April 2008

Goose Valley
Recovering from crippling floods

Also in this issue

• 5 Star Golf Experience
• Orlando Trade Show
• Rainy days • Boca West Country Club
• E-mail newsletters • Caddie training
• Security • Earthworm farming
• Key performance standards
• Instant HR

Volume 4 Issue 4
A monthly business-to-business Visit www.compleatgolfer.co.za
magazine for golf clubs, brought to you by for back issues of GCM
 CONTENTS CLUB PROFILE

Build your course

LEAD STORY
Goose Valley Golf Estate  4
5 Star Golf Experience!
You too can aim for the 5 Star

on sandy soil
Golf Experience! 7
THE ORLANDO GOLF INDUSTRY
TRADE SHOW
There’s nothing Mickey Mouse about the
Orlando Golf Industry Trade Show 8
COURSE MANAGEMENT
Rainy days are here again! 13
OVERSEAS NEWS
Make your club a lifesyle 14
Security
Blackout and tight finances causing
more fraud and theft 17
Worm Farming
The early bird catches the worm 18
E-mail Newsletters
Should e-mail newsletters be weekly The 11th green during the floods of November 2007.
or monthly? 21
Caddies
The caddie predicament part 2 22 Goose Valley Golf Estate on the Garden Route suffered
Birdies & Bogeys crippling floods on 29th November 2007 and yet was
Snippets 25
Instant HR open for play within 24 hours. How did they do it and
Become an HR expert – Just add water! 27
what lessons can other clubs learn from their
experiences? GCM spoke to Klippie Melck, their club
General Management
Identifying the general manager’s

manager, and Gaeren Wilkinson, their greenkeeper, to

key performance standards 30

Cover picture by Andrew Wilson:

Looking down the short par 4 17th hole
find out how they managed it.
at Goose Valley Golf Estate.
To quote from the bible, Matthew chapter survived the storm, but maybe building tech-
seven verse 24 says “The rain came down, niques have improved since the time that the
■ Editorial 
ANDREW WILSON the streams rose, and the winds blew and parable of the wise and foolish builders was
email: consultaew@iafrica.com beat against that house; yet it did not fall, written.
cell: 082 575 3861
because it had its foundations on rock. But The floods really were devastating. To
■ AdvertisinG everyone who hears these words of mine put them in perspective, the neighbouring
Simon Turck
(PUBLISHER) and does not put them into practice is like Lookout Beach at Plettenberg Bay was
email: simon@rsp.co.za a foolish man who built his house on sand. totally washed away. This was caused by
cell: 083 252 8387
The rains came down, the streams rose, and the fact that the flooding coincided with
■ AdvertisinG the winds blew and beat against that house, the spring high tide. Vast quantities of flood
TYRON MARTIN
(ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE) and it fell with a great crash”. water came down from as far away as the
email: tyronm@rsp.co.za Obviously golf course designer Phil Karoo only to meet an exceptionally high
cell: 083 235 7509
Jacobs was more concerned about the course incoming tide pushing up the vastly larger
■ Advertising than he was about the club house when he Keurbooms river mouth. The flood levels
James Ferrans
(National Sales Manager) designed and built the second nine at Goose were recorded as being 1.4 meters higher
email: jamesf@rsp.co.za Valley Golf Estate on the Garden Route, than previously recorded in living memory.
cell: 084 252 6373
which opened officially on 27th April 2003 At one point, pig-nosed grunter were seen
■ SUBSCRIBE to GCM for R240 a year. under the watchful eye of Gary Player. The swimming across the submerged 11th green.
Contact Natalie Shekleton
tel: 011 301 4448 extended course and the original course, The pot bunkers acted like ancient fish traps;
email: natalies@rsp.co.za built in 1994, are built on sand dunes which when the water receded, fish were to be
Visit our website www.compleatgolfer.co.za accounts for the excellent drainage, which found trapped in the bunkers, much to the
in turn, was the major contributing factor delight of the local population!
A monthly
business-to- enabling it to recover so quickly after the The high flood levels on the Keurbooms
business magazine
brought to you by
devastating floods of November 2007. We river caused substantial damage at San
are pleased to report that the club house also Marino, Silver Ranch, Twin Rivers,

4 April 2008 Golf Club Management


The 11th green at Goose Valley Golf Estate was submerged during the floods and at one
point had pig-nosed grunters swimming arcross it!
Strandmeer, the Protea Keurbooms Hotel
and other places.
In spite of all this devastation, the course
was playable within 24 hours. How was this
possible? As already mentioned, the main
reason was because the course was built on
sand dunes and therefore drained exception-
ally well. But what else did they do to make
sure their disaster recovery time was as short
as possible?
There is no doubt in the minds of both
Klippie Melck and Gaeren Wilkinson that
the original design of the course had a lot
to do with its ability to recover quickly. Phil
Jacobs and Gary Player ensured that all the
fairways were tilted to encourage run-off
and that “berms” were created to divert
water towards the watercourses. In addition
to this, the greenkeeping staff had constantly
worked to ensure that the flood plains were
free of clutter. There was a minimum of
loose material on the course that could have
caused blockages and the subsequent dam-
ming of water.
Another decision they took, which paid
handsome dividends, was to fertilise the
course with a controlled release 21:4:11 fer-
tiliser. This they did two weeks before the
flood. In spite of the quantity of water they
had to deal with, the fertiliser continued to
do its work long after the floods had sub-
sided. If they had used a cheaper form of
standard fertiliser, all the goodness would
have been washed away with the floods.
The flood water that covered the 11th
green was low in salinity, the amount of
flood water in the lagoon having diluted the
normally pure sea water and apart from the
bunkers, no damage was caused to the green
by the flood waters; there was no “force”
involved with the flooding of this green. On
the other side of the course a completely
different picture emerged. The lake in front
of the Turtle Creek Golf Estate homes over-
flowed and the stream dividing that section
of the course became a raging torrent.
Carts were banned from the course for two
days and for a period of time after that, all
“traffic” had to be re-routed so that they only
used the higher ground. This also applied to
the maintenance vehicles. Bridges, made out
of planks laid on the ground, were used to
provide access over the more sodden areas of
the course and players had to be routed, using
stakes and ropes, away from the more sen-
sitive areas. Luckily Goose Valley had laid
down adequate stocks of planks, stakes and
rope for just such an eventuality. In addition,
extra marshals had to be deployed to advise
and guide the players with regard to the best
routes to take to enable them to complete
their round with reasonably dry feet.
Once the flood waters had fully receded, the
only major repair work that had to be carried
out was to the bunkers. Most of the sand had
washed away and had to be replaced. It is often
at times of extreme adversity that we learn the
most. In spite of the fact that the course was
extremely well designed and prepared for
Heading the recovery team at Goose
Valley: greenkeeper Gaeren Wilkinson
and club manager Klippie Melck.
CLUB PROFILE
Goose Valley Golf Stats
Home Owners Men: 494
Ladies: 183
Juniors: 30
Outside Members Men: 140
Ladies: 56
Juniors: 23
Hon/Courtesy: 23
TOTAL Members: 949
Considering the floods in November,
the December/January rounds played
were excellent and are summarized as
follows:
Members rounds: 9 holes: 923
18 holes: 1.521
Visitor rounds: 9 holes: 2,213
18 holes: 5,528
Golf cart rounds: 9 Holes: 453
18 holes: 1277
Tee Length Course
Rating
Championship 5951 71
Club 5720 70
Ladies 4858 70
flooding the club is now working on increasing
the capacity of the “berms” to channel away
further extreme amounts of water.
Two security fences that created a “dam-
ming” effect have been redesigned to a
fail-safe system whereby excessive pressure
on the fence will allow for a controlled break
allowing the gates to swing open on hinges
to clear the flood water.
So what can other clubs learn from the
Goose Valley experience? Firstly, most areas
of South Africa are prone to flooding from
time to time. You may not be lucky enough
to have your course built on sand or to have
it designed in a way to enable flood water
to run easily off the fairways and greens.
This shouldn’t stop you from preparing in
other ways. The more prepared you are, the
sooner you will be able to get golfers back
on to your course and therefore the sooner
you will be generating income to pay for
some of the inevitable damage caused by
the flooding.
For more on the Goose Valley experience
contact Klippie Melck on 044 533 5082 or
at manager@goosevalleygolfclub.com
Golf Club Management April 2008 5

