GolfManagement Europe

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Every business needs a unique selling point, so why is it then that so many golf clubs simply conform rather than think ‘outside the box’

page 23

woods debuts with jacobsenRansomes Jacobsen adds The Tiger Woods Dubai to its global portfolio in a major and highly significant deal

issue 67july 2009

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JULY 2009 GME 3

publisher’s editorial

When I was a young kid the England football legend Alan Ball signed a deal with a boot manufacturer called Hummel to wear the company’s new white boots.

And to endorse them and make them more desirable he allowed his signature to be used on them as a marketing ploy.

The deal cost Hummel £2,000 – at the time a not insubstantial sum – yet Ball himself was unimpressed.

He said: “To be honest they were crap, like cardboard, so I got the young apprentices to paint my adidas football boots white. It was great, until one day it rained and the black came through.

“A not too happy watching Hummel rep saw what I’d done, so I said goodbye to the two grand.”

So in order to make a good impression a sports manufacturer had paid over the top to have a signature on their product, which in truth was second rate. Sound familiar?

This memory came back to me as I flew back from Turkey recently. I’d been out there on holiday with my family and was lucky enough to play the Pete Dye Design Lykia World links course in Antalya.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolutely stunning golf course, but I did wonder whether they really needed to get a ‘signature’ design.

It appeared to me that all they have done is simply over-inflate their mainte-nance budget, as the bunkering is, quite simply in my opinion, over the top.

I played it twice during the course of my stay, and on both occasions I felt as if I was on the outskirts of Basra in a war zone, so much time did I spend in the sand.

And given that it’s a resort course I find that strange to fathom; after all when you’re on holiday surely all you want is a pleasant, relaxing round, and not one that beats you into a pulp.

The course didn’t appear to be all that busy either, so maybe everybody else had reached the same conclusion I had, that it wasn’t actually set up for your average golfer.

Lykia World sets great store by the fact it’s a Pete Dye creation. But could not the course have been designed a little more sympathetically in the hands of somebody whose ‘signature’ does not come at such a cost, both architecturally and fiscally?

To complete my analogy, the paint had come off the boots and I was start-ing to see an issue: who got the better end of the deal, Pete Dye Design or Lykia World? GME

signature design no guarantee of lasting success

Michael lenihanlenihan@portman.uk.com

The Tiger Woods Dubai signs a £1.5 million landmark deal with Ransomes Jacobsen.

5

A proposed new development in Latvia could revolutionise golf in this Baltic country.

18

When recruiting for new staff, do clubs really get the best deal when they DIY?

26

Are there signs that golf in emerging countries such as Poland is starting to flourish?

30

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“I felt as if I was on the outskirts of Basra in a war zone, so much time did I spend in the sand.”

4 GME JULY 2009

headline news

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie has vowed never to set foot again in the club where he was once touring pro after it banned him in a row over “joke texts.”

Bosses at Meldrum House barred the 1999 champion after he text the head greenkeeper to tell him his greens were “sh***.”

But Lawrie, who officially opened the club’s practice facilities in 2000 and even has a lounge named after him in the clubhouse, brand-ed the decision “unbelieva-ble”, and vowed never to step foot in the club again.

He said: “You can’t get banned from a golf club for sending joke texts.

“If I said something bad to someone I’d be the first to apologise. I will never set foot in the place again.”

Lawrie claimed the bizarre row began after he wound up head greenkeeper Kenny Harper about the quality of the greens at the course near Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire.

Playing a round at Deeside with his sons, Lawrie fired off a text to Harper, a long-time friend, and criticis-ing the greens. “Deeside greens are really good, unlike your sh***” the text message read according to the Scotsman.

Harper replied: “Tiger Woods is really good, unlike...”

Lawrie said: “That’s a fantastic bit of banter between two people who have known each other for years.

“But then I got a letter saying that due to my comments and text messag-es I could no longer go to the club. It was all blown out of proportion.”

And the row has also cost Lawrie his coach. Neil Marr, who is based at Meldrum

House and has been work-ing with the Aberdonian for two years, has told Lawrie he cannot and will not work with him any more.

Marr said: “It is rather unfortunate our partnership has to come to an end.

“I felt things were going really well working with Paul and I felt he was progressing well but I cannot combine the two roles. I’m very disap-pointed.”

