gmé | issuu 6

GolfGolfManagementE u r o p e

ARISE SIR MICHAEL

JULY 1998£2.50 25FFR 7.5DM 625PTAS

The definitive business magazine for the European golfing industry

Michael Bonallack, secretary of theRoyal and Ancient, recently receivedthe accolade of a knighthood from

Her Majesty the Queen in the Junebirthday honours list

Softspikes®

The next step in golfSoftspikes®

The next step in golf

EDITORJohn VinicombeEXECUTIVE EDITORAlister MarshallFEATURES EDITORAndy FordNEWS EDITORDavid BowersSTAFF WRITERSColin Cameron, Peter Simm Pat Symes, Duncan Wright

PUBLISHERMichael LenihanPUBLISHING EXECUTIVEAngus DaySALES CONSULTANTPaul GardenerADMINISTRATIONSharon O’ConnellPRINT & REPROColourspeed & PPG Repro

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) 01705 [email protected]

WEBSITEWWW.PORTMAN.UK.COM

ISSN1368-7727

SUBSCRIPTIONSUK (6 issues) £15Europe (6 issues) £30Rest of World (6 issues) £40BACK 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 1998

GolfGolfManagementE u r o p e

JULY 1998 ! GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 3

ContentsContentsGOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE

Sir MichaelR&A secretary

Michael Bonallackwas bestowed a

knighthood by theQueen in the recent

birthday honours list

Page 5

JULY 1998Issue Six

Tourism has always been associated with golf,and with many clubs looking towards Europe forthat special break, we examine a few possibilities

Full story on page 14

inside

GolfGolfManagementE u ro p e

Cover StorySoftspikes® cleats are

rapidly becomingcompulsory at many

leading Europeanclubs - and it’s easyto understand why

Page 7

SimulatorsGolf simulators are

becoming an everincreasing facet of the

services offered byclubs, and not simply

because their fun

Page 8

Latham’s EGURichard Latham has

a quest, one whichwill see the EGUevolve beyond all

recognition

Page 20

Rudding Park GC, in Harrogate,as featued in the May edition ofGolf Management Europe, has

launched its own web-site to maintainits commitment to providing award-winning service.

The site, which includes informa-tion about Rudding Park golf with

details of the6,871 yardcourse, golfdays, shortbreaks, rates, driving range and golfacademy, is maintained by Cosmosys.

The impressive site can be locatedat www.rudding-park.co.uk.

4 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! JULY 1998

newsnewsThe Royal and Ancient Golf Club

of St. Andrews has responded toan increasing number of inquiries

concerning a possible conformancetest for the ‘spring-like’ effect in golfclubs.

The R&A is the governing authori-ty for the rules of golf outside the USAand while it is unusual for the R&A tomake a statement on rules mattersbefore proposals have been finalised, itis recognised that continuing uncer-tainty as to the R&A’s position wouldnot be advantageous.

Therefore the following statementwas issued earlier this month (July):

‘The R&A has been independent-ly studying the issue of ‘spring-like’effect over the past six months andthe implements and balls committeehas recently recommended that aconformance test should be devel-oped.

It proposes to develop a testwhich would put a limit on thefuture enhancement in this area.

Before a decision is taken, theR&A will very carefully consider allrelevant issues, taking into accountthe need to protect the integrity ofthe game.

Club manufacturers within theR&A’s jurisdiction will be consultedon this issue and it is hoped thatwith their co-operation a fair andreasonable test can be developed.’

Metal woods were introduced in1981 and from 1984, there has beena rule in force prohibiting a clubfacefrom having “the effect at impact of aspring... or any other effect whichwould unduly influence the movementof the ball.”

Any new conformance test isintended to clarify the interpretation ofthis rule.

The R & A springs into action

Turf care and irrigation specialist Torohad a splendid showing at the recent

World Cup in France. In tandem with itsFrench distributor Sadimato/Solvert,

Toro designed the irrigation system toprovide resilient turf at the new, partial-ly-domed Stade de France which hosted

the final on July 12.

St. Andrews Links Trust has signed a deal with Barenbrug which will see theBury St Edmunds-based company exclusively supply grass seed and relatedproducts such as wild flowers to the Trust.

Ian Forbes, Links manager, said: “We are impressedby Barenbrug’s research and development facilities andare confident they will supply the quality products andtechnical support we here at St. Andrews look for.”

Michel Mulder, (pictured right) managing direc-tor of Barenbrug UK said: “Given that St.Andrews is insistent that its suppliers live up toits own world-class reputation, it is an honour tojoin up with them.”

saltex growingever close

The Sports, Amenities andLandscaping Trades Exhibition(SALTEX) has announced details ofthe free seminar programme runningthroughout the three days of theshow at Windsor racecourse onSeptember 8-10.

Included among the speakers isEddie Seaward, head groundsman atthe All-England Lawn Tennis andCroquet Club.

Also confirming an attendance atthe exhibition is C&P Soilcare whichhas an exclusive testimonial for allSaltex visitors.

Within 25 yards of the compa-ny’s stand is the famous Lime Grovecorner which includes a ring of limetrees treated using the Terraliftservice which enhances the rootzone of young and mature trees.

golf by torchlightfor charity

Yorkshire course chips intoworld-wide web

A unique 17-hour, 90-hole charitygolf marathon attracted 32 golfers,who started to tee of at four o’clock inthe morning!

The Norwood RavenswoodChallenge, which teed off at AbridgeGC, was played as four-balls andparticipants were allowed merely 30seconds to look for lost balls, resultingin some completing the course in arecord hour and a half!

The golfers then drove around theM25 to play Aldenham Golf andCountry Club, followed by 18 holes atHartsbourne, Dyrham Park and finallyPotters Bar.

Organised by the golf charity GolfAid, the event raised an impressive£80,000 in sponsorship for BINOH,the special education needs service,which is part of the charity NorwoodRavenswood.

The charity provides services forover 6,000 underprivileged children,vulnerable young adults and people ofall ages with learning difficulties.

st. andrews links up with barenbrug


Banner Homes has begun construction work on Las Alamandas, a new develop-ment on Spain’s Costa del Sol, offering exclusive apartments and penthouses.

Nestling in the heart of the Nueva Andalucia valley, Las Alamandas boasts stunningviews across the Mediterranean with close proximity to three golf courses - Las

Brisas, Los Naranjos and Aloha, set against the backdrop of La Concha mountain.

BANNER HOMES INTRODUCE LAS ALAMANDAS

The secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, MichaelBonallack, received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours’ list inJune. Sir Michael was appointed secretary in 1983 after an outstand-

ing career in amateur golf.He won the Amateur Championship on five occasions, the English

Amateur five times, and the English Open Amateur Stroke Play Cham-pionship four times. The 63-year-old represented Great Britain andIreland in the Walker Cup in no fewer than nine competitions, andcaptained the winning side at St. Andrews in 1971.

He received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to thesport in 1971 and was awarded an honourary degree by the universityof Stirling in 1994. He was chairman of the PGA from 1976 to1981, chairman of the Golf Foundation from 1977 to 1982 andpresident of the English Golf Union (EGU) in 1982.

R & A secretary receives knightood

A limited edition print signed byEurope’s Ryder Cup winning captainSeve Ballesteros, has now been madeavailable. Only 850 prints have beenproduced, and each edition - costing£294 - is supplied complete with acertificate of authenticity.

ely joins steel atBrocket Hall

Golf course constructor J&E Ely,of Reading, Berks, has secured thecontract for the prestigious DonaldSteel-designed Palmerston Course atthe Brocket Hall estate.

The site is set in grounds whichhave excellent characteristics for agolf course - mature trees, perfectundulation and good views givingPalmerston unlimited potential.

Donald Steel and Company wonthe design contract despite severecompetition from numerous respect-ed golf course architects and includesa six-hole academy, a new practiceground and short game practice facil-ities.

West Sussex-based Steel contin-ues to attract interest from aroundthe globe including inquiries from asfar afield as Canada, the USA, andmore exotically St Lucia and Egypt.

Meanwhile J&E Ely continues toconstruct the new, much-vauntedAroeira course in Lisbon, Portugal.

Experts in landscapearchitecture, surveying, irrigationmodifications including storage lakes, land drainage and water features, budget feasibilitystudies and projectmanagement.

Over 35 years of constant investment in the latest machinery for earth moving,shaping and finishing including our own engineeredequipment for bunker construction, cultivations and seeding techniques haveenhanced our reputation for reliability and efficiency in golf course and sportsfieldconstruction.

J. & E. ELY

Tel/Fax:+44 (0)118 972 2257

E-mail:[email protected]

��

� ��

��

�

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��BAGCC

49Woodlands RoadSonning CommonReading RG4 9TD

Our projects include:Currently constructing

18-hole course atAroeira, Lisbon, Portugal

Extensions to Stoke Poges Golf Club.

18 Hole Golf Course withAcademy and Driving Range at

Stonyhill Golf Club.

International Golf CourseConstruction Consultants at the Victoria Golf and Country Club,

Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Comment


CommentLEAD EDITORIAL

Question. When is a golf club not a golf club?Answer. When it’s a business. Confused?You won’t be later this year if you are aproprietary club.

Proposed government legislation states thatBritain’s proprietary clubs - totalling around 800 - areto be business-rated and will continue to be liable forvalue added tax (VAT) while private members’ clubs,treated as non-profit making enterprises, will avoidpayment.

A European directive has decided all commercialsports clubs must pay VAT which has led to thegovernment making what is tantamount to a U-turnafter initially suggesting all sporting clubs should beexempt.

The move will undoubtedly lead to increasedmemberships and green fees at proprietary clubs, whilethe more exclusive clubs will theoretically be able toundercut them as a result, particularly when dealingwith societies.

The English Golf Union has gone on record as stat-ing that proprietary courses should not be discriminat-ed against. It suggested all clubs should be VAT-exempt for the sake of golfers and the game.

Economically, however, such an argument willnever find overwhelming support in the governmentgiven the necessary adherence to all edicts coming outof Brussels.

So perhaps a radical alternative is necessary toensure a level playing field - or should that be fairway.Until 1995 all golf clubs paid VAT until it was decidednon-profit making sports clubs should be exempt.

A return to that system would be initially unpopular,but at least would ensure the battle for customersbetween the proprietary and member-owned clubswould be on an equal footing.

The onus would then be on the clubs to marketthemselves in the very best way and to find variousways of accommodating the increased costs, and those

which soften the blow themost would benefit long-term.