You too can aim for the
5 Star Golf Experience!
Not all clubs can hope to offer a 5 Star Golf Experience, but every club can up their
game and improve their facilities. Ian Leach of Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro is a
Compleat Golfer 5 Star Golf Experience panel judge. In a series of eight articles he
shares with GCM readers what he looks for when judging the experience a club
offers its members and visitors.
The Compleat Golfer 5 Star Golf
Experience considers eight different cri-
teria that make up a golfer’s total experience
when playing golf at any club. The 5 Star
Experience was written up in the March 2007
edition of GCM and this year’s awards were
featured in the March edition of Compleat
Golfer. The eight criteria considered in the
programme are:
1. Clubhouse facilities
2. a) Golf course – service and facilities
b) Golf course – quality of experience
3. Halfway house
4. Practice facilities
5. Quality of customer service
6. Price/value relationship
7. Services offered
8. Ambience
One of the stated objectives of the pro-
gramme has always been to constantly help
raise the standard of the golf experience
offered by clubs throughout South Africa.
This is achieved by drawing the attention
of club management to what they can do to
improve their facilities and standards of cus-
tomer service offered. There is no doubt that
the process has been successful and that it
has contributed to the overall improvement
in the golf experience over the past three
years. In order to help clubs even further,
GCM has decided to publish a series cov-
ering all eight of the criteria in more detail.
The first of these is the subject of
Clubhouse Facilities.
The Compleat Golfer evaluators clearly
recognize that all clubs do not and cannot
be expected to have large, modern high-
cost clubhouses with everything in them
that opens and shuts. What is considered
is the layout, quality, housekeeping and
general condition of seven different areas
within the clubhouse buildings. No matter
how old, big or small a clubhouse is, it must
be appropriate to the club, have a good
layout with a smooth flow of goods and
people and be maintained in good condition.
Housekeeping and cleanliness should always
be impeccable. This all seems to be logical
and simple to attain yet when one takes a
closer look, many clubs do not pay enough
attention to detail in their clubhouses. Very
often significant improvements can be made
at little or no cost increment.
The seven areas examined in the clubhouse
are:
• Entrance, golf centre, reception and
public spaces
• Golf shop
• Change rooms and locker rooms
• Clubhouse bar
• Restaurant, lounge and function rooms
• Outdoor bars, patios and dining areas
• Ablution facilities
For those club managers who want to rise
to the challenge we invite you to take a crit-
ical look at your own clubhouse facilities.
Look out for empty boxes, old magazines,
piles of paper and anything else in the public
places that should not be there. Look for art-
work not properly lined up, untidiness in the
racks of the golf shop, windows that have
not been cleaned, light bulbs that have not
been replaced for ages, dirty carpets, shabby
walls and wall-hangings. Often one will find
function tables and chairs just left where they
were last used. In particular, special atten-
5 STAR GOLF EXPERIENCE
tion needs to be paid to the change rooms.
Take a look at the condition and laundering
of towels, cleanliness in the showers, the
condition of the lockers, broken appliances,
leaking taps. Are your vanity basins cleaned
regularly during the day and when last were
your hair combs cleaned or replaced?
Other areas that require special attention
are bars and restaurants, not to mention the
kitchens. Look behind the bar counters
for cleanliness and any old materials that
should have been disposed of. Are the
staff properly dressed and looking smart?
Do they adequately represent the status
and culture of the club? Inspect the club
trophies, are they clean and polished and
properly positioned in the trophy cabinet?
The list is endless.
Club managers and their line managers
are often too busy to pay attention to the
detail of the clubhouse. If this is so, then
get somebody to do it for you. Remember
first impressions are vitally important. As
the age-old expression goes, we sometimes
cannot see the wood for the trees! You
should not let this happen at your club and
with respect, these typical shortcomings are
not too difficult to turn around. Clubhouse
facilities account for 11.0% of the 5 Star
Experience so it is worth your while to accept
the challenge to improve. Good luck.
Ian Leach, a 5 Star Golf Experience panel
judge, can be contacted at Euphoria Golf
Estate & Hydro as follows:
e-mail: ianleach@euphoriaestate.co.za
cell: 082 892 8693
office: (014) 743-2242/3759.
Golf Club Management April 2008 7
THE ORLANDO GOLF INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW

There’s nothing Mickey Mouse about

the Orlando Golf Industry Trade Show
Willie Pretorius of Golf Course Solutions recently visited the Golf Industry Trade Show
in Orlando and came back fired with enthusiasm and convinced that new horizons
are opening up for the turf industry world wide. In this article, he shares some of
his experiences with GCM readers.
As an introductory remark, the golf through to the Friday. Each one of the 3. to further establish what is new in the
industry trade show must not be confused affiliated organizations runs a series of con- field of turf-growing technology as well
with the PGA merchandise trade show also ference seminars scheduled on all five days as related machinery and chemicals that
held in Orlando two weeks prior to this one. of the show. support these new technologies.
The industry show is all about the club, Firstly, having attended more interna-
the clubhouse, the course and everything tional trade shows that I care to remember, I In sharing my experiences I trust you
that contributes to the overall golf course have learnt that it is very important to go with will get a feel for the intensity and vibe that
and club facility and therefore has a large some objectives that you want to achieve existed in Orlando.
turf science content. The merchandise show and then at the end of the show evaluate how In order to get the most from a trade show
on the other hand is all about golf clubs, golf you achieved against your objectives. like Orlando and to ensure I achieved my
balls, apparel, golf clothing and everything objectives, I started studying the program
to do with the actual game and merchandise My own objectives for this show were: well in advance so that I could schedule my
supporting this. 1. to strengthen my already established rela- time in the most efficient manner. Every
The industry trade show brings together tionships with the international academia year I use the first three days to attend very
the Golf Course Superintendants Association that work in the turf science field. specific high level educational seminars
of the USA (GCSAA), the National Golf 2. to expand these contacts if at all presented by the best authors the turf grass
Course Owners Association (NGCOA), the possible. industry in the USA can offer from the turf
Club Managers Association of the USA
(CMAA) and the following supporting
organizations; the Golf Course Builders
Association of the USA, the American
Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA)
and the National Golf Foundation (NGF).
At the conference several awards are also
given of which the Old Tom Morris award
must rank as the most prestigious and is
awarded annually to a person that has made
a meaningful contribution to the game of
golf. This year’s award was given to Greg
Norman.
Although the show runs from Monday to
Saturday, the trade show (the product and
merchandise displays) only starts on the
Thursday and ends mid-day Saturday. There
were in excess of one thousand exhibitors
in the west wing of the Orlando Conference
Centre which has a floor area in excess
of 100 000 sq meters and also includes a
store selling a large number of turf related The Old Tom Morris award for making a meaningful contribution to the game of golf is
books. the most prestigious award at the Orlando Golf Industry Trade Show. The 2008 winner
The other days are taken up by seminar was Greg Norman.
and conference events which continue