Club bans lawrie after row over‘joke texts’

Colt Mackenzie McNair, the specialist executive search firm that offers recruitment solutions to the global golf industry, has helped The London Club successfully select high-cali-bre individuals for three key management positions.

Due to rapid growth in the business, the positions needed to be filled quickly and efficiently, which is why Heath Harvey, general manager of The London Club, opted for CMM Select, Colt Mackenzie McNair’s online recruitment solution.

Harvey said: “Our business is bucking the current trend and we are growing, which is why we needed to appoint three senior manag-ers.

“The quality of the first five candidates that Colt Mackenzie McNair put in front of us were exceptional.

“Everyone was lined up quickly and efficiently for interviews and the whole process was done and dust-ed in days.”

Richard Wood, co-found-er of Colt Mackenzie McNair, said: “The London Club’s experience is positive proof that CMM Select is the perfect solution for golf courses and golf businesses.

“It is all about selecting best-of-breed candidates in a fast and cost-effective way, saving time and money.”

CMM help london Club recruit key staff

lloyds see a sharp future with huntersLloyds & Co of Letchworth

recently acquired the assets, trading name and rights to Hunter Grinders Ltd.

As part of the deal, Hunter Grinders will continue to operate as a division of Lloyds, with all manufactur-ing, sales, service and back-up for the full range of grind-ing equipment carrying on uninterrupted.

Lloyds managing director, Clive Nottingham, said: “Like Hunter Grinders Ltd we have been supplying equipment to golf and sports clubs, stadiums and parks depart-ments for many years.

“Coupled with our knowl-edge and understanding of relief grinding from using a Hunter precision grinder for many years on our own

mowers, we consider it a natural synergy for the two companies.

“Grinding is not only an essential part, but it is argua-bly the most important part of any turf maintenance programme, and customers of Hunter Grinder’s equip-ment will now benefit from the additional support of Lloyds & Co.”

Horton Park Golf Course has been bought by Maple Leaf Golf after the Surrey venue went into administration.

The company, which owns Chichester and Hill Barn Golf Clubs in Sussex, acquired the club from the administrators in a £2m deal.

Horton Park, which went into administration in December 2008, was bought after a hotly contested bidding war with a number of serious bids being received by the administrators.

Peter Townson, who had been running the site on behalf of the adminis-trators, said: “We are delighted with the outcome. Maple Leaf Golf is an established golf operator with an excel-lent track record. It was just what this business needs.”

Maple Leaf Golf acquired Chichester Golf Club - which has two 18 hole courses, a driving range and a par-three course - in 1999 and acquired Hill Barn Golf Club, from Worthing Borough Council in 2003.

JULY 2009 GME 5

on the cover

faCTfilE;

Ransomes JacobsenWest Road

Ransomes EuroparkIpswich IP3 9TT

United Kingdom

TEl; (44) 01473 270000faX; (44) 01473 276300

WEBlInK; RANSOMESJACOBSEN.COM

The Tiger Woods Dubai, a member of Tatweer, has contracted Ransomes Jacobsen to supply over AED 8 million (£1.5 million) worth of golf course mainte-nance equipment for its centrepiece, Al Ruwaya

Golf Club, the first golf course design created by Tiger Woods Design.

Ransomes Jacobsen’s distributor in Dubai, Desert Turf Care, was central in winning the business follow-ing detailed discussions with The Tiger Woods Dubai and IMG Golf Course Management, operators of the Al Ruwaya Golf Course.

All equipment required to maintain the golf course to tournament-ready condi-tioning both through grow-in and maintenance has now been delivered.

Commenting on the deal, Abdulla Al Gurg, project director of The Tiger Woods Dubai, said: “The deal with Ransomes Jacobsen is indic-ative of our continued progress on Al Ruwaya Golf Course.

“Our attention to detail and dedication to sourcing the best expertise in the world, proves our steadfast commitment to the project.

“Ransomes Jacobsen has been selected for its strong track record and pioneering position in the industry.”

Shaping and grassing is progressing on the 7,800 yard, par 72 course, and the design includes dramatic elevation changes, stunning water features and an over-all layout that will challenge and entertain golfers of all skill levels.

In addition, it will also include a golf academy and clubhouse.