There is little point inshouting from the rooftopsover the proposals for theywill be enforced. Instead,the sport needs to be seento react with the times andto offer its own solution.

VAT for all, a fairand just solution

Q

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Cover StoryCover StoryGRASS ROOTS GOLF COMPANY

vision

design

training

support

networks

installation

pro shop andpoint-of-sale

reservation and booking

registration andmarketing

internetreservations

interactive voiceresponse

reservations

the back office

Creating the vision to manage

From the Old Head toNew York State...

World Leaders in Golf CouseManagement Systems

Fairway Systems (Europe) Ltd, PO Box 2000,EVESHAM, Worcs, WR11 4YL, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1386 871490 Fax: +44 (0)1386 871500Email: [email protected], http://www.fairway.co.uk

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

In March, Golf Management Europehighlighted the potential benefitsthat switching to Softspikes® PlasticCleats could offer.The increasing trend for clubs to

ban the use of metal spikes has becomeone of the most talked about inno-vations in the golf industry. Theresponse to the article, thoughimpressive, did not surpriseDerek Kindercliff-Jones, man-aging director of UK distribu-tor Grass Roots Golf Company.

�Club secretaries have seenmembers return after breaks at clubs inEurope where metal spikes are bannedand have read about the product andhave decided they want to ban metalspikes, but they don�t really know howto go about it,� he explained.

�I spoke to one secretary who hadbanned metal spikes and asked himhow he was going to offer the fittingservice and he hadn�t a clue. We nowwant to assure clubs and secretariesthat we have the solution.

�We can supply all the literaturethey could possibly need, and we go

to the course and collate all the infor-mation about the club. We will alsolook in detail at the course itself andthe areas most susceptible to damage.

�Most of the time taken changingthe spikes over is in getting the metal

spike out, but we have variousways of reducing the time-

scale dramatically. We cansupply power tools to putthe plastic spikes in, whichmakes it a two-minute job.�

He continues to be inundat-ed with inquiries about the

product. �I spoke to a greenkeeperrecently who explained that he hadplayed golf on a different course,came off and could not understandwhy the greens were so good.

�He stated that it was not untilthe evening that the subject of plasticcleats was discussed. It was then thathe realised why the greens were insuch good condition.

�He concluded that it had to be asa direct result of the clubs ban onmetal spikes, and as a consequence,his course has now gone spike-free.

Kindercliff-Jones believes thefigures speak for themselves. �Thereare currently 33 spike-free courses inthe UK using our product and anoth-er 56 that have assured us they will bespike-free by next April.

�If a club is considering banningmetal spikes I would suggest theylook at the figures and evaluate themassive benefits for themselves.

�They only have to come and see thevolume we are getting through. This isnot a sales pitch, these are facts. I believeSoftspikes® Plastic Cleats is the biggestthing to hit golf since Calloway!�

Softspikes®

Leading the way...

For further information regarding Softspikes® Plastic Cleats contact

Grass Roots Golf Company on

Tel: (44) 01939 235711Fax: (44) 01939 235722

Email: [email protected]

‘I want to set up

an academy but I

want the club to

pay for it.’

During the few quiet periodsat Golf Management Europe,PC-based golf games are

probably the most popular diversion.One only has to glance at the shelvesat any computer retail store to see thevast range of golf games on offer.

Indeed, golf was one of the firstsports to make an impact on thecomputer market with the Leader-board series back in the dark old daysof the Spectrum and Commodore 64.

The strides taken since equaterather nicely to the difference in play-ing with highly-engineered graphiteshafts instead of hickory.

And as the games improved so didthe demand. Now, the software usedfor such games has been adapted toprovide realistic golf simulatorswhich are used for pleasure and train-ing.

Many golf clubs have installedsimulators to enable members to playcourses such as Troon, Pebble Beach,Valderrama and St. Andrews whilestill closeted in the comfort of their

own clubhouse.And club pros are keen to use thetechnology to assist players with

their swing.Even the BBC used a

simulator for the short-lived game show Full Swing.

Their�s was a Tru-Golf simula-tor supplied by Dorking-based

Golftek which offers several alter-natives for pleasure or analysis.

The Tru-Golf simulator provides3-D realism, with exact foot-by-footgraphic recreations of world-famouscourses right down to the location ofthe ball washers. Interactive soundeffects can be added in addition toover a dozen other enhancements onany one of around 20 18-hole courses.

The system can be switched fromgolf game to swing analysis modeenabling the user to utilise Golftek�stechnology for indoor teaching orcustom clubfitting.

The technology - which Golftekpioneered nearly 20 years ago - canbe further enhanced with the additionof video review courtesy of a videocamera and a video cassette recorder.

As Golftek�s sales� manager SteveJoy explained: �To merely have asimulator in a golf club is to all intentsand purposes a waste of money - it�sjust not a financial viability. Wesupply a lot for exhibitions and corpo-rate events to blue chip clients.

�However, what the golf clubshould be looking at is the setting upof a teaching academy using video.That way the members get a betterservice from their clubs, and theywon�t look to save money by going toa retail golf store.

�The onus is stil l on pros topurchase the stock at the moment,but what the pro should be doing isgoing to the club secretary orcommittee and saying �I want to setup an academy but I want the club topay for it.��

Case studyCase StudyGOLF SIMULATORS & ANALYSERS


Golf simulators and swing analysers are fast becoming an integral part of most clubs teaching strategy, but,as we report, they also have other potentially money-spinning uses.

DAVID BOWERSnews editor

Swing into profit with

Golf SimulatorsGolf Simulators

‘I want to set up

an academy but I

want the club to

pay for it.’


Case StudyCase StudyGOLF SIMULATORS & ANALYSERS

He added: �Many pro shopswould have the room for a smallextension where they could house anall-weather system. For a club with600 members, that�s only an addi-tional £13 per year on the annualsubscription.�

Once a system is in place it can beupgraded as the updated programscan get bolted on as they are released.There is little doubt that analysersbenefit both the player and the clubs.Golfers can iron out swing defects,while clubs can maximise profitsthrough accurate club fitting and �offthe shelf� sales.

Distance, club head speed, ballspeed, swing path, club face angleand impact point are just some of themeasurements the system calculatesto enable the instructor or clubmakerto advise on club selection and swingtechnique.

Golf Projects, based at the EastSussex National GC, market simula-tors and analysers manufactured byPennsylvania-based DeadSolid Sim-ulations Inc.

Their range also covers bothtuition and pleasure aspects. Salesmanager Brian Green explained: �Toprovide flexibility for future technolo-gy, our multi-media platform isworkstation powerful, not a merehome computer using a store-boughtdesktop computer game.

�DeadSolid Golf creates courseviews from scanned photographs thatcan be displayed from over 16 millioncolours. Golfers hit a real ball at alarge screen projection, then seam-lessly their computer ball continuesonward, hooking, slicing, bouncingand rolling as if outdoors.�

The system is managed by finger-tip on a touchscreen and with theinclusion of video review, players canreview their rounds at home or havetheir swings analysed by the clubprofessional.

The company also offers a low-cost integrated swing and video analy-sis system called Videomentor whichconnects to standard tvs, videocameras and vcrs and claims it costsaround a third of the price of a stan-dard video system and swing analyser.

Most analysers offer in-depth, butsimple to understand information,and clubhead animation - which hasproved to be one of the most popularand informative features. However,with the systems being constantlyupdated it is worth checking out eachoption in-depth to tailor the packageto your requirements.

Smart Golf UK�s entry on theindoor simulator market is based onthe ever-popular �Links� software andis endorsed by European Tour playerJim Payne.

He said: �As soon as I tried SmartGolf for myself, I was immediatelyimpressed by its detail and accuracy.�

Players hit a ball with their ownchoice of club into a wall-size image,and the computer takes over, sensingthe ball�s path and speed and repre-senting it precisely on screen. Theadvantage of using Links software isthat players can choose from a myriadof courses.

Sales and marketing manager AlanBurch said: �Smart Golf simulatorsare installed in all sorts of venues notjust golf clubs - leisure centres, hotels- but wherever we have installed themthey are always busy.

�Using Links� software enablesplayers to try their hand at many ofthe world�s top courses, includingTroon, Pebble Beach, Mauna Keaand Banff Springs.�

The Smart Golf technology isfirmly established in more than 40venues in the UK with additionalinquiries being made constantly. Thetechnology is derived from theAmerican space program with aunique tracking system which sensesthe ball�s flight and converts it into acomputer image.

It is regarded as the most techni-cally advanced and playable simulatoron the market. It is compact andsimple and allows play whatever theweather.

And if all of the above is simplytoo rich for your blood why notconsider selling golf simulation soft-ware for home computers and gamesmachines in your club shop. Softwarecompanies are traditionally hot onmarketing and supply a plethora ofpoint of sale material.

So whether you are looking tolaunch a video-enhanced teachingacademy, or just make a few extrahundred pounds, computer-basedsoftware offers seemingly unlimitedoptions.

Portman Publishing have joined forces withEMAP Pursuit to offer Golf Management Europereaders an exclusive opportunity to own a copyof the Golf Futures report.

Readers purchasing Golf Futures will receive aone year’s FREE subscription worth £30 toGolf Industry News Europe.To take advantage of this exclusive offer,simply fill in the form and return with payment to: Golf Futures Offer, Portman Publishing Co Ltd, 24 Highcroft Business Estate, Enterprise Road, Waterlooville, PO8 OBT

Golf Futures EXCLUSIVE OFFER !!! I enclose payment* for £495 made payable to:Portman Publishing Co Ltd or debit my credit card (£25 credit card surcharge applies)

Signature Expiry

Title Name

Club/Company

Address

Post Code*All Cheques, Postal Orders and Eurocheques must be drawn in Sterling.

Golf "GolfManagementE u r o p e


newsnewsGolfers at the Belfrey can now

indulge in a cuppa mid-round thanks tothe far-sightedness of the club manage-ment.

The club has become the first in theUK to invest in two Kenco-branded,petrol-driven golf buggies to providehot snacks and drinks on its famousPGA National and Derby courses.

The buggy is a unique conceptfrom the USA, where it was spotted bya now-retired chief executive of DeVere Hotels - the Belfrey is part of theDe Vere chain - who immediately sawthe benefits and introduced them tothe Belfry.

Kenco, the main coffee providerfor De Vere, branded the buggies withthe striking Kenco logo, and provided

a choice of hot drinks from its in-cuprange including Kenco coffee, cappuc-cino, Suchard hot chocolate and Knorrsoup.