8 April 2008 Golf Club Management


science university faculties all over the
USA.
Seminars on offer during this five-day
period this year numbered 121 and included
all topics related to the golf course super-
intendant’s job; the cost of these seminars
varies from US $115 for a half day seminar
to US $445 for a two-day seminar. Running
concurrently with these “specialized edu-
cational seminars” are conference items
which are free for all registered attendees.
These topics cover hands-on issues usually
presented by a superintendant who happens
to have researched a specific issue at his or
her facility. These presentations are usually
grouped together and presented in short
half-hour presentations, dealing with very
practical issues. The choices you make as to
what to attend are therefore not easy as you
are literally overwhelmed by a huge amount
of content.
The first seminar I attended was presented
by Dr. Al Turgeon and Dr. Joe Vargas and
was titled “The Physiology and Culture of
Annual Blue Grass”.
Dr. Al Turgeon is presently professor
of turf grass management at Pennsylvania
State University having obtained his Ph D
at Michigan State University with a strong
specialty bias to turf grass cultural practices.
Dr. Joe Vargas is one of the most interesting
speakers you can ever wish to listen to,
particularly as he is someone who has, on
several occasions, changed the thinking on a
particular issue. He obtained his Ph D from
the Oklahoma State University in 1968 and
moved to the teaching staff of Michigan State
University as Professor of Plant Pathology.
He was the recipient of the “greens section
award” at the 2007 Conference in Anaheim,
California. He is still at MSU where he has
published in excess of three hundred papers
on turf science related subjects.
The important issue from this presenta-
tion was the enormous amount of biotypes
that exist within the Poa annua specie and
the incredible mechanisms that this specie
has in its arsenal to survive and to dominate.
A very good overview of cultural practices
was given in this presentation taking the
physiological growth cycle into consid-
eration when a practice is performed. Dr.
Turgeon again brought home the importance
of understanding the USGA green specifica-
tion and what to expect when incorrect sand
THE ORLANDO GOLF INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW
The Orlando Conference Centre which houses the Golf Industy Trade Show covers in
excess of 100 000m2.
textures are used in top dressing that will not
only create impervious layers but are the ini-
tiators of black layering
The other seminar I attended was on
“Strategies for Poa annua prevention and
control” presented by Dr. Bruce Branham
of the University of Illinois and Ronald
Calhoun of Michigan State University (a
colleague of Dr Joe Vargas).
This seminar provided some very inter-
esting herbicide control measures for Poa
annua on tees and fairways and somewhat of
a different approach on Bent Grass greens.
From this seminar I also learnt of a newly
discovered chemical that is very selective
in its suppressing action of Poa annua on
Bent and could possibly be available for
registration in SA within the next eighteen
months. They have not yet been able to
decide whether this chemical should be
classified as a herbicide or a Plant Growth
Regulator (PGR). The results at MSU are
extremely encouraging and it was suggested
by Ron Calhoun that this chemical, together
with a proven biological control measure,
is what they are looking for as the ideal
combination.
One of the outstanding conference items
was presented by Michael Morris, the Head
Golf Course Superintendant at Crystal Downs
Country Club, Frankfort, Michigan, which he
titled “ You do what with your Stimpmeter?”
In his presentation he refers to the intense
frustration this piece of equipment has caused
many superintendants and how they over-
came this problem at Crystal Downs. This
was achieved by going onto a comprehensive
communication and member involvement
exercise that ultimately has put this issue
to rest. In his presentation he also refers to
a green-speed quickening program that also
has beneficial turf spin offs such as less
Dollar Spot as well as fewer localised dry
spots amongst others. The research work at
this site was done together with Dr Thomas
Nikolai and Dr Joe Vargas from MSU.
Interesting items on display were:
– The new Graden Verti cutter with fitted
sand box and seed tray allowing you to
deep verticut, fill in the removed sand and
interseed at the same time.
– Precision Laboratories exhibited a range
of “Precision Zone Surfactants” with
three distinct products; one that provides
water movement through the thatch and
water repellant soils; one that moves
water through the top two inches of the
root zone, and a third one that moves
water into the deeper areas of the soil
profile.
– Spectrum Technologies has a very wide
range of measuring equipment; from
weather stations to all kinds of units
measuring temperatures, soil moisture,
Continued on page 11
Golf Club Management April 2008 9
 THE ORLANDO GOLF INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW

Continued from page 9
pH, electrical conductivity, soil compac-
tion and many more. The most recent
innovation is their “SpecMaps” that ena-
bles you to draw up a GPS map of the
area with contours. A SpecMap of a green
or fairway measuring EC will immedi-
ately indentify your so-called salinity
“hot spots” that need treating; moisture
readings, compaction and pH, can now
also be mapped in the same fashion.
– Airfield Systems exhibited their new revo-
lutionary sports drainage systems that are
suitable for complete sports fields, golf
greens and bunkers. In fact the stadium of
the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona,
where the Super Bowl match was recently
played is drained with this system. The
research was conducted by Texas A&M
University and their opinion is that, because
of the ease of installation as well as the effi-
ciency of the system, it could quite soon be
sanctioned by the USGA as a recognized
greens drainage system.
The new Graden Verti cutter with sand
box and seed tray allows you to deep
verti cut, fill in the removed sand and
interseed at the same time.
– The American Society of Golf Course
Architects provided Question and Answer
Brochures on the following topics:
• Selecting your golf course architect.
• Master planning for golf courses.
• The golf course remodeling process.
• An environmental approach to golf
course design.
– The USGA provided a very informative
document summarizing their complete
turf grass research program for 2007 with
the results and discussions.
I can go on and on but it must be remem-
bered that each person has different interests
and the above, very brief summary is given
from my own perspective, which is “main-
taining good turf health and identifying
stress conditions with particular emphasis on
salinity issues as well as Poa annua control
and identifying the best cultural practices to
achieve this”.
As a closing remark I want to advise that
the 2009 golf industry show and conference
is scheduled to be held in New Orleans,
Louisiana, from the 3rd to the 7th of February.
If there is any way you can make a plan to be
there, you’ll be doing yourself a favour.
For more information on the Orlando
Golf Industry Trade Show in particular or
course management matters in general,
contact Willie Pretorius of Golf Course
Solutions. (tel 021 913 2913 /
083 4589854) or visit the show website
www.golfindustryshow.com

DRIVING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd is the first company within the turf care
industry to be awarded ISO 14001, the international standard
for enviromental management.
The Ransomes Highway LPG epitomises the Ransomes
Jacobsen commitment to alternative power. As the first
commercial triple mower powered by an alternative power
source, the Highway LPG is as green as the grass it cuts.

Exclusively distributed, serviced and supplied by

Durban 031 705 3390
Johannesburg 011 922 2000
Cape Town 021 380 2600
Tindrum 8/007

Port Elizabeth 041 484 6240

www.cse.co.za Golf Club Management April 2008 11

The leading authority in forest,
park and garden care
Ever since Husqvarna was founded in 1689, we have developed our products in co-operation with
the most demanding professional users - a tradition we continue to this day. We build their experi-
ence into our entire range of forest, park and garden care. That is why our products are more effi-
cient and more comfortable to use, regardless of whether they are intended for professional or
demanding leisure use.

Professionally proven outdoor power equipment.

