fi ve glass garage doors that open to the pool and golf course. Doubled in size from the previous incarnati on, this building boasts a full-service bar area, kitchen and snack service, seati ng and dining area, restrooms, changing rooms and shower faciliti es.
“The previous cabana building basically consisted of a walk-up window to a small room with limited F&B service and restrooms,” explains DeSollar.
MAKING A SPLASH
YOUNG FAMILIES AT CRYSTAL COAST COUNTRY CLUB in Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., can cool off without having to step foot in the pool, thanks to a new splash pad area. As part of a larger club-wide renovation, following an ownership change in 2019, the kids-only amenity was unveiled during summer 2020 and has been a big draw for the littlest members.
“The addition allows for families to congregate around the pool while the children have fun in a safe environment,” says General Manager/Director of Golf Danny Torbush.
Located adjacent to the main pool and separated by gates, the splash pad for ages 12 and under features four water features activated by a timer that members can control to their liking. With a combined occupancy of 100 people at a time, the splash pad extends the main pool’s usefulness beyond a traditional standalone swim spot. Because of their close proximity, the pad’s design enables parents to monitor their child while in the pool area or at the splash pad itself.
In the last two years, Crystal Coast has added 400 new members, many of whom are utilizing the pool facilities. According to Torbush, the splash pad has been met with resounding approval.
“It allows the parents and grandparents time to actually relax while at the pool, while their kids and grandkids enjoyed the splash pad instead of the main pool,” he notes.
The splash pad at Crystal Coast Country Club has been a popular addition for families with young children. THUNDER HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
–Andy DeSollar, General Manager
In the off-season, the cabana’s big draw is the addition of two golf simulators that can be used from November through April. “This has added a whole new amenity, enhanced membership value and improved member retention,” says DeSollar. As a result, Thunder Hills has seen a 25-percent social membership increase since the renovation.
In the months ahead, the club plans to add extra seating and shade structures to accommodate an uptick in traffic. The combination of increased decking and an expanded cabana enable better social distancing during the busy season.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
For pandemic-weary members at Milburn Golf and Country Club in Overland Park, Kan., a newly minted pool and dining facility has become the place to be. The $4.7 million redesign was unveiled to members last Memorial Day weekend and has enabled the club to meet an increased demand in social memberships.
A complete overhaul of the existing 5,100-sq. ft. pool includes a two-board dive well and walk-in staircase. In addition, a small baby/toddler pool was replaced with a 2,285-sq. ft. zero-entry lounge pool.
“Not only is it kid-friendly with the shallow entry, [but] we added a lounge chair bench for parents to watch their children or enjoy a beverage and enjoy the pool, as well,” says General Manager/COO James Nanson.
A splash pad is also part of the leisure pool’s design, extending the fun to older siblings.
To streamline output, each of the pools now has its own dedicated pump system and heater, resulting in greater energy efficiency and overall savings.
Surrounding these water structures is expanded pool decking—an area that boasts a 20-percent increase—where visitors can take advantage of the club’s mobile F&B ordering service or grab-and-go menu. Members also have the option of sitting in a separate covered outdoor space (with a maximum occupancy of 60) or an elevated patio outfitted with tables and adjustable umbrellas (with permitted seating for up to 100). A rebuilt bistro, complete with an indoor/outdoor bar, helps to extend the dining options beyond the pool deck.
“The renovation has allowed us to add an amenity that can be utilized while swimming or just wanting to enjoy an outdoor space,” says Nanson.
MILBURN GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB
—James Nanson, General Manager/COO
Since last spring’s opening of the renovated pool and surrounding dining amenities, Milburn has seen a tremendous boost in membership. Nanson reports a 95-percent satisfaction rate on the club’s most recent survey, and a waitlist for both golf and social memberships has already begun.
“The pool is a home away from home for a lot of our families in the summer,” he says. “With the new pool bar and restaurant, a lot of our members who didn’t ever use the pool in previous years frequented the new facility this past summer.”
