gmé | issuu 11

GolfGolfManagementE u r o p e

JUST WILLIAMS

JUNE 1999£3 €4.75 $5

Golf course designer David Williamsdraws on his considerable experience to

explain how landfill tax regulationscan be properly used to improve and

enhance courses at very little cost

The definitive business magazine for the European golfing industry

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EDITORJohn VinicombeEXECUTIVE EDITORAlister MarshallNEWS EDITORDavid BowersSUB-EDITORPaul HughesSTAFF WRITERSColin Cameron, Andy Ford,Peter Simm, Duncan Wright

PUBLISHERMichael LenihanDESIGN & PRODUCTIONAngus DayPUBLISHING EXECUTIVEThomas WardADMINISTRATIONSharon O’ConnellPRINTAshford Colour Press

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPEIS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BYPORTMAN PUBLISHING &COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE24 HIGHCROFT BUSINESS ESTATEENTERPRISE ROADWATERLOOVILLEHAMPSHIRE PO8 0BTUNITED KINGDOM

TELEPHONE(44) 01705 425000FACSIMILE(44) 01750 [email protected]

WEBSITEWWW.PORTMAN.UK.COM

ISSN1368-7727

SUBSCRIPTIONSUK (6 issues) £18Europe (6 issues) £24Rest of World (6 issues) £36BACK ISSUES/SINGLE COPIESUK & Europe £4Rest of World £7

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATIONMAY BE REPRODUCED ORTRANSMITTED IN ANY FORMWITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSIONFROM THE PUBLISHER.WHILE DUE CARE IS TAKEN TOENSURE THAT THE CONTENT OF

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPEIS ACCURATE, THE PUBLISHERCANNOT ACCEPT LIABILITYFOR ERRORS AND OMISSIONS. CONTRIBUTORS OPINIONS MAYNOT NECESSARILY REFLECTTHOSE HELD BY THE PUBLISHER.

' PORTMAN PUBLISHING & COMMUNICATIONS LTD 1999

GolfGolfManagementE u r o p e

JUNE 1999 ! GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 3

ContentsContentsGOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE

Cover StoryUnlike traditional

crazy golf, ReplikaGolf TM from Dura-

Sport incorporates allthe standard facets ofthe full-size game, but

on a miniature scale

Page 7

JUNE 1999Issue Eleven

Ron Noades is a man of many talents. Probably best known within footballing circles, the Brentford FC chairman has this season won the English third division championship,whilst overseeing the completion of Happy Valley Golf ClubFull story on page 23

inside

GolfGolfManagementE u ro p e

IT SolutionsThe modern golf

club needs toremain aware of

the latest ITdevelopments in

the ever changingleisure market

Page 15

The BeastFollowing an

absence of almost aquarter of a century,

the 128th OpenChampionship

makes a welcomereturn to Carnoustie

Page 18

Taxing IssuesDavid Williams

examines thecomplex issues

that often surroundthe controversial

subject of the newlandfill tax

2

newsnewsCeltic Manor GC in South

Wales will be hosting a newtournament for golf’s European

Tour from the year 2000.The event will be played on the

resort’s Wentwood Hills course,which was publicly opened in Mayby the First Minister for Wales, AlunMichael, following an exhibition matchbetween Ian Woosnam and MarkJames.

Celtic Manor and the EuropeanTour have agreed that the 7,450-yd,par-72 course will be used for theWelsh Open for at least three years(2000 - 2002) with a £750,000 prizefund in the first year.

Wentwood Hills was designed byleading US golf architects RobertTrent Jones Ventures and makesspectacular use of the steep woodedslopes and broad alluvial plain of theUsk Valley.

Terry Matthews, Celtic Manor’schairman, said, “Wentwood Hills is anexceptional course and will provide asuperb stage for Europe’s leadingprofessionals.

“We see the Welsh Open as animportant step towards our ultimateaim of hosting the Ryder Cup.

“Golf’s greatest team event hasnever been hosted in Wales, but we’rehoping to put that right.”

Ken Schofield, executive directorof the European Tour, added:

“We welcome and salute TerryMatthews on all that has beenachieved at Celtic Manor in such ashort space of time.”

Plans for top European eventunveiled

WATERMATION RISESAGAIN

Following a short spell in liquida-tion (as reported in April’s GolfManagement Europe), irrigationcompany Watermation is once againfully operational.

The company has been acquiredby The H20 Group Plc and will nowtrade as Watermation 2000 Ltd.

Watermation was founded in1972 and had designed and installedover 1,000 irrigation systemsthroughout the UK and Europebefore it was liquidated at therequest of directors and shareholderson January 19, 1999.

The H20 Group has been estab-lished for over ten years in the fieldof domestic, commercial landscapeand sports irrigation. The addition ofWatermation 2000 into the groupwill broaden its scope of skills andplace a major new emphasis on golf.

Key staff, including design, instal-lation and maintenance engineershave moved with the company,which has already won contracts atRoyal Porthcawl, Maldon, Sidcup,Chelmsford and Hankley Commongolf clubs.

mACKaness rewritesthe rules atrudding park

Mark Mackaness, proprietor anddriving force behind Rudding Park GCis imposing his progressive ethos onthe Yorkshire club.

He has set out to target womenand juniors golfers who are oftenunwelcome in other private members’clubs. Women have full equality andthe club secretary has even beenreplaced by a mainly all-femalemanagement team.

Joining fees have been abandonedand subscription costs reflect the exactnumber of rounds that an individual

plays over the course of a year.Of his common-sense

approach, Mackaness says: “Ilooked at the anachronistic rules

and regulations that prevail ingolf clubs and questioned theirexistence.

“In fact, in some cases Iquite simply set out tochange the rules because I

felt they were out of stepwith today’s society.”

Golf Management Europe goes digital

A s part of Portman Publishing’s ongoing commitment to stay at theforefront of the latest magazine production techniques, this issue of GolfManagement Europe is the first to go to press in a wholly digital format.

The magazine will now go straight from “computer to plate”, bypassing tradi-tional film. It will ensure an even higher degree of accuracy, eliminating secondgeneration print quality degradation. Printing time will also be reduced, meaningthat Golf Management Europe will get from our editorial offices to the furthestreaches of Europe faster than ever before.

Design and production manager, Angus Day, commented: “Our new high-tech approach does not mean we have abandoned our traditional pre-press skills.We will continue to meet all our customers’ needs and maintain the high qualitythey have come to expect.”

Owned by the ParamountHotel Group, Shrigley Hall G&CCnear Macclesfield in Cheshire last

month opened a new £750,000clubhouse. Designed by architectsFred Finch Associates, the two-tier

clubhouse is constructed fromwoodland log and incorporates anew pro-shop, updated changing

facilities and greenkeepers’complex.

4 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! JUNE 1999


An American golf course has lost its 18th hole in a landslide. Ocean Trails GC isan $80million development located 30 miles south of Los Angeles, California.

Scheduled to be opened on July 16 later this year, recent heavy rain in the areacaused a landslide that destroyed an area approaching 600 feet long and 220 feet

wide, which included the 18th green and fairway.

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July 8th will see the sixth Stephen-son Engineering Charity Golf Day, tobe held once again at the MarriottMeon Valley Country Club, set in theHampshire countryside.

The 100 competitors, drawn main-ly from the aviation, engineering andmarine industries, will be vying forprizes for the longest drives and shotsnearest the pin.

Any competitor achieving a hole-in-one will be rewarded with aFreelander Land Rover, courtesy ofWessex Landrover of Clanfield,Hampshire.

Last year, the Charity Day raised£7,000 which was split between twocharities, the Farnham Hedgehogs, asociety dealing with under-privilegedand handicapped children, andOvingdean Hall School for DeafChildren.

The day is part of StephensonEngineering and Stephenson Aviation’songoing involvement with golf.

Utilising their fleet of helicoptersand fixed-wing aircraft, they regularlyfly in and out of golf courses aroundBritain and Europe, transporting clientsto courses quickly and luxuriously.

Charity Day flying high in hampshire

Novel name forTemplepatrick golf club

The first round of golf at the new18-hole PGA championship golfcourse called simply, The Golf

Club, at Stakis Park, Templepatrick,Northern Ireland, took place on June 1.

The 7,000-yd, par-71 course cost£1.7m to develop and is located on220 acres of parkland on the CastleUpton Estate, County Antrim.

The course is only the second inNorthern Ireland to be built to USGAspecifications and was designed byleading golfers from the region, DavidFeherty and David Jones.

Bill Donald, the newly-appointedgolf director at Stakis Park comment-ed: “The Golf Club is a real challengefor the world’s best professionals aswell as being suitable for players of allabilities.

“The designers have produced agreat range of holes making use of thenatural features along with man-madelakes and a course comprising no lessthan 12 water hazards.”

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Comment


CommentLEAD EDITORIAL

Despite more golfers either playing or express-ing an interest in the game than ever before,each month seems to bring the news thatanother British golf course constructor is

struggling.A leading figure in the field has even gone as far as

to say: “The industry is in a state of depression.”It may simply be part of the “boom and bust”

nature of economics - fears of a recession may beforestalling plans for new course developments.

Then again, it may be that due to the constructionexplosion of the late eighties and early nineties, Britainhas reached a ceiling in terms of the number of golfcourses it can sustain.

Supply would appear to be outstripping demand.Waiting lists have diminished - the English Golf Unionmanaged to find almost 80,000 memberships on offerat various clubs last year.

Potential proprietors can now buy completedcourses of the highest quality for a fraction of the costit would take to build one.

With this in mind, perhaps those in the golfcourse construction industry should be broadeningtheir horizons. Course refurbishments may not be aslucrative as creating them from scratch, but they areoften a necessity and can add to a club’s desirability.

Looking for work abroad is another option. CloserEuropean ties and the Channel Tunnel mean there isincreasingly no excuse for insularity.

After all, France is nearer to London than Scotland.Recent reports indicate that Belgium has at least 21 newcourses and a further eight course extensions imminent.

Many developments, including those at Nassogne,Bornem and Damme, are at the vital planning stages.Contractors are being sought. British firms should be atthe front of the queue to quote for these jobs.

However, if it is a matter of survival, constructorsshould be looking for other commissions as a supple-ment to their work in the golf industry. There are many

more applications for theirlandscaping skills.

Then, when the golfcourse construction indus-try does pick up again, theywill have weathered thestorm and be ready to bringtheir experience to the nextbatch of developments.