For product information or contact details of your nearest Husqvarna dealer call 08600 48759 or visit www.husqvarna.co.za

Rainy days are here again!
At some time of each year, all golf courses experience heavy downpours of rain.
Murray Veitch of Turftek gives us some hints on what to do during the downpours
and how best to recover after them.
Over the past few months, golf courses in
most parts of the country have experienced
high rain falls at some time or another. Don’t
worry, you guys down there in the Western
Cape, your turn will come again in a couple
of months’ time. Heavy rainfalls can signal
disaster for a greenkeeper and his or her
maintenance crew. There is not much that
a greenkeeper can do about a flooding river
except wait for it to subside and then start
with the clean-up program. While waiting
for the rain to pass there are a few things that
the greenkeeper can do to keep the mainte-
nance crew busy.
Workshops
Now is a good time to get the whole crew
to give the workshop a good spring clean.
Storerooms can be swept out and repacked.
The changing rooms can also be given a spe-
cial clean.
It’s also a good time to go over all
machinery in detail and try to pick up any
faults which may cause problems later on.
Staff Training
It is also a good time to squeeze in some
extra staff training. Professional mainte-
nance staff need to be continually trained
to ensure standards are maintained and new
techniques perfected.
Once the rain has stopped it is time to
jump in and sort the course out.
Being prepared for such disasters will
help in the clean up process. Sludge pumps,
squeegees etc should always be close at hand
to assist with the clean-up process.
Fairways
Pools of water standing around in low areas
on fairways will need to be dried up in order
to prevent the grass from rotting. Using
squeegees to spread the water or manual
hand pumps to suck up the water will help
dry out these puddles.
Any mud which has been deposited on
After heavy rain it may be necessary to raise the cutting height on your mowers to prevent
scalping.
fairways will need to be removed by either
washing it off or physically scraping it off.
Mud which is left too long on the grass will
smother the grass, causing it to die.
Bunkers
Bunkers are normally the worst hit by heavy
rains. Those which do not drain very well
will have to be drained using pumps or
buckets. Once the water has been removed
from the bunkers the sand in the bunkers
will have to be loosened up and redistributed
within the bunker.
Greens
Modern USGA spec greens normally drain
pretty well and should not have any water
standing on them. The big thing to watch out
for is disease. With an increase in humidity and
temperatures, an increase in disease pressure
occurs. It is a good thing to spray a preventa-
tive fungicide as soon as the rains stop.
Excessive leaching would also have
occurred as a result of the heavy rains so a
bit of fertilizer may need to be applied.
Those older type greens which do not
drain so well and have become water-logged,
may need to be aerated in order to prevent an
algae build up. The use of a vertidrain type
machine may be a good idea.
COURSE MANAGEMENT
Carts
Nothing causes more compaction to golf
courses than golf carts which are allowed to
drive over wet fairways. The damage that a
golf cart causes to a wet fairway can only be
corrected by using decompaction equipment.
A policy of no carts during wet conditions is
the best one.
It is also just as important that mainte-
nance crews keep their vehicles off wet
areas.
Grass cutting
Due to the heavy rain, the grass may have
become excessively long which will require
that the cutting height of all mowers be
raised in order to prevent scalping which is
a result of cutting the grass to short.
Extreme weather conditions are some-
thing that every greenkeeper will have to
deal with at some point. Quite often, as soon
as the maintenance crew has cleaned up a
course, it starts raining again. Unfortunately
this is all part of the job and all that you can
do is grin and start cleaning all over again.
For more information on turf-related
issues, contact Murray Veitch
of Turftek on 012 807 7282 or at
leonette@turftek.co.za
Golf Club Management April 2008 13
OVERSEAS NEWS
Make your club a lifestyle
Love them or hate them, we’ve got a lot to learn from the Americans. Peter van
Onselen of GCM spent two years working at the Boca West Country Club in Florida.
He spoke to Jay Di Pietro, general manager of the club and chairman of the Club
Manager’s Association of America, to find out what challenges they are facing and
what we can learn from them.
Boca West Country Club is the epitome
of international five-star golf club service.
Situated in the small town of Boca Raton, 30
minutes north of Fort Lauderdale in Florida,
USA, the club is rated by The Platinum Club
of America as the number one country club
in Florida and number five in the United
States. The reason for this - the unwavering
commitment to service levels at the club.
The club is home to four championship
golf courses designed by legendary golf
course designers Arnold Palmer, Jim Fazio
and Pete Dye. Characterised by tropical
palm trees and strategic water features (with
alligators), all the courses are in pristine
condition despite extreme weather con-
ditions in the summer months, including
hurricanes and extraordinarily hot tempera-
tures. Over the past four years the club has
undergone a $40 million expansion and ren-
ovation program. The reconstruction project
involved more than 210 000 square feet of
major on-site additions and improvements
including two golf course reconstructions,
one restaurant renovation and refurbishment
to the spa.
Boca West has a close association with
South Africa in that every year the club
employs over 300 South Africans on a
six month contract in various positions
throughout the club. All the courses are ‘cart
only’ courses so help is required to facilitate
the 300 golf carts, assist in the pro shop and
man the tee times call centre. During the
busy season (October through April), the
number of rounds of golf PER DAY, can
reach up to 1000 over the four golf courses.
It’s not a case of one person standing at the
pro shop booking tee times on a manual
sheet. There are four dedicated phone lines
to the tee time’s department with a special-
ised random system to allocate tee times to
the members, dependent on their member-
14 April 2008 Golf Club Management
Jay Di Pietro, general manager of the
Boca West Country Club in Florida
and chairman of the Club Manager’s
Association of America.
ship status. And you thought your club was
busy! It’s safe to say that golf is the life-
blood of the community.
Along with the golf courses, the property
has six restaurants, a fully equipped spa, a
free-form swimming pool and 30 tennis
courts (nine of which are floodlit) to service
the near 6 000 residents (3 000 of whom are
golf members). Here’s what Jay Di Pietro,
general manager of the resort had to say in
response to questions put to him by GCM.
What have been the major changes that
have taken place in the golf club envi-
ronment in the USA during the last ten
years?
• The economy has played a huge role and
has affected the housing market consider-
ably. First was the big rise in the housing
market and now the trend seems to have
reversed.
• The arrival of Tiger Woods has had an
incredible effect on getting young players
back into golf. Youngsters have a real role
model in Tiger and there is a heightened
enthusiasm for the game.
• The need for courses to renovate and/or
redesign to keep up with the competition.
There are so many golf clubs out there,
that one needs to offer something unique
and innovative.
What are the biggest three challenges
facing golf club owners/committees in the
short term?
• Maintaining and improving the current and
expected lifestyle of your membership.
• Find and retain good staff. Well trained
and efficient staff are the bed-rock of any
successful club.
• Be pro-active. Don’t wait for people to ask,
try and be one step ahead of the game.
What do you see as the major challenges
that will face golf club committees and
management over the next five to ten
years?
• Be willing to prepare a long range plan
that will always position the club to be
viable 10 years later.
• Stick to that plan.
• Focus on an ever changing membership
and attract new members who will be
the foundation of your club for the next
10 – 20 years.
What do you think the rest of the world
can learn from what has worked well
and what has not in the USA golf club
environment?
Know your own club and the wants of its
members. Don’t try to be someone else.
 OVERSEAS NEWS

What do you think are the ten most impor-

tant things for golf club committees to
focus on in order to run a successful club?