A spokesman for the Belfreyconfirmed although the buggies areproving cost-effective, their main bene-fit is the added value service theyprovide for guests.

Kenco bean business at The Belfrey

Former Ryder Cup golfer Charlie Ward (87) stunned competitors andspectators alike at the revived Pertemps Professional Short CourseChampionship in June. Ward, who played in the inaugural event in

1933, had been invited to officially open the Nailcote Hall tournament,but was so encouraged by his opening drive that he played on in the tourna-ment.He recorded a respectable 16-over par 70 in the first round and finishedwith an amazing three-over par back nine on the second day. The eventualwinner was Peter Baker, but it was Ward, whose last position was an irrele-vance, who was the championship hero.

Reputed to be golf’s largest andmost important trade fair inEurope, Golf Europe ’98 is to

be held at the MOC in Munich fromSeptember 27-29.

A gross area of 15,000m² is fullybooked and the exhibitors - whonumber more than 270 - will presenttheir complete range of golf articles,clothes, shoes and accessories.

Exhibitors come from a staggering20 countries with non-German visitorsaccounting for nearly half.

Last year, visitors from outsideGermany accounted for 30 per cent ofthe total - 3,286 from 39 countries -and that percentage is expected toincrease again this year.

The exhibition is also an impor-tant information centre for all thelatest know-how, theory and practice,for golf professionals and retailiers.

The programme of accompanyingevents focuses on up-to-the-minutethemes and included among the semi-nars and lectures are papers on pricingstructures and marketing opportunitiesof the future.

Exhibitors todescend onMunich

Amadeus scoreswith img contract

Amadeus, the NEC Group’soutside catering venture, will besupplying a complete catering serviceat four leading golf tournaments thisyear after securing a contract withIMG.

Tournaments featured include theWorld Matchplay at Wentworth; theAlfred Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews;the Weetabix Womens’ open atRoyal Lytham St. Annes and the One2 One British Masters at MarriottForest of Arden club.

Patrick Ashe, head of Amadeusand general manager of the NECcatering division said: “All specialevent caterers claim to be different,but Amadeus really is.

“We focus on key prestigiousevents and only those. Our contractwith IMG gives us the chance, togeth-er, to improve all aspects of outdoorcatering.”

An Ashford-based company hasdevised a unique method of raising

funds for the Golf Foundation whileallowing golf clubs to own a piece of

golfing history. Classic Golf Companyhas an agreement with the EuropeanTour to market original signed score-

cards which are presented framedwith a limited edition print of the

relevant course.

Ward turns back time at Nailcote Hall

AND put golf on the map

Anew CD-rom from Oxford-based AND Publisherssupplies a playing guide to over 130 selected historicand championship golf courses in the UK and Ireland.

AND Golf on the Map is a one-stop comprehensive guideproviding information for a challenging and rewarding day out.It combines major PGA tour venues with important regional

championship courses and is an indispensable tool for the touring golfer. The history of each course is given, together with club membership details

and information about facilities, alongside detailed directions on how to reacheach course and tips on playing significant holes after arrival. It also containsdetails for over 250 hotels and guesthouses.


Anglo Aquarium have been supplying aquatic plants for over 35 years.In that time we have become one of the largest growers and suppliers inour field.Our customer base ranges from garden centres, landscapers, localauthorities, environment agencies, through to golf courses. In fact,where there is water, Anglo Aquarium will advise and supply theappropriate plants to suit all circumstances.Plants are grown in containers from plugs (5cm) to 30 litre (40 cm) potsto suit the various demands of our customers. We are also producers ofpre-planted coir �bio rolls� and coir �pallets� for the control of watererosion on river banks and other areas.Our own fleet of transport is dedicated to ensure that all plants arrive ontime and in good condition.If you have a water feature that needs attention, please call us and wewill be glad to help.

Anglo Aquarium Plant Co. Ltd.Strayfield Road, EnfieldMiddlesex EN2 9JETel: 0181 363 5548Fax: 0181 363 8547

Anglo Aquarium

Plant

Planted Coir Pallet

TURF GROWERS AND INNOVATORS OF TURFGRASS SYSTEMS

Everything Inturf

INTURF The Chestnuts, Wilberfoss, York YO4 5NTTelephone 01759 321000 � Facsimile: 01759 380130E-mail: [email protected] � Web page: www.inturf.co.uk

news


newsSeeing one’s drive end in the

water is one of the most frustrat-ing aspects of golf, yet a Dorset-

based company has found a way ofactively encouraging it.

Atlantic Marine, a sports boat andluxury cruiser charter operator fromFernhurst, has conceived the idea of‘Sea Golf’. From a specially-built plat-form on the deck of one or more of itscruisers, the company offers golfersthe opportunity to challenge eachother off shore.

Floating nets, acting as targets, arescattered around the cruiser at varyingdistances and using floating golf balls,to negate the need for a diver, aresupplied. The nets are numbered high-er or lower according to their locationto the cruiser and the winner is theplayer with the highest score at theend of the day.

The company’s founder andmanaging director, Doug Elliott,conceived the sport folowing discus-sions with corporate clients whowished they could combine theirfavourite sport with a day afloat.

He said: “We have only just startedto market the Sea Golf days to clubsand driving ranges in the south but theidea is really capturing the imagina-tion.”

Most catering requirements areprovided for with meals from a restau-rant ferried by a supply boat!

Elliott added: We have added anew dimension to golf in that it hasnever really been considered an off-shore sporting activity. We have hadsome funny looks from other boatsthat have moored nearby to spectatethough.”

Water, watereverywhere

Euro Systems Projects Ltd (ESP)has recruited several more golfclubs to its client list recently.

The company is recognised as oneof the leaders in the supply of integrat-ed computer systems with a provensystem that is constantly being devel-oped and upgraded to meet ever-changing demands.

The company claims to offer aneasy-to-use, modern system at anaffordable price which runs the day-to-day operation of a golfing establish-ment.

Its options include: pro shop point-of-sale and management; receptionand course booking; BACS; and inte-

grsted statutory and managementaccounts among others.

Steve Connor, the office managerat Farleigh Court GC, has been usingan ESP system since the club openedjust over a year ago.

He said: “The system was installedin two phases - the first being themembership and accounts packagefollowed by the food and beverage andthe pro-shop system.

“I am very impressed that ESPhave not rested on their laurels and areconstantly striving to enhance andupgrade their systems.

“Any problems experienced havebeen resolved quickly and efficiently.”

Further evidence of ESP influence

Brockett Hall, the prestigiousprivate club at WelwynGarden City, is set to purchasea further ten E-Z-GO cars toadd to its existing fleet of tenpetrol cars and one four-seater. The cars perform wellon the hilly course allowinggolfers to move around easily.

The 1998 World Corporate Golf Challenge final, held at Spain’s La MangaClub, has been the scene of an extraordinary Welsh hole-in-one double. In theprevious year’s event, Welsh team member Michael Bahbout, who was represent-ing Seton Healthcare plc, shot a hole-in-one at the par-3 12th on La Manga’schampionship south course.

In this year’s competition, Wales - whowere represented by the same four players -again achieved a hole-in-one, when AlastairBrown holed out on the same hole.

Despite this success, Wales were unableto stop the United States (pictured) fromwinning the title, in what was their firstappearance in the competition.

welsh wizards achieve memorable double

Open Number 15 for Muirfield in 2002

The honourable company ofEdinburgh Golfers, Muirfield, willhost the 2002 Open Champion-

ship, the R&A announced last month.The 2002 championship will be

the 15th occasion the Open has beencontested over the East Lothian Links.

Previous winners read like a who’swho of golf from Harold Hilton andHarry Vardon at the end of the lastcentury through to Lee Trevino, TomWatson and Nick Faldo in the last 30years.

Amateur Hilton’s win came in thefirst Muirfield event in 1892, the year

the championship was extended to 72holes played over two days. It attracteda field of 66 players and prior to 1892it had been held over 36 holes on oneday.

Club captain, Professor JohnHunter, was pleased with theannouncement. He said: “We aredelighted once again to host the Openand look forward to 2002, the 110thanniversary of the first occasionMuirfield hosted the Championship.

“Muirfield has always producedwinners of the highest calibre and weanticipate another great Open.”


Loch Lomond Invitational winner Lee Westwood, and Ryder Cup colleagueDarren Clarke turned their attention to teaching the game recently at a special

coaching clinic held at Nanbury Manor GC last month. The clinic was part of theGolf Foundation’s ‘Starter Centre Initiative’, a £1.3 million nationwide programme

designed to attract more youngsters into the sport.

westwood gives juniors a special start

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The launch of SportsElite offers acomprehensive package ofservices tailored to suit the needs

of professional sports’ people thecompany claims.

The company has been developedby solicitors Rosling King, accountantsMoore Stephens, insurance brokersIntegro Insurance and career advisorMike Byrnes.

Collectively, the partners have adiverse wealth of expertise and experi-ence in dealing with professionalsports people.

They claim to have identified thecore services of legal expenses coverand self-assessment tax returns asfundamental necessities for modern-day professional sports’ people andoffer these services with maximumadministrative ease - one call takescare of all.

And additional legal, accounting,insurance and career advice servicesare available on the same basis.

SportsElite launchcomprehensivenew package

So where do you go whenthe fairways, greens andbunkers of your own courseare starting to look a littletoo familiar?

It�s always been relatively easy topack up your clubs and head forsunnier climes with the enjoyment ofplaying in Spain, Portugal, France oreven Florida well within the grasp ofmost of us.

But these days there�s something alittle bit special on offer if you lookaround... whether you are a multi-national corporation hoping toentertain clients, or a golf society ofhalf a dozen pals searching for theright venue for a tour abroad.

These days it�s not just the qualityof the golf which is important. Forthe price of a reasonable family holi-day anywhere in mainland Europethere is something different available -whether you opt for an unforgettabletrip to Spain�s legendary La MangaClub or a golf tour which allows youto experience the joys of top qualityFrench cuisine at the end of your day.

There is no shortage of companiescapable of arranging golf tours foryour members - it would take toolong to list them all and tour opera-tors are easy to find. But two of themore unusual tour operators, BarwellLeisure and Transglobal Golf, canprovide enjoyment at opposite endsof the spectrum.

Take Barwell - exclusive tourorganiser in the UK for Spain�s luxu-rious La Manga Club Resort. Three18-hole championship courses in onecomplex.