Brits need toBroaden Horizons

D

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antastic new courses are nowpossible that will challenge themost serious golfer and offer a

fun but realistic introduction to thegame for beginners, families andjuniors.

A Dura-Sport Replika Golf TM

course re-creates a full size course toscale and can include miniature trees,bunkers and water hazards.

Hole lengths can range from amere 6 metres to a massive 40metres! Ground contouring is usedto create an incredibly addictivechallenge with a wide variety ofstimulating shots.

To ensure maximum durabilityand performance the most technolog-ically advanced and realistic syntheticputting surface on the market is used.True Pace is patented and exclusive toDura-Sport.

A durable, all-weather surface, itsunique non-directional fibre systemrequires only minimal maintenance.As testimony to its realism a numberof tour professionals are now usingthe surface as a practice aid.

Dura-Sport have over a decade ofexperience in the field of syntheticsurfaces and are proud to add ReplikaGolf TM to an impressive portfolio.

Their own skilled installation teamscover the whole of the UK and Europe.A complete design and build service isoffered to suit each individual clientsobjectives. Alternatively contracts canbe completed to specification.

Ian Bannister is golfdevelopment managerof Dura-Sport, andsays that, as the propri-etary golf market growsincreasingly competitive,having a Replika Golf TM coursemakes sound commercial sense.

�Courses are flexible in offeringadditional pay and play revenue,excellent, course realistic teachingopportunities, the chance to runleagues and competitions plus advert-ising, sponsorship and publicityopportunities� .

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Above: A design concept from Dura-Sportfor an 18-hole miniature golf course


NikeTowns are an example ofvertical integration madeflesh, or rather, made bricksand mortar. They are, essen-

tially, large department stores thatstock products by Nike and onlyNike, with interactive exhibits andtrademark �swooshes� on everythingin sight.

The promotional material calls ita �mecca of motivation.� Even ifcustomers aren�t buying products,they are absorbing the Nike experi-ence and developing an overweeningbrand awareness.

A visitor to any of the dozen or soNikeTowns across America, or theNikeTown London opened on July17th, will be confronted with some ofthe dominant sporting icons of ourtime.

In the basketball section, therecently-retired Michael Jordan isubiquitous. In the area devoted tofootball, Ronaldo is highly visible. Inthe space allocated to tennis, PeteSampras and Andre Agassi are theprominent figures.

And in the golf department? Well,he may be falling short of the completedomination of the game many predict-ed, but Tiger Woods is still the mostmarketable man in the sport.

When Nike paid the young golfera reported $40m to exclusively wearits apparel, many within the industryraised their eyebrows. However, afterWoods won the 1997 US Masters,Nike Golf�s sales increased by amammoth 60%. In one fell swoop,millions around the world were madeaware that Nike �did golf.�

Woods� huge popularity, especial-ly with those who previously hadlittle or no interest in golf, meant thatNike�s outlay has probably beenrecouped in sales and publicity.

It also proves that a promisingyoung player destined for the profes-sional circuit can now, potentially,earn more in sponsorship money thanmost senior pros have made duringthe course of their entire career.

The Spanish wonderkid SergioGarcia, for example, is both youngenough and good enough to be anattractive target for sportswearcompanies wishing to throw theirmarketing money at the superstars ofthe future.

Nike�s growing profile in golf nowcovers footwear, apparel and acces-sories. Its Precision Technology golfball recently won its first US PGATour event, when Glen Day won theMCI Classic, ending Titleist�s run ofvictories.INVOLVEDIt is also becoming more activelyinvolved at a club level, becomingprimary vendor for the BandonDunes Golf Course, situated onOregon�s south coast. The club shopwill carry Nike golf apparel and acces-sories, and also its footwear, rainwearand golf bags. Bandon Dunes person-nel, including professionals, office

staff and caddies, will be outfittedwith Nike Golf products.

Nike Golf�s director of marketing,Chris Zimmerman, said of the link-up: �I have no doubt that anyonewho plays Bandon Dunes will agreethat it is among the most spectaculargolf settings they�ll ever see.

�This course is destined to be oneof the greatest golf destinations in theworld, and as we continue to developthe Nike Golf Company, it�s criticalfor us to be where truly passionategolfers are playing.�

Aside from the American sports-wear giant, many other companieshave seen the vast potential of golf topromote their products to golfers andgolf fans, the demographic profile ofwhich can be gauged by the calibre ofthe advertisers.

Moët & Chandon and Rolex wereamong the official sponsors of May�sVolvo PGA Championship. Indeed,the very title of the event gives an indi-cation of the relationship between golfand business in today�s marketplace.

Volvo has been the event�s sponsorsince 1988 and have recently extended

Case StudyCase StudyMARKETING & SPONSORSHIP

As the profile of golf is steadily raised in the public eye, opportunities for associatingbrand names with the sport are beingsnapped up. Paul Hughes investigates themotivations that lie behind harnessing thepower of sponsorship.

it’s critical

for us to be

where truly

passionate golfers

are playing”“

THE GAME OF THEName


Case StudyCase StudyMARKETING & SPONSORSHIP

EEnnccoorree! Has your company or club been featured recently in Golf Management Europe?

Would your promotional literature benefitfrom a professional reprint of the article?

If so, contact our design bureau for a competitivequote, and soon you’ll be experiencing the five-

star service which comes from one of golf’sforemost business publications.

01705 431905

the contract until 2002. The �OfficialCar� of the European Tour, theSwedish motoring giant also sponsorsthe Volvo Scandinavian Masters, theVolvo Masters and the Volvo Order ofMerit.

Mel Pyatt, president and chief exec-utive of Volvo Event Management,was pleased its involvement in golf wascontinuing.

�Over the past 12 years Volvo hasbuilt up tremendous equity inEuropean golf and a great partnershipwith the European Tour. Ourcommon aim has always been to raisethe profile and quality standards with-in European golf as a whole, and webelieve that has been substantiallyachieved.�

Ken Schofield, executive directorof the European Tour, added: �Theextension of the Tour�s sponsorshipagreement with Volvo through to theend of 2002 is genuine confirmation

of the special partnership and long-term relationship that exists betweenVolvo and European golf.�

Many other events on theEuropean calendar have becomesynonymous with their sponsors, forexample, the Alfred Dunhill Cup,Johnnie Walker Classic and Benson &Hedges International Open.

Returning to the topic of verticalintegration, there is the SmurfitEuropean Open, held at futureRyder Cup venue, The K Club. TheJefferson Smurfit Group is both thesponsor of the event and the owner ofthe Irish club.REVENUEBut, aside from large multinationalcorporations, sponsorship can helpmake ends meet at a club level.Increasingly, more innovative ways arebeing found to generate new revenue.

The price of a new batch of score-cards can be offset if a local companyis willing to finance an advertisement,and the same applies to coursesignage, benches, car park walls...almost anything�s that�s nailed down,or not, in the case of flag pins.

However, there are many otheropportunities that clubs are often slow

to capitalise on. One innovation is tosell advertising space inside the holes.

It may not be as ridiculous as itsounds - if, say, 100 golfers play thecourse every day, 700 golfers couldreach into the hole and see the advertin a week. Over the course of a year,it could be seen 36,500 times!

Altogether, sponsorship has aplace in the biggest and smallestclubs. Nike may not want to singleout your club for special treatment,but someone might.

The power of sponsorship: Nike’s golf sales increasedby 60% after Tiger Woods won the 1997 US Masters


newsnews

Textron Turf and SpecialtyProducts has signed a new dealwith the European PGA Tour as

official suppliers of turfcare equipmentto the tour.

The deal, which was completedrecently at Wentworth, means thatTextron equipment will be used at tourvenues when additional machines arerequired in the important two-weekrun-up to the competitions.

The products used on the courseswill cover the whole range from tractorgang mowers and the popular walk-behind motor mowers such as the

Jacobsen Greens King whose namehas become synonymous with topgreen care, through to aerators andGroom Masters.

Richard Stillwell, of the EuropeanPGA Tour, who is responsible forensuring the good condition of allcourses on the tour, said: “Textron is atop name in turf care with a range ofproducts which is second to none.

“We are delighted to have them onboard again as an official supplier tothe European Tour and we lookforward to working closely with themall over Europe.”

Textron signs new EuropeanPGA Tour contract

SWAN�S SECONDSTRETCH

The British Institute of GolfCourse Architect’s annual meeting atMerrist Wood saw the re-election ofHoward Swan as its president.Jeremy Pern will also continue as vicepresident for the forthcoming year.

David Krause, a German-basedgolf course architect, was elected tothe committee and will represent theassociates of the Institute.

Swan said, “I look forward to asecond year as president. We havean important agenda in front of us,particularly in the development ofour BIGCA diploma course.”

The most important issue facingthe Institute - which recently openeda dedicated library containing over150 titles - is the possibility of amerger with the European Societyand the French Architects’ Group.

Bonallack to become next R&A captain

Michael Bonallack will hand over the job of Royal & Ancient secretary onSeptember 14, in order to become the club captain for the year 1999-2000. Born in 1934, Bonallack joined the R&A in 1960 where he has

served on a number of committees. He was appointed secretary in 1983, in succession to the late

Keith Mackenzie. A winner of five Amateur Championships, hissuccessor will be Peter Dawson, a member of the R&A since 1994and a serving member of the rules committee.

Dawson has over 25 years’ experience at chief executive levelin large private and public companies operating within theBritish Isles and Europe, and is currently a member of theNorthumberland Golf Club.

Textron has signed an exclusivesupply contract with St Andrews forthe E-Z-GO golf car range. TheScottish club has taken delivery ofeight petrol golf cars for the rentalmarket, ten cars for use as rangervehicles and five E-Z-GO Workhorseutility vehicles.

short course championship inpole position

Two Honda cars worth more than£30,000 were put up for grabs in therecent British Professional ShortCourse Championship held at NailcoteHall, near Coventry.

The cars, supplied by a localHonda dealer, were on offer to anyonerecording a hole-in-one on either theseventh or ninth holes.

Extensive work had been undertak-en on eight of the Cromwell Course’sholes prior to the championship, withtees realigned and a bunker added tothe third.

A steep bunker was added to thefifth, while holes six and seven have allbeen lengthened. In addition, the ninthgreen has been extended and trans-formed into three tiers.

Among competitors in this yearschampionship were Howard Clark,Bernard Hunt, David Carter, PaulBroadhurst and Ryder Cup hopefulSteve Webster.