• Listen to the members. They are the one’s

that actually employ you.
• Look for good staff.
• Be ready to change. Be innovative.
• Attract new members.
• Pay attention to the guests – they could be
potential members.
• Pay attention to the juniors – they could
be future members.
• Spend the money needed to keep courses
in shape.
• Don’t forget the little things. It’s the small
things that actually count.
• Make sure the committee all share the
same view/goals.
• Don’t be afraid to rethink, re-evaluate
and if needed change your direction.
For more information on Boca West contact
As much attention is paid to the surrounds of the Boca West Country Club in Florida, as Peter van Onselen on (011) 301 4467 or at
is paid to the course itself. petervo@rsp.co.za or visit the Boca West
website www.bocawestcc.org
 SECURITY

Blackout and tight

finances causing
more fraud and theft
When the going gets tough, the crooks
get going. Jenny Reid, managing
director of GriffithsReid security
consultants, identifies staff as your
major worry.
The load shedding of Eskom and local municipalities is
enabling all kinds of long-fingered thieves to steal from busi-
nesses/clubs already suffering enormously from all the power
outages.
The nasty sting in the tail is that employees are likely to
steal and defraud your club the most!
Be very aware! Staff are by far your greatest risk. Some of
the causes of this are holiday debt coming on top of home loans
having risen by 28% and the prime lending rate up to 14,5%;
this in addition to rising fuel, food and school expenses.
We are not alone however in South Africa. Recent US
surveys isolated thieving staff’s damage. According to the
University of Florida’s National Retail Security Survey, retail
shrinkage averages 1.54% of annual retail sales, and up to
three times as much for small and medium sized retailers. This
obviously applies to Pro shops but could equally apply to other
areas of the club.
The survey identified that employees steal the most - a whop-
ping 48 percent. Some estimate losses to be closer to 75%.
A national supermarket research group survey reports staff
theft to be 57% of all grocery retail losses. Even worse, 55%
of employee theft occurs among managers and supervisors!
Yet another interest rate increase is looming and no salary
would have increased by a third in the last 18 months in order
to keep pace. The little disposable income people had, was
instead swallowed up by rising expenses.
This is where nightmares come from and experience has
shown that personnel will be tempted to be dishonest, resorting
to theft and fraud. Do you have the necessary security measures
in place? Outdated systems won’t be as accurate or effective as
workplace intelligence and proper screening.
Now is the time to take a long, hard look at your existing
security measures. Workplace intelligence has proven to be one
of the most cost-effective countermeasures and when linked to
proper staff screening and background checking, in-house pil-
ferage and fraud virtually disappears.

For more information on fighting crime in the workplace

contact Jenny Reid of GriffithsReid on 082 6008225 or at
jenny@griffithsonline.co.za
WORM FARMING
The early bird catches the worm
The Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town has successfully introduced vermiculture (worm
farming) as part of its waste management practices. Are there lessons to be learnt for
golf courses and estates? GCM interviewed Mary Murphy of FullCycle to find out more.
The first thing that strikes you when you
meet Mary Murphy is her passion for the
environment. She quotes Charles Darwin
who after writing The Origin of Species
devoted much of the rest of his life to the
study of earthworms.  In his book The
Formation of Vegetable Mould through the
Actions of Worms with Observations on
their Habits Darwin wrote “The plough is
one of the most ancient and most valuable of
man’s inventions, but long before it existed,
the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and
still continues to be ploughed, by earth-
worms. It may be doubted whether there are
many other animals which have played so
important a part in the history of the world
as have these lowly organised creatures.”
Earthworms aerate, till and fertilise the
soil, breaking down organic waste into
plant-available forms, improving the soil
structure, nutrient and water-holding quali-
ties of soil. In the past 50 years in particular,
the use of chemical fertilisers, over-tillage of
the soil and the use of pesticides have killed
earthworms and other beneficial organisms,
leading to poor soil fertility, loss of soil
structure and soil erosion. At the same time,
rotting organic waste dumped in landfills is
polluting our underground water supply and
releasing vast amounts of the ‘greenhouse
gasses’ responsible for global warming.
Earthworms eat organic waste and give us
healthy soil and organic fertiliser in return.
As worms move through soil and decaying
organic matter they ingest (eat) and aerate
it, depositing castings as they go. These
castings are rich in nutrients and beneficial
soil organisms. Inside the gut of one worm
there are enzymes, masses of bacteria and
microbes. Everything that passes through
the gut of an earthworm is coated with these
beneficial microbes and bacteria.
While fertile soil has in the region of 5-
million microbes per gram, worm castings
have been found to contain up to 100-mil-
lion microbes per gram - up to 20 times
18 April 2008 Golf Club Management
Zamuxolo Ngwane and Mary Murphy
seem to enjoy working with worms!
more! In the soil, these microbes continue to
break down organic matter into plant-avail-
able forms, thereby enabling plant roots
to take up nutrients that would otherwise
have stayed bound in the soil. These ben-
eficial organisms also suppress the growth
of pathogens , which means healthy soil and
healthy plants.
Not surprisingly, it is these very microbes
that play a major role in determining soil
fertility, so it is ironic that earthworms are
the very creatures that are killed by inor-
ganic fertiliser applications. While we have
been taught that bacteria are ‘bad’, the vast
majority of bacteria are not pathogenic to
humans, in fact many are beneficial and
essential to sustaining the processes of life.
As long as the decaying organic matter is
maintained at the correct pH and prevented
from becoming anaerobic (when there is
too little oxygen), no foul odors are cre-
ated, pests are not attracted and the process
remains hygienic. It is only when the pH is
out of balance or the decaying organic mate-
rial becomes anaerobic that pathogens and
toxin-producing bacteria begin to proliferate,
and pests are more likely to be attracted.
Researchers have identified and named
thousands of distinct species of earthworm,
but to date only around six have been identi-
fied as useful in vermiculture systems. These
species have the ability to tolerate a wide
range of environmental conditions and fluc-
tuations and they are not adversely affected
by handling and disruption of their habitat.
Other qualities that make these species suit-
able include relatively short life spans, and
rapid growth and reproductive rates.
Put simply, it is a deal that humanity
cannot afford to pass up.
So what is vermiculture?
‘Vermiculture’ literally means worm
growing or worm farming. When earth-
worms are used primarily for the production
of compost, the practice is referred to as
vermicomposting.
Golf clubs and estates should seriously
consider going this route.
Just ask yourself the following questions:
1. Are you spending a lot of money on
fertiliser?
2. Are you looking for suitable alternatives
to fertiliser?
3. Do you want to increase the vibrancy and
greenness of your fairways and greens?
4. Do you want to reduce your water
consumption?
5. Do you have the space and facilities to
build a worm farm?
The likelihood is that you answered ‘yes’
to all of the above. If so, you should seri-
ously consider introducing verticulture on at
least a trial basis. Just think of it, you can put
all that waste you generate on a daily basis
to really good use. Verticulture produces
both worm castings (fertiliser) and worm tea
(liquid fertiliser). If you don’t want to risk it
on the course until you have experimented,
why not start small and treat your flower
beds and clubhouse surrounds with. You’ll
be amazed at the results.
 WORM FARMING

To get going, all you really need is to be

able to produce approximately two to three
kilos of kitchen waste a day. You’ll require a
minimum of 1000 worms (R150) and a worm
factory (R700). It is recommended that you
should start with at least ten worm facto-
ries to produce viable amounts of castings
and tea. The lead time to produce your first
usable load of castings/tea is approximately
five months but the more earth worms you
have, the quicker the lead time. Training to
use the equipment takes approximately half
a day at a cost of R1000 plus travel. The
most important ingredient though is the pas-
sion and commitment of the greenkeeper.

For more information on vermiculture

(worm farming) contact Mary Murphy on
021 789 2922 or   Fax 086 618 8865 e-mail
mail@fullcycle.co.za

Earthworms eat organic waste and give us healthy soil and organic fertiliser in return. n To read Mary Murphy’s CV go to Birdies
and Bogeys on page 25.