There�s everything you couldever want and more at onevenue.People imagine a trip to avenue such as La Manga asunattainable... but they wouldbe wrong. Barwell has justcompleted playing its partin England�s World Cup

campaign by arranging facilities forGlenn Hoddle and his players inSpain before they arrived in Francefor the finals.With the glare of the world�s mediafocused on the England players, whatbetter way to escape from the pres-sures of the biggest football tourna-ment on the planet than to play golf?

England spent ten days at LaManga with Barwell, a trip organisedthrough the firm�s sports marketingexecutive Terry Mancini, the formerArsenal and Republic of Ireland inter-national footballer.

Barwell�s Carl Lemmer saidMancini�s contacts in the footballworld have led to numerous teamsheading for La Manga - and whenHoddle wanted the England team torelax before the pressure of the finalsthere was only one place to send them.

�Glenn Hoddle asked Terry toorganise the tour and we weredelighted to do our bit to help. Partof our responsibility was to look afterthe press who were out there follow-ing England before the World Cupstarted,� explained Lemmer.

Football journalists are a notori-ously prickly bunch - if things don�t gotheir way it can turn very nasty indeed.

But Barwell�sorganisation andthe serene setting ofLa Manga helped ensureeverything went smoothly.

Mancini has also organised tripsto La Manga for Southampton andDerby County, and both Chelseaand Manchester United are scheduledto visit later this year. Multi-nationalcompanies including Sony, McVities,Mercedes and Virgin have also usedBarwell�s expertise gained in 25 yearsrunning the La Manga connection toexperience golf at its best.

But the amazing thing aboutBarwell Leisure is the level of servicenever appears to change. Whetheryou�re the England football teamheading for the World Cup or not.

�We look at everyone who travelswith us in exactly the same way. It�sthe only way we can operate. It does-n�t matter whether you are a bigmulti-national company or a tiny golfsociety of six people - the way you aretreated is the same,� added Lemmer.BEAUTY�Part of the beauty of La Manga isthat it�s the perfect venue for anyone.We�ve organised some huge eventsthere for over 300 people at a time.We have close links with every airlineand we charter planes to fly entiregroups to the resort if that�s whatthey require.

�Companies can hire a 500-seatdining hall for an end-of-event meal orparty if they want to. But at the otherend of the scale the facilities at LaManga suit small groups just as well.

�The best part of it is that we flydirectly to the resort seven times aweek from Gatwick, Manchester andBirmingham. The course is just 20-minutes drive from Murcia airport andthe flight is two hours. You can leaveBritain and be on the first tee at LaManga inside three hours.�

Or how about playing alongsidethe stars? Each year Barwell organises

Feature


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Paradise Passport toParadise

Anyone looking for the ideal golfing holiday in Europe might seem spoilt for

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BY ANDY FORD


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two tournaments where four-ball teams include one of30 resident �celebrities.� New-castle United manager KennyDalglish, motor racing legendNigel Mansell and others havevillas at La Manga - and they areregulars playing alongside �Joe Public�in the tournaments.

England captain Alan Shearer issoon to be added to the list of starswho have villas on the complex.

If all this sounds a little too excit-ing for you... then now for some-thing completely different - France.If Spain is the ultimate golfinghotbed, playing golf in France couldreally take you away from it all.UNIQUEIt�s now so easy to hop across theChannel by ferry or Eurostar - andthere�s something on offer which real-ly is unique. You could call it the mostcivilised golfing vacation in the world.

Berkshire-based firm TransglobalGolf have targeted the upper end ofthe market for their French golfingexperience. The firm has establishedan exclusive tie-up with golf coachDavid Leadbetter - and uses its linkswith the world renowned swing

doctor to provide a double-prongedoutlet to the consumer.

Golfers who buy Leadbettertraining aids are then targeted aspotential tourists, and anyone whobooks a golf break through Trans-global is given the chance to buyLeadbetter-endorsed equipment.

Transglobal director Jean-PaulRebischung�s company has only beenrunning for eight months - but it hasalready cornered a part of the marketpreviously unexplored by the averagegolfer.

Its golfing, gastronomy andwine vacation is truly an experiencenever to forget. Six nights at a topquality hotel, six breakfasts, sixgourmet five-course dinners, two visitsto wine cellars with tasting sessions...and that�s before you even start think-ing about five rounds of golf!

With prices starting at £433 forsix nights it�s hardly going to breakthe bank.

�We thought there was a gap inthe market and we�ve gone for it. It issomething a little different,� saidRebischung.CREDIBILITY�Our links with David Leadbetterhelp bring us an awful lot of credibili-ty. We have the exclusive rights todistribute all of his products andcoaching aids and it works perfectlyalongside the tours we can offer.

�Most golf holidays are quite simi-lar. But on one of our breaks you canstay in a high quality hotel and enjoyvery high quality meals each eveningas part of the holiday. It�s somethingdifferent and not everyone wouldappreciate it. But we have found thereare an awful lot of people who do.�

Alsace-born Rebischung, 53, lefthis homeland 30 years ago andlearned about the hotel and tourismindustry working for Southern SunHotels in South Africa and GaryPlayer Golf Tours before branchingout on his own.

His bold gamble appears to bepaying off with a successful mixtureof French style working perfectlywith the need to provide top qualitygolf for his customers.

Analysis


AnalysisSALES AND DEVELOPMENT

hen George BernardShaw visited the SovietUnion back in the1930s he was shown

what the Russians want-ed him to see. Gullible and garrulous,Shaw said on his return; �I have seenthe future and it works.�

After a peek behind the golfingscene in Japan, I wonder if a similarpronouncement would be in order.In the land of the falling yen, andwhen high-tech has been taken tounprecedented lengths, the latestdevice to get golfers out of the buggyis the remote-controlled cart.

It obediently trundles along ready-made paths adjoining the fairwaybearing all the clubs and clutter. Atthe touch of a button by the golfer itstops and starts, but will this newestgadget ever catch on closer to home?

So far as I am aware there are noplans to import the driverless buggyto the UK nor are many of the latestcourses being designed with concretepathways for vehicles.

The buggy, of course, is agodsend for those physically unableto get round 18 holes under theirown steam. But transport doesencourage laziness and ignores thebeneficial exercise of the game.

Chris Collins, newly appointedchairman of the British Association ofGolf Course Constructors, says therehas been a temporary slowing down incertain areas of course development.

�Not a lot of buggy-friendlycourses are being built in the UK atpresent. We are putting more pathson courses, but not necessarily orspecifically for buggies. But that�swhere the future lies. In America youcannot play a lot of courses withoutowning or hiring a buggy. It willhappen here as sure as eggs are eggsbut, as yet, there is no great rush.�

Collins, who manages C.J.Collins (Construction) Limited,thinks course building in Britain isslowing down. �Developers jumpedon the bandwagon and we are busyre-vamping some of the courses builtbadly five or six years ago.

�While not many courses arebeing built right now what are beingbuilt are to a higher standard. Arevival may come in three or fouryears, I don�t think there is muchdoubt about that. These things go incycles and there will be anothermoney boom in courses.�

Collins, who was responsi-ble for the new brackencourse and teaching acade-my at the National GolfCentre, Woodhall Spa, hashis finger on the golf devel-opment pulse. He prefersto take a realistic view anddenies being a pessimist.

�Golf is probably a littleless popular now than afew years ago. I attributethis to several factors, oneof which is a loss of a greatdeal of coverage to satellitetelevision.

�With a smaller audience watch-ing on television that lessens thegame in the public eye and I�m think-ing particularly of young people.Also, we need another big name likeNick Faldo.

�There is nothing like a rolemodel to come through as Faldo didto popularise golf. It first happenedin the States with Arnold Palmer andagain with Jack Nicklaus and nowTiger Woods. Should Lee Westwoodwin a couple of majors, and rise tothe top of the tree in world golf, thatwould be ideal.�BUOYANTIf what Collins says, that coursebuilding is slowing down, the topend of the market is still buoyant.Two top courses recently changedhands, St Mellion International goingfor £10 million, and Slaley Hallbeing sold for £16 million.

These are outstanding sales andthe purchase price in each casecovered a great deal more than 18holes of golf.

St Mellion, for instance, is aluxury complex set in 450 acres withtwo championship courses, one ofwhich was the first Jack Nicklausdesigned 18 holes in the UK. Addedto the golf is a hotel comprising 24bedrooms, hol iday cottages, soattractive in a Cornish setting, andall the bits and bobs of the leisureindustry.

With American purchasing power leaving its markthroughout golf’s property market, how much influence

could it have on the other side of the Atlantic?

JOHN VINICOMBEeditor

W

FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE...

There will be another

money boom in courses”“The end of the golf buggy as we know it?

Three Rivers G&CC -

Scooped by Clubhaus plc

for £4 million

Television exposure when theBenson and Hedges was played therealso helped and, last but not least,the important factor governingSt Mellion�s value is planningpermission for a 150-bed hotel.

The vendors were Martin andHermon Bond who founded StMellion seven years ago. The newowners are American Golf (UK), theparent company of which owns 260courses in the United States.AMBITIOUSAmerican Golf already had a usefultoehold here and St Mellion is nowthe flagship of an ambitious companythat owns 12 courses in Britain. Thebuying won�t stop with St Mellion;possibly half a dozen more courses areplanned for take over.

At the other end of the country inNorthumberland, Slaley Hall, set in a1,000 acre estate, has been sold toGreenalls. Again a hotel was involved.

While prices are on the increase inthe top echelon of leisure properties,the domestic housing market hasshown little signs of returning to theboom era of the 1980s.

However, courses sold in excess of£2 million rose from five in 1995 toeleven last year. The total number ofcourses sold has doubled in the sameperiod to 30 and an accompanyingsales value shooting up from £24million to £64 million, so it is nosurprise that some estate agents havere-directed their sights from floggingsemis in Acacia Avenue to the golfcourse business.

Humberts Leisure are one ofseveral property surveyors with aparticular interest in courses. Theybelieve prices are recovering, and thisoptimism is shared by anotherspecialist firm, William Hillary.

The feel-good factor is encour-aged by much of the money cominginto the market beingAmerican.

Last year, in a dense catchmentarea of Surrey, The Drift went for £4million. In the UK alone are twelvecourses and four in Europe, ownedby Clubhaus, who are poised toinvest in Germany.