David Withers, managing director at Ransomes Jacobsen, said: “This is highly significant business for our organisation.

“Our high profile across the Middle East and strong distributor network validate the world-class expertise that we bring to such pres-tigious developments.

“The Al Ruwaya Golf Club is a key addition to our distinctive portfolio of global projects.” GME

“Ransomes Jacobsen has been selected for its strong track record and pioneering position in the industry.”

Tiger Woods dubai choose ransomes Jacobsen

6 GME JULY 2009

Rolex, partner and official timekeeper to the 2010 Ryder Cup, has put in place one of its largest clocks ahead of next year’s tourna-ment at Celtic Manor.

In a spectacular feat of engineering, the signature Rolex timepiece has been positioned on the front elevation of the new Twenty Ten clubhouse.

The clock, which is one of only two Rolex clocks of this size in existence, measures 2.75m in diameter and weighs over 350kg.

David Cutler, general manager of Rolex UK, said: “There is no doubt that The 2010 Ryder Cup represents a milestone for The Celtic Manor Resort and, indeed, for Wales, and Rolex is delighted to be involved in its role as Official Timekeeper.”

The only other clock of the same size in the world is posi-tioned on the Carnoustie Golf Course Hotel, overlook-ing the final hole of the links.

Dylan Matthews, chief executive of The Celtic Manor Resort, said: “This impressive clock forms a fitting centrepiece for The Twenty Ten clubhouse as it faces the 18th green where so much drama will unfold and where history will no doubt be made during The 2010 Ryder Cup.

“Rolex has been a valued Official Timekeeper of The Celtic Manor Wales Open for many years and we are

delighted that our associa-tion with this prestigious and respected brand will be further enhanced by this signature time piece.”

He continued: “It is now less than 500 days until The Ryder Cup takes place in Wales for the first time and, with this Rolex clock keeping such a close watch, we know that every single, remaining moment will be counted down with the utmost precision.”

news

Javier Calderon, the director of golf at Real Sociedad Hipica Espa-nola Club de Campo, near Madrid in Spain, has taken delivery of a new fleet of E-Z-GO RXV golf cars. Calderon said: “This new RXV is the first golf car to complete two rounds on the North course without recharg-ing. It is excellent.”

The first nine holes of Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club, Muscat’s first golf course, opened in May. Designed by Paul Thomas, the PGA stand-ard 18-hole course is set in natural mountainous surroundings with chal-lenging fairways close to the heart of Muscat.

The newly formed Scottish Association of Golf Course Architects has been set up to represent the golf course architecture profession in Scotland.

Steve north, Braemar Golf’s academies direc-tor, has been awarded the ‘Coach of the Year’ honour by the University of St Andrews in recogni-tion of his outstanding contribution and service to the University of St Andrews Golf Clubs.

James Quilley, a former senior IMG executive, has launched Emerald Golf, offering Golf Course Management Consulting services. Based in Singa-pore, with associates in the Middle East, Europe, and North America, Em-erald Golf is positioned to fill the need in the market for flexible, responsive management services at costs in line with develop-ing countries budgets.

in briEf; Time ticking down for Celtic Manor

Club Car has extended its relationship with The Euro-pean Tour which will mean that its golf cars and utility vehicles will continue to play important roles at all events.

Commenting on the deal, Kevin Hart, national account manager for Club Car, said: “We’re delighted to contin-ue our commitment to The European Tour.

“Through our association, Club Car is provided with a highly visible and prestig-ious platform to showcase a wide range of products, build relationships and increase the brand status around the world.”

Club Car has been associ-ated with The European Tour since 1999 and David Gar-

land, The European Tour’s director of tour operations, added: “We are delighted to have the ongoing support of Club Car alongside the reliability of its products.

“This relationship is para-mount to the operational success of each event and we look forward to working with Club Car long into the future.”

European Tour re-sign with Club Car

pro wins case after being forced outA 62-year-old club pro

was awarded more than £12,000 compensation after being forced by his employ-ers to open the club shop despite fears for his safety.

Jeff Williams was afraid of opening first thing in the morning for fear of being attacked and the premises

vandalised at the Airlinks Golf Club in West London.

Williams, who was forced to resign, said his pleas were ignored because of his age even though his employers knew it was “unsafe for employees to open up on their own” according to the judge.