In anticipation of summer rush, the club plans to add more poolside furniture and update the outdoor sound system with extra speakers. “We are already hiring and training staff for the new season and look forward to another busy season,” enthuses Nanson.
SUMMER CENTRAL
To further establish its outdoor recreation as a member destination at an essential time, The Muttontown Club in East Norwich, N.Y. recently refurbished its pool facility. Opened just in time for the 2021 summer season, the $1 million project includes an updated pool and enhanced member accommodations that go beyond a refreshing dip.
Working within the existing layout, design plans centered upon additional functionality to the current setup, including a new shallow end (with two stairways), skimmer system and tiling.
“We already had a fantastic layout for our outdoor pool, indoor locker rooms and snack bar,” says General Manager Chris Bell, outlining the goal of upgrading the pool and expanding the social areas to accommodate more families. “The vibe that was created is an atmosphere where people can hang out and enjoy the outdoors, even if [they are] not swimming.”
A new gradient entry simplifies access into the 13,668-sq. ft. resort-style, freeform pool; the installation of three ladders provides additional entry/exit points. Removing an adjoining playground made room for an expansive children’s splash pad, surrounded by loungers and umbrellas where parents can comfortably keep a watchful eye on their kids. Further enhancing the poolside recreation are a full marble bar, couches and firepit area and marble buffet that can be booked for private parties and barbecues.
Helping to maximize the family clubgo-
800.231.9790 sleigh@texacraft.com
ing experience is the newly updated pool house, where a storage room has been converted into a kids’ gaming center, complete with air hockey tables, games and a television set. New drop ceiling, lights and fl ooring add polish to the renovated space. “This room now serves as TMC summer camp headquarters,” says Bell proudly, noti ng the club’s ability to off er a camp program for the fi rst ti me last year.
Even though Covid was a factor during the pool’s reopening, TMC did not let the pandemic derail its operati ons. By off ering morning and aft ernoon pool sessions via advanced reservati ons, the club was able to limit the number of guests at any given ti me. “This allowed us to separate the lounge chairs based on reservati ons and party size to ensure that there was no overcrowding, and that proper social distancing was maintained,” notes Bell.
Now, with the height of the pandemic in the rearview and summer on the horizon, TMC is ready for yet another fruitf ul season. Having added a pool membership opti on to its off erings and welcoming a new infl ux of members this past year, the club’s maintenance department is busily preparing for plenty of acti vity. “By opening, the pool is warm and all the faciliti es are sparkling,” says Bell. C+RB
THE MUTTONTOWN CLUB
East Norwich, N.Y.
—Chris Bell, General Manager
Echo Lake Country Club, Westfield NJ
DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE FOR PRIVATE CLUBS & HOSPITALITY
Dressed
to the Nines
An award-winning renovation that converted a county-run 18-hole golf course into the first reversible nine in Florida has decreased maintenance inputs – and increased interest in playing the two short courses.
SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE. WHEN Sailfi sh Sands Golf Course, formerly the 36-hole Marti n County Golf & Country Club in Stuart, Fla., completed renovati ons last fall, the public property reopened with a new look and a new name.
The footprint of one of the 18-hole layouts, which originally opened in the 1920s, also was reduced when it was redesigned as a nine-hole reversible golf course—the fi rst reversible course in Florida. Sailfi sh Sands won a 2021 American Society of Golf Course Architects Environmental Excellence Award for its eff orts, as well.
“We needed to modernize our golf course. We needed to do something to stand apart from everybody,” says Kevin Abbate, Marti n County Parks and Recreati on Director.
He knew the county, which retook control of golf course operati ons in 2015 from a nonprofi t that had had a 40-year lease to manage the property, needed to come up with something special to get declining rounds and revenue back on track.
“I had done some research, and the board gave the architects the challenge to come up with a reversible nine,” Abbate says. “We also considered having double greens, but this was the best design on the available land. This is my baby.”