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news


news

Flowtronex Europe has deliveredwhat is probably the biggest everirrigation pump set in the UK, for

St Andrews Links.The pump set, which incorporates

the latest technology to pump water ata rate of 540m3/hr at 9 bar to all ofthe St Andrews courses, is part of theTrust’s new state-of-the-art irrigationsystem to maintain the courses in first-class condition well into the newmillennium.

The deal is reputed to be wortharound £100,000 to the Hampshire-based firm.

Links manager Ian Forbes said: “Itwas a complex project and we areabsolutely delighted with the progressmade, and with the performance of allof the contractors involved.”

Attending the official handover cere-mony, Flowtronex Europe managingdirector Steve Hockley, said: “It is anhonour to be part of such a prestigiousproject and a clear confirmation of thequality of our products and services.

“Features like OTIS and PumpLog, our remote pump station moni-toring and diagnostic software, makeus stand out from the rest.”

St Andrews all pumped up

The contract to construct a new18-hole golf course at Burhill GC hasbeen awarded to M J Abbott Ltd ofSalisbury.

The decision by Burhill EstatesLtd, the club’s owners, came only afew weeks after the company revealed£2.5m worth of development plans forthe near future.

The company’s portfolio alsoincludes golf centres at Thornbury,Birchwood Park, Ramsdale Park aswell as Hoebridge Golf and SnookerCentre.

Under the terms of the contract,Abbott’s will be undertaking theconstruction of the 18-hole courseas well as being responsible for theland drainage and irrigation contract.Work was due to begin on site lastMay.

Golf architect Simon Gidman hasbeen responsible for the design of thenew course and will be developing it tochampionship standards, workingclosely with M J Abbott.

The Golfer is a three-dimensionalpuzzle that requires a steady handand determination to complete -much like the game of golf itself.Consisting of over 250 layers, theproduct, from the Really UsefulGames Company is both a chal-lenging jigsaw and an attractiveornament once completed. Thefinished model can be sprayedeither gold, silver, black or bluewith cans of paint supplied withan accessory pack.

US HOLE HOMAGEHALTED

A golf course in the United Stateshas been penalised for copying afeature from another course.

The US Court of Appeals ruled thatTour 18 GC in Humble, Texas, hadinfringed trademark protection codeswith its replica of Harbour Town’s18th hole.

The reproduction included aversion of Harbour Town’s distinctivered and white lighthouse, which willnow have to be demolished.

However, the Court ruled that thecourse’s imitations of Pebble Beach’s14th hole and Pinehurst No. 2’s 3rdwere not unlawful and could remain,although Tour 18 have been orderedto stop using the names of other cours-es in their advertising.

The replica golf market is anemerging one in the United States,and the Tour 18 approach includes theuse of aerial photography andComputer Aided Design to ensureaccurate reproductions of famousholes.

The Tour 18 course in question,along with another, Flower Mound,located between Dallas and FortWorth, has recently been acquired byArnold Palmer Golf Management.

mj abbott securenew contract FOR18-HOLE COURSE

Club Car expands aftersales service

To support excellent sales and projected growth in the golf and utility market,Club Car UK has announced an expansion of the company’s aftersales careprogramme for the ClubCar range

of golf, transportation and utility vehi-cles.

Club Car UK is predicting annualgrowth of around 20% in the golf carmarket within the UK, and to provide anenhanced local service to customers, thecompany is currently establishing 12new service dealers around the country.


The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle has appointed one of Scotland’s young up-and-coming golfing stars, Roger Beames. Originally from Ayrshire, the 24-year-old plus

two handicapper will be assisting in the pro shop and golf house. Beames is current-ly fourth in the Scottish Order of Merit and harbours hopes of representing Great

Britain and Ireland in the forthcoming Walker Cup.

beames relocates to skibo castle

Talk Radio, the UK’s largestand only commercial speech-based

radio station, has signed a three-yeardeal for on-course broadcasting of

European golf tour events. American Golf (UK) Ltd has

increased its total number of coursesin the UK to 15, after signing long-

term operating partnerships withSouth Essex G&CC, Weald Park GC

and Cottesmore Hotel G&CC.Two greenkeepers made

redundant from Mersey Valley GCwon £8,100 for unfair dismissal

from a Liverpool industrial tribunalafter proving that they had been

replaced by a private firm of sub-contractors.

A recent study published byGardner Merchant Leisure found that

71% of companies interviewed hadheld a golf corporate hospitality day.

Tom Watson has accepted aninvitation to become the 12th

honourary member of the R&A.

in brief...

J. & E. ELYLTD

49 Woodlands Road, Sonning Common, Reading RG4 9TDTel/Fax: +44 (0)118 972 2257 E-mail: [email protected]

Our projects include:

Brocket Hall Golf Club, EnglandAroeira Golf Club, Portugal

Stoke Poges Golf Club, EnglandTredegar Golf Club, Wales

Victoria Golf and Country Club, Sri Lanka.

Over 35 years of constant investmentin the latest machinery for earthmoving, shaping and finishingincluding our own engineeredequipment for bunker construction,cultivation and seeding techniqueshave enhanced our reputation forreliability and efficiency in golf course and sportsfield construction.Modifications including storage lakes,land drainage and water features,budget feasibility studies and project management.

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David White Secretary, BAGCC

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COWDRAY PARK plans DESIGN COMPETITIONCowdray Park GC’s unique position as a Grade II listed park at the foot of the

South Downs in an area designated of outstanding natural beauty has promptedthe Trustees of the Cowdray Estate, led by Viscount Cowdray, to launch acompetition for the sensitive re-design of new facilities for the Club.

The Royal Institute of British Architects has agreed to manage the competi-tion which incorporates plans for a new clubhouse as well as a separate dormyhouse to accommodate overnight guests. Entries are being invited from a select-ed list of architect-led teams with relevant experience from both the UK andoverseas. RIBA’s Competitions Office believes there will be substantial interest inthis rare opportunity.

The Fuji Country Group, owner ofApremont GC near Paris, hasentered into a management

agreement with CCA Europe Ltd,owner and operator of Brocket HallGC in Welwyn, Hertfordshire.

The Fuji Country Club is one of theleading owners and operators of golfand country clubs in Japan with a 30-year history in the management of golfoperations.

The group owns and operates 21clubs in Japan, three in the UnitedStates and one in the United Kingdom.In Japan alone, the organisation hasnearly 50,000 members.

Founded in 1980, the CCA Groupis one of the major developers andoperators of private clubs in the AsianPacific region.

CCA pioneered the professionalmanagement of private clubs inAsia and currently manages 30premier clubs with six more underdevelopment.

Fuji joins with CCA


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For those whom golf is notmerely a game... it’s a business

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SIMON GIDMANMember of The British Institute of Golf Course ArchitectsWychwood House, Ascott Under Wychwood, Oxon OX7 6AG

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FeatureFeatureINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Before Shakespeare first putquill to paper, ChristopherColumbus gained his sea-legs

or Galileo gazed through a telescope,golf was being played on the famouslinks of St Andrews.

Rules, etiquette and fashions mayhave changed over the course of theyears, but golf has lasted from theMiddle Ages to the Computer Ageand, more and more, the gameis embracing the technologicaladvancements of the past few years.

A lot has changed since a com-puter was first brought into a club-house - indeed, golf clubs withoutinformation technology facilitiesare fast disappearing into the mistsof time.

From drainage and irrigation toscoring and handicapping, all can besimplified and improved with theaddition of the correct hardwareand software.

There are other applications,as well; the architecture of golf

courses can be improved through theuse of computer aided design andthe global positioning system. ➧

The latest in computerised technology is being put to work in all areasof the golfing industry, especially when vital numbers need crunching.

In a quest to ensure the smooth running of clubs, more and moresystems are now arriving on the market.

All the rightConnections

Written by Paul Hughes

Your Club: who�s minding it?Running a golf club in the 1990s is no easy task. Your members expect a well run club, reasonable prices, and a secure but pleasant club environment. At a time of escalating costs and rising crime against property, you may wonder how you can provide all this and keep the club�s finances in the black.ClubMINDER is an integrated club management system, based around a membership card, which has been designed togive better control in the areas of security and financial management.ClubMINDER lets you control access to the club�s premises, keeping out thieves and unwanted visitors. It can tell you who is where at any time, and can make your premises secure at the touch of a button.ClubMINDER enables you to offer discount to members whilst charging non-members the full price. Its comprehensive information system helps you make better decisions about your prices and stock.And what is so good about ClubMINDER is that it actually does all these things in accordance with yourinstructions. This means that the person minding the club is always with you.

ClubMINDER: better information, better control.To find out more about ClubMINDER, call 0181 343 1119 or fax 0181 343 4942

HighCRAFTTotal solutions for club

management

Highcraft Services Limited59 Church Crescent

FinchleyLondon N3 1BL



Those who feel that their golfswing may need some professionaltweaking (and, after all, who doesn�t?)can e-mail footage of their golf swingto V i sua l Edge Sy s t ems , whoproduce personalised One-on-Onevideos.

These splice footage of your ownswing with relevant analysis fromGreg Norman, no less. Now every-one can have their swing eithercomplimented or criticised by TheGreat White Shark.

Another example of innovativetechno logy enhanc ing go l f ingenjoyment happened during theVolvo PGA Championship, held atWentworth at the end of May.

Online visitors to the officialVolvo PGA website could watch livetelevision coverage and listen toexclusive commentary from the tour-nament. They could also take controlof webcams overlooking the first teeand practice range to provide apersonal view for those not there inthe flesh.

With leaps in technology enhanc-ing both the playing and watching ofgolf, there is no reason for individualclubs not to reap the benefits ofnineties technology.

Indeed, many are already market-ing themselves to a potential audienceof millions with a website on theInternet. These can also be used totake tee time bookings as well askeeping existing members orcustomers informed of all the latestdevelopments.

It is estimated that 20% of allAmericans are on-line and Europe isfast catching up. Many golfers andwould-be golfers are contained in thislarge group, which shows the vastpotential of the medium.

One company offering golf clubsthe opportunity to take both Internetand automated telephone bookings isEvesham-based Fairway Systems,whose Executive Information Systemalready ensures the smooth running ofover 300 customers in seven countries.

Fa i rway � s approach to c lubmanagement guarantees to increasethe profitability of the proprietaryand municipal golf courses that use it.

Different modules cover reserva-tions, membership and administra-tion. The retailing side of the businessis taken care of with pro shop andstock control options. Other softwarefeatures include banqueting andconference modules.

