GCM

JANUARY 2009

The
Business

Volume 5 • Issue 1
Magazine
for the Golf Industry
Golf Club Management Visit www.compleatgolfer.co.za for back issues of GCM

Krugersdorp
Golf Club
new greens for a parkland classic

Also in this issue

■ Contact strategy
■ 5-Star experience

■ Turf disease control

■ Manager of the month

■ People creating profits

brought to you by
■ Course design – Cobie Legrange

■ Security – How safe is your club?

■ All you wanted to know about polygraphs

 EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTENTS
from
Security
How safe is your club? 4

Security
Polygraphs 7

HR Development
Is it right to treat everyone the same?

5 Star experience
Price/value, services and ambience 11
9
the editor
Rands and Sense Not quite as safe as a house
People create profits 13
Some years ago I heard a story that I thought
Club Profile
Krugersdorp GC 15 was rather amusing. A senior executive of one
of the world’s most famous soft-drink com-
Dress Codes panies moved from Atlanta to Johannesburg.
Tradition versus designers 20
This gentleman had obviously heard that
Manager of the Month Joburg wasn’t the safest place in the world,
Kimberley’s Dave Wilson 21 and must have been tad wary of relocating to
a place teeming with villains. His company
Turf management
Disease control 22 was happy to pay an exorbitant rental for him fought. It is high time that the industry came
to stay in what is considered to be one of the to grips with this problem, which is far bigger
Designers more secure golf estates, and he duly moved than many of us chose to believe.
Cobie Legrange 27 in. After about a week of commuting to his It is a matter of establishing priorities,
Last Word office in his chauffeur-driven, bullet-proof car, and we see far too many clubs spending
Mark Williams 31 one afternoon his driver dropped him off at money on say, revamping their halfway hous-
his temporary home and for a moment he es rather than improving their security. Of
Cover Picture: didn’t recognise the place. The reason was course certain clubs and estates have more
One of the more recent changes to the that someone had stolen his garden. Just effective security personnel and systems than
Krugersdorp course has been the construction others, but it just takes one mugging on a
that morning the house had been surrounded
of the 6th hole – a superb par three.
by beautifully manicured lawns, which golf course to tarnish the image of our sport
were flanked by verdant shrubbery and the – something that we can ill-afford. It was
■ Editorial forcibly brought home to me when I lived in
John Botha obligatory water feature with fish pond, but
email: bogeyfree@mweb.co.za although the house looked familiar, it was the United States, when at every opportunity
cell: 082 498 7380 surrounded by a desert. He might have been I encouraged Americans to visit South Africa
■ AdvertisinG relieved to discover that the burglars had not to play our golf courses, just how scared they
Simon Turck (PUBLISHER) breached the state-of-the-art defences of the are of visiting our country. I also know of a
email: simon@ramsaymedia.co.za house and the contents – antique furniture number of cases of women golfers who have
cell: 083 252 8387
and his Armani-stuffed wardrobe – was as given up the game after being robbed on a
■ Advertising he left them that morning. As it turned out, golf course, and who can blame them? I’m
James Ferrans (National Sales Manager)
email: jamesf@ramsaymedia.co.za the garden had not been stolen, but rather not suggesting that we should adopt a ‘fight
cell: 084 252 6373 ‘repossessed’. It seems that there had been fire with fire’ policy. It would be a sorry day
■ SUBSCRIBE to GCM a payment dispute between a landscaping when rather than checking that every player
Natalie Shekleton company and one of the other residents and takes a sand bag onto the course, we insist
tel: 011 301 4448 the landscaper had sent a team to remove that all golfers should be equipped with pep-
email: natalies@ramsaymedia.co.za
what they had planted. They had diligently per spray or, better still, a sawn-off shotgun.
To request your complimentary subscription to GCM, simply
SMS ‘GCM and your name’ to 35172 (SMS costs R3) or gone about their task of uprooting every The answer clearly lies in prevention of
contact Natalie Shekleton on 011 301 4448. living thing from the garden, including the unfortunate incidents, and if this means sur-
water feature, but they had gone to the rounding our golf courses with a ring of steel,
Visit our website www.compleatgolfer.co.za
wrong house. and having security guards patrolling every
The security issues pertaining to golf hole, so be it.
courses are many and varied and, as much
as we try to deny it, golf courses and estates
are not as safe as they could and should be.
The countless incidents, from petty theft
A monthly business-to-
business magazine to the more serious, violent crimes, are not
brought to you by exactly advertised nowadays, but in some
cases it appears that a losing battle is being

Golf Club Management January 2009 3

SECURITY

How secure is your club?

During recent times security issues should be at the top of a golf club’s agenda. GCM looks at pitfalls and
solutions to ensure the safety of golfers and residents of golf estates, and visits Woodhill, an estate reputed
to be one of the safest.

Woodhill has only one main gate where every visitor is screened. The guards are efficient and the system in place for the control of resident’s visitors
works well.

General manager of Woodhill Country Estate effectiveness.

Mark Bruyns is quick to point out that as
good as any security system might be, one
can never rest on one’s laurels. “We have
to be constantly looking to improve, staying
abreast of the latest technology and fine-
tuning,” he says. “I would never say that our
security is as good as it gets, but our aim is
to be the best.”
There is a lot more to having a compre-
hensive security package than meets the eye,
and perhaps a truly effective system should
not always ‘meet the eye’. There is of course
the danger that if all the measures in place
to foil the criminal element is visible, they
can be studied and eventually lose their
Bertus Andreson (left) and the estate’s gen-
eral manager Mark Bruyns are determined
to constantly improve their security systems.
“Obviously having the right personnel is
most important, and our facilities manager
Bertus Anderson does a tremendous job in
keeping up our standards,” says Bruyns. An
ex-police officer, Anderson knows a lot about
crime prevention. After spending more than
six years in the force, he was appointed as a
manger for one of the top security companies
before joining Woodhill as the man who is
responsible for the estate’s security.
“The option of either having your own
security squad or contracting a company
to supply guards is a decision that must
be taken, but logistically it makes sense to
contract out,” says Bruyns, who employs

4 January 2009 Golf Club Management

 SECURITY

Fidelity, a company that has an excellent rep-

utation and which is experienced in looking
after golf estates. “Someone is still needed
to keep an eye on what is happening all the
time,” he says. Recent scandals reported
in the industry involving security personnel
‘buying’ their qualifications is something
Anderson is well aware of, and the process of
weeding out the good from the not-so-good is
a constant concern.
One of the most obvious weak points in
any gated community is the gate itself. Any
golfer who has ever visited a golf estate will
know that it can be a frustrating exercise The entrance to Woodhill Country Club – the relaxed atmosphere here belies the tight security, and
getting into the property, but no one resents members and visitors can feel safe.
the fact that controls must be in place. Most
frustrating is while one waits in line, a de-
livery truck or construction vehicle is waved estate and operate from there. One has to are several joint operations operating – for
through without any checks on who might be rely to a large extent on other residents being example, just recently more than 60 illegal
in the vehicle. At Woodhill the controls are aware of any suspicious activity, and report- people were arrested near the estate in one
strict and all visitors to play golf, residents’ ing this immediately,” says Anderson. evening,” says Anderson, who points that
guests, and anyone else entering the estate Most crimes committed on estates involve besides the squad of guards patrolling inside
is vetted and, as importantly, checks are thefts by employees from their employers, the perimeter fence, vehicles are constantly
constantly done to check if someone, for but there is always the possibility of more patrolling outside the estate as well.
example a construction worker, doesn’t leave serious incidents taking place, and Woodhill All of these measures would suggest that
the estate. residents have the option of being linked visitors and residents of this estate can rest
The perimeter fence at Woodhill is to armed response units via remote panic assured that they are well taken care of, but
patrolled 24 hours a day, by at least a dozen buttons. Anderson issues the warning: “As much as we
guards; each electronically monitored. “Of Most impressive is the way in which the do and although we use the latest technology,
course there is the increasing possibility of community within and outside the estate we must be aware that the criminals are hard
syndicates operating from within estates work together in preventing crime – different at work trying to get one step ahead of us – it
– criminals who buy or rent homes on the security companies and the police. “There is an on-going process”. ■

The entrance to Blair Atholl – this estate can claim to have the best available security systems – the 13-kilometre perimeter is secured by a mixture of wall,
palisade, electric fencing and fibre optic cabling. No less than 37 top-of-the-range PTZ cameras have the lenses trained on the boundaries, and horse-
mounted guards patrol the estate 24 hours a day. Access through the entrance is controlled by biometric fingerprinting as well as CCTV surveillance.

