Golf is booming. We all feel it now with challenges to get tee times, increased greens fees and some courses even closing for re-investment into their facilities. Participation since COVID is up almost 10% and PGA Tour Superstore alone has seen its revenue increase by nearly 90% over the past two years. So, what should a golf course do with the presumed additional funds? PLAN!!
Many golf facilities were forced to defer improvements or even maintenance prior to COVID due to low rounds, even lower revenue and a general waning interest in golf. There is little chance that the club or course had invested in any long-range improvement or master plan, but if they had, that plan was probably fairly old and outdated. The chances that that plan may actually be obsolete is pretty good considering that a golf course is a living, breathing entity that changes every season. You may not immediately notice, but each tree got a little bigger, each bunker got a little more contaminated and each wet spot in a fairway got a little bit wetter. Investing in a short- or long-range improvement plan, or updating an old plan, should be priority ONE.
“The purpose of a Master Plan is to collect and analyze improvement ideas to develop a strategic roadmap for improvements,” said Todd Quitno of Park Ridge-based Quitno Golf Design.
Hastily spending any newly-found funds without proper planning by professionals can do more damage than good. There are decision makers who “know the course” and believe their ideas for improvements are in the best interest of the membership/course. The idea that “no one ever hits it there” or “this hole is too easy” may in fact be correct in that particular person’s eyes, but not necessarily the reflection of the entire cross-section of the players utilizing the facility. No one person should ever dictate how or why a club makes improvements. It takes thoughts from the people that are most familiar, as well as third-party professionals
Often a survey or questionnaire is completed to gain insight of the members/players as to their level of satisfaction or thoughts for improvements. This should be done by an outsourced professional firm that has no bias or unintended direction that they hope the course/club would go. These types of surveys typically will yield many different levels of improvement such as “the toast is too crispy” or “the mowers are too loud” but remember, these are the golfers that are keeping the lights on. So, courses must respect their ideas but rely on the professionals that are developing the plans to filter through the data. They should only incorporate their own professional recommendations that will lead the club into an improved future.
The Master Plan for a facility should be thorough in nature and all-encompassing. Areas such as the maintenance facility, cart storage barn or even the on-course restroom facilities should not be ignored.
“Instead of viewing individual components of a golf course, a Master Plan examines all aspects that allow the facility to function at its highest level,” said Mike Benkusky of Benkusky Golf Design, based in Lake in the Hills.
The maintenance area is oftentimes put on the back burner despite maintenance, or protection as some call it, being paramount to every golfer’s experience. Always keep in mind that some players’ priorities or level of satisfaction may be different than yours. The goal is to make as many people happy as possible, but we all know, not everyone will be happy.
No matter what aspect of the facility that is being planned, it is wise to hire a professional third party, have it voted on or approved and only make the improvements designated on that plan. It is difficult for any member or player to argue a comprehensive plan that encapsulates the views of the golfers and the recommendations of a professional that focuses on solving golf problems for a living. But remember, there are time limits on those plans and they should be updated periodically. Proper planning always wins in the end with the majority of the players.
“A Master Plan is a tool to accomplish bigger goals,” said Greg Martin of Martin Design Group, a Chicago-area firm. “It recognizes and solves specific problems while amplifying the authenticity of the facility.”