The Executive Information Systembuilds up a detailed picture of theindiv idua l cus tomer , f rom thenumber of bookings they have madeto the amount of money they havespent in the pro shop. PROGRAMMABLEThe software is also programmable topenalise those who choose to �noshow� and leave valuable tee book-ings untaken. Offending golfers canbe identified and prevented frommaking new bookings until they havepaid for their old, unused ones.

Fairway Systems will always workwith clients to determine their individ-ual needs, and computer-phobics willhave their worries eased by the 24hour helpline that ensures the smoothrunning of a club around the clock.

The software is based in Windows95, but is also Windows 98 compati-ble, as well as having the ability tointerface with Great Plains, Microsand Fidelio. Biannual updates meansthe software is constantly evolving tomeet the specific needs of golf clubs.

ClubMinder, from HighcraftServices, pledges to give clubs betterinformation and better control. Withthis will come the generation of addi-tional revenue and profit. Highcrafteven claim it will reduce costs.

ClubMinder is a swipe card systemthat fully integrates many differentaspects of golf club management,from stock control to membershipmanagement. Access can be moni-tored to fully ensure the security of aclub.

Other applications include theability to give different discounts fordifferent membership groups, indi-vidual product discounts and a�more you spend, the more yousave� function.ACCURATEWith accurate gross margin calcula-tions and member loyalty pointschemes, it helps clubs to fully under-stand their membership and offer theprecise services and products theyrequire. Sales histories are available ofboth members and product items, tosee who is buying items and which ofthem are selling.

The software was specifically writ-ten for golf course applications andcan be fully networked for a unifiedapproach. The system has beeninstalled in such high-profile coursesas Royal Lytham and Royal Birkdalealong with over a hundred others,some for as long as ten years.

ClubMinder optional modulesinclude InfoCentre, a remote electron-ic noticeboard which utilises touch-screen technology for member andsociety score entry, GolfMinder,which takes care of membershipaccounts and handicaps, and Auto-Charge, for instant deduction ofgreen fees from member accounts.

Paul Mainstone, managing direc-tor of Highcraft Services, insists thatClubMinder is very simple to use andgenerates the absolute minimum ofpaperwork.

�Posting information is given onone piece of paper. The system is self-checking and self-running.�

as the club

has developed

so has the system,

right up to the

present day”“

Representatives from Fairway Systems demonstratingthe latest developments in their software at the PGA

Merchandise Show, Orlando in January

The aptly-named ClubMinder system from HighCraftServices is a fully integrated club management system

that gives control over financial management, club administration and security



Membership & AdministrationBooking & Green Fees

Pro-Shop Retailing &Stock Control

Loyalty Schemes

Food & BeverageSystems

Access Control

Hotel Management

Financial Accounting

is the leading integrated point-of-sale and managementsystem specifically designedto ensure the smooth day-to-day running of a modern golf

club. The system is available in modules or as a fullyintegrated package.

For further information please contactEuro Systems Projects Ltd at:

Europa House, Kimpton Link Business Park, Kimpton Road, Sutton, Surrey SM3 9QP

Tel: 0181 251 5100 Fax: 0181 251 5101e-mail: [email protected]

TheCompleteModularSystemE~S~P

Although the system accepts datafrom Club Systems, DJB Software,GolfMinder, Baron Systems andFore, and integrates with both Sageand Pegasus Accounts, all of the soft-ware exclusively belongs to HighcraftServices.

As Mainstone says, �We�re theonly company that owns everythingthat you use.�

Euro Systems Projects Limited(ESP) are another company supply-ing integrated computer systems togolf clubs, and pride themselves thattheir products are being constantlydeveloped and refined to meet theprecise demands of the golf industry.

The clubhouse and coursemanagement systems ESP supply,especially Golfmaster, help clubs toachieve a streamlined and efficientgolf operation, with an easy-to-use,modern system that pleasingly comesat an affordable price.

ESP launched Golfmaster in 1989,and is now used by more than 150golf clubs across Europe and NorthAmerica.

Its sister product, Resortmastermeets the needs of the wider leisure

industry. Their products are not hard-ware-specific, and are flexible enoughto operate in tandem with otherproprietary software systems.

Golfmaster�s modular system runsthe day to day operation of a golfingoperation with options including proshop point of sale and management,reception and course booking, foodand beverage and integrated statutoryand management accounts.

The ESP programs are designedto enhance customer satisfaction andservice by way of a fast point of salesystem. Staff have the ability toaccess member or customer informa-tion at the touch of a button, elimi-nating a large amount of manualclerical activity and releasing staff formore profitable duties.

With swipe cards that can be usedfor door access and bookings, clubscan also utilise a levy system and/orcustomer credit accounts. Golfmasteris also able to automate hotel opera-tions, which, of course, many clubsnow operate.

SUPPORTTheir nationwide customer supportfacility is able to help clubs 365days a year, ensuring that computerfailure in the middle of the busiesttournament won�t cause too manyproblems.

The testimonials from clubsalready using the system are impres-sive. Tina Tinker, company directorof the London Golf Club, says:�When we opened in 1993, we choseGolfmaster because we believed itoffered the flexibility our club need-ed. This has proved to be the case andas the club has developed so has thesystem, right up to the present day.�

Whatever system a golf clubchooses, the computers in the club-house have taken golf into themodern age. Perhaps, in the future,the computers and software will bevalued antiques, just as the spur-toeirons of the past are today.

Euro Systems Projects Limited keep the industryinformed about all their management systems, such

as Resortmaster, on their website

1650 + Golf Clubs use ‘CLUB 2000’

For a complete management system contact Club Systems for details on:

• Handicap & Membership Administration Software

• Debit Card & Stock Control Systems

• Card Controlled, Door Security Systems

• Card controlled, Player Score Input Systems

‘CLUB 2000’ Computer based Golf Administrationfor the 21st Century

01663 762448E-mail: [email protected]

The Leader in the ClubhouseC

LUB

2000®

BEAST

Club Insight


Club InsightCARNOUSTIE

Every Open Championship isspecial. But there is alwaysjust something extra specialduring the summer when the

oldest and greatest of all golf�s majorsis played in Scotland.

After an absence of 24 years, theOpen returns to Carnoustie in July.

Why it has taken so long to makeits reappearance on the fearsome linkshad nothing whatsoever to do withthe course that prides itself on beingthe Championship�s most northerlyvenue, where the game was playedeven before Columbus discoveredAmerica.

The massive growth in publicpopularity of the Open over the lasttwo decades was simply just toomuch for Carnoustie - which alwayswas and still remains to this day apublic golf course - to handle.

Without the first-class facilitiesassociated with St Andrews in termsof palatial clubhouse and large hotels,and with a road network leavingmuch to be desired, reluctantly theR&A had no alternative but todiscard Carnoustie from the list ofOpen Championship venues.

However, the R&A always left thedoor open for the future.

�We will return� became a phraseas much associated with the R&Aand Carnoustie as General DouglasMacArthur�s famous comment whenhe left the Philippines during WorldWar II.

MacArthur was as good as hisword. So was the R&A.

A new clubhouse, an internationalhotel, more accommodation, and animproved road system have all

contributed to bringing the Openback to Tayside.

Those are new and welcomeinnovations. However, what hasremained practically the same sincethat last Carnoustie Open, is thecourse itself - as different from themanicured fairways and glitteringstreams and ponds of AugustaNational as chalk from cheese ornight from day.

Carnoustie, a great shaggymonster of a course, really is a fear-some beast.

I was there in 1975. The lastOpen for 24 years. It was TomWatson�s year, when the sun beatdown relentlessly for the first threedays of the Championship.

At close of play on the third day Iremember one American player, witha rather sarcastic tone saying after hehad carded a four-under-par round:�So this is Carnoustie. So what�s allthe fuss about?�

Did the great links hear him? Itcertainly seemed that way because onthe final day Carnoustie reverted to type.

The wind howled across the links,the rain hammered down, the scoressoared, and that same Americanreturned a seven-over-par round,much to the delight of one veteranScottish golf scribe who remarked ina voice loud enough to be heard atRoyal St. George�s: �So it�s no thepitch and putt course the wee laddiethought it was.�

Pitch and putt course? No way.When the Scottish weather is kind,Carnoustie, despite being crushinglylong, can be tamed if not totallycontrolled.BRUTALWhen the wind blows the rain hori-zontally, it is positively brutal. Of allthe Open Championship venues, it isthe most evil of the lot.

With most of the holes designedwith the prevailing wind in mind formaximum difficulty, there is nogentle introduction to Carnoustie.From the opening drive the night-mare can begin.

It is on the first hole where theplayer acquaints himself for the firsttime with the Barry Burn. How oftenwill those two words be mentionedor written over the duration of the1999 Championship?

Ten feet wide with sheer banks,the Burn winds a menacing path

BEASTTheThe

This summer, the Open Championship returns to Carnoustie for the first time since 1975 and a new generation of golfers will find out why the

longest course to stage the event is also, arguably, the most feared.

A great

shaggy monster

of a course”“

By ALISTER MARSHALL

CHAMPIONSCARNOUSTIECHAMPIONS

CARNOUSTIE


Club InsightClub InsightCARNOUSTIE

through no less than six holes, culmi-nating with the toughest finish inchampionship golf for even the bravestof players. It is easy to see why.

The par-3 16th, aptly named theBarry Burn, cost Watson a shot onevery round and also the play-offduring his 1975 triumph.

It is not an unplayable hole.Those who know Carnoustie believeit is a fair test of skill. Nevertheless itis so intimidating with the Burn andthe bunkers, it can turn the most ice-cold player into a nervous wreck.INFAMOUSThe infamous Burn plays a majorpart in success or failure on the twopar-4 closing holes.

As if it is not bad enough to haveto negotiate it once, on the 17th ithas to be crossed twice, and that�s notall. The green is on a left-to-rightslope which makes the position of thedeep bunkers on the right, particular-ly cruel to say the least.

The 18th is assuredly one of theclassic finishing holes in golf.Needless to say the Burn is oncemore the dominant feature.

This time it threatens shots hitshort, right or left off the tee and is atits wildest in front of the greenmaking long or short approach shotsquite terrifying.

With the exception of Watson andGary Player, and perhaps anothercouple at most, the players challeng-ing for the 1999 title will be experi-encing a Carnoustie Open for thefirst time. It will be an experiencethey will never forget.

I welcome its return as an OpenChampionship - but then, I haven�tgot to play it!