Golf Club Management January 2009 5


Everything you wanted to know about
polygraphs but were afraid to ask
Polygraph tests are becoming more popular in the workplace in the fight against crime. Are they legal? Can
you use the findings as evidence? These are just a couple of the ‘often-asked’ questions regarding polygraphs.
Andrew Wilson of GCM clarifies matters.
With ever-increasing incidents of crime in the
workplace, bosses are willing to try almost
anything to catch suspects. In a recent inci-
dent in the Western Cape, four people had
access to the safe on a particular day when
R2 500 went missing from the safe. All de-
nied any knowledge of how the money could
have gone missing. The manager suggested
that all four should undergo polygraph test-
ing at the company’s expense. He stressed
that the reason for offering the tests was
to strengthen their argument of innocence.
Three people accepted the offer and passed
the test with no indication that they were
lying. The fourth person refused to take the
test. The company decided to discipline
the fourth person and, on the balance of
probability, terminated their services on the
charge of theft.
Was the company within its rights to ask
the employees to take a polygraph test?
Was the fourth person within their rights
to refuse taking a test?
Was the company within its rights to
fire the fourth employee on the balance of
probability of theft? Let’s try to find some
answers.
Firstly, what is a polygraph test? It is often
referred to as a ‘lie detector’ test. This is
technically incorrect. A polygraph measures
the changes in a person’s body when they
come under mental stress. It records invol-
untary physical responses to stress-related
activities such as lying or deception.
The examiner will ask a list of pre-deter-
mined questions and monitor the examinee’s
verbal and physical responses.
How accurate are polygraph tests? No
research has been done to measure the
accuracy of polygraph tests. It is generally
accepted that the accuracy rate is probably
over 90% although sceptics will argue that
it could be as low as 50%. The changes in
physical readings are 100% accurate; the
problem lies in linking the changes in the
physical readings with lying or deception.
This means that you are on very dangerous
ground if you rely fully and solely on the
results of a polygraph test at a disciplinary
hearing.
Can I force an employee to take a
polygraph test? The relevant legislation that
applies is the Constitution of the Republic of
South Africa, Chapter 2, which enshrines the
right of all people in our country and affirms
the democratic values of human dignity,
equality and freedom.
This means that it is the employee’s
right to either accept or reject the offer of a
polygraph test.
Remember also, any individual agreeing
to a polygraph should be informed that:
■ The examinations are voluntary
■ Only questions discussed prior to the
examination will be used
■ They have a right to an interpreter
■ They have a right to another person being
present during the examination, provided
that person doesn’t interfere in any way
with the proceedings
■ No abuse in any form will be allowed
■ No discrimination will be allowed
■ No threats will be allowed.
Can I use the results of a polygraph test
in a hearing and will the courts accept it?
If an employee accepts the offer, you can
only use the results, either positive or nega-
tive to support other evidence you may have.
If they refuse the offer, once again, you
can only use their refusal to support other
evidence you have at your disposal.
If the case goes to the Commission
for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitra-
tion (CCMA), the commissioner will try to
determine the admissibility and reliability
of the evidence. Polygraph results are not
considered permissible evidence in criminal
proceedings.
Use the following check list to help en-
sure that your polygraph tests are accepted
POLYGRAPH TESTING
as reliable and admissible evidence by a
CCMA commissioner.
■ Make sure that you use a qualified expert
examiner accredited by either the SAPPA
(South African Professional Polygraph
Association www.polygragh.org.za) or the
PASA (Polygraph Association of South
Africa www.pasa.co.za).
■ Make sure that you obtain in writing the
agreement of the employee to undergo a
polygraph test prior to them undertaking
the test.
■ Make sure that the process is fully
explained to the employee.
■ The examiner must be available and willing
to present and explain his or her results as
well as be open to cross examination.
■ Ensure that the employee is both mentally
and physically fit to undergo the polygraph
test. There are certain drugs which can
adversely affect the polygraph results.
The bottom line however is that where
polygraph evidence is used to substantiate
the taking of disciplinary action, it should
only be used to support other hard evidence
that is available.
In the case study above, all four em-
ployees had access to the safe. During the
investigation, no other evidence became
available to indicate the innocence or guilt
of a particular individual. The company
made the call based purely on the results of
the polygraph test and were therefore in the
wrong. The employee was quite within his
rights to refuse the polygraph test.
The company had two lessons to learn
from their experience:
1. Ensure that you have dual control over ac-
cess to the safe and other sensitive areas.
2. Make sure that you read this GCM article
before you embark on a polygraph test!
■ For more information on Human Resource
issues contact Andrew Wilson at
consultaew@iafrica.com or on 082 575 3861.
Golf Club Management January 2009 7

Is it right to treat everyone the same?
Should you treat all your team members the same, or should you adapt your contact strategy according to their
moods and behaviours? Andrew Wilson of GCM gives some tips.
Consistency is fine when it comes to things
such as disciplinary processes, recognition
and rewards, but what about day-to-day
contact? People’s needs, attitudes and be-
haviours aren’t constant so you need to adapt
your contact strategies according to the
person you are dealing with and the mood
that they are in at the time. Let’s look at
three common scenarios and how you should
adapt your behaviour according to their state
of mind and approach.
Scenario 1
Bill is the type of person who believes he
knows it all and is always right unless some-
thing is going wrong in his area; he then he
looks for someone to blame. If things are go-
ing well, he uses the words ‘I’ and ‘me’ a lot;
when things are not going well, he uses the
words ‘you’ and ‘they’ a lot. He is very status
conscious and can be dismissive of people
below him or who he sees as ‘junior’.
Handling strategy: To quote Maslow’s
theory of needs, Bill has a high need for
status and esteem. Your handling strategy
should be to enhance this need while at the
same time getting him to remain calm, spe-
cific and constructive. Try the following:
■ If he is angry about something, let him get
it off his chest first. Remain calm and avoid
making judgements at this early stage.
■ Make use of summary statements, by
re-capping in your own words what you
understand him to have said, to show him
that you are listening. He may interpret
these as being statements of support
which will help him to calm down.
■ Also use reflective statements such as, “I
can see that you are angry about this,” or
“This must impact on your ability to deliver
the results you want.” Again, these kind of
statements will help Bill to calm down.
■ Once you have heard his side of the story
you may need to probe for more detail.
Use open-ended questions and probe any
flat assertions. You need specifics so, if
Bill says that his whole team is useless,
ask him to explain why and to give
examples to clarify why he says that.
■ You may have significantly guided Bill to
come up with a successful and suitable
outcome to a given situation, but if pos-
sible, let Bill think that he has come up
with the solution and give him the credit.
■ Expect your position and status to be
challenged.
Scenario 2
Craig is a real party animal and is popular
within the group. He is always smiling and
avoids conflict situations whenever possible.
His solution to any problem is to chat about
it over a coffee or to give in to keep the
peace.
Handling strategy: To quote Maslow again,
Craig has a high need to be socially accept-
able. He tries to be friends with everyone
and is prepared to back down or give in just
for the sake of peace and popularity. Your
challenge is to get Craig to be specific and to
commit to goals, priorities and deadlines. Try
the following:
■ Create a non-threatening climate and be
prepared to talk small-talk with him for a
THREE COMMON
CHARACTER TYPES
1. One that believes that they know it all
and are always right unless some-
thing is going wrong in their area;
they then look for someone to blame.
Very status conscious and often
dismisses those seen as ‘juniors’.
2. The real party animal that is popular
within the group. They are always
smiling and avoid conflict situation
wherever possible. Their solution to
most problems is a friendly chat and
then mostly gives in.
3. Those that are confident and partici-
pative members of the team. They set
very high standards for themselves
and others but are also supportive
when necessary. A team player but
focuses very much on results.
HR DEVELOPMENT
short period of time, but don’t get
sucked in.
■ Focus on the business issues and firmly
guide the way the contact goes. In other
words, have a clear agenda and stick to it.
■ If he becomes too enthusiastic and is
agreeing to everything, then probe deeper
by asking him why he is supportive and
more importantly what he will do and
by when.
■ Make specific suggestions and ask for his
reaction.
■ As opposed to scenario one, use closed-
ended questions that require a
specific answer.
■ Don’t expect to challenged at all.
Scenario 3
Feroza is a very confident and participative
member of the team. She sets very high
standards for herself and others, but also is
very supportive when necessary. She’s a team
player but focuses very much on results.
Handling strategy: Using Maslow again,
Feroza needs to be stretched in terms of her
growth, development and challenges. She
needs to be given autonomy and will thrive
on discussing differing viewpoints and opin-
ions. Try the following:
■ Look for learning experiences and devel-
opment opportunities whenever possible.
■ Be as specific as possible and remain
businesslike. If the news is bad, tell it as
it is and then together, look for solutions.
■ Use the full range of probes; open-ended
and closed-ended questions, summary
and reflective statements and pauses.
■ Don’t be frightened of silent pauses. In
scenarios one and two, silent pauses tend
to get filled just for the sake of it. With
Feroza, she will be using the time and
silence to think.
■ Expect your thoughts rather than your
position and status to be challenged.
■ If you have a human resource issue you need
help with contact Andrew Wilson at
consultaew@iafrica.com or on 082 575 3861.
Golf Club Management January 2009 9
 SOUTH AFRICA

GOLF SUMMIT
FANCOURT
29 March – 01 April 2009
Join us for the fourth annual South Africa Golf Summit, where thought leaders from the
golf and hospitality industries come together to share ideas and form new partnerships

To book your place contact Fancourt Reservations

Tel: (044) 804 0037
Fax (044) 804 0710
email: reservations@fancourt.co.za
To book your place contact Fancourt Reservations
website: www.sagolfsummit.com
Tel: (044) 804 0037
2009
Fax rates: (044) 804 0730
3email:
NIGHT STAY per person sharing
sagolfsummit@fancourt.co.za
single rate
Golfer R 4,085 R 5,825
website: www.sagolfsummit.com
Non-golfer R 3,585 R 5,325