Aft er nearly 50 public meeti ngs to develop concepts and get approvals for the $8.2 million project, constructi on got underway in March 2020 right aft er the pandemic hit. The golf course, which was closed during constructi on, reopened in October 2021.
Before the renovati on, Abbate says, “The worst days were Saturday and Sunday. Now the best days are Saturday and Sunday.”
Sailfi sh Sands now has about 260 rounds per day for all 27 holes, which includes the Sailfi sh 18 course, adds Abbate, and 60% of total play has been on the nine-hole course.
Covering 60 acres, the reversible courses—the Sands Black and the Sands Gold—can be played as 18 diff erent holes with par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s. Each hole has fi ve sets of tee boxes, and golfers play in one directi on one week and the opposite directi on the following week.
The 3,368-yard, par-35 Sands Black Course plays clockwise into a tailwind, and the 2,868-yard, par-34 Sands Gold Course plays counterclockwise into a headwind. “The Sands Gold is the harder of the two,” Abbate says.
‘ALL ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT’
When the former course—the Red and White—was reduced to the nine-hole layout, the overall area requiring maintenance inputs such as mowing, along with chemical and fertilizer applications, decreased by 40% as well.
Twenty acres of unirrigated native areas were retained to reduce the amount of maintained turf, and at least seven golf holes stretching across 40-50 acres from the 18-hole Red and White were removed from inside the adjacent airport’s Runway Protection Zone and allowed to revert to their natural state.
“We’re all about the environment,” says Golf Course Superintendent Joe Brink, who started working at the property six months ago, after the grow-in was complete. “We’re basically farmers that grow turf as our crop. We need to do everything we can to protect the land and conserve water.”
Martin County also has environmental requirements for the products it uses on the golf course, and Golf Course Administrator Michael Saunders says eco-friendly maintenance practices create a “positive image for the golf course.”
While native trees and palms were preserved, nuisance vegetation was eliminated. Water consumption and stormwater runoff into waterways has been reduced, and the elevation of low areas improved site drainage. Brink also follows South Florida Water Management District specifications.
“This property drains quite well because it is on a sand ridge that runs through the east coast of Florida,” he says.
The superintendent also calls the irrigation system, which was installed on all of the holes four or five years ago, “the best one I have ever had.”
“Now I can be very detailed and specific on what I want to water and when,” he says. “It has in and out sprinkler heads on the greens that can water just the greens or only the slopes outside the greens.”
When the former course—the Red and White—was reduced to a nine-hole layout, water usage and stormwater runoff into waterways were reduced, and the elevation of low areas improved site drainage.
Golf Scorecard SAILFISH SANDS GOLF COURSE
Club Website: www.sailfishsands.com No. of Holes: 27 (Championship Sailfish 18, Reversible 9 Sands Black and Sands Gold) Designer: John Sanford, Reversible 9 Type: Public/Daily Fee Year Opened: 1926 pre-renovation; 2021 post-renovation Golf Season: Year-round Annual Rounds of Golf: 50,000 Fairways: Reversible 9 – Celebration Bermudagrass; Championship 18 – 419 Bermudagrass Greens: Reversible 9 – TifEagle Bermudagrass; Championship 18 – Jones Dwarf Bermudagrass
The reversible golf course also has a combination of sand bunkers and waste bunkers. While maintenance staff members rake the sand bunkers daily, the waste bunkers only require edging, weeding, and trimming.
In addition, Brink says that the staff mows the reversible course just like a traditional golf course. Crew members mow the greens daily. They mow the tees and fairways three times a week and the rough as needed.
The maintained area of the reversible nine includes 25 acres of fairways, 2 1/2 acres of greens, and 2 acres of tees. The rough covers 20 acres, and no-mow areas, where native grasses grow, are located in various spots on the course.
TifEagle greens and Celebration Bermudagrass tees, fairways, and rough on the Sands courses have improved maintenance inputs as well.