The attraction of high profits - inthe region of £500,000 - from bluechip properties, has attracted corpo-rate buyers. Last year eleven coursesin the UK fetched £43 million as thebig boys flexed their economicmuscles. Smaller operators aren�tdoing so badly either, making thegoing price for the average course toaround £2 million.

Among the less valuable pickingsare those from the Receiver. Failedenterprises represent a greater riskfor investors at the bottom of themarket, although there is alwayssomebody around ready to take theplunge. The buyer can qualify forcapital gains tax roll-over relief andsome of the properties aren�tto be sneezed at.


SALES AND DEVELOPMENTAnalysisAnalysis

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Hotels like Aldwark Manor can add real weight to a golf course property

Unpleasant as it is, we allhave to face death andmost of us want to put itoff as long as possible.Recent research has

shown that a golf course is the fifthmost likely place to have a heartattack and there are 150,000 deaths ayear from sudden cardiac arrest.

As the baby boomers account foran ever-increasing number of thesport�s participants and society as awhole becomes increasingly affluent,coronary disease is a major concern.

Few golf courses are located nearcity centres thus it may take an ambu-lance vital minutes to reach a cardiacarrest victim.

90 per cent of victimssurvive if treated withina minute after an attack.

50 per cent after fiveminutes.

Prompt treatment is clearly vital aseach minute reduces survival chancesby 10 per cent. Successful resuscita-tion from cardiac arrest due to heartattack depends on what is commonlyknown as the �chain of survival�.

Characterised by four simple life-saving steps, the essential stages ofthe �chain of survival� are�

The first two have generally beentaught to the public through first aidand CPR courses, but experts arebecoming increasingly supportive ofthe idea of extending the role of thelay public to include stage three -defibrillation.

Such facts have not been lost onmany of the golf clubs in the UnitedStates where defibrillator devices arebecoming commonplace. The clubsare using portable automated externaldefibrillators (AEDS) and are trainingtheir personnel in their use.

One of the most widely-used isPhysio-Control�s LIFEPAK® 500which uses all the technology andexpertise which has made Physio-Control the world�s largest manufac-turer of defibrillators supplying themajority of hospitals and ambulanceservices.

The LIFEPAK® 500 AED is de-signed to be used by any person firston the scene where a cardiac arresthas occurred, enabling first aiders,groundsmen and other club staff toprovide essential treatment to thepatient.

It is already widely used through-out the United Kingdom in otherfields and the benefits are starting tobe recognised by golf clubs this sideof the Atlantic.

The LIFEPAK® 500 is rugged,yet extremely portable and weighsjust seven pounds (3.2kg.) There areno maintenance requirements whichmakes it the ideal product for infre-quent AED users.

Importantly for the averagemember of the public, the unit has anintuitive design incorporating asimple three-button operation andclear, concise voice prompting fordefibrillation and CPR.

The managing director of Physio-Control UK Ltd, Trevor Sams, said:

Physio Control


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Cardiac arrest can strike at anytime and is an increasingly common occurrence at golf clubs. Arrests can be fatal on less accessible courses,

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A CASE OF

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�The clubs are looking after thewelfare of their members, the sameway that stadiums, hotels, traincompanies and large stores look aftertheir customers.

�Timing is critical because afterfive minutes brain damage startsto set in. AEDs provide a simpleextension of the ambulance service -buying some time.

�So many lives - both young andold - are unfortunately lost because ofthe time taken to get to the victim,

and the only way to improveresponse times is to have thisequipment on site. Our AEDs haverecently been put into casinos in LasVegas and already they have saved 23lives!�

What this proves is that Physio-Control provides an instrumentwhich can prolong life even in thehands of a novice.

An American professional, whosecourse purchased an AED admitted:�Just having it around is tremendousand we plan to get everyone trainedas certified technicians.�

Said Sams; �Not only are the clubcaring for their membership they arealso giving themselves a commercialadvantage over clubs without suchmedical equipment.

�We have fewer than 400 deathsa year from fire. Compare thatto 150,000 from sudden cardiacdeath and doesn�t it make senseto pair defibrillators with fireextinguishers in public places?

Where is the rationale for notdoing so?�


Physio ControlPhysio ControlADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

FREE TRIALPhysio-Control is offering golf clubs inthe UK a free six-month LIFEPAK® 500trial to see for themselves the benefits,and for every club that decides toequip its course, Physio-Control willgive a voucher worth £300 towardsthe training. There will also be anadditional incentive if there is a decision to adopt the unit within three months.

Rowlands Castle GC in Hampshire isone of the latest courses to takePhysio Control equipment on trial.

The need for such equipment wasbrought home to the members quiterecently when tragically, one of theclub’s most popular golfers suffereda heart attack on the course.

Although cpr and mouth-to-mouthresuscitation by a member of thegroundstaff and the ambulance crew- using defribrilation equipment -managed to transfer him to hospital,he sadly died shortly after arrival.

Secretary Keith Fisher believes thereis a very strong desire among theclub’s membership to purchase thepotentially life-saving equipment.

He said: “The main reason we wantto get one is because the average ageof our members is in the 50s.

“With the best will in the world, theambulance may take 15-20 minutesto arrive and if you have the equip-ment in the clubhouse and staff aretrained in its use there’s an excellentchance of increasing the odds ofsurvival.”

He continued: “The trial period is anexcellent idea as it gives us a chanceto evaluate the equipment - younever know we may have to use it.But I believe the members want tohave one in the club anyway.”

Golf Management Europe andPhysio Control would like to thankRowlands Castle GC for allowing thecourse to be used for the posedphotographs that appeared in thisfeature.

Case Study...

Physio-Control UK LtdLeamington Court, Andover Road, Newfound,Basingstoke, Hampshire RG23 7HETel: (44) 01256 782727Fax: (44) 01256 782728

LathamA New Direction

for the EGU?

LathamA New Direction

for the EGU?

ProfileProfileRICHARD LATHAM


Talking to Richard Latham, theEnglish Golf Union�s directorof golf at the National GolfCentre at Woodhall Spa, in

Lincolnshire, you quickly get theimpression that here is a mansublimely happy in what he is doing.

Apart from the obvious manage-ment and business skills required forone of the top jobs in Englishamateur golf, a prime necessity forthe position is a love of the game.

In Latham�s case it is the factorthat certainly appears to make hismultifarious duties such a pleasure.

�It is an extremely challengingjob, but it is a challenge I�ve relishedsince my appointment three monthsago. There are so many things goingon, and so much to look forward to.It is a tremendously exciting time tobe involved in the day to day runningof the centre,� he said.

Although he never won a majoramateur trophy, 39-year-old Latham,who was Hertfordshire�s playingcaptain last year when they shared theSouth East title with Kent, still playsoff scratch.

A member of the Porters Parkclub since 1981, he won the clubchampionship a record ten times; hadmany high placed finishes in topamateur events, and in 1985 afternine holes, he led the OpenChampionship at Royal St George�s.

However winning a majoramateur title always eluded him andprevented him from realising hisdream of playing for England.

�That always hurt me. I think Icame very, very close to winning a cap.But I just never got close enough towinning one of the big events thatcould have virtually guaranteed selec-tion.

�But that is in the past. My heartis in golf and I just cannot think ofany other job where I would gain somuch satisfaction as this one.�

After gaining a degree in mathe-matics, Latham became an aerospaceengineer. �With the Cold War welland truly ended and the recessionbiting deep, the industry crashed andI just couldn�t see it recovering for along time.

�I decided upon a completechange of career with golf figuringprominently in it. I had made a lot ofcontacts through my long connectionwith county golf and took the plungeby setting up my own golf manage-ment and marketing consultancy.�DECISIONIt was a decision he never regretted,so much so that he said if he hadknown years ago what he knowsnow he would have changed careersfar sooner.

�I�m not saying I didn�t havereservations about it. It was a strug-gle to start with but the business

progressed and eventually it wasgoing very well indeed.�

To say the business progressed isan understatement. In recent years hehas organised the now well-estab-lished La Manga Masters; has beenmanagement consultant to theproducers at Strokesaver, the top quali-ty distance guides; managementconsultant at Hawkestone Park andlast year was director of promotionsfor the promotions for the MastercardTour.

�I would have been perfectlyhappy continuing with the role I hadset for myself, but the position ofdirector of golf at Woodhall Spacame up out of the blue.

�I didn�t applyfor the job. I wasextremely flatteredto be asked if Iwould be interest-ed in filling whatwas an entirelynew post createdby the EGU.

�Once ag a i nit was somethingentirely differentto what I�d beendoing. Every bit asdifferent as changingcourses from aero-space engineer toforming my own golf managementand consultancy business.

�It was a top job in golf and Iwould have found it impossible tohave turned it down. However it wasonly after I�d been in the job for quitea few weeks that I realised the tremen-dous potential of Woodhall Spa.

�Since it was acquired by theEGU in 1995 the changes that havetaken place have been quite mind-boggling. And this is only the begin-ning. Obviously I cannot divulgewhat plans the EGU have for itsfuture, but I can say that what wehave at present at the National GolfCentre really is just the start.�

One of Latham�s main tasks is tomarket the centre by encouraginggolfers to experience its superb facili-ties. �My job is really no differentfrom those of a director of golf at oneof the multi-national hotel and coun-try club complexes.

�The obvious difference is thatWoodhall Spa is run by the EGU.Consequently every £1 we make isploughed back into the EGU - a non-profit making organisation - for thebenefit of the game such as the exten-sion of junior coaching schemes whichare so important for golf�s future.�

He also sees Woodhall Spa asoffering a service to all golf club

As director of golf at the EGU’s National Golf Centre, Richard Latham -former aerospace engineer and successful golf management consultant-

talks to Alister Marshall about his plans for the EGU

ProfileProfileRICHARD LATHAM


members, not only those who travelto this corner of Lincolnshire forspecialist coaching.FLAGSHIP�The National Golf Centre atWoodhall Spa is the flagship of theEGU�s operations. It has twomagnificent courses, excellent coach-ing facilities both indoor and out-door, dining and conference rooms,in fact everything a complex of thisquality should have.

�But I believe, because of what itis, it also has to be the best-runcomplex in the country. Naturally ithas to be marketed to ensurecommercial viability, but it shouldalso be the blueprint for every otherclub or complex in the country.

�I would like to think that visi-tors, who are always given a warmwelcome, will come here and say:�Yes. That�s how it should be done.�

SERVICE�We are in effect offering a service.Similar to all clubs we arrange societydays and corporate packages, but aswell as giving players what we hopewill be an enjoyable outing, we wantto make sure they have truly sampledthe Woodhall Spa experience whichalso benefit their clubs by providingthem with new, fresh ideas.