2Rates
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Completing the package
Senior panellist on Compleat Golfer’s 5-Star Golf Experience team Ian Leach explains how the final categories
on the score-sheet are judged.
In this series describing the Compleat Golfer
5-Star Golf Experience we have already covered:
■ Clubhouse facilities
■ Golf course service and facilities
■ Quality of golf course experience
■ Halfway house
■ Practice facilities
■ Quality of customer service
These six criteria, together with the three
covered in this final article on the subject
make up the Compleat Golfer 5-Star Golf
Experience. The three remaining criteria are:
■ Price/value relationship
■ Services offered
■ Ambience
The standards set for this award are intended
to be high and, as we have said many times,
only a few clubs will qualify. All clubs how-
ever should be able to learn from the criteria
used and apply what ever they can to im-
prove their own level of service and facilities
offered to members and guests. If this series
of articles helps to improve the average level
of golf experience offered by clubs through-
out the country then it has achieved one of
its key goals.
Price/value relationship
This relationship could be considered to
be subjective, but the team of evaluators is
experienced to identify the perceived value
for money received by a visitor from each
point of purchase at the club or estate. It
is recognised that pricing at some estates
and resorts will be higher than the typical
member-owned club and this is taken into
account during an evaluation. (The various
strategies employed in pricing will be dealt
with in a separate article next month.) There
are seven points of purchase taken into
account namely:
■ The golf shop merchandise
■ Greenfees of members and visitors
■ Caddie and/or golf cart fees
■ The practice range
■ The halfway house food price
■ Bar prices
The price charged at each of these pay
points is weighed up against the value
received in relation to the price charged and
each is scored individually from 0 to 5 points.
Range of services offered by the club
This is the only section in the process in
which a service is measured by either offer-
ing it or not. No judgment is used – either
the evaluator experienced or witnessed the
service or not. The panellist does, however,
look out for consistency of service offered
and will easily identify when a club offers
the service only on busy days, only on corpo-
rate days or possibly only on member days.
The 19 services identified each score either
a 0 if not offered or 5 if offered on the day of
the evaluation. The criteria are:
■ Valet parking service
■ Bag-drop facility with attendant on duty
■ Return clubs to car after play
■ Place clubs on golf cart or carry clubs to
the clubhouse
■ A car-wash service
■ Availability of sand bags
■ Sufficient ball-washers on the course
■ A course guide or GPS system
■ A caddie manager or cart attendant on duty
■ Clubs cleaned before and after play
■ Availability of drinks on the course
■ Complimentary tea/coffee or a drink
during the visit
■ Availability of private lockers
■ Proper control over lost and found property
■ Toiletries in the change rooms
■ Refresher towels at the halfway stop
■ A shoe-shine service
■ Ability to draw cash at the club
It could be argued that some of these
criteria are not valid or even applicable at a
golf club, but individually and collectively
they contribute to the overall level of satis-
faction and enjoyment experienced during
a visit to a club. There is no doubt that the
more a club offers the better the golf experi-
ence will be.
5 star experience
Ambience
Ambience at a club is critical to the overall
level of customer experience. A cold and
unwelcoming facility will never draw people
back no matter how pleasant and enjoyable
the round of golf might have been. Golf-
ers go to a club to relax and enjoy the total
experience. A warm and inviting ambience
contributes greatly to this. The six criteria
our panellists consider are:
■ The first impression when arriving at a club
– often referred to as the ‘Wow’ factor.
■ The degree of specialness of the golf
course, the surrounding countryside, the
course atmosphere and the feeling of
being at peace with the world.
■ The atmosphere, décor, vibe, spirit and
liveliness of the clubhouse.
■ The spirit, atmosphere and vibe of golfers
in the club bar.
■ The sense of golf tradition – décor, ele-
ments of history, trophies and memora-
bilia in the clubhouse.
■ The overall sense of feeling welcome and
being at home.
In order to complete a 5-Star Experience
evaluation our team of panellists are required
to visit a club and personally experience the
entire offering including playing a round of
golf, taking a shower and enjoying drinks in
the bar after the game. Scores are submitted
through regularly and, at the end of each year,
the results are considered by a panel of judges
who make the final decisions which facili-
ties qualified and which did not. The lasting
thought for clubs to remember is that the
5-Star Golf Experience programme is taken
seriously, it is well managed, it is consistent
and it is fair. Those clubs that receive the
award can be truly proud of their achievement
and can justifiably claim that they offer a
world-class level of service and facilities con-
sistently to every person who visits that club.
■ For more information contact the editor:
bogeyfree@mweb.co.za
Golf Club Management January 2009 11

People create profits
No matter how much money you invest in infrastructure, buildings, systems and equipment, it is the people
you employ who will create the 5-Star Experience for golfers, and have them coming back for more,
writes Andrew Wilson.
On a recent trip up the Garden Route with
a couple of golfing colleagues, I had the
pleasure of experiencing what must be one of
the world’s leading golfing destinations. We
played seven-and-a-half rounds in six days,
starting at Pinnacle Point in Mossel Bay and
finishing at Humewood in Port Elizabeth.
There is no doubt that the capital invest-
ment that has gone in to creating this
world-class golfing route is enormous and the
benefits are there for all to see and experi-
ence; from watching the whales breaching
off Pinnacle Point to playing the pristine
fairways of St Francis Links. If you only have
a week to spare, where else in the world can
golfers experience such quality and variety?
There is however a dark cloud on the hori-
zon. In spite of all the money that has been
invested in capital projects, I was sometimes
left wondering if the staff recruitment, train-
ing and development budgets hadn’t been
cut to accommodate extra expenditure on
fixtures and fittings.
No matter how impressive your build-
ings, facilities and even your course are,
it is the people on the front line who can
make or break the golfing experience. An
off-hand remark, a lack of interest, ignorance
or incompetency can destroy in a second
what has taken millions of rands and many
months, if not years, to develop.
I always believe in accentuating the posi-
tive and in ‘catching people doing things
right’! So here are a couple of examples from
our recent trip that really warmed our hearts.
They all have three things in common:
1. The right person is in the right job.
2. They have the necessary skills, knowledge
and information to perform.
3. They really do look as if they are enjoying
what they are doing.
The first example was at George Golf
Club. This really is a ‘must play’ course in
the traditional sense. We arrived on a cold
and rainy morning and it looked as if our
golf was in jeopardy of being rained off. To
kill time, we decided to see what the golf
shop had to offer. The smile that greeted us
from the pro shop assistant Gillian Leander
immediately brightened up our day. Not only
did she make us feel very welcome, she also
knew her stock well and went out of her way
answer our questions. What started off as a
request to pay our greenfees and a casual
interest in buying a couple of balls and col-
lecting a scorecard ended up in us buying
wet-weather gear and spending well over
R1 000. Gillian had all of the above three
points in abundance. Within no time at all,
we were out on the course, the rain had
stopped and we were enjoying one of the
best golf experiences that the Garden Route
has to offer.
Another excellent example of pro-active,
enthusiastic and knowledgeable pro shop
service was supplied by the two young pros
at Bramble Hill, part of the Fancourt Estate.
Again, our tee-off time was delayed while
we waited for the rain to abate. What started
off as a casual ‘just looking’ visit to the pro
shop ended up with them achieving sales in
excess of R1 000.
The next example was at Simola. Most of
us know about the wonderful Jack Nicklaus-
designed course and the spectacular views,
but Simola has gone on to set new standards
in service and value excellence. We stayed
in their new apartments linked to the hotel
and decided to dine in their restaurant that
evening. From the moment we arrived at the
restaurant we were made to feel special and
nothing was too much trouble. The service at
the table was warm, discrete and efficient.
Even this was surpassed by the quality and
value of the meal. The team in the kitchens,
headed by top chef Simon Kemp, produced
one of the best meals any of us have ever
experienced. Space doesn’t permit me to
go into details of the meal; suffice it to say
that if ever we are in the Knysna area again
and are in need of sustenance, we will head
straight for Simola.
RANDS AND SENSE
A Sunday buffet costs R130 and the
average price of an a la carte main course is
approximately R100. There is no doubt that,
to produce a meal of that standard, Simola
have invested wisely in Simon Kemp, and
he has taken considerable time and effort
to ensure that his team are competent and
committed. The management team at Simola
are also to be congratulated in taking the
decision to offer value. High prices and poor
service will very quickly kill the goose that
lays the golden egg. Simola are ensuring that
they are looking after their golden goose.
Another example concerns the caddies at
Humewood. Very often the caddies at golf
clubs are ‘tolerated’ by committees and mem-
bers as an unwelcome necessity. Poorly trained
and scruffily turned-out caddies are common-
place on South African courses. A poor caddie
can destroy not only a potentially good round
but also taint your perception of the club. At
Humewood, a truly traditional links golf course,
the Scottish golf ethic has rubbed off. The
caddies knew the course, were well trained in
‘caddie etiquette’, well turned out and really
seemed to be enjoying themselves without
being over-intrusive. They added to the golfing
experience through their knowledge, communi-
cation skills and appearance.
This sort of service standard doesn’t hap-
pen by accident and maybe it has a lot to
do with the attitude of management and the
committee members. Twice during our visit
to Humewood we were approached by a com-
mittee member asking if they could help us
in any way. Jeff Clause, director of golf op-
erations at St Francis Links, provides highly
visible leadership as does Margie Dolgoy,
club manager at St Francis Bay Golf Club
just across the road from The Links course.
There is no doubt that a visible and involved
management and committee at a golf club
will go a long way towards meeting and
exceeding member’s and visitor’s expecta-
tions and providing a truly 5-Star Golf
Experience. ■
Golf Club Management January 2009 13
CLUB PROFILE

Krugersdorp Golf Club

Poised for a revamp
Krugersdorp Golf Club is about to embark on a major project to rebuild its greens. Inconvenient though this
process may be, the work promises to make a very fine layout that much better.