Williams, who was a former international coach, said: “I felt unsafe and threatened. My worries were ignored.”

Police records showed that the club had been repeatedly targeted by vandals and numerous thefts had taken place.

JULY 2009 GME 7

news

Construction has begun on European Golf Design’s first course in Russia.

Appointed by OPIN, the Russian real estate invest-ment and development group, the PGA National Russia course at Zavidovo Lake Resort will form part of the new exclusive Zavidovo Resort community when complete.

Located 130 km north west of Moscow, Zavidovo is a well known resort location among Russians and espe-cially Muscovites.

The overall golf plan includes an 18 hole, 7,400 yard golf course, together with a further nine hole course to be built alongside a PGA National Golf Academy which will include an integrated short game range, practice bays, numerous practice greens, swing studios and teaching facility.

Constantin Zabrodin, CEO of Zavidovo Lake Resort Development, said: “The expectations and ambition for this project are high.

“Zavidovo Lake Resort golf-course is going to become one of Russia’s top courses, built with the purpose of hosting major golf tournament events and further promoting the game in this country.

“Branded as PGA National, Russia, it is going to become not just an advanced training centre, but the headquarters of Russian professional golf.”

In addition to the 27 holes of golf, 5,000 residential dwellings, two marinas and

a vibrant town centre will also form part of Zavidovo Lake Resort.

Local company, Geokam, will be building the course under the construction management and supervi-sion of Braemar Golf, and the first 18 holes are due to open in July 2011.

Zavidovo Lake Resort is the first European Golf Design project in Russia to reach the construction stage, with two other projects currently in detailed design.

Leisurecorp, a division of Nakheel Leisure, has announced a global part-nership with Polo Ralph Lauren joining together a world-renowned luxury life-style brand and one of the most innovative new tourna-ments in golf.

Polo Ralph Lauren has become the official outfitter for the Dubai World

Championship, the antici-pated season-ending event to the inaugural Race to Dubai, and will dress offi-cials, marshals and PRO-AM players.

The two-year partnership is in line with Leisurecorp’s efforts to bring new audi-ences to golf by lending the sport a modern, stylish image.

fashion and Golf to meet on the fairways of dubai

European Golf design breaks ground in russia

Project:Montgomerie/Riffa

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European Golf Design,

Colin MontgomerieDesign shee

t 4

Braemar Nass

completion date

November/2008

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and Business Planning

• technical Services

• operational management

• Sales and marketing

• Golf Course Construction

• Construction management

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8 GME JULY 2009

news

After a major face-lift cost-ing £20 million, St Mellion International Resort — which is owned by Crown Golf — has re-opened.

As part of the transforma-tion, Jack Nicklaus’ first ‘signature’ golf course in the UK has been extensively refurbished and restored to European Tour standard in advance of hosting The English Open in 2011.

And a new 80-bedroom four-star hotel, with confer-ence and leisure facilities, has also opened.

“Visitors to St Mellion now have both accommodation and golf facilities which befit our stunning Cornish loca-tion,” said Crown Golf chief executive, Stephen Lewis.

“And our members can be enormously proud that their golf club now bears

comparison with any in Europe.

“I believe that our new resort is a fitting flagship for the group, and our position as Europe’s leading owner / operator of golf clubs.”

Both golf courses at St Mellion International Resort have received widespread alterations, with £2.5 million spent on a major bunker rebuilding programme, plus remodelled greens, new tees, a new cart path network and a new fairway irrigation system.

The Old Course, opened by brothers Martin and Hermon Bond in 1976, and which hosted St Mellion’s first professional golf tournament — the Benson & Hedges International Open in 1979 — has been re-named The Kernow Resort Course.

The Nicklaus Course, which opened in 1988, and which was Jack Nicklaus’ first golf course design project in the UK, has been re-named The Nicklaus Signature Course.

Crown Golf have spent heavily on the course, which now boasts new champion-ship tees and upgrades to every bunker.

Golfers will also now enjoy modernised golf reception facilities including arrivals hall, bag drop area, chang-ing rooms and a resort-style pro shop plus, nearby, a new golf academy with driv-ing range and practice facilities.