Should e-mail newsletters
be weekly or monthly?
There are various debates surrounding e-mail newsletters and the frequency in which
they work best. Graham Starkey, head of golf operations at RetailTribe, considers this
point and gives his view.
One of the key reasons why golf clubs
should consider introducing an e-mail news-
letter is to improve communication with
their members and community, bringing
them local news and information on what is
happening at the golf club. From club results
to course changes and from members ques-
tions to shop promotions, a digital e-mail
newsletter brings a cost effective solution to
this requirement.
The main reason for a club manager to
introduce an e-mail newsletter is to increase
revenue through green fees and takings at the
bar, in the restaurant and at club functions.
So should the newsletter be sent out
weekly or monthly? On the one had one does
not want to send out a long drawn out mail
that the members don’t read and probably
miss out on key information. Conversely,
sending a weekly mail could be seen by
some as potentially a lot of work.
Whilst a monthly e-mail will take longer
to produce due to the amount of informa-
tion you will need to include in it, you will
only be doing it once a month. The net result
however of this infrequent e-mail is a that
too much ‘pollution’ will get in between you
and your members in the form of e-mails
from other clubs, retailers and third parties,
giving golfers a reason to take their business
elsewhere.
A weekly e-mail on the other hand ena-
bles you to insert news from various sections
of your club that is relevant and topical.
You can then feature various sections on
a rotating basis, e.g. this week the course,
next week the shop, the following week the
events team and so on.
Drip feeding the information in bite-sized
chunks in an e-mail is a way of keeping the
club at the forefront of the customer’s mind.
You are able to give the members their five
A weekly e-mail newsletter is a great
vehicle for you to remind golfers about
events and important dates that they
should be getting into their diaries.
Drip feeding the information in
bite-sized chunks in an e-mail is
a way of keeping the club at the
forefront of the customer’s mind.
minutes of fame by inserting photos and
results from the previous week rather than
leaving them to build up for a month before
informing members. Keeping the mem-
bers up to date with last minute changes to
events, important information on the course
or news about other members is therefore
only possible with a weekly e-mail.
Quite often problems occur that require
an urgent comment from the club to ensure
the club’s stand on a particular issue is clear
E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS
and concise. If you don’t respond quickly,
issues can escalate. A quick response in an
e-mail that is short enough to allow your
key message to be given high visibility, is
the best solution.
One of your objectives surely must be
to increase the amount of golfers playing
golf, attending events and parting with more
money whilst at the club. A ‘click here’
system of enrolment or entry on your regular
e-mail newsletter is one way of achieving
this.
A recent example of this came at St
Francis Links where an up-coming event
was not being well supported until a section
with a call to action was inserted in their
weekly e-mail. The attendance and entries
rose from almost nothing to 160 over a
weekend solely due to the e-mail reaching
the golfer’s inbox at the right time, irrespec-
tive of where they were in the country or the
world for that matter.
In conclusion therefore, a weekly e-mail
allows you to maintain a constant rela-
tionship with your golfers, members and
community, keeping them informed of news
from around the club and making them feel
very much a part of what is going on at their
club. The weekly newsletter allows golfers
to respond to club issues as they occur and
before they get out of hand. The weekly e-
mail is also a great vehicle for you to remind
golfers about events and important dates that
they should be getting into their diaries.
For more information on e-mail
newsletters and solutions right for you,
contact Graham Starkey at RetailTribe on
021 880 2693, e-mail him on
grahamstarkey@retailtribe.com or
visit www.retailtribe.com
Golf Club Management April 2008 21
CADDIES

The caddie predicament PART 2

In last month’s article on caddies, Ian Leach of Euphoria Golf Estate and Hydro
identified the reasons why caddie usage is dropping nationally. In this article he
looks at some solutions.
In last month’s article on this topic, we
identified five shortcomings in the cur-
rent caddie predicament. If these are not
addressed, the status and availability of
caddies at golf clubs in South Africa will
inevitably continue to decline. A number
of attempts have been made to address the
issue, but so far none of these have been
followed through to full implementation.
There is no easy solution – if there was, it
would have been implemented already. As a
starting point, the issue needs a ‘champion’,
someone or some organization that is willing
to commit time and effort to research the
topic and to identify sustainable solutions.
None of the existing golf organizations are
structured to take on this role so the ‘cham-
pion’ will have to come from a body yet to
be created.
Being a caddie is a source of employment for many thousands of otherwise unemployed
Nothing is likely to change unless or until
people in the country.
a new leadership organization is formed.
This will inevitably need to be a low budget
or even a voluntary group. In the past, will remain at a low level, use of golf carts → Increased caddie satisfaction and
caddie organizations were funded on spon- will continue to increase and the overall golf motivation
sorships and this is simply not sustainable. experience with a caddie will remain ques- → Increased member and visitor
In the event that such a body is formed, tionable. There will of course be exceptions satisfaction
the opportunity to improve the status, job to this at those clubs who accept account- → Improved golf experience
security and customer service levels of cad- ability for their caddie contingent. Under → Increased rounds and revenue.
dies throughout the country is enormous. A present conditions this represents only a • Players who make use of caddies should
sponsor would need to be found to cover the small percentage of all the caddies employed make a contribution towards a develop-
initial start up costs of such a body, but once throughout the country. ment fund which in turn will benefit the
operational, the organization would need to Many golf clubs, and no doubt many indi- player in the long run. A contribution of
become self sustainable and there are ways vidual players, are content with the status R10 to R15 per round goes a long way
to accomplish this. quo. Others are not and are doing some- towards covering the cost of training and
There are two overriding scenarios with thing about it. These efforts are, however, in some cases life insurance policies for
any number of possibilities in between. The isolated and often do not have the critical each caddie.
two scenarios are either, maintain the status mass to make them sustainable. In order to • Clubs should actively pursue the oppor-
quo or take proactive action. properly manage and improve the overall tunity of finding advertising sponsors to
level of caddie service, either the club or the promote their company or product on
Maintain the status quo player or a sponsor has to provide the neces- caddie uniforms. This should be a simple
sary funding: business decision for the company to
The outcome of this was discussed in Part 1 • Golf clubs should be encouraged to pro- determine the value that the advertising
of this article. The number of caddie rounds vide funding in their annual budgets for brings vs the cost.
will continue to decline, caddie conduct caddie development and training. The What is obvious is that urgent action is
will continue to be inconsistent, training long term benefits of this are obvious: required.

22 April 2008 Golf Club Management


Take proactive action:
The ultimate vision of a proactive action
plan could be the following:
• Establish a Section 21 non-profit company
with a board of directors consisting of com-
mitted and interested people representing
appropriate sectors of the golf community.
• Develop a vision, mission and objectives
to support the sustainability and growth
of caddies by region and nationally.
• Develop appropriate training programmes
for caddies and consistent procedures for
club management.
• Source an appropriate financial sponsor
to fund the initial start up operations.
• Work actively to win the support and
commitment of club management and
committees.
• Sign up supporting clubs.
• Create a membership opportunity for
caddies to become members of this
association at a fee.
• Issue paid up caddie’s membership
identification cards.
Golf clubs should be
encouraged to provide
funding in their annual
budgets for caddie
development and training.
The long term benefits
of this are obvious.
• Register, train and grade caddies
according to their on-course ability.
• Manage the income of the company
with sources of income from club con-
tributions, player payments, caddie
membership fees and possible adver-
tising sponsorships.
• Appoint an operating manager of the
CADDIES
company, regional managers and indi-
vidual club caddie managers.
• Outsource administrative, legal and
training activities, initially at least.
• Proactively address all disciplinary mat-
ters as and when they occur.
• Create pride in the minds of caddies.
Concluding comments
Being a caddie is a source of employment for
many thousands of otherwise unemployed
people in the country. Generally speaking,
they do not enjoy a good enough reputation.
There is an opportunity for leaders in golf
to address this and to turn it around. The
world will never be perfect, but the time has
arrived when something needs to be done. It
can be done. Who will take the initiative to
make it happen?
For more information contact Ian Leach
– Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro Phone:
(014) 743 3769 or 082-892-8693 or e-mail
ianleach@euphoriaestate.co.za