Krugersdorp Golf Club can pride itself in belong-
ing to a select group of clubs that have a
history dating back more than a century.
Its formation and subsequent growth was
linked to the gold mining industry and,
although records are sketchy, is must be
assumed that the game was played here
late in the 19th century. The area now
occupied by Krugersdorp was once a farm
called Paardekraal, which was bought by the
government of the time in 1887 in order to
establish a town. Prior to this, in 1880, the
area was best known as the meeting place
where 6 000 boers met to discuss the
British ‘problem’, and vowed to fight for their
independence. The hostilities did eventually
come to a head and the subsequent war kept
the British busy a lot longer than they bar-
gained for, but it is amazing to consider that
during these turbulent times in Paul Kruger’s
Transvaal, a group of determined golfers

Krugersdorp’s clubhouse and adjoining thatched lapa has recently been revamped and, given the attractive surroundings and swift, efficient service, it
is understandably a popular venue for private functions.

14 January 2009 Golf Club Management


founded their own club. Officially founded in
1900, the modest layout on what must have
been rather bleak savannah grassland would
grow into a golf club that has the second-
biggest membership of any 18-hole facility
in Gauteng. (Krugersdorp’s total of 1 360
members is exceeded only by Bryanston.)
It would take more than a decade before
the first members had a clubhouse, built in
1912 at a cost of 250 pounds and, rather
curiously, having waited all that time for a
proper drinking hole, the course was moved
a year later. Like many golf clubs in the early
part of the 20th century, as the popula-
tion and the development of commerce and
industry increased, the biggest problem
was managing to stay in one place and, in
1932 the course moved again – to land
further west. Still only a nine-hole layout,
in 1935 more land was acquired and plans
for an 18-hole course were put into action.
Bob Grimsdell, then the heavyweight among
course architects, was commissioned to do
the work, and Krugersdorp became one of
the premier golf courses of the time.
In the early 1980s the course was again
moved, this layout entrusted to Bill Kerr.
Since then, other changes have been made,
most notable being to the 6th hole – a mag-
nificent par played downhill over water. Other
cosmetic tinkering has been done over the
years, but one thing has remained constant –
a club spirit that is as strong as can be found
anywhere.
The advantage of the moves the club
has made is that the course now occupies
the most attractive real estate in the area
– alongside the suburb of Rant en Dal (liter-
ally hill and dale) and as mature parkland
layouts go, this one is a beauty. Particularly
pleasing are the rocky outcrops and from
certain vantage points magnificent views
of the Magaliesberg can be enjoyed. It was
only in 2000 that a full automated irriga-
tion system was installed, and this course is
maintained to the highest standards. Despite
its altitude (this is one of the highest courses
in the country) and situated in an area where
extreme winter frosts occur, the fairways are
lush year round. The management and com-
mittees over the years have ensured that this
golfing hub continues to thrive, but it has
been the membership, a loyal group of die-
hards that really make this club the vibrant,
friendly place that it is.
Two years ago a major revamp of the club-
house was completed and, more recently,
Due to the efforts of Derek de Smidt and
Wayne van Mazijk the housekeeping on
this course cannot be faulted.
the cozy thatched lapa was extended. It is
here that the crowd of thirsty golfers meet
post-round and the bar ladies are kept busy.
There is a vibe about this place that modern
clubs, try as they might, cannot replicate –
this is a club of the old school where locals
could care less about status and more about
the reason for being there – meeting with
like-minded golfers who are determined to
enjoy their leisure time.
“... generous landing areas
and benign rough certainly
means that the handicap
player can have fun.”
General manager Bruce Franklin runs a
tight ship here, and the finances of the club
would appear to be healthy. The popularity
of the club as a venue for corporate days
and other functions ensures that the future
of this historic club is secure. There are
plans to rebuild all 18 greens, which is a
good opportunity for the layout to be further
improved by fine-tuning the mounding and
bunkering, but it is hoped that the character
of this classic will not be compromised. One
could argue that at 6 426 metres, this layout
is a little short by modern standards, but by
tightening up some of the landing areas the
shot values could be greatly enhanced. In
the meantime a project to construct new tees
has begun and allows for some much needed
variation on certain holes.
Golf director Derek De Smit (who is also
chairman of greens), is clearly passionate
about his course and, by working closely with
course superintendent Wayne van Mazijk
and the course staff, he makes sure that the
general housekeeping cannot be faulted. An
aggressive tree-planting program is in full
swing and, like all parkland layouts of this
CLUB PROFILE
vintage, most of the strategically-placed trees
on the course are aliens, and obviously these
cannot be removed, but over time these will
replaced by indigenous species.
This course cannot be considered to the
most stringent of championship tests, but
the generous landing areas and benign rough
certainly means that the handicap player
can have fun. Players are unlikely to suffer
downtime looking for balls, which does help
with the pace of play compared to many
modern layouts.
The club has a long and proud history of
being a breeding ground for talented young
players and with a junior section that boasts
some 140 youngsters, this healthy state of
affairs continues. The juniors at Krugersdorp
comfortably won their 2008 league title
with games in hand – finishing the season
unbeaten.
Work will soon begin on the preparation of
temporary greens and, while at the time of
writing a decision had not yet been taken on
which company will be awarded the contract
to undertake the reconstruction of the new
putting surfaces, the club is determined to
ensure that this expensive exercise is carried
out properly.
■
FACT FILE
Founded: 1900
Course: 18 holes, kikuyu tees and fair-
ways, bent greens 6 426m, parkland
Total membership: 1 360
Annual membership fee: R3 700
Members greenfees: R85
Visitors greenfees: R170
General manager: Bruce Franklin
Club captain: Pierre Kotze
Director of golf: Derek de Smidt
Head professional: Louis Kruger
Assistant professional: Johan Wessels
Course superintendent: Wayne van Mazizk
Club champion: Ruan de Smidt
Contact: 011 660 4365/6
Golf Club Management January 2009 15

Opportunity for clubs to
improve on customer service
Prodimen Research Consultants is a unique company offering a specialised service to the golf and estate
markets. Through member and guest research it is able to identify areas of strength and weakness within clubs
that can prove to be invaluable for management to improve their levels of customer service.
It is accepted that demands made by the
average golfer in terms of service delivery of
their club is increasing continuously. Most
clubs have responded positively to this chal-
lenge and there is no doubt that on average
service levels have improved across the
industry over the past few years. Clubs now
have an opportunity to take customer service
to new heights by applying the services of an
external and independent research consult-
ant who specialises in the industry.
The process is relatively straight forward. It
uses the technique of confidential customer
satisfaction surveys targeted on a specific
Simon Mapoga – Gardener Ross
“Simon spoils all members and guests at
Gardener Ross,” says Desire Stone. “Drop
off your shoes and you can rest assured
that Simon will return them looking like
new – with a touch of his charm. Simon is
a valuable member of our team and is guar-
anteed to consistently supply his special
service with a smile.”
Simon matriculated in 1996 and used
to caddie at Services and Centurion during
the holidays. He worked as a marshal at
Centurion before joining Gardener Ross
when the course opened.
aspect of the clubs operation to establish
customer experiences and requirements.
Questionnaires are developed together with
club management on the target area requiring
improvement. These can be narrowly focused
on a specific area or broad based across the
total operation of the club depending on the
need identified by the club.
By way of example, questionnaires could
be developed specifically for:
■ the halfway house
■ the food and beverage service in general
■ the caddie service
■ the condition of the golf course
■ customer service experience throughout
the club
■ on-site accommodation service
■ service offered by the spa
The list is endless. Prodimen is able to
provide professional input in designing the
questionnaires in order to derive maximum
benefit from the results obtained.
Electronic questionnaires are then sent
out randomly to club members, to the total
membership data base, to visitors on a
specific day, to a corporate group or to any
target group identified by the club. Re-
sponses are received directly by the research
consultants and processed before a report
is then sent to the club. Typically this report
would include averages scored against each
question asked, together with minimum and
maximum points scored and the standard
deviation. A range of typical positive and
negative comments received from respond-
ents would also be included. If a club
decides to survey members and guests over
a period of time, then the reports will be tai-
lored to also include comparisons from one
period to another and also a trend analysis.
The benefits of this service level improve-
ment tool are far reaching:
■ It shows commitment by the club that
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Ebotse’s Luthando Magawo – Ebotse
Luthando began his career in golf working
at Fancourt’s driving range. He joined Pin-
nacle Point as a starter/marshal and now
keeps things running smoothly at the Ebotse
club, where he starts and marshals the field.
“Luthando has been with us since our open-
ing – he has an exceptional attitude and
constantly strives to deliver service of the
highest quality”, says Ebotse’s GM Peet de
Wet. “I have no doubt that he will go a long
way in the golf industry.”
they care about customer experience.
■ It leaves a positive impression that the
club is committed to service improvement.
■ It provides the club with valuable informa-
tion on the strengths and weaknesses of
their service.
■ It is an excellent tool to measure em-
ployee performance either individually
or collectively.
■ It gives the respondent confidence to
express true experiences because it is
conducted independently.
■ Most importantly of all, it provides the
club with direct feedback on opportunities
for improvement.
■ Any club wanting to improve their service
levels through listening to and acting on
their customer experiences should contact
Helena at Prodimen Research Consultants on
082 931 7848, fax: 086 633 2327 or
e-mail: prodimen.rc@gmail.com
Golf Club Management January 2009 17