1931 ★★ TOMMY ARMOURBeing blinded in his left eye by mustard gas in World War I made littledifference to the expatriate Scot whose whipcord wrist action and astonish-ing hand strength gave him a long raking draw of remarkable accuracy.

1937 ★★ HENRY COTTONBorn into a wealthy family, Cotton flaunted convention by deciding to makegolf his career and not just a hobby he could well afford to play whenever hewished.

1953 ★★ BEN HOGANIn 1949, the little Texan suffered such severe injuries in a car crash, eminentsurgeons were of the opinion that if he ever walked again it would be a mira-cle, far less play golf. Only 18 months later he won the US Open.

1968 ★★ GARY PLAYERAt his first Open at St Andrews in 1955, Player was a young unknownwho had to sleep on the beach because he was unable to find accommodation.By 1968 when he came to what he later described as �the toughest golf coursein the world� he was an established star well fancied for his second Open title.

1975 ★★ TOM WATSONThe Kansas Kid came to Carnoustie with the tag of a �choker�. In twosuccessive US Opens he had led the field only to slide unceremoniously out ofcontention in the final round. His final round at Carnoustie was to bury the�choker� tag once and for all.

Carnoustie has produced five of the most dramatic Opens in the Championship’s long history.Its sixth Open has much to live up to...

The of

The 6th, Carnoustie Championship Course, ScotlandVenue of the 1999 Open

e P r H i O c T h O e G p R w A o P r H t Y h

ERIC HEPWORTHGOLF COURSE PHOTOGRAPHY

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HorizonsHorizonsMINIATURE GOLF

T here are courses where thesurface is always green and acomplete circuit can take less

than half-an-hour. There are courseswhere the experienced golfer can bebeaten over 18 holes by a child. Andthere are courses where the holes aresometimes obscured by plasticclown�s heads, spinning windmillsand pirate galleons.

In Britain, at least, crazy golf oradventure golf is almost exclusivelysomething to do at the seaside whenthe kids are bored with their bucketsand spades. Often, it is more a gameof luck than skill.

However, in both ContinentalEurope and the United States, a vari-ation of the game is classed as acompetitive sport and has attracted aserious and devoted band of aficiona-dos. Already accepted into the WorldGames, the sport is even pressing forinclusion in the 2004 Olympics.

Miniature golf or �minigolf� is,essentially, crazy golf without thecraziness. As the name suggests, it is ascaled-down version of the gameplayed on the fairways and greens ofthe world.

A game of luck? The 1997 WorldChampion Andreas Schallner record-ed a score of 18 over 18 holes on hisway to the title - a fearsome displayof putting judgement and nerve.

Club selection is non-existent.Instead, top-flight minigolfers selectfrom over 200 different balls at eachhole, each of varying bounce, weightand hardness.

For those who maythink that the sport ispurely a hobby, thereis the fact that someminigolf competi-tions have prize fundsof up to $25,000!

The international governing bodyof the sport is the World MinigolfSport Federation (WMF), based inSwitzerland. They organise the biennialEuropean and World Championships.Another organisation, Miniature GolfDevelopment of America, takes care ofthe sport stateside.

Advocates insist that miniaturegolf is coming of age, with outstand-ingly beautiful courses and creativedesigns that include mounding,various elevations and water features.

Walt Disney World in Florida,perhaps the world�s foremost exampleof a commercially-orientated golfresort, has two such miniature coursecomplexes to compliment its five full-size championship courses.ENTERTAINMENTOne course is based on the filmFantasia, and players must negotiatethe hazards of marching broomsticksand dancing hippos. With holes rang-ing in length from 40 to 75 feet long,it combines family entertainmentwith a true test of putting skill.

While the scale of the Disneyminigolf experience may be out ofreach for nearly all other commercialcourse operators, it shows how thegame can be an enticing supplementto traditional golf facilities.

The family appeal of the game isalso increased. Many would feelintimidated by a full-length coursebut might fancy their chances with aputter.

In the UK at least, miniature golfstill appears to suffer from the stigmaof crazy golf, and the game is nowherenear as popular as it is elsewhere.

In Germany for example, 12,000registered players compete in aBundesliga and various regionalleagues. The sport also enjoys a highlevel of popularity in Sweden andAustria.

The British Minigolf Association(BMGA) was founded in 1998 inorder to increase the profile of thesport and encourage its growth. PeterParr is both chairman of the associa-tion and one of the country�s topplayers.

An occasional golfer on full-sized courses, he believes that thegame�s credibility has suffered due toassociations with its more frivolouscounterpart.

The diverse world of small-scale golf courses carries a reputationthat many are actively trying to disperse. Paul Hughes discovers

that perhaps it’s time we all took it a little more seriously...

Advocates insist that miniature

golf is coming of age”“Small is Beautiful...

A short indoor putting course that has recently been installed by Dura-Sport

Castle Golf entices old and new players alike with imaginativelythemed designs

HorizonsHorizonsMINIATURE GOLF


THE PROVENPERFORMERThe sturdy walk-behind 60 trencher from Case

Easily manoeuvred in confined areas, yet offering big trencher features like hydrostatic

ground drive and hydraulic boom raise and lower

Just walk the unit up the trailer ramp and chainto the trailer for ease of transport

Also fitted with a neutral safety start system, engine

“oil-alert” system and low-effort

colour-codedcontrols

L.D. BOURGEIN OXFORD LIMITEDSouth Hinksey, Oxford OX1 5AZ

Telephone: 01865 735420Fax: 01865 326155

Website: www.bourgein.com Email: [email protected]

To hire or buy... For further information contact:

Northern office:Howford Lane, Acomb NE46 4FA

Telephone: 01434 608898Fax: 01434 608898

BRITISH INSTITUTE OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

Swan Golf Designs LimitedTelfords Barn, Willingale,

Ongar, Essex CM5 0QF, England

Phone: 01277 896229 Fax: 01277 896300E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.swangolfdesigns.com

Howard Swan M.ScNigel Henbury B.A., Dip.Arch.

Golf Course Architects

member of the

�I personally don�t like the term�crazy golf,� but, unfortunately, whenpeople think of minigolf, they thinkof pitch and putt. For me, crazy golfis a luck-based course - that�s whatwe�re trying to get away from.�

The sport�s development in theBritish Isles has also suffered fromlack of facilities. �There are no cours-es that fully conform to WMF guide-lines in the UK. We�re trying toencourage entrepreneurs to useFederation-approved designs�

The BMGA currently has over50 members and hopes to gain fullmembership of the WMF in thenear future. The BMGA�s inauguralEnglish Open will be held at theend of July on a temporary coursein Eastbourne.

The Autumn sees the secondBritish Open and they will also besending players to compete at the1999 World Championships inHolland. And, as Parr says: �There�sthe carrot of Olympic recognition inthe not-too-distant future.�

One company that believes thereis a definite future for minigolf isLeicestershire-based Dura-Sport,which has recently installed a number

of short indoor putting courses atgolf centres and leisure complexes.

However, Ian Bannister of Dura-Sport also feels that people�s precon-ceptions of crazy golf work againstthe sport�s growth.

CONCEPT�We�re trying to get away from theconcept of �crazy golf.� Even �minia-ture golf� can give people the wrongidea. We�re looking to market it as�Replika Golf �� - scaled-down repro-ductions of normal golf courses.�

While admitting that crazy/minigolf may not appeal to the more seri-

ous golfer, Replika Golf � is differentin doing just this and attractingpaying customers, as well as bringingyoung players into the game: �Itwould be beneficial to have alongsidethe golf course, although it�s going toappeal more to proprietary clubs.DEVELOPMENT�Britain needs to keep up with therest of the world in the developmentof juniors. I think the game wouldpromote this and benefit the long-term future of golf.�

He is confident that the company�spatented putting surface is of superiorquality to traditional crazy golfsurfaces and points to the fact that anumber of tour pros now use it as apractice aid.

�We�ve got an all-weather surfacethat can provide a realistic alternativeto grass but with only minimal main-tenance.�

While British enthusiasm forminigolf may not reach the level italready enjoys in Germany, or thecourse saturation of somewhere likeFlorida, it seems safe to say that itwon�t be a bad thing if people realisethat there�s more to miniature golfthan clowns and windmills...


OCM1S

British Turf & Landscape IrrigationAssociation Award of Excellence

Winner 1997 & 1998

RainBird International Contractorof the Year 1997

Providing Irrigation Excellence at Happy Valley Golf Club

Head Office Tel. 01460 241939Scotland Office Tel. 0131 220 2102

#

Anglo Aquarium Plant Co LtdStrayfield road, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 9JE

Tel: 0181 363 8548Fax: 0181 363 8547

Email: [email protected]

e are one of the largest suppliers ofaquatic plants to thelandscape trade.

Over 100 indigenous and 200 ornamental varieties are produced each year, predominately as container grown, although bare root stock is available on certain varieties.

As members of Bali, our customers range from golf courses, environmental agencies,local authorities, landscapers anddesigners.

As well as supplying aquatic plants,we also provide Coir rolls and matseither planted, or unplanted for theprotection of riverbanks, canalsand more.

All rolls can be made to measureand supplied pre-drilled ready forplanting.

Anglo Aquarium

Plant

WW

Lionel R. WhitnellGolf Course Construction

Recent contracts include:

Caversham Heath 18 hole

Happy Valley 18 hole

Merrist Wood 18 hole

The �HANDS ON�Contractor

Woodlands, Ellis Road,Boxted, Colchester

CO4 5RN

Tel: 01206 272834Fax: 01206 272104

Swiss Office:IGI Global Golf

31, rue du 31 DecembreCH-1207, Geneva

Tel: +41 22 786 3733 Fax: +41 22 786 3438

Happy Valley GC, Surrey

WHITNELL CONTRACTS Ltd

!!Proud to be associated with HAPPY VALLEYGOLF CLUB

Website: www.whitnell.co.uk Email: [email protected]

Accomplished in all aspects of

LINER DESIGN AND INSTALLATIONFOR LAKES AND RESERVOIRS

Previous customers include:

HAPPY VALLEY GOLF CLUBWOBURN GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

MERRIST WOOD GOLF CLUBCAVERSHAM GOLF CLUB

DEESIDE GOLF CLUBSTOKE POGES GOLF CLUB

Contact Mike Pomfret:1 BLUEBRIDGE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE HALSTEAD ESSEX C09 2EX

Tel: 01787 476699 Fax: 01787 472507

��

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ProfileProfileRON NOADES

Ron Noades does not run withthe pack. However, his impacton the footballing scene in

England has led to him being likenedto a king of clubs.