A brand new fleet of 60 electric golf cars has also been delivered.

st Mellion re-opens after £20 million face-lift

Atalaya Golf and Country Club on the Costa del Sol, home to the official head-quarters of The PGA of Europe, has taken delivery of a fleet of 54 E-Z-GO RXV golf cars.

General manager, Andres Sanchez Garcia said: “We had petrol golf cars here for many years and I was initial-ly concerned about intro-ducing electric cars.

“However, we had an RXV on test and it actually completed five and a half rounds on a single charge, which was very impressive.

”We know that they will be a lot more efficient to oper-

ate over the long term, so we have made considera-ble investment in the infra-structure to ensure that they operate efficiently.

“We have spent around €50,000 providing a dedicat-ed buggy park with integral charging points; the installa-tion of new connections to the main transformer plus kilometres of cabling, which are split into two loops to provide flexibility for charg-ing.

“The RXV is a superb golf car, comfortable for the golfer and obviously much quieter than our previous cars.

“It will be interesting to look at the numbers after our initial year of operation as that’s when we’ll see, for the first time, the savings on our operational costs,” he added.

new buggy fleet for the home of the pGa of Europe

sweden leads industry changeThe Golf Environment

Organisation (GEO) has recognised Forsgårdens Golfklubb and Ljunghusens Golfklubb, both in Sweden, as the first two golf facilities anywhere in the world to achieve GEO Certified status.

Since its debut at the BMW PGA Championship in May, GEO Certification has gener-ated huge interest and gained the endorsement of major golf organisations worldwide.

Jonathan Smith, GEO chief executive said: “The launch of the programme at Wentworth was many years in the making; the culmina-tion of a collaborative proc-ess taking input from literally hundreds of individuals across golf and environmen-tal stakeholder organisa-tions.

“This is a moment in histo-ry; one of the defining events in golf’s drive for environmental recognition,” added Smith.

“Never before has the industry been so close to uniting behind a single programme that does so much to dispel criticism and boost the reputation of the game.

“Ljunghusens and Forsgården are effectively the founding members of a prestigious but welcoming global club. Just envisage what it will do for the image of golf to have thousands of registered facilities and hundreds more certified.”

The owners of an Essex golf club have been forced to install web-cams so they can watch the facility 24 hours a day after joyriders trashed the course.

Robert Lyon, 49, who owns the St Cleres Golf Club, in Stanford-le-Hope, with brother John and brother-in-law Mike Valenti, said: “We have had things like this done before, but never with a stolen car and never so severely.

“Now we are going to have the web-cam put in place so we can all see the course from home and if anyone goes on to the course again we can call police straight away.

“Our green staff worked around the clock to get the course back in shape, but when they arrived the damage was horrific.”

The joyriders drove their car on to the course through a nearby field. They then went on the rampage, driving the stolen vehicle at speed across greens.

The turf was torn up, causing nearly £2,000 worth of damage.

JULY 2009 GME 9

news

A 34-year-old museum boss has been appointed executive vice-president of Trump International Golf Links Scotland.

Sarah Malone, who grew up in Peterhead, was a director at the Gordon Highlanders Museum, in Aberdeen, but will now head up Donald Trump’s controversial £1 billion Menie

Estate golf resort near Balmedie.

And Malone vowed to play her part in delivering a project that would “flood-light” the north-east of Scotland.

She said: “I think it’s a phenomenal project. There’s no question that it will have an immeasurable impact on tourism.

“It’s quite clear it will give us a completely different level of exposure.

“For too long the Central Belt and the Highlands have stolen the limelight and have captured domestic as well as overseas audiences.

“Everything that makes Scotland wonderful is within a short driving distance around this region.

“This is an opportunity for us to showcase what we do. We have a world-class developer whose brand is associated with luxury and excellence.”

Her appointment, she suggested, showed Trump’s respect for the area’s herit-age, having chosen some-one who has worked to preserve local history.

The National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa recently upgraded its exclusively Toro fleet to include a new heavy-duty Workman utility vehicle as well as four new mowers featuring Toro’s famous Dual Point Adjustment (DPA) cutting units.

Sam Rhodes, courses manager of the Lincolnshire club – which is also home to the English Golf Union – says he’s “still smiling” after sever-al years as an exclusively Toro customer at not only

the quality of its machines, but also the standard of service he receives from Toro and his local dealer.