The editor
I am aware that Eagle Canyon received the
5-Star Golf Experience Award from Compleat
Golfer. I have to say that this surprised me. I
have many friends that live on the estate and
play there quite regularly.
My experiences there have not been bad,
but certainly not 5-Star. The following
comments pertain.
1. When you park at the bag drop-off, half
the time there is nobody there. This is
due to the fact that the person is busy
taking other bags down to the bottom.
There should be two people for this job.
2. When you enter the clubhouse there is
nobody to welcome you and direct you
where to go. The first person you meet is
the shoe cleaner. This is normal for many
clubs and there isn’t anything wrong with
it, but to qualify as a 5-Star experience a
club should offer so much more.
3. The experience in the pro shop is fine,
but nothing extraordinary.
4. When you walk down to your bag, it is
G o l f p e impossible
o p l e _ to a d _ b i the
g . p d f master
Pa ge
297 Golfpeople Dale Hayes ad identify
8/27/08 1:33caddie
AM Page 4
as everybody is dressed the same. This
causes confusion.
5. I don’t think there is proper control from
the course marshal to stick to tee-off
times and you will inevitably tee off late.
The same goes for waiting all the time on
the course.
On the positive side, they have a great
clubhouse and the food and service in the
halfway house is really good. The change-
rooms are spacious and well decorated and
the bar facilities excellent. They certainly
have a good spirit at the club.
I have refrained from commenting on the
course as I’m sure the 5-Star Golf Experience
Award is about the experience and not the
course rating. I suspect that it does somehow
contribute to the experience whether you play
a great layout that is well conditioned or just
an average course.
All in all, it is just another average golf
experience and not one to phone all your
friends about. Like when you just played
Leopard Creek, The Links, Blair Atholl, etc.
Golf fanatic
1 8 / 2 8 / 0 8 , 1 1 : 4 6 AM
C M Y CM MY
LETTERS
Dear Editor
RE: Response to letter from Golf Fanatic
regarding the Compleat Golfer 5-Star rating
at Eagle Canyon.
Thank you for forwarding the letter to me,
regarding the 5-Star rating of Eagle Canyon.
The author of the letter has made some
very valid and useful comments and sugges-
tions, some of which my golf director and I
have already implemented staffing solutions
to attend to. I am always of the opinion that
comments or criticism should be received in
a positive light. I say this as it allows us as
service providers in the golfing industry to
continually strive for, not only 100-percent
customer satisfaction, but to constantly
attempt to exceed our members and visitors
expectations. Without feedback of whatever
nature, it would be difficult to measure
oneself and the offerings at your facility ef-
fectively; hence, the necessary adjustments
to facilities, staffing management or F&B
services may be overlooked without this valu-
able resource.
CY CMY K Ray Finch, CEO ECCC
DRESS CODES
Traditional good taste
vs fashion statements
Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club’s Terry Wittwen firmly believes that golf’s traditions should be
preserved, which includes appropriate dress on and off the course.
Most of the guests that visit our club are
quite familiar with our traditional approach
to our dress code. Certainly our members are
very aware and in fact many of them will help
us enforce our rules – occasionally not quite
in the polite way that we would like to get the
message across. It was just such an incident
that made me think that perhaps ‘dress style’
would be more appropriate than a ‘code’.
A long-standing member approached me
very indignantly the other day to tell me that
there was someone on the course with no
socks on, and that his shirt hanging out of his
trousers. Before going to find this reprobate
and asking him to rectify the situation, I did
a ‘double-take’. Staring me in the face was a
wardrobe malfunction of disastrous propor-
tions. The complainant had on a golf shirt, a
pullover, casual trousers, socks and golf shoes.
All the right stuff but none of it matched. The
pullover probably once colourful, looked like it
had done several washing cycles too many and
the chequered trousers were showing a bit too
much ankle. What little hair he had needed a
cut and there was an untidy two-day growth
on his face. Needless to say, I didn’t get as far
as finding the chap who started all this fuss in
the first place.
Is it important to have a dress code? The
game has preserved certain traditions over
centuries and appropriate dress is one of
them. But it becomes a dilemma when even
golfing attire evolves into fashion items worn
and endorsed by the top professionals.
Back in the good old days, no one dared
enter the club bar without a jacket and tie.
There are still some of our older members
who will always put on a jacket before enter-
ing the bar. Some of them are a little disdain-
ful of the more casually dressed folk but
really, we’ve learnt a long time ago that we
have to accept there will always be differing
of opinions and there has to some compro-
mises made.
Of necessity, clubs have had to give in
20 January 2009 Golf Club Management
to certain fashion statements over time, but
it seems that there is one underlying rule
among the clubs that take themselves seri-
ously, and that is, shirts should be tucked in
– even if they are ‘tailored’ golf shirts. We’ve
had our fair share of run-ins with Calvin Klein
and Donna Versace when it comes to T-shirts
too. The cost of these skimpy designer
creations is offered as an argument, but the
fact that you could feed a small country on
the cost of these T-shirts means diddly. It’s
not about price, guys, don’t you get that!
A T-shirt will always be a T-shirt no matter
which designer has stitched their logo on it
and heaven help the club who concedes this
one – how would they get around explaining
to Joe Bargain that Calvin and Donna are OK
but his torn and faded T isn’t?
Then there’s the denim jeans issue – there
are so many varieties in varying degrees of
disintegration that it’s also one of those rules
that are easy to apply. Most clubs do not al-
low jeans on the golf course but they do allow
‘smart’ jeans in the bar. ‘Smart’ meaning
nothing torn or faded so you’ll have to make
your fashion statement some other way, or in
some other sporting arena.
Up until recently short socks at our club
had to be predominantly white. This is com-
mon at most clubs, but we have noticed,
especially amongst the lady golfers that often
they are colour coordinated down to their
feet, literally, and they actually look very
nice! It might come back to bite us in the fu-
ture, but for the time being we’ve overturned
the ‘predominantly white’ short socks and
haven’t yet had any reason to believe that it
wasn’t a good idea.
Every club faces the same problem when
it comes to dress and most agree that it is
frustratingly difficult to police ‘The Code’. It’s
not easy to constantly monitor its compliance
among those that visit to play golf. But what
about service providers, event organisers
and their staff who often arrive in jeans and
T-shirts? How do you get the message down
to third-party level? To the non-golfer, golf is
just another sport – he or she doesn’t under-
stand all the nuances of being a member of
a golf club. It would be very unfair to expect
them to purchase suitable clothing at the
pro shop or send them back home to change.
Sometimes, within reason, one just has to
make allowances for these situations.
Every club should have their dress rules
clearly displayed and visible to everyone who
visits their club. The rules in their simplest
form generally request members and guests
to adhere to the following, both on the
course and in the clubhouse:
■ No bare feet
■ No sandals
■ No rugby shirts and shorts
■ No tracksuits
■ No T-shirts
■ No cargo, combat or drawstring trousers
■ No caps to be worn back to front
The above is only a guideline. However,
the golfing dress code around the world
seems to be pretty consistent – smart but
casual clothing ‘designed for golf’ is ac-
cepted as being the norm. Every club will
have their own hard and fast rules; others
will be more lenient on some things. At our
club, it’s quite simple. We are committed to
uphold the traditions of our founders, the ac-
cepted norms of the Royal and Ancient Club
of St Andrews. We are proud of our ‘Royal’
prefix and the honour it has bestowed and
will always respect that golfing kinship by
maintaining our principles.
From a broader perspective, golf is ‘a gen-
tlemen’s game’ and should be reason enough
for any golf club to have a dress code. But
they best be sure that the code can stand up
to the challenges it is bound to face – staff
should know the reasons for applying the
code and be able to explain them to mem-
bers and their guests. Nine times out of 10
“Because I said so,” just won’t work. ■