With its ability to handle lower mowing heights and frequent verticutting to control thatch buildup, the TifEagle turf recovers more quickly from mechanical injury. The cold-hardy, droughttolerant, disease-resistant Ultra-Dwarf also has better color than traditional grasses. In addition, the TifEagle grass has improved the speed, consistency, and playability of the greens.
The dense, deep blue-green Celebration Bermudagrass stands up well to wear-and-tear, heat, cold, shade, drought, and salt.
The new-and-improved Sands Black and Sands Gold courses don’t only benefit the maintenance staff. The reversible nine provides advantages to golfers, as well.
“They love it. The course is in great condition,” reports Saunders. “The ball rolls well. It rolls true. The conditions are second to none.”
Formerly the Marti n County Golf & Country Club, Salfi sh Sands closed in March 2020 for renovati ons and reopened in October 2021 to rave reviews.
PGA Golf Professional Will Reilly agrees. “A huge advantage is the conditi on of the golf course,” he adds. “When we fl ip the golf course, it’s completely diff erent. The general public always gets a golf course that’s in really good shape.”
Brink, who oversees all 27 holes, says maintaining the Sands courses is no diff erent from maintaining the 18-hole course.
“My agricultural plan is prett y much universal throughout the whole property,” he says. “I sti ll maintain the turf the same way I would maintain turf on any golf course. The only diff erence is setup.”
GOLF FOR GENERATIONS
Along with its favorable environmental impact, the project, which was seven years in the making, was designed to grow the game as well.
“Our goal is to get golf clubs into the hands of fi rst-ti mers,” says Abbate. “The goal was to create a golf course for any generati on. We’re trying to appeal to the masses as a public facility that provides something for everybody in the golf world.”
Marti n County has been getti ng calls from people about the golf course, he adds, and the reversible nine is a conversati on
In additi on to the course renovati on, Sailfi sh Sands also introduced a 13-acre Toptracer Range that’s lighted for evening practi ce or play.
piece as well as a marketi ng tool.
“It’s a competi ti ve advantage overall. When somebody hears about it, they want to know about it and they want to come play it,” Saunders says. “It’s a brand new golf course, so it’s creati ng a lot of excitement with people inside and outside the county.”
Player development is a big part of Sailfi sh Sands, he adds, and being the fi rst reversible nine in Florida—and one of only four in the United States—has become an important aspect of the property’s identi ty.
“It’s huge,” says Saunders. “You can’t overstate it. A lot of it has to do with Kevin’s vision. He came up with the idea. It’s not just a regular, 18-hole golf course that you’re going to come out and play. It’s for everyone from a 36-handicap to a scratch golfer.”
Reilly, who has worked at the property for six months, says one of his chief roles is to describe and explain the reversible course to people so they’ll want to play it.
“The fi rst ti me people play it, it’s a litt le confusing. The second ti me, they love it,” he says. “The only way to truly get all the angles and understand why the greens are built a certain way and the bunkers face a certain way is to play it.”
Reilly also is in charge of the multi ple programs at Sailfi sh Sands, such as its Family Golf Program, Get Golf Ready, Power Principle Program, and Welcome to Golf, and he uses the ninehole course to att ract new golfers.
“The tees make it more interesti ng because we can move them all over the course,” says Reilly.
Other new ameniti es at Sailfi sh Sands include a 13-acre, Toptracer Range-powered practi ce facility that includes lighti ng for evening practi ce or play, LED glow balls, interacti ve targets, and ball-tracking technology.
“Toptracer appeals to people who are serious about working on their game,” notes Saunders.
When golfers download an app, Abbate explains, cameras or radar on the range follow their ball so that the technology tracks the ball speed, accuracy, distance and trajectory of every shot. “That range has been unbelievably busy,” he adds.
A restaurant and 20 climate-controlled hitti ng bays that have Toptracer technology will open in the late spring or early summer. From the double-decker bays, golfers can hit to the natural grass on the driving range.
Unlike the previous range that ran east to west, the new driving range, which also opened in October, runs north to south, Saunders says, so the sun no longer is an issue.
