Last Call for Affordable Golf Symposium

I've been asked to speak and share my experiences at the Symposium on Affordable Golf this fall.  Specifically I'll be describing how we built so much great golf at Wolf Point for an incredibly low price.  The symposium location is very cool: Pinehurst.  This is the third year that Richard Mandell has hosted this grass roots event.  Here is the website:  http://www.symposiumonaffordablegolf.com/.  
Please fill out their survey: http://bit.ly/golfsymposium.

Some highlights from the Agenda:

2012 Symposium On Affordable Golf Agenda Complete 
The third annual Symposium On Affordable Golf will once again be held at the Southern Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, October 29th and 30th. This year, the Symposium will be one and a half days, followed by a golf outing on the Donald Ross-designed Southern Pines Golf Club Tuesday afternoon.

The Symposium On Affordable Golf raises awareness and understanding of the challenges of the golf industry through open discussion, exchange of ideas and highlighting successes that promote the health and sustainability of the game of golf. As in previous years, there is no fee for attendance. Also, as in past years, members of the PGA, the LPGA and the GCSAA will be eligible to receive continuing education credits. 

There will be three case studies detailing successful and affordable golf operations, each from different regions of the world. Other topics include "The Curious Case of the Taj-Mahalics," "Let's Start Romancing the Game Again Instead of Selling the Business," and "Where Sustainability and GolfSpeak Intersect."

The picture below is the last time Rich and I spoke together.  That is Pete Dye's son, Perry, to our left.

Speaker on Affordable Golf

I've been asked to speak and share my experiences at the Symposium on Affordable Golf this fall.  Specifically I'll be describing how we built so much great golf at Wolf Point for an incredibly low price.  The symposium location is very cool: Pinehurst.  This is the third year that Richard Mandell has hosted this grass roots event.  Here is the website:  http://www.symposiumonaffordablegolf.com/.  
Please fill out their survey: http://bit.ly/golfsymposium.


Some highlights from the Agenda:

2012 Symposium On Affordable Golf Agenda Complete 
The third annual Symposium On Affordable Golf will once again be held at the Southern Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, October 29th and 30th. This year, the Symposium will be one and a half days, followed by a golf outing on the Donald Ross-designed Southern Pines Golf Club Tuesday afternoon.

The Symposium On Affordable Golf raises awareness and understanding of the challenges of the golf industry through open discussion, exchange of ideas and highlighting successes that promote the health and sustainability of the game of golf. As in previous years, there is no fee for attendance. Also, as in past years, members of the PGA, the LPGA and the GCSAA will be eligible to receive continuing education credits. 


There will be three case studies detailing successful and affordable golf operations, each from different regions of the world. Other topics include "The Curious Case of the Taj-Mahalics," "Let's Start Romancing the Game Again Instead of Selling the Business," and "Where Sustainability and GolfSpeak Intersect."


The picture below is the last time Rich and I spoke together.  That is Pete Dye's son, Perry, to our left.

STGCSA Meeting & stellar golf course superintendent blogs

2 outlooks on social media:
"Dig your well before you are thirsty"
"I'm doing it, just in case it's true." -- Justin Leonard on why he was seaming the Pro V1

I will be talking to the STGCSA about blogging and social media (twitter, linkedin & facebook)
Here are the survey results regarding what the group would like to learn the most about.

Superintendent’s reasons for a blog and their feedback:

1. Improved communication
2. Monitor interest of membership – website traffic
3. Higher quality info vs. mass e-mail and newsletter paragraph
4. Timely information vs. monthly newsletter
5. Less re-writing about the same subject over and over and over
6. Can send a link vs. e-mailing photos which are often blocked
7. Prime information source – not pro or green chair or member rumors
8. Members have a huge appetite to know stuff, but hard to take the time to learn
9. Blogging has been the best thing I’ve done in a long time!
10. The members rave about it!
11. Pictures help members visualization.
12. Send out a mass e-mail after updating the blog to drive traffic.
13. Long gone are the days of a member starting a misinformed discussion in the grill room.
14. If I hear any type of misinformation on any subject I can squelch it in minutes and back it up with facts, pictures, links to articles from industry professionals and universities.
15. In short, the benefits of the blog have been worth every second I’ve spent on it.

Here are some interesting recent blog posts by superintendents and examples of different ideas to share.