Cmasa – International Education Programmes for 2008
CMASA was the first allied associa-
tion of the Club Managers Association
of America to successfully implement
the Leadersghip Edge international pro-
gramme locally in 2007. CMASA is ahead
of the game and will be running two pro-
grammes back-to-back in 2008. This is
what Bill Taylor of Atlantic Beach and
Doug Bain of Randpark had to say about
last year’s course:
Bill Taylor, general manager of Atlantic
Beach Golf Club
“Thanks for the first ever CMAA manage-
ment course outside of the USA! It was
simply the best management course that I
have ever taken in my life (full stop). It is
amazing that I can bring this management
philosophy into our lodge and amusement
park business as well.
After 19 years, the course has reinvig-
orated my excitement for our industry
and its future. The youngsters attending
the seminar (including our bursary can-
didates) made me feel better about the
future of our industry. Tony and Amanda
cannot stop talking about the course and
our ambassadors (main committee) were
ecstatic in last evening’s meeting about
their participation.”
People on the move
Marinus Weiss, ex Plettenberg Bay Country Club, has been appointed as general manager of
Vredenberg Golf Club. Greg Phillips, ex Rondebosch Golf Club, has been appointed general
manager of Plettenberg Bay Country Club.
Tradition can’t be bought!
Very few traditional clubs feature in the
Compleat Golfer 5 Star Golf Experience
Awards but does this mean that they are
not worth a visit? Surely, if a club and/
or course has been going for 50 or even
100 years, they must be doing something
right. GCM believes that this is why tradi-
tion is so important, and that these clubs
and courses need due recognition.
In an effort to get the ball rolling,
GCM would like to compile a list of
the oldest clubs and courses in Southern
Africa. If you believe your club needs a
Doug Bain, chief executive officer of
Randpark Club
“Thank you again for all your hard work
and bringing fruition to your dream of
bringing this course to SA.
As I said to you, I learnt more that week
than all the conferences put together that I
have ever attended.
Our first step in using what we learnt
will begin tomorrow morning with a busi-
ness and service strategy meeting planned
for our F&B department.” 
BMI II – Leadership Edge is designed
for managers seeking an opportunity to
develop their leadership, management and
critical thinking skills. The programme
can benefit managers at all phases of
career development – from rising stars to
senior-level executives
BMI III – General Manager/Chief
Operating Officer enables participants to
learn how to operate their club as a busi-
ness and be perceived as its leader.
BMI II – Leadership Edge will run in
Cape Town from 30 June to 4 July 2008
and BMI III - General Manager/Chief
Operating Officer programme will run in
Johannesburg from 23 to 27 June 2008.
Please contact CMASA on (011) 482-
7542 or e-mail admin@clubmanagement
for more information on these courses.
mention, please let us have the following
information:
1. The date that your club was founded.
2. The date that the first round of golf
was played on your current course.
3. The original designer of your course.
4. Any major revamps on your course
and their date/designer.
Please also confirm your full contact
details including the names and contact
details of your club manager, greenkeeper
and club pro if you have one. Details can be
sent to Emma Uren at emmau@rsp.co.za
BIRDIES & BOGEYS
Mary Murphy
See our article on Worm Farming on
page 18 of this issue of GCM.
Mary Murphy is an environmental
activist and educator.  She developed the
Plastic Bag campaign, with support from
former Minister of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism, Mahommed Valli Moosa,
and is presently developing a diesel emis-
sions campaign called Clear-the-Air. She
conceived and presented Environmental
Matters on SAfm every Monday at
8:30pm from August 2005 to March 2007.
Her primary focus is finding ways
to embed human rights into sustain-
able development. She has worked
with gang members on the Cape Flats,
lead the Findings Writing team at the
TRC, and facilitated conflict reduction
workshops in Northern Ireland. Mary
has a Masters degree in International
Relations, a BA (Hons) in Peace Studies
and is currently studying towards her
PhD in Environmental Education at
Rhodes University, which will be written
as a novel about Polo the penguin: 
http://www.poloandfriends.org Mary is
an ISO 14001 SATCA certified environ-
mental auditor.
Mary Murphy can be contacted on
021 789 2922 or   Fax 086 618 8865
e-mail mail@fullcycle.co.za
Golf Club Management April 2008 25
"Your complete media partner in golf"

PUTTING YOU ON COURSE


Become an HR expert
– Just add people!
No time to study the finer points of Human Resource
management? The following checklists will help to
point you in the right direction.
The trouble with Human Resource man-
agement is that history never repeats itself.
Every situation is different due to the fact
that there are so many variables. People are
by nature emotional animals and therefore
unpredictable. The following checklists,
however may help you to use the right
processes and procedures for the more reg-
ular occurrences.
Let’s start off with some of the more
common ones.
Dealing with performance or behavioral
problems:
1. Explain the problem and gain agreement
that the problem exists and is worth
resolving
2. Seek the persons support in finding solu-
tions to the problem.
3. Try to identify possible causes or rea-
sons for the problem.
4. Ensure the person understands why it is
important to solve the problem.
5. Identify possible solutions to the
problem. Try to seek out solutions beyond
the obvious.
6. Agree on an action plan and set a follow-
up date.
Recognising and supporting improved
performance or behaviour:
1. Make sure the person knows what good
performance/behavior you are referring
to.
2. Explain why this performance/behavior
improvement is important to both the
person and the club.
3. Seek out reasons why the person has
improved so that the causes can be iden-
tified and maintained.
4. Get the person to identify how they think
the performance can be maintained or
further improved.
INSTANT HR
5. Congratulate the employee for the
improved performance/behaviour.
Responding to informal complaints
1. Listen carefully to what the complaint
is and why it is important to the
person.
2. Make sure the person knows that you
have understood the nature of the com-
plaint by summarizing it back to him
or her.
3. Outline your position to the person so
that they understand your view or the
issues you have to deal with.
4. Reach agreement on what action needs
to be taken and agree a timetable.
There are five steps that should govern
any problem-solving process:
1. Get the person’s interest, and ensure
their cooperation.
2. Obtain the other person’s point of view,
thoughts or ideas.
3. Only present your own views once the
other person is satisfied that he or she
has had their say.
4. Allow emotions and disagreements to
surface and deal with them construc-
tively and positively.
5. Work together on reaching a solution to
the problem.
There are three key philosophies that
should govern any interaction:
1. Show respect for the other person’s point
of view.
2. Listen, listen, listen. Remember, we
were born with two ears and one mouth;
use them in that proportion.
3. Encourage the other person to help in the
process of finding solutions.
Continued on page 29