That apt description may nowbe applied to golf, for Noades,

the owner of Happy Valleyat Caterham, Surrey andWesterham, Kent, is on the

prowl for more bargains.He remains a self-confessed

footballing man and admits thatgolf, certainly the playing of the

game off a 21 handicap, is a purelysecondary interest. Building and

buying sites is another matter;developing a project is what makes

Noades tick.But that was years back when the

property market collapsed. Thesedays Noades is on firm ground again

and was among inquirers about EastSussex National, the 36-holes nearUckfield in East Sussex and one timevenue of the European Open.

Perhaps the set-up was toograndiose for a man who knows thedanger of getting out of his depth.But, whatever the reason, he would-n�t bite despite the price dropping toaround £11m. That was a far cryfrom the £37.5m it cost to buildwhen Canadian hotel tycoon DonTurner sent the earth movers intoaction in the late 1980s.

Nevertheless, Noades has ashrewd eye for a bargain and says thatHappy Valley, his pet course, isbetter by miles than ESN.

At least Noades says that EwanCampbell, the professional at HappyValley and Westerham, is of thatopinion and Noades is content to goalong with it.

Ten years ago Noades hadn�t eventouched a golf club with any seriousintent of taking up the game. He stillisn�t what you might call an utterlydedicated golfer who would goanywhere at any time to get in 18 ornine holes. ➧

Ron Noades is probably betterknown within footballing circlesthan the golfing world, but witha wealth of experience gainedduring his tenure as a footballclub owner, Noades has nowdiversified into golf.

Interview by John Vinicombe King of

Clubs

We made a

profit at both

clubs in the

first year”“

The new David Williams design at Happy Valley already looks well-matured thanks to a subtle blending of the original landscape



I doubt if he has ever stepped intothe bay of a driving range with theobject of improving his swing.

The inner fire doesn�t burn in thisman when on a golf course as it rageswhenever there is a football match tobe watched, studied and painstakinglyanalysed.

Ron Noades occupies a uniqueposition in soccer insofar that he ischairman and owner of Brentford FCbut prefers to work as a hands-onmanager.

He loves nothing better than to beinvolved in the minutiae of football;training, coaching, scouting, teamselection and all the thousand andone items that make up the dailyround of a manager.

And, as his 18 years umbilicalconnection with Crystal Palaceproved, he is a talent spotter of con-siderable merit, one who takes greatsatisfaction in introducing likely ladsto the ground floor of management.

As to the bits and pieces ofBrentford, Noades employs a businessmanager to mind the shop while heimmerses himself with the playing side.DETERMINATIONFor a former park player with apreliminary FA coaching badge thismay seem strange but it speaksvolumes for Noades� determinationand drive. That is not to say that golf,his secondary interest, is a plaything.

He is deadly serious in anythinghe takes up and comes across as adour negotiator. And, in the fitnessstakes, his lean figure, which he saysis a family trait, makes a mockery of61 years on the clock.

What drives Noades is the need tocarry any project through to the endand achieve complete satisfaction. Hisbank accounts are sufficiently well-bolstered that he need never workagain.

As to his attitude to playing golfas distinct to his commercial persona,the Noades way is best explainedthus:

�I�m not mad keen, really. I�m justa social player. I like watching it asmuch as playing. If I play, I prefer todo so in Spain and mostly at LaManga where I have a place.

�I play golf if I�ve got the time.With football, that�s a differentmatter and more demanding. If theshop is open, you�ve got to be behindthe counter.�

A former member of CrohamHurst in Surrey, Noades says golfdoesn�t bug him: �I enjoy it whetherI play well or not. I don�t get uptightabout it.�

The Noades family are into golf -Novello, his Welsh-born wife, playsoff 15 and all the kids can hit a ball.One suspects that, if they playedmore for money, then Mrs Noadeswould take more money off MrNoades than vice-versa.

�I went into golf as a hobby and Iwork at my hobbies, be it football orgolf. So far as my business interests ingolf, I am only interested in reallygood courses.

�That�s why I bought HappyValley and Westerham. I thoughtthey were exceptional and HappyValley so much so that I actually paid£500,000 over what the land wasworth. Even now I�m surprised howgood it is.�

Ron Noades likes to be in closecontact with his enterprises. HappyValley and Westerham are roughly15 minutes apart (if you drive a4-litre Jaguar sports) and all is goingaccording to plan.

Westerham was a hive of build-ing activity when I called in earlyMay as the upper storey of the club-house took shape. Also, Noadeslikes to pop in around lunch timefor a plate of ham, eggs and chipsthat he puts away in the diningroom with members and hordes ofsociety visitors.

�So far as developing the club-house here and building one atHappy Valley is concerned, this oneat Westerham is costing about £2m.We�ll see how we go.

�The one for Happy Valley isplanned at twice the size, but, for thetime being, we�ll see if we can justifya return on this investment or wemay end up building a smaller clubhouse at Happy Valley.�

You could detect in Noades� voicean element of caution. He has seen

too many fingers burned in the golfand property business not to proceedprudently.

The eyes that can spot a hot prop-erty on the football field also registerthe appropriate signals when land ora building site crops up.

�Westerham is owned by a hold-ing company and I own the holdingcompany,� he explained. �I�ve got acouple of minor shareholders here atWesterham and a separate partner atHappy Valley. The two courses areall owned by the same holding group.As to cost, we probably spent about£4m on both courses.

As a man who made and lost hispile, and made it all again in theconstruction business, it is no surprisewhen Noades went further into hisraison d�être.

�I enjoy building things. I builtHappy Valley and I re-designed thefour central holes at Westerham. Iwas at Happy Valley when I foundthe Westerham site. This was througha friend of mine, Mike Stone, whoowns Edenbridge Golf Club which isnot far from here.

�He wanted to do a 50-50 dealand had been trying to get theWesterham site together and hadn�tbeen able to. It was when I was withhim looking at Happy Valley that Ibought Westerham.�

That was a receiver sale andNoades initially bought part of thesite. �Buying a large chunk of theland sterilised the site so nobody elsecould buy it. I was able to buy anoth-er three pieces over a period of timeand it gave me the full course.

MEMBERSHIP�We made a profit at both clubs inthe first year and had 800 members atHappy Valley before we evenopened. Now the membership here atWesterham is 840. As to our policy,we will take green fees, but aren�t tookeen unless they are members� guestsand can show a handicap certificateand turn up at off-peak times.�

Players wait on the tee of the dramatic par 3, 12th hole, which plays across the corner of a newly constructed lake



Charges are most reasonable; £17at weekdays; £25 on weekends. Youcan feel the competitive edge as thejoining fee at Westerham for seven-day membership is £1,000 and canbe spread over ten years. A five-daymembership joining fee has beenslashed by half to £500 and can besettled over five years.

Wooded and undulating, Westerhamis easy on the eye and was designedby David Williams. It was Williams also,who put the original layout at HappyValley together.EXPERTSLike any good employer, Noadesknows the value of delegation andhaving experts around him. Of EwanCampbell, the professional, he says:

�Ewan used to be the pro at TheAddington for 26 years. I took himover this site at Westerham before Istarted to build. I wanted him tocome and work for me and he has agreat reputation as a teacher. Peopletravel miles to get lessons from himand he�s booked up for a year.

�The biggest market in golf arethose who haven�t yet played or aren�tyet members of a club. The danger isthat they start to play without knowinganything about etiquette. Here, theyeither toe the line or they don�t stay.�

Everybody seemed happy atWesterham where the unfinishedbalcony of the clubhouse gives apanoramic view of three holes and foun-tains spurting from ornamental lakes.

Yet Noades maintains: �HappyValley is going to be the best coursefor miles around. As for other courses,I�ve looked at Leatherhead, but theywere asking for too much money.

�Also, I didn�t think the coursewas special. It has been spoilt by theM25 and I think there are drainageproblems.

�I also thought probably theywere getting as much out ofLeatherhead as they could and therewasn�t much room for improvementor changes.

�I�m looking for the exceptions,not just club courses. As soon as youhit a recession, all the average coursessuffer financially and the only onesthat come through are those that area bit special. Those are the clubs thatkeep their members or get new ones.

�I�d love to buy the Addington.I�d buy it like a shot because it is thesame quality as what I have here atHappy Valley.�

Although Noades is a rich man, Icouldn�t help feeling he counts everypenny. He sold Crystal Palace for£22.85m last June and has receivedall but £5m so far.

Brentford, his new love, werepromoted just under a year of himtaking over. Next season they willplay in Division 2 and going upmeant a loss of £1.5m so Noades isonly following basic instincts bykeeping a watchful eye on the pursestrings. After all, it is his purse.

Born in Kilburn, a suburb ofnorth-west London and one of sixchildren, Ron Noades needs nolessons in the art of survival.

In 1975 he was worth £16m.Come the property market collapseand he was down to his last£600,000. Like the song, he pickedhimself up and dusted himself off andstarted all over again.

�If you come from humble origins,as I did, you work out of fear of return-ing from whence you came,� he said.

That is the driving force behindRon Noades, the football and golfman who, contrary to some opinions,is able to relax.

�I like nothing better than to godown to his school and watch oneof my sons play cricket. I used toplay club cricket myself once inBeckenham. In those days I had anine to five-thirty job with the RankOrganisation. I was about 30 andfound cricket totally relaxing. Youcould switch off. I don�t play anymore, unless it is a players versus staffmatch at the football club.�

It was in the next 30 years thatNoades� life took off and there areno signs that he is about to take asecondary role in any of his twomajor outlets.

But, as for finding time to get hishandicap down, I�d lay odds that he�llstay around the same mark. He�s toobusy, too much of a mover and ashaker to work at his game when thechase is on for fresh horizons.

DAVID WILLIAMSGolf Design

Golf Course ArchitectsOver a dozen new courses built during the 1990s

An integrated ‘one-stop’approach to Complete Golf Design

Telephone: (01492) 533818 Fax: (01492) 533012E mail: [email protected]

Full member of the British Institute of Golf Course Architects

Proud to have designed the course at Happy Valley Golf Club

Before: Happy Valley’s downhill 185-yard 4th isnestled in a mature part of the site, seen here duringconstruction by Whitnell Contracts

And after: The completed par 4, 6th hole demandsa drive and second shot that are well protected bybunkering and existing trees.