Kimberley Golf Club’s
Dave Wilson
Robin de Kock visited the historic Kimberley Golf Club, home of the famed ‘Barney Barnato’ – known as being
as much a test of endurance as of a celebration of golf.
Kimberley GC, one of our oldest, has been a
proud custodian of the great traditions that
the sport enjoys. Keeping those alive and
well is only a part of Dave Wilson’s life, but
for someone who has been involved with the
club for as long as he has, it comes as no
surprise to find that he was chairman of its
centenary celebration committee in 1990.
A wonderful booklet – 150 pages long –
containing the history and records of KGC,
was co-authored by the club manager at the
time, Steve Lunderstedt and Dave. Reading
this, one gains a real understanding of the
situation the club had found itself in when
De Beers decided to withdraw its financial
support over a five-year period.
The centenary year also saw the start of
the now famous Barney Barnato Tournament
which was instrumental in helping the club
over difficult times. These lasted until the
club received a welcome boost from the new
Flamingo Casino and Road Lodge that now
flourishes alongside the club.
After many years as a commercial ac-
countant in the Kimberley area, during which
Dave had enjoyed various successes on the
golf course, including winning the Kimberley
Masters in 1992, he took a break to have
a crack at the restaurant business in Port
Alfred for a while, before returning to more
stable and familiar ground. In 1997 he took
over as manager of KGC.
Kimberley’s current personnel comple-
ment of 26 includes 15 on-course staff
and the club currently enjoys some 24 000
rounds per annum. Every week sees four
corporate or sponsored days taking place,
and the club’s bar is a popular and friendly
spot for visitors and members to enjoy. This
is never more evident than during the Barney
Barnato, held every year in October. Now in
its 19th year, it begins on a Friday evening
with an opening bash, followed by eight days
of golf. Some 600 competitors play about
1 500 rounds over this period – every day
Dave Wilson is determined to make
younger golfers realise that there is more
to club membership that merely playing
the game.
has an individual Stableford competition and
the Barnato trophy goes to the player leading
the order of merit at the end. There is no ob-
ligation to play every day and, as Dave says,
it takes a super-human effort to play even
five of them, bearing in mind the off course
festivities on offer!
Apart from extensive all-day catering
which is carried out by their own staff,
KIMBERLEY ‘BLUES’
During the earliest days of golf be-
ing played in the diamond capital, the
Kimberley course could boast greens
that were true, never needed mowing
and were disease resistant. They were
constructed from compacted gravel, a
bi-product of the De Beers mines. This
crushed stone was the envy of many
courses, and some actually acquired
loads of this gravel for the construc-
tion of putting surfaces at their clubs,
perhaps hoping to find the odd diamond
that been overlooked.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH
various bar outlets are constantly being
replenished and the clubs finances given a
healthy injection by both players and their
families who are treated to day and night en-
tertainment at two different venues through-
out the whole nine days. So much so that the
bar takings over the course of the tournament
are in excess of nine weeks of normal trading.
Various bands from across the country are
signed up to perform both in the club area
and next door in the Flamingos entertain-
ment centre – no wonder that Dave welcomes
visitors from all over SA as well as overseas
who return to the tournament year after year.
Dave is concentrating on making people
realise what an attractive venue KGC is for
tournaments of all kinds. The fact that there
is hotel accommodation alongside and a
great old Grimsdell-designed course, makes
it a perfect spot to ‘stay and play’. Added to
this is the wonderful Freddie Tait Museum
of which the club is custodian – a treasure
for all, with golfing memorabilia which is a
fascinating reminder of the great foundations
of the game we know today. Dave sees these
everyday, as well as the replica ‘Kimberley
Blue’ green outside the clubhouse front door.
He knows that he is privileged to be part of
a club that has enjoyed so much over the
years and as a good player himself – down
to a two-handicap in his earlier years – he
is also determined to see that the younger
golfers of today realise that merely playing
the game well is not all there is to being a
member of a club. Their active participation
and assistance in any way is a vital part of
the club’s well being and, in these current
times, management and committees need all
the help they can get.
His only regret is that these days he does
not have the time to play as much as he used
to – a pity, because otherwise he might have
added his record of having 2 holes-in-one a
year apart, at the same hole, same month and
in the same Sunday fourball! ■
Golf Club Management January 2009 21
TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT
Controlling turfgrass diseases
An attack by a disease is often considered to be bad luck, but while no turfgrass is immune from infestation,
in most cases the appearance of diseases points to poor turf management, writes Turftek’s Murray Veitch.
Although everyone was extremely happy
about the abundant first summer rains in
most parts of the country, moist, warm
conditions bring with them a new set of
challenges.
It was a relief to experience good spring
and summer rainfall, but of course the
downside to this is the possibility of the de-
velopment of various turfgrass diseases. High
temperatures coupled with high moisture
levels create ideal conditions for diseases to
thrive.
Three of the most common diseases that
are found at this time of the year are:
Dollar Spot
This problematic disease develops during
warm, humid days, cool nights and heavy
dew. Temperatures that range between 15
and 30ºC creates ideal conditions for the
development of Dollar Spot, which appears
as small, circular, sunken patch similar to
that of an old, unrepaired pitchmark.
Brown Patch
This disease develops when there is a lot of
surface moisture present, high humidity and
night-time temperatures above 20ºC. Brown
Patch normally appears as irregularly shaped
patches; first appearing as purplish green
and then fade to light brown.
Fairy Ring
Circular rings of darker green or faster-
growing grass appear in spring and summer.
Low fertility and a thick thatch layer is often
the reason, when the turf stand is vulnerable
to attack.
Mushrooms are often found to be present
on the rings.
Disease Control
Disease-resistant species and cultivars
Differing climatic conditions favour one
disease over another. When selecting the
type of grass to use, one must take this into
consideration. A good example of this would
be the planting of bent grass at the coast.
22 January 2009 Golf Club Management
Prevention is always better and easier than
the cure – well-maintained turf is less likely
to suffer from disease.
Temperature
Disease development is affected by tempera-
tures which favour the growth of fungi over
the growth of the host plant. Fungi that grow
well at high temperatures can cause disease
to cool-season grasses, which do not like high
temperatures. High night-time temperatures
particularly favour disease development in
cool-season grasses.
Humidity
High humidity slows the rate at which grass
plants dry out in the morning. This pro-
longed wet period favours the development
of diseases. It is therefore very important to
remove dew from the greens first thing in the
morning. A period of more than 12 hours is
needed for a pathogen to penetrate a leaf sur-
face. Dew can be removed by various methods
which include watering early in the morning,
or mechanically using a dew whip or brushes.
Water
Watering should be carried out early in the
morning and not in the evening or late after-
noon. The amount of water applied must also
be controlled. Turf areas should not be too wet
or too dry. Infrequent heavy watering cycles
should be carried out in order to encourage
deep penetration of the water.
Light
Low light intensities reduce plant growth
which in turn makes the turf more suscepti-
ble to disease infection. Direct sunlight will
help to dry out the turf canopy thus reducing
the risk of fungal attack.
Fertilisers
Fertiliser should be applied at such rates
which favour healthy turf growth. Exces-
sive fertiliser applications can make the
turf more susceptible to fungal attacks. An
excess of nitrogen favours the development
of certain diseases where as the lack of
nitrogen favours the development of another
set of diseases. A balanced fertiliser program
should therefore be carried out.
Mowing
Mowing causes damage to the turf plant
which in turn makes it more susceptible to
fungal attack. Fungi which infect leaves may
be transported by mowers. Mowing turf while
it is wet helps to transport fungi. Increased
mowing frequencies and lower cutting
heights put the turf plant under severe stress
which increases its susceptibility to fungal
attack.
Thatch Control
Thatch must be controlled by regular ver-
ticutting and topdressing. A build up of a
thatch layer will result in excessive moisture
retention which will favour fungal growth.
Chemical Control
Fungicides can be used to control most
diseases. A combination of contact and
systemic fungicides should be used.
It is important that a holistic approach is
taken when combating disease infections on
the golf course. This should include keeping
records of climatic conditions and cultural
tasks carried out. It may not be possible to
prevent all diseases all of the time, but it is
certainly possible to reduce the number of
attacks. ■
 RANDS AND SENSE

Rands and sense

Orbit Golf offers a simple solution to an annual problem.
Membership subscriptions are traditionally paid annually by golf club
members, an amount which can be quite substantial and which needs to
be carefully budgeted for. Golf clubs rely on these subscriptions to run ef-
ficiently and rely on members paying them on time. Few, if any, golf clubs
have facilities for monthly payment of membership subscriptions, as this
is admin heavy and costly – and, let’s face it, the club needs the money
and cannot afford to be a ‘financial services provider’.
Now, a group called Orbit Golf, together with Nedbank, has come
up with a solution which both clubs and many of their members will
find hugely attractive. Essentially, Orbit Golf will set up and manage a
debit-order system for club members and their clubs will still get the
subscription up front, leaving them to carry on with the business of
running the golf club.
So, how does it work? The golf club concludes an agreement with
Nedbank, negotiated by Orbit Golf, guaranteeing loan repayments.
The golf club can then offer monthly repayments to new and existing
members who may not be able to afford to pay annual membership fees
upfront in one lump sum.
The golf club member sets up a debit order with Nedbank to repay
the membership fee, inclusive of a preferential rate of interest and
fees. Nedbank advances 80 percent of the annual membership fees for
each participating member on successful collection of the first debit
payment. Nedbank retains the other 20 percent in an interest-bearing
account and pays this amount (plus) interest over to the club when all
debit payments have been successfully collected.
The Orbit group, which has been in the business of this type of ‘col-
lection’ for decades in the insurance industry, has all the facilities to as-
sist golf clubs with unpaid management, reporting and reconciling and
renewal processing. Orbit Golf can extend this package to the monthly
payment of greenfees and golf estate levies as well – again, something
that should be attractive to both clubs and their members.
■ For further information, visit www.orbitgolf.co.za or call 011 384 8600.