�The EGU has invested heavily inWoodhall Spa, but it was a necessaryinvestment. Nothing gives megreater pleasure than to hear thecomments of first time visitors to thecentre. I have yet to hear of anyonenot being tremendously impressed.

�The EGU has changed over theyears. It has had to move with thetimes, and it has done so admirably.Woodhall Spa as it is today is juststep one. My job is to fully realise thepotential that step two and threewill most assuredly bring.�

With over 100 years of golfing tradi-tion behind it, Woodhall Spa wasacquired by the English Golf Unionthree years ago.

Established in 1924, the EGU - thegoverning body for men’s amateur golfin England - represents over 1,800 affil-iated clubs and in excess of 700,000members.

As the third largest governing body inthe game it was essential that it had asolid platform upon which to baseEnglish golf in the 21st century.

It was evident over the last decade thatif the EGU was to maintain its positionat the forefront of world golf, one of itstop priorities would require it to havein place a national headquarters andgolf complex as a rostrum for thefuture.

The National Golf Centre at WoodhallSpa, situated a few miles south-east ofLincoln now provides such a platformwith its five-star facilities available toall its members.

Since it was acquired by the EGU,Woodhall Spa, in a superb woodlandsetting now boasts the purpose-builtadministrative headquarters for theEGU, a 20 bay driving range; a shortgame area covering six acres; indoortraining facilities; a pitch and puttcourse and two superb 18-hole courses.

The original championship course, TheHotchkin, with its narrow fairways andcavernous bunkers has been the venuefor four English Amateur Champion-ships, the English Open Amateur StrokePlay Championship, the British YouthsChampionship; Home Internationalsand many other major amateur events.

A second course, The Bracken, built toblend harmoniously with the existingcourse, opened this year. Although thenew course has totally different charac-teristics to the championship course, itis equally demanding.

Three distinct areas individuallydesigned to emulate on course situa-tions provide every facility a player andcoach could ask for.

The floodlit driving range looks out onan area designed to replicate whateverproblems a golfer may face on a coursewith trees and woodlands retained andgreens located in specific sectors toassist in the development and practiseof shot-making.

Modern technology plays an impor-tant part in making the National GolfCentre truly a centre of golfing excel-lence.

The very latest computerised golfteaching system incorporating state ofthe art digital video technology hasbeen installed in the indoor school.

The short game skills area has a 700square metre putting green designed toprovide every conceivable borrow.

There are eight target greens, someundulating, others sloping differentways, and all surrounded by bunkerseach containing different types of sand.In such a unique facility, every imagin-able shot or putt can be reproducedand practised.

Couple the golfing facilities with thosefor dining and conferences containedwithin the headquarters, and there isevery reason for the EGU to be rightlyproud of what they have achieved inthis delightful part of Lincolnshire insuch a comparatively short time.

C.J. CollinsConstruction Ltd.

For reliability and experience in all aspects of golf construction from complete courses to green, tee andbunker refurbishment.

Sportsground construction and improvement.

Telephone 01444 242993 Facsimile 01444 247318

Woodhall Spa...

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Contractor to the National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa

Roger Jones Golf AssociatesGolf Course Architects

Development Consultants

13A Flemings Lane, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland.Tel: (353) 6435581 Fax: (353) 6435758 E-mail: [email protected]

Club Insight


Club InsightRING OF KERRY

�Attention to detail counts�

Hotel, Resort & Country Club CoursesPrivate Member Courses Pay as You Play CoursesCourse Remodelling Course Extensions & Alterations

When course designer Roger Jones first consideredbuilding an inland championship golf course inIreland made of sand there were those that just

sat back in their chairs and laughed. Jones wanted to fash-ion the emerald isle�s newest golf course in a bog... ship-ping in 100,000 tonnes of sand to achieve his dream. Theproblem was that no one believed he could do it.

And when millionaire Dominic Reid, one of the courses�stwo financial backers, heard of his designer�s plans toconstruct the fairways out of sand he too was equallyworried and sceptical - so much so that he set about conduct-ing his own grass-growing experiment in his back garden.

Reid, who runs his own financial consultancy, knewthat he and his partner Tom McNicholas, chairman ofMcNicholas Construction, had handed Jones overallcontrol to design the course in whatever way he felt wasbest to suit the terrain in the south-west of Ireland whichincluded bog, heather, gorse and a lot of rock. ➧

Ring of KerryPanorama...

to a tee

the

W

After years in the planning, the Ring of Kerry Golf & Country Club opens tomuch acclaim this month. As Peter Simm reports, there is a lot more to this

beautiful Irish course than at first meets the eye...

Above: Partner Tom McNicholas (right)gets in some putting practice, and left, a

panoramic view of the course.

Recruitment Consultants for the Golf IndustryWe are pleased to have been involved with The Ring Of Kerry

development and would especially like to thank Terry Jefferey for shaping services provided to Ring Of Kerry on our behalf.

M99 provides a rapid, efficient and confidential service fortemporary and permanent staffing needs.

For Golf Consultancy and Golf Course Construction companies,Golf Course Architects and Golf Clubs we provide:

Construction ManagersQuantity Surveyors / Setting Out Engineers

Shaper (dozer) DriversDigger DriversTractor Drivers

FinishersCourse Managers

Head GreenkeepersAssistant Greenkeepers�Grow in� Greenkeepers

To place a booking, request a brochure, or for an informal discussion contact:

M99 8 Tom Amey Court, St Philips Road,Cambridge CB1 3UX

Tel: 01223 578998 Fax: 01223 576 893 or E-mail: [email protected]


INTERNATIONAL GOLFCOURSE CONTRACTORS

In Conjunction with

We are proud to have been associated with THE RING OF KERRY GOLF CLUB

and wish them every success for the future.

M99

Contour Golf Limited105 The Severn, Daventry

Northants NN11 4QS England

Tel: +44 (0)1327 879464 Fax: +44 (0)1327 705777

Civil Engineering ContractorThe Kerries, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Tel: +353 (066) 21468 / 27254

Denis MoriartyPLANT HIRE

We are proud to havebeen associated with theconstruction of the new

RINGOF

KERRYGOLF CLUB

Plant hire, renovation, general mechanical works and golf courseconstruction undertaken.

CIVIL ENGINEERINGCONTRACTOR

Denis MoriartyPLANT HIRE

Denis Moriarty PLANT HIRETHE KERRIES, TRALEE, CO. KERRY

Tel: +353 (066) 21468 / 27254 • Fax: +353 (066) 24759 • Internet: [email protected]


Club InsightClub InsightRING OF KERRY

But he also knew that if usingsand backfired it would turn out tobe a very expensive mistake for thetwo of them and leave them wellbehind their scheduled opening thismonth (July).

After all, nobody in the past hadtried constructing their fairways withsand - and nobody to his knowledgehad even contemplated the idea - sowhy should his course be successful.

So when Reid came across a halffull back of sand in his garden he hadthe ideal solution - to check forhimself.

But after sprinkling grass seedacross the sand and seeing his experi-ment work he knew he and his part-ner had been right to back Jones andinvest their millions in creating atruly unique experience - Ireland�sfirst ever inland links golf course.

Situated four miles west ofKenmare and proudly overlookingKenmare Bay, Ring of Kerry Golfand Country Club is within easyreach of many fine hotels and otherchampionship venues and only 45minutes from the beautiful town ofKillarney.

And thanks to the daring decisiontaken by Jones and his backers, it hasthe added advantage of being able tooffer golf all the year round - some-thing previously unheard of in theseparts because of problems with water-logging.

Jones, for his part, though, neverhad any doubt that his decision tobase the fairways on sand as opposedto soil would come to fruition.

The 35-year-old Irish-baseddesigner, who graduated to golfcourse construction after a career as aformer professional, said: �There wasno top soil so I had to bring in sand.

�I knew that it had never beendone in Ireland but I spoke to someadvisors in England and they told methat it had been done in Kent andalso Paris with successful results.

�I knew that providing the grasshad other food and sunlight it wasgoing to grow anywhere. I knew thatthe sand might be more expensive inthe short run but we would get thebenefit long term and in the end itwas the only realistic option.

�There were a number of peoplewho said the idea was crazy and wewere daft to proceed. We were toldthat it would never grow and itwould all be washed away and werecriticised because it was a radical step.

�But sand is a very manageablematerial and it has the growingadvantage that it doesn�t turn tomud.� he concluded.

However, the decision to con-struct the fairways from pure sandhad meant that it was necessary notonly to irrigate greens and teeingareas, but also fairways.

The system, installed and manu-factured by Rain Bird was thereforedesigned to provide the course withirrigation in the driest of conditions.

�We now have a links courseinland and, of course, that providesus with a great selling point.�

Not that Jones believes the newcourse, built at a cost of £4 millionutilises to the full all the naturalcontours and features of the area,needs too much selling.

�We have a view that is good asanywhere in the world. If someone wasto come along and tell me that there isa more spectacular view anywhere elsein the world then I would like to seeit,� said Jones, who as well as design-ing courses in the United Kingdomhas constructed courses in countries asfar a field as Egypt.

�The view across the bay is stun-ning and the great thing about thecourse is that you can see the bayfrom all 18 holes. It�s there every-where you look. Some people who�velooked at the course have said that ifyou can keep your mind on the job ofplaying golf then you�re doing verywell.

�The way that the course has beendesigned means that each hole offersits own individual challenge whileincorporating the areas naturalfeatures.

�Unlike a lot of courses, the fair-ways are very narrow and are adjacentto each other which means that wehave 14 holes which allhave their own individ-ual character.�

Membership andbooking enquiries havebeen brisk for the newcourse and Ring ofKerry has even takena group booking fornext June andattracted a mem-ber from theeast coast ofAmerica.

However,members andvisitors alikeare unlikely torealise the hostof problems thatJones encoun-tered when hewas brought in in1996 to createIreland�s latestgolfing venue.

each hole offers

its own individual

challenge”“


Club InsightClub InsightRING OF KERRY

Advising Ring of Kerry Golf Club on new course establishment

PSD Agronomy provides a specialistconsultancy agronomy service to the

golf club and greenkeeper

Let PSD be part of yourGreenkeeping Team

PSD Agronomy Ltd42 Garstang Road

Preston UK PR1 1NA

Tel: +44 (0)1772 884450Fax: +44 (0)1772 884445

E-mail: [email protected]

Waterlogging problems apart,Jones also had to shift thousands oftonnes of bog, heather, gorse androck to allow him to proceed withfashioning the course.