WESTERHAM GCCLANDON REGIS GCREIGATE HILL GCNORTH WEALD GC

KINGS HILL GCMERRIST WOOD GC

BROKE HILL GCMID-SSUSSEX GC

Feature


FeatureCOURSE SIGNS & ACCESSORIES

Is your golf course unintentionallyrustic? Do golfers on the courseneed Braille-reading and code-

breaking skills to decipher the markeddistance to the pin?

Do packs of them roam the courseat night, having been lost betweenthe sixth hole and seventh tee manyhours before?

If the answer to any of these ques-tions is �yes�, then it might be timethat club funds were released toinvest in some new course signs.Even if the situation is not as desper-ate as those outlined above, newsignage and accessories can alwaysbring a fresh glow to a course.SELECTIONShropshire firm, Links Leisure, offera wide selection of course accessoriesproduced from both mahogany andoak. Expertly crafted, the rangeincludes entrance signs, directionalfinger posts and a choice of tee mark-ers, all individually produced toinclude club names, motifs, holelayouts and details.

Marketed under the trade name�The Pro-Tee Collection�, the rangehas become increasingly popular withoperators who realise the need toprovide on-course facilities such asdirectional signs and hole infor-mation, but at the same time wouldlike to include elements of their owncorporate identity.

Each product, from the largestinformation sign to the smallest teemarker, is tailor-made in detail, styleand colour to meet the individualrequirements of each golf course.

Many of the products have thepotential to include sponsorshipinformation and advertising. ➧

DirectionsNew

Directions

Every club needs to make alasting impression on theirgolfing clientele and cannotrely on beautiful settings anddazzling architecture alone.Luckily help is at hand toadd some of the finer detailsto a course...

Article written by Paul Hughes

Pro-Tee artificialtee mats fromLinks Leisureare available

in three different

sizes

WOODCLASS SIGNSSatisfying all your signage needs

NaturallyQuality hand made signs, sand-etched from natural timbersproviding an attractive and practical direction or informationsystem. Equally effective for outdoor or indoor use theyhave satisfied the requirements of many prestigious clubs,most recently the new Carden Park Golf Resort and JackNicklaus Golf School in Cheshire (see picture, left.)For information pack including photos of previous projectsplease phone or fax: 07000 785036or write to: PO Box 282, Preston, PR3 9GH


High Quality

Golf Course & Tee Signs...

...Hand crafted to suitevery requirement

For further information on our wide range of signs inWood, Metal and Stone, contact:

alpha signsSAFFRON WALDEN • ESSEX

Tel: +44 (0)1279 850555

tailor-made tomatch your

requirements

Links Leisure LimitedUnit 22, Civic Industrial Park,

Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 1TTTel: 01948 663002 Fax: 01948 666381

This is the PRO-TEECOLLECTION. An array of golf course signs, teemarkers, litter bins, and

divot boxes, plus therenowned series of PRO-

TEE all-weather mats.

So what’s different?Simple. Apart from

being specially designedto meet the

practical requirements

of the moderngolf course,

each productwithin

the “Collection” can betailor-made in detail, style and colour to match the individual orcorporate identityrequirements of yourparticular club – and that includes name, logo, sponsorship, andany other detail yourequire.

The choice isyours. Contract LinksLeisure todayfor details.

COLLECTION

THE

“a superb idea with an exact description of the hole...!”Colin Christison, Golf Director, El Paraiso G.C. Estepona, Spain.

“smart tidy units and the information is excellent”Steve Rumball, Proprietor ChalgraveManor G.C. Bedfordshire.

“totally unobtrusive, and looks goodon the course. Members love it!”Brent Swinburne, Director ParklandsG.C., Newcastle upon Tyne

Located on or at the approach to the tee, the GreenBox Pin Marker is the most comprehensive information system available.

Provides an invaluable aid to the modern golfer including the current pin position.

Also available with guaranteed annual income under the GreenBox sponsor scheme.

For a full information pack call:GreenBox International Ltd.

TTMA House, Northam Road, North Shields NE29 7UJ

Tel: 0191 296 3838 Fax: 0191 296 4848


FeatureFeatureCOURSE SIGNS & ACCESSORIES

Links Leisure also have an alterna-tive for those who feel the need toprotect often delicate playingsurfaces, especially teeing-off areas.Its artificial tee mats manage to takethe pressure off of the turf whilebeing fully user-friendly.

Developed with the intention ofcreating a realistic substitute for thegrass tee, the Pro-Tee golf mat hasfound favour with many greenkeepersbecause it not only shields the naturalgrass tees from damage during timeswhen they are most vulnerable - forexample, in the winter - but alsobecause it is useful as a temporarymeasure during maintenance orreseeding operations.SIMULATIONPro-Tee golf mats also have applica-tions at practice grounds, as a simula-tion of a grass playing surface.

Available in three different sizes,the tee consists of a hard wearingglass reinforced cement base andthree artificial turf sections, whicheach have a 12mm thick rubber shockpad backing.

The base sits above the surface oneight feet to protect the natural grassbelow. Drainage holes in the baseprevent the tee from becoming water-logged. Its three artificial turf sectionsare suitable for both right and left-handed golfers, and includes a uniquetee-peg retention system which willnot clog up with broken tees. Unevenground is no problem with optionaleasy-to-adjust levelling devices.

Since 1896, H. Pattisson &Company Ltd have been supplying awide range of innovative course signsas well as tools for the greenkeeper.Pattisson can supply both person-alised and off-the-shelf signage. Stocksigns include everything from�Trolleys this way� to �Ground underrepair.�

Their fibre glass flag pins come invarious colours: white, black, yellow,red and various different combina-tions of the colours. They come atheights of 10ft and 12ft, catering forswivel tube and letted flags. Pattissonalso supply PVC flag pins - a semi-rigid flag pin available at a height of6ft only. They come in white, blackand white, and red and white.

For the individual touch, screenprinted flags can be fully customisedto a golf club�s specifications, withthe potential to include club logos orthose of advertisers, bringing an extrasource of revenue into the club.

Pattisson tee consoles can also bedesigned to meet any club�s desires.Their stock models include theChichester, which comes completewith a �D� shaped litter bin, a Royaleball washer, shoe brush and a double-sided hole information sign. TheNewbury console comes with all theabove, but with an added fitted bootscraper.

Pattisson also supply holecups,made from steel, aluminium andnylon. Along with this is their rangeof fairway distance marker spikedposts and discs, bootwipers and shoecleaners.

It is altogether a thoroughlycomprehensive range of everythingneeded to keep a course fully acces-sorised.

Vandalism of signs and accessorieson golf courses is an ongoing prob-lem, but what is the answer?

No-one wants their golf course toresemble a prison, with walls toppedwith barbed wire and armed guardsto keep out undesirables, so a differ-ent solution to the problem might beto bite the bullet and buy moreresilient course signs.INNOVATIVEShropshire-based Border Golf canprovide this with their innovativerange of signs, thought to be some ofthe most durable on the market.Their etched stainless steel andbronze plaques can include hole mapsand club logos in full colour, and canbe fixed on various mountings, fromreconstituted stone to natural rock.Their hand-crafted reinforced graniteresin composites have also provedpopular.

Pro-Tee wooden signs include not only tailor-made entrance signs with various course information, but alsofinger posts and a choice of tee markers incorporating club and hole detail

A full range of screen printed flags can be supplied by Pattisons, to personalise a course with a unique club logoor to gain extra revenue from sponsorship

A selection of signs from Border Golf are available -from large entrance and directional signs to

distance and point of play markers


FeatureFeatureCOURSE SIGNS & ACCESSORIES

Tel: 01494 79 46 46Fax: 01494 79 47 47

Pattisson House,Addison Road,Chesham,

Buckinghamshire,HP5 2BD

The Windsor Collection

[email protected]

Divot BoxesTee BlocksLitter Bins(now with liners)

Oakland Tee Marker

Woodclass Signs produce anattractive and practical range of signswith a truly distinctive look, withhigh definition, three-dimensionalgraphics created by a unique carvingprocess.

From northern Scotland to SaudiArabia, the signs are used in a varietyof climates and have proved to highlyresilient, whether out in the snow orthe sun. The high performancemicro-porous paints and stains usedallow the timber to breathe naturally,

thus preventing any cracking, peelingor blistering. The signs are made withcedar, which is highly resistant to rot.All wood comes from renewablesources.

Club and sponsor�s logos can beeasily incorporated into the signs,along with a wide range of colours,offering a complete and integratedsystem which reflects club livery andpresentational style at every level. INTERACTIVEAmerican firm, Eagle One GolfProducts, are pioneering a moreinteractive way for customers to lookthrough their range of products. Itswebsite (www.eagleonegolf.com) has

a fully downloadable catalogue whichcan be browsed through at leisure.The website also features theirmonthly specials and contains a fullprice list.

Eagle One�s product rangeincludes signs made from �recycledplastic lumber�, which they claim is amaintenance-free substitute for wood.The material is composed of recycledhigh-density polyethylene and some-times includes other additives, such asfibreglass.

Free from splinters, it is also virtu-ally maintenance-free and will notcrack or split. It does not contain anyharmful chemicals and is resistant tograffiti. Because its colour is impreg-nated, it will not require painting.

The lumber is used in Eagle One�srange of double-sided fairway signs,which come in both engraved andlaminated options.

Altogether, there is enough choiceand variation in the course signs onthe market to improve the aestheticappeal of any club. And, on a func-tional level, it�s worth rememberingthat the longer golfers are lost on acourse, the less time and money theycan spend in the bar!

Eagle One Golf from America has found a way tospread its wings across the Atlantic, reaching

European customers via the internet

Signs from Woodclass are crafted from highly weather resistant Cedar wood, obtained entirely from

renewable sources - perfect for rural surroundings


WWW.EAGLEONEGOLF.COM

ONLINE. ALL THE TIME.View the entire Eagle One Golf Products catalog online,along with monthly specials and up-to-date price lists.

ANYTIME. ANYWHERE.

�Always On The Right Course�SM

SPECIAL FREIGHT OFFERS AVAILABLE! CALL FOR DETAILS ! WE USE RECYCLED PLASTIC LUMBER

1201 W. Katella Ave.Orange, CA 92867 USA

1 714 997 1400 PHONE1 714 997 3400 [email protected] E-MAIL

IRRIGATION SPECIALISTS INGOLF COURSESRACE COURSESSPORTS GROUNDSBOWLING GREENS

OUR SPECIALITIES AREPOLYETHYLENE PIPEWORKDESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF PACKAGE PUMP SETSSATELLITE & DECODER COMPUTERCONTROL SYSTEMS

Full back-up service by qualified engineers.