TRUE TEMPER’S STAFF ‘SHAFTED’

The world’s major shaft manufacturer True Temper has been feel-
ing the pinch. “While the golf market has historically been quite
resilient during difficult economic times, it would not be prudent
to assume that it could come through this current global situation
unscathed,” said the company’s president and CEO Scott Hennessy.
True Temper reported a net loss of $22.8 million last year, and
an increase in revenue this year (due mainly to sales in Asia), has
seen the company merely ‘narrow’ its losses during the first three
quarters this year. The company has had to take action to reduce
both its variable and fixed costs, which has meant job losses for
many of its workers.
“Among a number of cost control initiatives we have enacted
recently, we have reduced manufacturing employment by approxi-
mately 25 percent, and adjusted salaried staffing levels accordingly,
in anticipation of some challenging quarters ahead,” said Hennessy.
Obviously less new sets of clubs are being sold, and it would
seem that bad-tempered golfers are breaking less shafts.

Malcolm Bromley’s
Royal commission
Malcolm Bromley is the new man entrusted to keep both courses at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf
Club in pristine condition – a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.
“This is as good as it gets,” says Malcolm
Bromley, referring to the fact that he oc-
cupies one of the top positions in his field.
As course superintendent of one of Johan-
nesburg’s premier clubs, with two courses to
look after, he is perhaps the envy of many of
his colleagues, while many might consider
the job to be rather daunting.
“I suppose I was fortunate in that Graham
(Corbett) left everything in great shape, and
his systems were working perfectly,” he says.
“But I have made some changes – tweaking
some things, I suppose we all have prefer-
ences in the way things are done.”
Malcolm’s CV is impressive – after spend-
ing time at Royal Oak on the East Rand, this
after being involved in his family’s land-
scaping business, he worked under Dennis
Schmidt for Peter Matkovich. A four-year pe-
riod at Sun City followed and he was then in-
volved with the construction with the ill-fated
Simola project. After the disastrous floods
and the subsequent liquidation of the origi-
nal developer of Simola, Malcolm returned to
Sun City where he remained for three years.
He then moved to Paarl, at a time when the
course was being redesigned and extended
to 27 holes (and renamed Boschenmeer)
and stayed on for the growing-in period and
the took responsibility for the maintenance
of the course, where he has been until being
offered what must be considered on of the
country’s plum jobs.
The mild-mannered Malcolm is highly
respected and besides his wealth of ex-
perience, it could be said that he has this
business in his genes. His father David was
a horticulturist who was also a respected turf
manager – and who was tragically killed in
a tree-felling accident while serving as the
course superintendent at Glendower.
Looking after two courses is obviously
more than just a handful, but the experience
COURSE SUPERINTENDeNTS
Malcolm is a firm believer in spending time
and effort in staff training.
gained in first managing 18 holes, then a
27-hole facility, has made his transition to
Royal easier. “In fact, running a 27-hole
course is in some ways more difficult when
it comes to planning,” he says. “At any big
club the position of workshop manager is a
critical position, and I am fortunate in hav-
ing Dawie Schultz here at Royal, who does
an excellent job.”
With a staff of 48 course workers, who are
also responsible for keeping Royal’s gardens
in pristine shape, Malcolm has his work cut
out with various on-going improvements to
“I am fortunate in having
a great team at Royal –
the length of time some of
the staff have been here
is amazing.”
the East course and the preparation of both
courses for the Joburg Open. “Preparing
courses for major tournaments is not really
as difficult as some might think – ideally
any good layout should only be two or three
weeks away from being in tournament shape.
I have the experience of being at Sun City
for six Nedbank Challenges, as well as the
Di Data Pro-Ams, which was also a European
Tour-sanctioned event.”
As South Africa’s only Audubon-certified
golf courses, Royal could not have found
a better person to carry on the work first
started by Graham Corbett, because Malcolm
is a passionate environmentalist, and proudly
points out the great work being done at Royal
in eradicating alien species of trees. (More
than 1 500 indigenous trees have been
recently planted at Royal.) The wetlands that
have been established are also coming into
their own, and Malcolm points out that com-
pared with the quality of water that enters
the course, that which flows out is now of a
higher quality.
Malcolm is also a firm believer in invest-
ing time and effort in staff training, and of
promoting from within. “I am fortunate in
having a great team here, and the length of
time many of the workers have been here is
amazing – for example Foxy, the man who
cuts the cups, has been at Royal for 38
years.”
Does Malcolm have any preference to the
brand of equipment he uses? “No, there was
a time when you were either green, yellow or
red – I have no particular loyalties towards any
particular make, I buy a piece of equipment
that will best do the job required. I must say
that when making a decision it has a lot to
do with the service a company provides, and
Toro is top when it comes to that. They are
also great when it comes to their training
programmes.” ■
Golf Club Management January 2009 25
 Monthly
Membership Payment
for Golf Clubs
Orbit Golf together with Nedbank Corporate have set up a
Membership Payment facility to allow Golf Club Members the
option of paying their annual membership fees over 12 months.

The benefits of this are:

❖ Better cash flow for the club
❖ Simplified collection of membership fees
❖ Help improve your members cash flow
❖ Attraction of new golfers who are not currently members
❖ Retention of more members
❖ Reduction in the administration & debt collection costs
❖ Financed amounts can include:
■ Initial club joining fees
■ Golf Estate levies
■ Green Fees - should the golf club decide to sell them on an
annual basis

Should you not wish to use the Nedbank financed

facility, Orbit Golf can still collect and administer
your monthly membership fees.

For more information:

Log onto www.OrbitGolf.co.za
or contact Graham McComb on
071 600 8800
or e-mail Graham@OrbitGolf.co.za
 THE DESIGNERS

Cobie Legrange
From Master Pro to Master Designer
Recently awarded ‘Master Professional’ status by the PGA of South Africa, Cobie Legrange is considered to be
a doyen among golf professionals, and he is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the golf course
design business.

Cobie Legrange has never been afraid of hard
work and his energy and enthusiasm has seen
him enjoy a successful career on and off the
golf course. His successes as an amateur were
followed by a career as a Tour pro which yield-
ed 23 victories and a world ranking of 15th.
One of several highlights of his pro career was
beating Jack Nicklaus in a head-to-head duel
to win the Australian Masters.
When Cobie decided to retire from tourna-
ment golf, he embarked on a career as a
club professional and not surprisingly, his
work ethic saw him become one of the most
respected in the field. During his 30 years
Cobie Legrange is highly respected, and
looks set to put his stamp on the golfing
landscape in SA and abroad.
at the Randpark club he built up a business
empire which included Cobie Legrange’s Dis-
count Centre – a major force in the retail and
wholesale sector of the golf equipment mar-
ket. He is highly respected among his peers,
and has always been the man many young
professionals will seek out when looking for
advice, and he is always happy to help out. It
was perhaps a natural progression for Cobie
to enter the course architecture arena. Hav-
ing played the top courses in the world, and
bringing a wealth of experience in dealing
with golfers of all skill levels, he certainly
knows what is required when laying out a golf

The redesigned Parys course, very different to the original layout, was unveiled to high acclaim and features some interesting rocky outcrops.

Golf Club Management January 2009 27

THE DESIGNERS
course. With the passion he has shown for
every aspect of the golf business, he began
Cobie Legrange Golf Course Design, and he
is presently working on numerous projects in
South Africa and abroad.
This is obviously a highly competitive
business, and Cobie’s style is not to spout
the usual clichés and turn on the slick
sales pitch. In a common sense approach,
something of a departure from the usual
deals with developers, he effectively man-
ages every aspect of a development, be it a
redesign project or a new venture starting
from scratch. “The turnkey-type deals, where
a design company takes on the complete
design and construction of a course can lead
to problems,” he says. “I prefer to play open
cards with a client, who will know where and
how exactly the money is being spent,” he
adds. Never being one for over-statement,
it is surprising for him to go so far as to say
that he is confident of producing a course
that is equal to, or indeed better than oth-
ers – at as much as 50 percent of the cost
being quoted by some companies. “I offer my
clients a range of services – from doing initial
feasibility studies, the sourcing of suitable
real estate, help with urban planning, and
routing of the course. I have a team that has
a wealth of experience, including project
managers and quantity surveyors, and after a
design has been decided upon, every aspect
of the construction goes out to tender.” He is
well aware of the pitfalls; of certain construc-
tion companies trying to out-bid their opposi-
tion to win contracts, and then having to cut
corners to make a profit.
It is clear that the Legrange ethos is very
much about doing things properly, and if
A focal point of the Parys course is the Vaal River, and best use has been made of the waterway in
the new design.
28 January 2009 Golf Club Management
The new Parys course has some generous landing areas and ranks highly for its playability.
there is any aspect of a project that he might
not be familiar with, he is sure to find the
best advice available. He is not about to gam-
ble a reputation gained over many years of
fair dealing on an ill-conceived plan.
When it comes to design philosophy,
Cobie has very definite ideas, ones that are
likely to find favour with all golfers, male and
female. “There is no value in constructing a
‘Mickey Mouse’ sort of layout simply to make
a course playable, yet some modern courses
are simply far too difficult. I believe that a
good compromise can be made, where from
the championship tees a course can be seri-
ous test, but from the club tees the average
player must enjoy the experience. No golfer
enjoys spending hours on a course, looking
for golf balls and becoming frustrated. If that
is the case, they will just not come back.”
The Legrange portfolio has projects such
as Sinati Coastal Estate, an estate in Zambia,
one in Windhoek, Oudtshoorn and others in
various stages of planning, and his com-
pleted work at the Parys Golf and Country
Estate, which involved a complete redesign,
opened to the highest acclaim. One what
was a comparatively small budget, he and
the DDV team worked wonders, and what
was a rather ordinary course before is now a
very different proposition.
“There are basic fundamentals, and I
strongly believe that certain trends seen on
modern courses are unnecessary and push
costs sky-high. For example, the sizes of
greens – besides adding to maintenance
costs, having huge putting surfaces affects
the sort of irrigation specifications required,”
he says. “As long as there are at least five
or six good positions, there is no need to go
over the top creating massive greens. The
positioning of fairway bunkering in relation
to different tees is obviously critical, and I’m
not in favour of blind shots where the landing
areas cannot be seen. It is not always possible
to have the perfect terrain to construct a hole,
but there should always be a good indication,
created by shaping, etc that shows a player
where the optimum target lines are.”
Perhaps the most important attribute of
any course designer is have a good eye for
what fits and what doesn’t, and Cobie insists
that there is no reason to try and force a
particular design onto an area where it will
look out of place.
There is no doubt that besides his playing
ability which earned him champion status,
the many years spent coaching thousands
of golfers, coupled with his proven business
acumen, makes Cobie Legrange a man well-
qualified to produce a quality product. If he
believes that it is worth doing, he is sure to
do it properly. ■