�Work first started on building acourse in 1992 but it only really gotstarted when Dominic and Tombought the land and I was brought inin 1996. Nobody could have beenfully prepared for the problems wefaced.

�We�re talking about having to getrid of 250,000 tonnes of soil and, insome places, we had to dig ten feetdown in the bogland just so that wecould build on something solid.

�We then had to get around theproblem of trying to shift the vastquantities of rock that were on thesite.

�Imagine trying to lay 60,000metres of drains but every now andagain finding yourself confronted witha rock hard surface. It wasn�t easy.�

All those problems are nowbehind Jones though and with natureacting quickly to cover up the workof the last two years, there can befewer better places to play golf inIreland in the coming years.

Although there are no immediateplans to stage a championship tourna-ment, Jones believes that given acouple of years development Ring ofKerry could well be in a position tohold events on the seniors tour or theIrish PGA.

Jones said: �We have got naturalheather�s and gorse regenerating andthe wildlife is now starting to comeback to where it was before.

�I don�t think we would be able tostage an Irish Open for instancebecause there would be no room toput 20,000 people but we couldcertainly hold other events.�

And what now remains for thedesigner himself following the designof his eighth course. �This has beenmy most major product and it�scertainly a bit different to the lastwhich was on an old cast coalmine inWales.

�For the moment however, I�lljust be happy when the course openson time. We�ve had some badweather this year with a lot of rainbut we remain on target toopen on schedule.� And that,of course, is all down tothe sand.

Firm Focus


Firm FocusBUSINESS VANTAGE

If revenue at your club was run-ning low how would you goabout increasing it? Advertise in

the local paper? Offer reduced greenfees?

Most clubs take this approach.Business Vantage, Precision LeisureMarketing, has a better method, andhas the evidence to back up that claim.

The Berkshire-based compa-ny uses its marketing back-ground, honed by years ofworking in tandem withmany major retailers, totarget individual golferswho match the needs of theclub. In simple terms, golfers

who offer the best potential to aparticular club either for member,corporate or pay-and-play golf.

This unique ability is based upona proprietory database of 3-4 millionnamed golfers in the UK. Niches targeted include:� company directors who play golf

for corporate memberships and society days

� high income golfers for debenture-type memberships

� local golfers for pay and play business

� older or retired golfers for five-day memberships

� golfers who take for weekend breaks.

On average, the company canaccess around 10,000 golfers within25 minutes of the majority of golfcourses in the UK.

In addition, the company canaccess around 2.2million companydirectors and cross reference themagainst golfers to provide a figure ofaround 500,000 golf-playing directors

As director Andrew Smithexplained. �Generally we profile amembership and use direct mail toprecisely target offers to individualgolfers to trial a club. On average weget ten to 12.5 per cent response tothe work undertaken, although theresponse can get to 20 per cent plus,�he said.

�Assuming a green fee is chargedto the targeted golfers who trial theclub, the project is self-funding. Then,the added bonus is to provide the clubwith a significant database of golferswho trial the course with the opportu-nity to sell silver subscriptions,memberships, generate loyalty etc.

�The net result is an increase inbusiness many times the initial cost -in one example, over a £¼million ofbusiness generated in six months foran outlay of under £30,000.

To profile, fulfil and mail 5,000golfers, in a drive-time within closeproximity to a club costs around£5,000.�

The company has worked in thegolf industry for six years alongsidemajor groups such as Invicta, FirstLeisure, Clubhaus, De Vere, andStakis as well as individual clubs.

This year alone, thecompany has workedfor a diverse range ofclubs including CastleRoyle, Cold Ashby,Springwater, Lingfield,The Hertfordshire, Ment-more and Mottram Hall.

�Business Vantage offers thecomplete service,� added Smith. �Weundertake membership analysis andplanning, including profiling to findsimilar types of members.

�We also undertake locationanalysis, targeting, telemarketing andimplementation of plans, including afull creative service for direct mail andbrochure production. In short, weopen up entirely new avenues ofpotential for a club.� The service ismuch more than just a mailshot!

Attention to detail and extensivedatabase and market knowledge hasgiven Business Vantage respectamong its clients.

Few, if any, companies can achievesuch a successful mix of leisure knowl-edge and retail marketing expertise.There is little doubt that BusinessVantage raises the profile of its clientsbut of greater inportance it deliversbusiness and increases the bottom-line.

Chris Strong,marketing directorof MentmoreG&CC, Bucks,believes his club’sstature as one of ifnot the most successful debentureclub in the UK is largely down toBusiness Vantage.

He said: “The time we spent withAndrew and Business Vantage was avery important period for us. Wewere trying to sell debentures in1992 in the depths of a recessionagainst a difficult background.

“The company profiled our member-ship and ensured we targeted ourefforts at the right people, andgenerally gave us a fresh approach.The initial trial green fee offer thenpaid for the entire campaign and alltold with fees, debentures etc. weraised something in the region of£¾million.”

Case Study...

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RetrospectRetrospectIAN PATEY


F ew men have personal experi-ence of the dramatic changesthat have taken place in thegame all the way through the

hickory shafts of the 1920s to thetitanium wonder clubs of the 90s.

Such a man is 89-year-old IanPatey, who played in the inauguralEnglish Boy�s Championship in1921; won the English AmateurChampionship in 1946; was runner-up in 1950; capped 12 times forEngland winning nine of his matches;lifted five county titles in Hampshire;won his first event at Hayling GolfClub in 1927 and was still winningover the old links course in 1993.

At his prime when he played offplus-three, he once crushed Scotland�slegendary Eric Brown 5 and 3 in anamateur international. The same EricBrown who was subsequently neverbeaten in any singles match he playedin four Ryder Cup appearances.

Playing professional golf neverinterested him. Why should it? Achartered accountant, he rose in thebusiness world to hold at one stage ofa glittering management career, noless than 52 directorships.

These included posts as generalmanager of the Bristol OmnibusCompany; chairman of the NationalBus Company�s South West Regionas well as top executive posts withHants and Dorset Motor Services;Southern Vectis and the Birminghamand Midland Motor OmnibusCompany to name but just a few.

He said: �If I could turn my ageback 60 years or more, even withthe huge financial rewards onoffer today, I�d still never haveturned professional. People say its

an easy way to make money. All youdo is just hit a little ball around some

of the most beautiful places on earth.�But look at the strain and almost

unbearable tension those players faceevery day. Look at all the travelling.Italy to the USA; back to Britain;over to Spain and Germany; back tothe USA; return to Britain, go toIreland then France. What home lifehave those chaps? No wonder the

divorce rate on the European andUnited States tours is high.�

With his mind still as sharp as theshortest game that made him one ofthe most feared opponents in amateurgolf, as he entered his 90th year hereflected on golf�s ever changing face.

�The big changes really started inthe 1960s and 1970s when golf�spopularity made it a game for themasses - and a good thing too!

�But for some unaccountablereason the clubs began to tinker withtheir courses. The rough that hadalways been an integral part of thegame was decimated in an attempt tospeed up play.

�But there are just as manycomplaints, if not more, about slowplay now than there ever was.Consequently cutting back the roughto open up the courses doesn�t seem tohave made a great deal of difference.

�Even our great championshipcourses in Britain are not what theyused to be. Helped by all the high-

tech playing equipment, manicuredand watered fairways and what Ithink is no more than an apology forrough, no wonder scores just getlower and lower.

�How many greens in Britainnow have the texture to senda 50-yard putt racing like greasedlightning? How many of our OpenChampionship courses have fairwaysso hard that it takes every ounce ofskill just to keep the shot undercontrol, and what they term �therough� is just a joke.�

For a man who never had a golflesson in his life, but who in his 90thyear can stil l send a ball arrowstraight down the fairway, magazinesthat devote numerous pages totuition, make him smile.

�It�s mind boggling. They tell youhow to stand and how not to stand;open the stance; close the stance;what to do with the back swing whatnot to do with the back swing. Nowonder newcomers to the gamebecome numb with shock.

COMMITMENT�Maybe I was lucky. No matter howlong I was away from the gamebecause of all my business commit-ments, I could come back to it, gostraight onto the tee and crack theball down the middle.

�Unfortunately the so-calledcoaching gurus and all the equipmentmanufacturers desperately trying toput one over their rivals have gothold of the game. Technology hasreally knocked the hell out of it, yetbasically its such a simple game.

�Take as an example a man walk-ing down a country lane with a stick.He comes to a dandelion and withouta moments thought he swings at itwith the handle of his stick and ninetimes out of ten he will whip the headstraight off.

�He takes up golf. By the time he�shad a dozen lessons and read a dozenmagazines, his mind is so packed withscience and technology when he stepsonto the tee he couldn�t hit a barndoor if he was standing in front of it.

Committed businessman Ian Patey has witnessed thecontinual evolution of the modern golf course, but still

believes that the old classics are still the best

Patey—WWiittnneessss ttoo tthhee eevveerr cchhaannggiinngg ffaaccee ooff ggoollff

No wonder

newcomers

become numb

with shock”“

At 89, Patey’s fascination for golf is still evident

ALISTER MARSHALLexecutive editor

RetrospectRetrospectIAN PATEY


�I never made the Walker Cupteam because the selectors said Iwasn�t a long enough hitter as if thatwas the be-all-and-end-all. Length isimportant but this game is wonaround the greens.

�I regularly went out to the prac-tice hole with 100 golf balls, andstayed there irrespective how long ittook, until I sank every ball in nomore than two shots - a pitch and aputt or a chip and a putt. If you canregularly get down in two from 80yards you�ve got it made.

Of all the countless courses he hasplayed, Patey has no doubt about thegreatest of them all - Portmarnock.

�I�d classify it as one of the great-est courses in the world. They haven�tchanged it much and I�m delightedabout that. It�s everything a golfcourse even in the modern era shouldbe.

�No matter how well you hit ashot off the tee there�s a right placeand a wrong place to be on every par-4 and par-5 fairway. That�s the test ofa real course and a real golfer.�

What does please Patey about themodern game is that to a great extentsnobbery has disappeared.