For more information, please contact:Arden Lea Irrigation Ltd,160 Moss Lane, Hesketh Bank,Preston PR4 6AE

TEL: 01772 812433Fax: 01772 815371

ARDENLEAIRRIGATION

ESTABLISHED SINCE 1972

MOVINGFORWARD

WITH

Specialist Golf Course Maintenance Contractors

Tel: 01673 878444 Fax: 01673 878644E-mail: [email protected]

Caenby Hall, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire LN8 2BU


Firm FocusFirm FocusFLOWTRONEX EUROPE

Shimmering green fairwayson golf courses around theworld confirm the quality of

Flowtronex pumping technology.As the world�s largest manu-

facturer of golf course pumpingsystems, the company hasproduced more than 5,000pump stations for fairways andgreens across the globe.

Last year Flowtronex PSI ofDallas, USA, extended its opera-tions into Europe with the acquisi-tion of Action Pumping Services,a highly successful company based inthe southern UK.EXPANSIONNow renamed Flowtronex Europe,the subsidiary moved into newEuropean headquarters and a muchexpanded 20,000 square feet manu-facturing facility at Waterlooville,Hampshire, at the beginning of theyear.

The investment, combined withthe company�s excellent after-salesservice and support, has ensured thatFlowtronex is well placed for futureexpansion across Europe.

As well as its main European basein the UK, Flowtronex Europe hassales offices in Hamburg, Germany,and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Much of the strength of Flowtronexlies in its ability to design and supplypump sets to meet the demands of justabout every conceivable situation.

And according to FlowtronexEurope managing director, Steve

Hockley, more and more customersare recognising the value of packaged,pre-assembled pump sets.

�We have won a number of highprofile contracts recently and I seethis as a commendation of the qualityand versatility of our products,� hesaid.

Earlier in the year Flowtronexcompleted installation of what isprobably the biggest ever irrigationpump set in the UK - for St AndrewsLinks, the birthplace of modern golf.

Other courses now reaping thebenefits of Flowtronex technologyinclude the Kemer Golf and CountryClub, Istanbul, Seddinnersee GolfClub, Berlin, Aroeira Golf Club,Portugal, the Castella Di AntognollaGolf Club, Italy and the EichenheimGolf Club, Austria.ADVANCEDAmong the advanced innovationsnow featured as integral parts ofFlowtronex pump systems arePumpLog and SmoothFlow. The firstwas developed by Flowtronex toserve as the most advanced pumpstation monitoring system and diag-nostic software on the market.

PumpLog takes away many of thehassles of station monitoring and itsfeatures enable a user to control apumping station from just aboutanywhere in the world, given acomputer and telephone line.

SmoothFlow is a sophisticatedcontrol program which actually �runs�

a pump station. It is the most power-ful and user friendly software in

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as required and also mod-u la t ing speed to ho ldconstant pressure regard-less of flow variations.Also set to make inroadsinto pumping control

systems is the company�snewest item of �smart� tech-

nology, a multi-channel elec-tronic sentry system called

HotWire.It is being used for the first time

in the UK at the Millennium Domein London where it will allow simul-taneous monitoring of up to fourfunctions. If a problem occurs,HotWire connects to a phone, dials apager service and punches in codedinformation to appear on the end-user�s pager.

�The Millennium Dome is aparticularly apt location for the firstUK installation,� said Steve Hockley.

�HotWire is easily installed andeasily programmable. And it�s pro-active - if a problem develops, thecustomer knows about it straightaway, and a repeat pager will keepgoing until the problem is addressed,�he added.

Such cutting edge technology hasobvious advantages for the busygreenkeeper. And for Flowtronex it issimply part of the future.

FLOWTRONEX EUROPE LTD2 RELAY ROAD, WATERLOOVILLE

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Direct Sales OfficesDUBAI, UAE

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Production/Service facilityWATERLOOVILLE, UK

Hamburg office(0) 406 969 2390

FLOWTRONEX

A typical Flowtronex irrigation set for the golf industry

WITHFFLLOOWWTTRROONNEEXX

YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE

An aerial view of the Flowtronex Europe manufacturing facility

AnalysisAnalysisDAVID WILLIAMS

A new tax was introduced inthe 1996 Finance Act which,if utilised correctly, could be

of great advantage in enabling somegolf clubs to improve their courses atlittle or no cost to themselves.

However, the majority of currentpublicity of this Act has been mainlyof the adverse variety, concerning therole of a few existing golf coursesassisting unscrupulous operators toavoid the impact of landfill tax.

Landfill tax was included in theFinance Act 1996, essentially to taxall material disposed of by way oflandfill, the reasoning behind thelegislation being to reduce �fill� beingmerely tipped and to encourage recy-cling of most construction materials.

However, the legislation acknow-ledged that some tipping could bebeneficial and introduced exemptionsto the payment of tax in theseinstances.

These exemptions are containedwithin the Waste ManagementLicensing Regulation, and section 19of schedule 3 of the Activities Exemptfrom Licensing includes the provisionof �the creation of or improvement torecreational facilities on land.�

It is therefore legal and possibleto improve golf courses by theimportation of suitable materials,subject to gaining the necessary sepa-rate planning and other consentsnecessary to undertake the work.

All operators of licensed tipstherefore have to levy this tax and addit to their normal tipping charges.However, subject to certain provi-sions, other �recreational� clubs canimport such materials withoutimposing the tax.

The reasoning behind the importa-tion in these instances is simple - with-out the requirement to charge landfilltax on the importation, site ownersand operators are able to undercut thecharges imposed at neighbouringlicensed landfill sites, resulting often intheir �cornering of the market� for allavailable fill in any locality.

The cost of reinstatement of theground after the importation is oftenfar less than the income gained fromsuch importation.

However, in very many cases, theimportation has been undertakenwithout gaining (or even applyingfor) the planning and other consentsrequired, and often also withoutgaining the necessary ExemptionCertificate under the WasteManagement Licensing Regulations.

In this way, such golf clubs givethe whole game of golf a poor repu-tation in the planning field.UNSCRUPULOUSSome unscrupulous golf courseowners and operators have merelyattempted to fill areas of the golfcourse with spoil, utilising everyavailable square yard of area, creatinghuge mounds between fairways,using the excuse that they are in-creasing the playability of the course.

In some instances, such moundinghad the opposite effect, making thecourse unplayable, and, in manyinstances, makes the course totallyunacceptable to planning authoritiesin pure landscape terms.

There are a small number ofcases where such importation hasvirtually destroyed golf courses,often to the financial benefit ofthe owner but not the players,and have certainly producedgolf courses totally out ofcontext with thesurroundinglandscape.

Another common occurrence iswhere a planning application is madefor a new course, often merely a fiveor six-hole layout, or a nine-hole, par-3 course, purely with the intention offilling the site with imported materi-als in the guise of creating the course,probably without any intention ofever building the course on top of theimported fill.

A particular concern of localauthorities is that the main incomefrom such a project is from the charg-ing for the imported fill, as suchincome is vastly greater than any even-tual income from the golf course itself.

Furthermore, the fill income is atthe beginning of the project, unlike anormal golf course development,where the construction and develop-ment costs come first with theincome and ultimate profit oftencoming along many years later.

I have recently been involved in anumber of projects assisting localauthorities, often as an expert witnessat a public inquiry, in demonstratingto the secretary of state�s planninginspector that these projects are notreal golf course schemes, but often a�Trojan Horse� development inwhich the tipping is the real reasonfor the development.

In many such instances, there isno recognised golf course architectbehind the application, as the appli-cant does not consider that the finalgolf course is of any importance, andthe only design criteria is merely the

amount of fill possibleon the site.

Leading golf course architect David Williams discusses the effects of the newLandfill Tax on golf courses, and how considerable improvements to a

course can be gained from proper implementation of this legislation.

TippingTippingthebalance...



AnalysisAnalysisDAVID WILLIAMS

As a member of the BritishInstitute of Golf Course Architects, Iam asked occasionally why I amtherefore assisting in opposing suchgolf course developments.

Where the real reason is not a golfcourse but is mainly intended as asmoke screen for another activity, andparticularly one which will under-standably upset the vast majority ofneighbours, I feel that all within thegolf industry have a responsibility toprotect its existing good name, bypointing out instances where golf isbeing used for such activity.

However to return to a morepositive note, the main purpose ofthe exemption within the legislationis to enable recreational facilities to beprovided or improved, and golf canbenefit greatly from this, subject tothe obtaining of all the necessaryconsents that are required prior towork being undertaken.

There are a number of applica-tions where the legislation is usedcorrectly and with great positivebenefit to the golf club. At one site inKent, we have recently gained plan-ning permission to greatly alter andimprove an existing 18-hole layout,

and one which suffers greatly bybeing particularly low-lying and withvery wet fairways, greens and teesduring the winter months.

The revenue gained from theimportation will pay for the raising ofmany of the fairways to overcome thedrainage problem and the construc-tion of 18 new greens to USGA-typespecification. EXPANSIONAnother nine-hole course in thesouth-east has wanted to expand toan 18-hole layout for many years, buthas been hampered by low-lyingdamp ground on the only possiblearea for expansion.

The cost of raising this land wouldhave been prohibitive without thepossible income to be gained in caus-ing such raising, and thereforeplanning consent has now beensought for the creation of anew nine-hole course onthe newly raised land.

Another exampleconcerns an existing 18-holemembers� club where theircourse, although containingexcellent greens, teesand fairways, often

suffered criticism of being relativelyopen and, both aesthetically and ingolfing terms, uninteresting.

Planning consent has been soughtto provide suitable shaping betweenfairways, taking into account theprevailing landscape characteristics ofthe surrounding areas, and to createnew golfing features including newfairway bunkering, to improve theplayability and appearance of thecourse. Again, the cost of the workwill be met by the receipts for theimportation.

As long as the necessary permis-sions are sought and obtained, andthe scheme is designed to benefit thegolf course and not a smoke screenfor purely a landfill operation, thislegislation can be greatly beneficialin enabling many existing clubs toimprove their courses, particularlywhen the club feels it does not havethe finances to undertake such work.

However, careful and skilful nego-tiations will be required with the localauthority, as many planning depart-ments are immediately defensive as

they are aware of the unscrupu-lous nature behind many ofthe existing projects.

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