The future of the game
Starting kids playing golf with the correct fundamentals
The PGA of South Africa has introduced a Level 1 Coaching Course. GCM speaks to Dennis Bruyns,
Chief Executive of the PGA about the course and the thinking behind it.
What is the Level 1 Coaching Course?
We want to have a level that introduces po-
tential golf coaches to both the science and
technique of coaching golf. It is very much
aimed at coaches who will be teaching young
children, and ensuring that they teach them
the basics of the golf swing correctly.
What is the motivation behind introducing
this course?
We are looking to widen the base of the
number of people qualified to teach golf so
that more children can take up the game
and be taught the correct basics. There is no
way that the PGA, with its three-year train-
ing course can have enough fully qualified
coaches to cover the ground that the PGA
would like to cover in terms of growing the
game. And this has come about because of
the increasing levels of interest shown in
the game at school level, whereas previously
the main feeder into the game was children
whose parents played golf and were already
involved in golf clubs and the golfing culture.
And these children had access to the PGA
teachers. We are now seeing the game being
played among children whose parents are
not involved in golf and they are introduced
to the game at school. Golf is becoming a
school sport. So we are looking to empower
people at that level to cope with the demand
at schools. We are looking at school teachers
who might already be coaching other sports
and are looking to add golf to their portfolio
of sports.
What would the course entail?
What would be covered would be the science
of coaching golf – the basic body movements
– and then health aspects like correct hydra-
tion and sun care. There would be emphasis
on how to make it fun and keep the kids
interested. We will obviously go into the ba-
sics of swing technique covering aspects like
stance, grip, alignment and posture.
The ‘backward training method’ would be
encouraged – teach them to putt first, get
the small movements right and then progress
on to chipping and then pitching and,
eventually, long shots. This would work well
at certain schools that might not have ac-
cess to fields, where space is limited – they
could even be taught indoors to begin with.
The course will not look at more technical
aspects such as ball flight and how to fix
a slice – we are determined that Level 1
coaches should be focused on getting the
basics right.
The course will also encompass teaching
a basic knowledge of the game and introduc-
ing children to etiquette and ethos of the
game.
“There would be an
emphasis on making the
game fun and keeping
the kids interested. We
will obviously go into the
basics of swing technique
covering aspects like
stance, grip, alignment
and posture.”
How would the course be structured?
It would be structured around a residential
one to two day intensive training course
where they would go through with a fully
qualified PGA tutor and sports science
experts for all the theoretical aspects. The
trainee would need to observe a PGA profes-
sional actually giving lessons and use that
coach as a mentor. At the end of that period
of theoretical learning and observing we
would have a certification process. The whole
PGA
process could take as little as one month.
Level 1 coaches would not be members of
the PGA of SA and aspects of the Amateur
Code would be explained so they would
understand the limitations of their coaching.
Of course, Level 1 coaches would be able
to continue with the full PGA course if they
wanted to at a later stage and then become
fully qualified PGA members.
When will the course be launched?
We will start training Level 1 coaches early in
2009, so that we can get as many coaches
coaching as soon as possible throughout the
country to meet the demand. A very impor-
tant aspect of this is to get coaches into the
country areas where there might not be PGA
professionals so that we can at least get the
kids there started with correct basics.
Will this cause confusion as to who is really
qualified to teach and at what level?
We will make sure it is clear through our
marketing process. As a child progresses and
shows talent and achievement the intention
is for the parent to take him or her for les-
sons with a fully qualified coach so I suppose
it could be seen as a ‘feeder’ process.
How does anyone who is interested in
becoming a Level 1 coach receive more
information?
■ They should contact Andrew Gunn at the
PGA of South Africa on 011 485 1370.
Chief Executive of the
PGA of South Africa,
Dennis Bruyns was a
former exempt profession-
al golfer on the European
Tour, and also served as
tour commissioner on the
Sunshine Tour.
Golf Club Management January 2009 29

The Eastern experience
Managing in Malaysia
Blair Atholl’s CEO Mark Williams managed what is considered to be one of the most prestigious clubs in
Malaysia. He looks at the difference between equity and non-equity clubs, and how the reporting structures
of management at South African clubs are changing.
The ten hour flight from Johannesburg
International to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
provided me with ample time to contemplate
what would be the next 12 months of my
working career. Leaving the comforts of my
familiar surroundings to assume a position in
a foreign country was daunting enough, but
the thought of taking up the reins of arguably
Asia’s most exclusive golf club was enough to
cure the worst jet lag.
I had recently been posted from Pecan-
wood Golf and Country Club, to The Mines
in Kuala Lumpur. Pecanwood was jointly
owned by Maccon, a South African company,
and Country Heights, a Malaysian property
development company.  The Board of Country
Heights wanted our expertise in golf manage-
ment at their flagship club, The Mines, and
I was to continue where a colleague had left
off.
The trepidation of running such an
establishment lies not with the fear of lack
of knowledge in one’s profession , but rather
the uncertainty of  the management culture
in that country. How different could running
a golf club in Johannesburg be, to running a
club in the heart of South East Asia?
For starters, the common denominator
is golf, and thankfully the culture of golf
is relatively similar wherever you are, be it
Augusta National in the US, or the Hornbill
Golf and Jungle Club in Borneo. The obvious
challenge lies in managing the expectations
of your superiors – this is the fundamental
difference between clubs in South Africa and
Asia is experienced.
South African golf clubs are tradition-
ally committee-run establishments – mostly
equity clubs, which means they are owned
by their members and governed by a board of
directors elected by the members. In effect,
the members are not just ‘customers’, but
also shareholders. Each member has a vote
when it comes to electing board members or
Mark has put his international experience
to good use at Blair Atholl – this club has
set new standards for a 5-Star Golf
Experience.
deciding major club issues. The managers of
equity clubs work directly for the members,
since the members own the club.
Golf is a relatively new sport in the Asian
region. (Clubs such as Singapore Island
Country Club and the Hong Kong Golf Club
have been around for many years, but these
exceptions came about by the British found-
ing these clubs, which were bastions of colo-
nial rule in the region.) Since the golf boom
in Asia, one tends to find a large number of
non-equity clubs, which essentially means
that the assets of the club are owned by an
individual or a corporation, not the club’s
members, and the members’ control over the
club is much more limited. Members do not
“…in the Asian region
these non-equity clubs
are not only financially
driven but ego driven.”
THE LAST WORD
often participate in major policy decisions,
as they do in equity clubs, and club manag-
ers in non-equity clubs work for the club’s
owners, not the members. With the trend to
build and own your own golf course in the
Asian region, these non-equity clubs are not
only financially driven but also ego driven.
This results in exorbitant entrance fees and
annual dues, with marquee names designing
courses of the highest quality, and state of
the art club facilities. The status of owning
a membership at these premium clubs far
outweighs the exorbitant price tags, as in
this region gaining respect is of paramount
importance.
From a management perspective your
reporting line is generally more consistent,
as you are not reporting to new committees
every two years and having to deal with com-
mittee members whose agenda is not neces-
sarily the same as that of the club’s.
Since the dramatic growth of golf estates
in South Africa, we have seen a radical
change in management reporting structures.
When developers see a lucrative opportunity
after providing a golf course to help with the
selling of properties, rather than eventually
handing over the facility to the homeowners
of the estate, some chose to retain ownership
of the course. Normally this involves the de-
veloper putting a management team in place,
together with a Golf Advisory Board made up
of two or three members. This Board ideally
meets with the management on a regular ba-
sis to discuss relevant matters. The members
of clubs may also elect a captain to represent
them and to perform certain duties.
The function of successfully managing
a golf club is largely being left to skilled
individuals who are able to make quick
decisions, rather than the outmoded system
whereby the manager is simply expected
to carry out instructions issued by a
committee. ■
Golf Club Management January 2009 31