�Between the two World Wars ifyou didn�t go to either Oxford orCambridge or one of the top publicschools your chances of playing foryour country were virtually nil.TALENT�This is one aspect of the game thathas changed for the better. Now it�snot your position in life or where youwere educated that counts, it �swhether you have sufficient talent toplay for your country, irrespective ofyour background.�

Although age has at last caught upwith him - �I think I�ve only playedtwo or three times in the last coupleof years� - his fascination for the gameis undiminished, and he has never lostthe pleasure of what he described as�occasionally having a wee flutter�.

�Tiger Woods earned me a bit ofcash. After he won the Masters lastyear people were saying he�d comeover here to the Open Championshipand treat Royal Troon as if it was nomore than a pitch and putt course.

PROBLEM�Of course he didn�t and I still havereservations about him. He wasabsolutely brilliant at Augusta. Hislength off the tee was beautiful towatch, but Troon was always goingto be a different beast. Every dog leghole had problems for him becausehe�s still not accurate enough.

The game may have changed outof all proportion but the best clubs inthe world and no matter how openthey make the courses can�t make agolfer out of you if you haven�t theability to take a long hard look andthink just where you want to put theball.

�This young Tiger fellow couldstill become the greatest golfer of alltime. If he does then he will haveacquired what he hasn�t got just now,the accuracy of Arnold Palmer, whodid more for the modern professionalgame than any other player, and thetemperament of Jack Nicklaus.�

Portmarnock - the greatest course of them all?

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FeatureFeatureCLUB SECURITY


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

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Highcraft Services Limited59 Church Crescent

FinchleyLondon N3 1BL

As we approach the Millen-nium, the need for securi-ty is increasing every-where. Regretfully, there

are a large number of people whowant everything but are not preparedto work or pay for it.

And it is no use sticking ourcollective heads in the sand andsaying �It shouldn�t be� - it should-n�t... but it is.

Syston-based Antone Leisure,designs, manufactures and installsquality lockers which provide securitybut are also aesthetically pleasing.

Antone Leisure has 12 years�experience of the golf market and hascompleted 150 club installationsincluding The Warwickshire, CelticManor and Basingstoke GC. Generalmanager Mark Glanville explained:�We place great emphasis on provid-

ing an effective project managementservice which begins the moment wewalk through the door of a club. ➧

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A recent locker refurbishmentdesigned, manufactured andinstalled by Antone Leisure


For further informationplease contact DavidSteven of Eric StevenGrange for InteriorsBird StreetNorth ShieldsNE30 1DHTel: 0191 259 2228Fax: 0191 296 2751e-mail:[email protected]

If you are lookingfor quality and value for money you should be looking at Grange for Interiors

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Our dedicated team of fittersprovide a first class installationservice, so completing ourpersonal involvement in any project.

G R A N G Efor

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Feature


FeatureCLUB SECURITY

�Many clubs prefer Antone�snatural timber finishes but thereis an increasing market forsomething less tradi-tional - especially inladies� locker rooms. Alarge range of designs,finishes and colours intimber and other materi-als is available.�

Flimsy lockers merelyprovide false economy andAntone�s products are stur-dy as well as attractive, and aretailored to suit the club�s needs.

Members like to know that if theyare placing their belongings in a fine-looking piece of golf furniture it willbe safe. Security is provided througha range of locks including returnableor retainable coin-operated locks, orthe more traditional cam locks.

Obviously one cannot rely merelyon the lock of an individual locker forsecurity. Even the most advancedlocker lock would be negated if alland sundry were allowed access,which is why the last few years haveseen an extraordinary rise in the useof access control cards.

A company specialising in utilis-ing all smart card technology poten-tial is Leicester-based Advance CashControl Equipment EPOS Ltd.

The company can offer accesscontrol, loyalty cards or a combina-tion of both.

Access control systems range fromvery simple low-cost solutions up tomore sophisticated systems offeringmore facilities and functions - but themost important function is naturallyto let the correct people in and keepthe wrong sort out!

Access con-trol can do alot more thansimply openand close a

door. C e r t a i n

systemsc a nr epor tthe time

and date ofaccess and where someone

has used their card, produce reports,set up time zones and access groups.

It can be PC-based which will beeasily controlled by user-friendly soft-ware or a system where you cansimply add and delete cards.

Cards also come in differentformats and which one you decide tochoose depends obviously on theapplication and the budget.

Swipe card systems are designedfor clubs with regular membershipand are operated by issuing memberswith a membership card in exchange

for cash, which in turn entitles themember to discounts off variousitems sold within the club.The company�s Clubmaster loyalty

card system is simple and easy-to-usebut is an advanced debit or creditcard system specifically designed foruse in a closed-system environmentwith regular membership and it isused wherever money is taken and asa pass card for controlling dooraccess.

In addition to the obvious securityadvantages, the system also offers theopportunity for increased revenue -so you can have your cake and eat it!

At the more basic end of the scaleis the Easycode, a stand-alone push-button door access system availablewith either ten or 50 programmablecodes.

It is slim enough to mount on adoor frame and uses standard cableentries for ease of installation. Itoffers a programmable auxiliary relaywhich can be used to indicate tamper,forced door, penalty count and doorajar alarms via a remote sounder.

The relay may also be used to acti-vate an intruder alarm. EltronInternational, a world-wide leader inthe manufacture of card printersbelieves the full potential of cards isnot yet recognised in the UK , withnew uses for cards being discoveredevery day.

Janet Barraclough, UK countrymanager, explained: �Most Europeancountries are already using smartcard

technology and cards for accesssystems as well as loyalty and chargecards. The UK is way behind and sofar has only been scratching thesurface of the card�s potential.�

She cited the example of an exclu-sive club in the south of France calledPau Billiere, where Eltron�s cardprinters allow the course owners touse it for access control and membersto use it as a chargecard for the bar,shop and restaurant.

The card contains a logo, contactinformation and a microprocessorchip. Full membership and subscriber(seasonal) cards bear a personalisedphoto while the trainee and visitingplayer cards do not. Once themember�s card has been activated, heor she can circulate freely around the

The club shop. A target for any would-be thief


FeatureFeatureCLUB SECURITY

site using such smart-card-controlledequipment as golf ball dispensers, anduse card readers for purchases at thebar, restaurant and pro shop.

The club merely re-credits thepersonalised cards at reception andsince much less cash is exchanged,fraud and vandalism have been vastlyreduced.

The card has also been recognisedfor its benefits for a customer loyaltyscheme where it can be used to accu-mulate points associated with dis-counts and the member database canbe used for direct marketing to publi-cise special offers or new facilities.

In Tyrol, an amusement park isusing Eltron�s Privilege 300F printerto control circulation within the parkand improve the flow of visitors. Thecard is also used for access control, topromote on-site gifts and as a discountcard for the shops within the park.

The technology behind thesystems has been the key to theirsuccess according to Barraclough.�Special software enables all types ofimages to be printed onto the cardsincluding photos, logos, text andgraphics which project a very profes-sional image.

�The introduction of the smart-chip allowed more information to bestored on a card and special cardmaterials are lengthening the card�slifespan.

�Printers are also becoming fasterallowing on-the-spot membershipand loyalty cards to be produced inlarge quantities,� she continued.

�The technology is becoming farmore affordable and can be incorpo-rated into the business for as little as£1,500.�

At that sort of cost, it would seemfoolhardy not to bring peace of mindto the membership.

Just how secure is your club?

PortfolioPortfolioPRODUCT INFORMATION

BERNHARD’S SHARPEST EDGE

! +44 (0)1788 811600

Earlier this year, Rugby-basedBernhard and Companyannounced the take-over ofgrinder manufacturers,Atterton & Ellis. The mergerof these two British companiespresents the grounds mainte-nance servicing industry with aformidable team - a century ofproducing precision equipmentof the highest quality.

LA MANGA CLUB FOR ENGLAND

See Feature on Page 14

The centre for professional foot-ball at Spain’s La Manga Club,played host to the Englandsquad prior to the World CupFinals in France. Football teamsat the highest level are attractedto La Manga Club not only forthe exceptional football facilitiesand five-star Hyatt Regencyhotel, but also the three championship golf courses.

HOLLYWOOD GOES GREEN

! +44 (0)1473 270000

Ransomes-Textron’s all-electricE-Plex II triple has beenacquired by Gay Hill GolfClub, Hollywood. The E-PlexII with its near silent operation,optional power steering andlack of engine pumps, filters,plugs, radiator, ignitioncomponents and hydraulic linesmade it a ‘must-have’ for theenvironmentally-minded club.

TORO TO IRRIGATE ST. ANDREWS

! +44 (0)1480 476971

Toro are to be the exclusiveprovider of irrigation systemsfor all five championship cours-es and the nine-hole course atthe 600-year old St. AndrewsLinks, Scotland. Toro’s comput-erised SitePro water manage-ment system, which includesdaily operation charts, schedulesand fertilisation rates are allcontained within the package.

COST EFFECTIVE RABBIT CONTROL

! +44 (0)1865 735420

Fencing, to discourage damag-ing burrowing from rabbits, isusually time consuming andcostly. But now, the walk-behind Case T60 trencher fromBourgein, the sole Casetrencher dealer for the UK andIreland, is being used to dig230mm deep trenches, enablingwire mesh fencing to be erectedat a rate of 275 metres a day.

RANSOMES-TEXTRON AT BCFC

! +44 (0)1473 270000

Amongst long-term plans forthe future of Birmingham CityFootball Club is an extensivemachinery package fromRansomes-Textron dealers,E.T. Breakwell. Included aretwo Ransomes Mastiffs, a T-Plex 185, a long-box Cushman3-wheeler, a CT 333 HST trac-tor, PTO aeration equipmentand other turf care essentials.

WENTWORTH COMMITS TO TORO

! +44 (0)1480 476971

Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey,host to the World Matchplayand the Volvo PGA Champion-ships, have committed to Toroas exclusive provider ofmachinery and irrigation prod-ucts for a further five years.Having installed their first Torosystem at their West Course in1990, Wentworth have beenpleased to use Toro ever since.

COURSE CARE CLOSES LOOP

! +44 (0)1535 611103

Course Care, the major suppli-er of equipment and services tothe grounds maintenance sectorhas taken a major step forwardin the disposal of agrochemicalcontainers with the installationof a plastics granulator at theirKeigley works. As a result,Course Care can now processall plastic containers for recy-cling.


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THE

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Unit C17 Wem Industrial Estate Soulton Road Wem SY4 5SD

Tel: +44 (0)1939 235711Fax: +44 (0)1939 235722

E-mail: [email protected]: www.softspikes.co.uk

and: www.softspikes.com

Appointed SoftspikesTMdistributor for the UK

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