‘YES’ MAN
Reilly, who previously worked with Saunders and was recruited by him to run the golf programs at Sailfi sh Sands, credits the property’s newfound success to the staff ’s innovati ve, cutti ng edge, forward thinking.
He quickly has developed a rapport with Brink as well.
“Joe has been very open to everything we wanted to do,”
Superintendent Profile JOE BRINK
Years at Sailfish Sands Golf Course: Six months Years in the Golf Course Maintenance Business: 30 Previous Employment: Lake Worth Beach (Fla.) Golf Club Certifications: Class A member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA); Restricted Use Pesticide License Honors and Awards: Brink won the Most Improved Condition Award in 2018 at Lake Worth Beach Golf Club and has three safety certificate achievements. In 2021, Sailfish Sands earned an American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) Environmental Excellence Award and a Golf Range Association of America Top 50 Range Award.
Course + Grounds Operations Profile SAILFISH SANDS GOLF COURSE
Annual Budget: $2,105,908 Staff: Four fulltime; 16 part-time Key Staff Members: Michael Saunders, Golf Course Administrator; Will Reilly, Golf Professional Irrigation System: Toro Lynx Water Source and Usage: Sailfish Sands Golf Course’s water source comes from the ponds and lakes on the course itself, with usage of 1.5 million gallons a month. Equipment: Sailfish Sands Golf Course uses Toro equipment and currently owns all of the equipment. Technology: GPS on golf carts equipped with geofencing; Toptracer technology on driving range, glow range nights with LED targets, leadership boards and challenge boards like “beat the pro,” “closest to the pin,” and “precision” competition game plays that alternate monthly. Maintenance Facility: Sailfish Sands Golf Course maintenance facility includes a large break room equipped with a restaurant-grade coffee machine, 25 lockers, two restrooms, three offices, a storage area, and mechanic shop designed to be able to move large equipment in and out of the shop easily. Aerating and Overseeding Schedules: Aerification on greens three times a year, tees three times a year, and fairways two times a year. No overseeding. Upcoming Capital Projects: Sailfish Sands Golf Course’s upcoming capital projects include a restaurant with a full bar and 20 hitting bays with Toptracer technology, where well-known courses will be able to be played virtually along with different games. New tee boxes, new fairways and greens will be built on the 18-hole Championship course. Duties and Responsibilities: At Sailfish Sands Golf Course, staff duties and responsibilites include the entire golf operation, tee time reservations, golf cart operations, lessons and programs, leagues, re-gripping and club repair, glow ball range nights, Toptracer range management, inventory and pro shop management, golf course conditions, and pace of play.
says Reilly. “Our superintendent has done a fantasti c job. He always says, ‘yes.’ It’s great to have a superintendent that’s on your side.”
For instance, on the Sailfi sh 18, Reilly says they asked Brink to verti cut the greens, remove the thatch from them and roll them when some people said they were too slow.
“The greens roll at a pace that’s appropriate for a public golf course. It’s set up to provide golfers who come here to have a positi ve experience,” Saunders says.
Before the season started, he adds, they also asked Brink to widen the fairways on the Sands courses.
The three of them get together every day to discuss golf course setup, pin positi ons, and the speed of the greens.
If Reilly gets an e-mail in praise of the putti ng surfaces, he makes sure to forward it to Brink. “Joe doesn’t get to hear the compliments,” says Reilly.
While Brink has separate six-man crews and equipment for each golf course, the two staff s operate as a team, as well.
“We use all manpower as needed if there’s a project on one golf course or the other,” states Brink. “We recently had all hands on deck for a PGA Junior event on the 18-hole golf course.”
Brink and Reilly compile a master schedule of major maintenance projects and golf course outi ngs, and the superintendent also drops by the pro shop regularly to fi nd out if there have been any complaints or if anything needs to be addressed.
“Communicati on is number one, and Joe does a good job of fostering that,” Reilly says. “When no one cares who gets the credit, a lot of good things can be done.” C+RB