Continued from page 27
Now that you have got the person per-
forming at the desired level you can turn
your mind to delegation. There are six
steps to follow when delegating responsi-
bility and authority to a team member:
1. Explain to the person why the job is
important.
2. Be clear on what you expect in terms of
standards, timing, etc.
3. Outline where the authority boundaries lie.
4. Agree on deadlines and follow-up dates.
5. Ensure the person has understood the
brief by asking for feedback.
6. Put in controls in terms of what is
expected and by when.
Three things to consider before
dealing with an HR problem:
1. Can I? Am I within my legal rights to
take the action I am contemplating?
2. Should I? Is it the right thing to do
from an operational and strategic
point of view?
3. Will I get away with it? What are the
likely consequences?
If the answer to all three questions is
‘yes’ then press ahead. If the answer to
any one of the questions is ‘no’, then
think again!
Not everything in life runs smoothly and
occasionally you may have to counsel
someone on their performance to the point
that their employment contract could be at
risk. What do the CCMA require in terms
of the performance counseling process?
1. A clearly laid out and agreed job
description.
2. A history of performance appraisal.
3. Being told what he/she is doing wrong.
4. Being told what the performance
standards are.
5. Determining if the required perform-
ance standards are reasonable.
6. Determining if the employee knew of
these performance standards.
7. Determining the reason(s) for not meeting
the required performance standards.
8. If possible, or feasible, assisting
with eliminating the reason(s) for
non-performance.
INSTANT HR
9. Giving the employee a fair opportu-
nity to meet the required performance
standards.
10. The employee being made aware that a
continuation of non-achievement of the
required targets could lead, for example,
to a dismissal.
11. Follow-up on the employees’ progress.
One of the biggest skills that an accom-
plished HR practitioner or top-line
manager needs to acquire is the art of
listening. What are good listening behav-
iours that you can cultivate?
1. Show that you are paying attention and are
interested in what the person has to say.
2. Ensure that interruptions are avoided or
kept to a minimum.
3. Don’t respond too quickly or table alter-
native proposals without having first
explored what the other person is saying
or suggesting.
4. Establish and check out the facts to ensure
what the person is saying is correct.
5. Explore feelings. Find out why the person
feels so strongly about the matter.
6. Respond with empathy but not sympathy.
7. Don’t rush in to fill silences. If the other
person is struggling to put his or her
thoughts into words give them time. Use
encouraging gestures rather than words.
8. Summarise from time to time what you
have understood the other person to have
said.
9. Only respond once you have fully under-
stood what the other person has said and
more importantly, why they have said it.
What characteristics should you be
looking for when trying to identify future
leaders among your team? Here are nine
ideas:
1. A creative and innovative mind.
2. High energy level.
3. Ability and willingness to on-going
learning.
4. Flexibility and adaptability.
5. Emotional maturity and stability.
6. Personal impact and influence.
7. Warm but confident disposition.
8. A willingness to explore the unknown.
9. Decisiveness.
For more information on HR matters
contact Andrew Wilson on 082 575 3861
or at consultaew@iafrica.com
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
Identifying the general manager’s
key performance standards
Louis Allen wrote ‘The Management Profession’ in 1964 and won the Academy of
Management McKinsey Award for best publication that year. Tony Beart, who was
general manager of Country Club Johannesburg, chairman of Associated Clubs and
club manager of the year, suggests that what was good then is still relevant today.
There is a tried and tested cliché in busi-
ness that ‘what gets measured, gets done’.
For some reason, most CEOs in commerce
and industry have clearly defined standards
of performance. Certainly, the major hotel
groups in South Africa place emphasis on
setting standards for their general managers
who, in turn, cascade these standards down
through the ranks.
Not so the club industry in the majority
of cases. For some reason we club general
managers are treated differently. Possibly
this situation exists because the committee
does not wish to give the GM and his/her
team too much authority or responsibility.
It may take something away from the com-
mittee who are sensitive to the scrutiny of
the membership. Whatever the reason, it is
sound business practice to provide general
management with a clear understanding of
the committee’s requirements for the year
ahead and, if possible, for the next three
years; especially the financial requirements.
Perhaps this discipline in corporate govern-
ance will result in a better performance all
round by the GM and the management team,
especially if regular performance evalua-
tions are part of the business culture of the
club.
In the early 1970’s I was employed at the
Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg, part of the
Western International Hotels, an American
hotel management company where the set-
ting of ‘standards of performance’ for the
GM and the regular monitoring of perform-
ance was of paramount importance. There
should be no difference for us in the club
industry.
The following ‘standards of performance’
could be applied to any club environment.
You would however obviously need to adapt
the detail to suit your own requirements.
30 April 2008 Golf Club Management
Ten steps to improve your
COMMUNICATION
Central to any manager’s life is the art
and science of COMMUNICATION.
Everything that happens in a golf club,
happens as a result of the initiative
and efforts of people. As a manager, it
is impossible for you to do everything
yourself and therefore you have to
communicate with others in order to
get things done. No matter how good
your planning, organisation and control
methods are, sooner or later, you will
have to rely on others to perform.
The following ten steps may help
you to improve your communication
methods:
1. Know yourself. What are your atti-
tudes, opinions and prejudices?
2. Use language that is understandable
and that can’t be mis-interpreted.
3. Try to find common ground where
you are both in agreement.
4. Don’t rush. Move at the pace of the
recipient.
5. Be an active listener. Watch particu-
larly for non-verbal clues and make
sure that you really understand why
the person is saying what they are
saying.
6. Consider timing, environment and
customs.
7. Avoid interruptions.
8. Encourage feedback and avoid ‘yes
but’ type responses.
9. Build on the feedback. Use the other
person’s ideas where ever possible.
10. Always be honest about what is
relevant.
A. Satisfactory performance with respect to
PLANNING has been attained when:
1. The annual club budget for the following
financial year has been prepared in the
proper form, on time, and accepted by
the finance committee.
2. The actual club budget must equal or
exceed 95% of the agreed upon budget
approved by the finance committee.
3. Agreed upon capital improvements as
noted in the attached annexure are com-
pleted on time and within budget.
4. The club property is maintained within
the budget and in accordance with club
standards as defined and approved by
management and the committee.
5. Year-end working capital is not less than
90% of that stated in the budget.
B. S atisfactory performance with respect
to Organisation has been attained
when:
1. The club’s organisation chart is updated
and reviewed with the committee twice
annually and is disseminated to the club’s
personnel via staff notice boards, etc.
2. There are written job descriptions
and standards of performance for all
supervisory positions included in the
organisational chart, distributed to each
and reviewed twice annually.
2. Weekly department head meetings are
held covering aspects such as upcoming
events, communication issues and
priorities.
3. Weekly executive committee meet-
ings are held and minutes kept for
distribution.
4. Committee policies have been dis-
seminated in writing to the appropriate
department heads.

C  atisfactory performance with respect to
S month of the completion of the survey
CONTROL has been attained when:
1. Variations between actual performance
and the budget are properly explained.
Timeous corrective action taken when
deemed necessary, with the finance
committee being informed of the varia-
tions and the action taken.
2. A review of the pricing policies has
been completed in accordance with
club procedures twice annually
3. There is a workable procedure for
armed robbery, fire drills, cash security,
CPR, etc which has been approved by
the committee.
4. A safety committee actively exists and
written reports of their monthly meet-
ings are submitted to management and
the committee.
D Satisfactory performance in respect to
PERSONNEL is attained when:
1. Staff facilities are properly maintained
and contribute to a high level of staff
morale.
2. There is a specific written procedure
for the induction of all new employees
3. A review of employee turnover records
is completed twice annually.
4. All salaried staff are evaluated twice
annually and their salaries discussed
with them at least once a year.
5. The club develops at least four qualified
persons per year for internal transfer
and promotion.
6. A succession plan for all departments
of the club is reviewed twice annually.
7. There is evidence that the general
manager encourages good relations
with union representatives where
applicable.
8. The club has developed and imple-
mented an affirmative action program
that sets realistic goals and timetables
for hiring, developing and promoting
women and historically disadvantaged
people.
E Satisfactory performance with respect
to MEMBER SATISFACTION is
attained when:
1. A member satisfaction survey is con-
ducted annually on a sample of the
membership, the results evaluated and
shared with the membership within one
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
2. Regular communication through e-mail,
sms, website, house journal, notice
boards etc is clearly demonstrated and
is effective.
3. Every effort is made by the general
manager and his senior staff to exercise
the utmost courtesy and profession-
alism towards members and guests
which in turn will serve as a standard to
all the club staff.
4. All written complaints and compli-
ments are analysed by the GM,
handled speedily and reviewed
with the committee monthly.
F  atisfactory performance with respect
S
to CLUB MARKETING has been
attained when:
1. The following annual marketing activity
plan has been submitted on time and in
proper form, has been approved by the
committee and is reviewed at least once
a year. The year-end results indicate the
marketing plan has been implemented
for the year in respect of:
a. membership recruitment
b. membership activities
c. club news
d. club survey
G Satisfactory performance with respect
to LEADERSHIP has been attained
when
1. The club is represented in the commu-
nity in such a manner as to enhance its
reputation .
2. The general manager conducts himself/
herself in an exemplary manner and
encourages other members of staff to
do likewise.
H A
 dditional objectives to be determined
by the general manager and approved
by the committee.
For more information
on F&B or general
management issues
contact Tony Beart on
082 443 6975 or at
tbeart@tiscali.co.za