1. Before & After - Arrowhead Country Club
2. Invitational - Northland Country Club
3. Ball Marks – Stockton Golf & Country Club
4. Bald Eagles – The Minikahda Club
5. Lightning - Onwentsia Club
6. Pin locations - Northmoor Country Club
7. Benefits of Golf – San Luis Obispo County Golf Courses
8. Results of maintenance – Stockton Golf & Country Club
9. About the super – Cinnabar Hills Golf Club
10. Gang Mower - Wolf Point Club
11. Research & Development – Hawks Landing Golf Club
12. FAQs - Oakland Hills Country Club
13. Turfgrass Terminology – Paul Sabino, The Farms Country Club

Forget the Newsletter - write your own blog:
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Lastly, 5 things I couldn’t work without and whole heartedly endorse:
Very own free radio station - Pandora
Music jukebox – Grooveshark – for after I use my monthly free hours of Pandora
Photo + video management & sharing – Picassa
Browser – Chrome
Camera – Canon Powershot

World Golf Village

We're off to the World Golf Village for the Golf Inc. Spring conference.

Where can someone go to learn about developing golf?

I was describing to Will at the recent ULI conference that for the past couple years the developers of resorts have been asking how to develop golf for less. The number that gets bantered around is $14MM for a resort course. So what was the response from the golf architect community? -- design 3-6 hole golf courses!!  

"No wonder no one is coming here any more.  If all you've ever done is build 14+ million dollar courses and we've proven that model doesn't work, why in the world would we listen to anything that the experts have to say? We should be doing the opposite of what you've done. Your solution is to build 3 hole courses?"  -- Will

Last year someone asked me "Why do I need a golf course?"  He was told that he needed golf to have a successful resort - but he didn't think it was good value.  Where can someone go to learn about developing golf if not here?

Golf is too expensive

Golf is too hard

Golf is only there to sell real estate

Pictured above is the 16th green at Wolf Point.  Our answer.  We'll be talking more about the questions next week.

Talented individuals

Recently someone asked what can be done in this market to help golf.

I've been very fortunate to have relationships with two outstanding individuals.
Don Mahaffey a world class superintendent and outstanding project manager and Will Ellender an excellent PGA Professional, teacher, salesman - both have a very keen and sophisticated eye when it comes to golf architecture.  I was also fortunate to bring the two together at the recent Golf Industry Show for several beers together.

My answer to the initial question above is a paraphrasing of their views:
How does one improve the experience in this market while cutting costs?

Work with a great superintendent.
Great = can work practically and create great (fun) playing conditions.
Have him focus on the playability not the turf.

Make sure your pros love the game.
Get them away from selling shirts and managing F&B.
Let them share their love for the game with the players who visit.

Thank you fellas for your inspiration.

Don is hard to get in a picture - so above is Will and I with Emmy from California.

Booth #1862 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans

Come visit us at booth number 1862 during the Golf Industry Show in New Orleans from Feb. 5th - 7th.

We are located near the Construction project across the aisle from Landscapes Unlimited.
Please click the above image to see a larger version.

I'll be showing lots of images of Wolf Point Club - in book form.  Great images of another site a little west of Texas and an interesting new relationship.

Many of my long term consulting relationships started with GPS As-builts. For my superintendent friends, I'll be sharing why that can be a big help when undergoing long term planning work.  And I'm still creating the best looking and easiest for the super to utilize - Please ask to see some samples.

PGA Merchandise Show

I'm looking forward to attending the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando for the first time, later this month. Say hello if you see me please.

ULI Fall Expo

I spent last week at the ULI Fall expo in Miami. It was quite the week. I got to hear some great talks from Paul Volker, Christiane Amanpour, Vicente Fox and Sam Zell. In all it was a very worth while trip.

Here is what I learned, we spent too much, we can achieve our goal of stopping enrichment in Iran - but not regime change, the rest of the world admires our freedom - probably even more so this week, some people think we can WIN a drug war and it is possible to be a billionaire and still be way cool.

The expo was impressive too - the picture above was of a house that was built in hours in the convention hall - note the deck on the back right corner.

Me & Perry

I'm off to the Golf Inc. conference in Phoenix. Above I'm sitting on a panel with Perry Dye at Doral this spring. Perry tells good stories about Pete.

Emmy

Last year at the Golf Industry Show, I was interviewed by Emmy Moor Minister for a show she produces "Voice of the Valley". I saw it for the first time earlier today. She spoke with several architects and created the entire program around the Conference. Once I figure out how to extract the video I'll post my interview, as well as Don's. We did pretty good.

We had a good chance to talk about Wolf Point, and the video encourages me to try and use video at some point on the blog - we'll just need to find an interviewer as good as Emmy.

Exhibitor

Aside from attending the Golf Inc. conference I was an exhibitor also – my booth is pictured above. I put a large effort into getting ready -- updated brochure, printed materials, give aways and the display itself. The display looks very good in person -- hope you can stop by at a future conference.

I enjoy my time there even if everyone isn't looking for a new golf course. Meeting new -- to me -– individuals, talking to other architects and builders is a good way to share ideas. I also find the sessions quite informative, especially the financial ones.

One fun side effect from having a booth, is I greet everyone I see for several weeks afterwards. In the airport, restaurant, bar, anywhere. I’m going to try and see how long I can keep it up for…