Commenting on his recent arrivals, Rhodes says: “We bought two Greensmaster 3250-Ds and two Reelmaster 5610-Ds mowers because we wanted the most up-to-date models with the new cutting units. The DPA units give a far superior cut.”

Toro’s DPA cutting units have proved popular since their launch into the UK golf market by distributor Lely in

2004, thanks to their ingen-ious one-click dial that allows users to adjust and hold the bedknife in exact increments. DPA blades also

hold a sharp edge for long-er, ensuring that each blade of grass is cleanly cut – not torn – to keep the sward green and healthy.

Toro kit ‘still smiling’ at Woodhall spa

Trump opts for local knowledge in new executive vp

ELY

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ELYGOLFConstructRenovate Maintain

Reading, United KingdomTelephone +44 118 326 6168Email elygolf@btinternet.com

Appointed contractor for the renovation work being undertaken at Turnberry for the 2009 Open Championship

10 GME JULY 2009

news

The course manager at Leyland Golf Club in the north west of England has delayed watering his greens by more than a month, following the use of the Scotts wetting agent, H²Pro.

Scott Reeves and his staff only began to hand water the greens for five minutes each on June 22, whereas watering had begun towards the middle of May in previous years.

He says that his greens have never been in such good shape, and he puts this down to the fact that H²Pro has been used exclu-sively on the course this year.

“I’ve used pretty much all the wetting agents available over the years but I’ve had far superior results from H²Pro,” he enthused.

“We made our first appli-cation in March at a rate of 25 litres per hectare tank mixed with 20 litres of Greenmaster Blade liquid fertilizer to relieve the stress to the plant, as advised by our technical advisor.

“We’ll continue to apply ten litres per month of H²Pro with 20 litres of Blade throughout the summer, finishing in August depend-ent on the weather condi-tions.”

John Deere Golf Irrigation has introduced a new range of sprinkler heads to its growing irrigation com-ponent range, designed specifically for UK and Irish golf and amenity turf applications. The range includes five new heads designed for more precise and economic irrigation of small golf course tees where a shorter throw of water is required.

A new study by industry analysts Plimsoll Publishing looking into the finan-cial state of the UK Golf courses and clubs indus-try has, despite the UK re-cession, awarded 180 of UK’s top 900 Golf Courses and Clubs companies a strong financial rating for their outstanding financial performance.

Colt Mackenzie Mcnair, the specialist executive search firm that offers recruitment solutions to the global golf industry, has become an official sup-plier to the Club Managers Association of Europe.

Jonas Software has announced that it has won the contract to sup-ply its fully integrated golf management software system to the Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club in Oman. The English Golf Union claim that over 330 golf clubs have purchased a copy of the Recruitment and Retention Toolkit, which is a flexible guide containing examples and ideas that can easily be adapted to suit the needs of individual golf clubs who are concerned about the recruitment and retention of mem-bers during the recession.

in briEf;

The Playgolf brand, along with the high-profile facilities at Playgolf Northwick Park and Playgolf Manchester, plus the long-established Playgolf Metro golf centre, have all been bought by a consortium led by Dilip Mehta, a North London busi-nessman and golf lover.

The deal, for an undis-closed sum, which saw Mehta take over the brand and facilities from Playgolf Holdings Plc, has led to the creation of three new oper-ating companies – one for each facility.

“The Playgolf brand has attracted hundreds of thou-sands of customers over the last ten years,” said David Standing, executive director of the Northwick Park and Manchester operating companies, “and has become synonymous with high-spec, multi-featured

golf centres which cater equally well for families and beginners as well as for experienced golfers.

“We felt very strongly that the brand should continue under the new owners, as people have become very loyal to it.”

With all three facilities showing strong trading performance, despite the weak economy, Standing is bullish about the compa-nies’ prospects.

“The results we are getting at each facility make us highly optimistic not only for the second half of this year, but also for the years ahead,” he said.

“While we recognise that the country is in the middle of a credit crunch, which means that we have to be as prudent as any other golf operator in the current climate, we have seen some

great numbers from the early part of the golf season which lead us to believe that not only can we trade aggressively and confidently at Playgolf Northwick Park, Manchester and Metro, but also that the plans we have to develop each facility, and to introduce new initia-tives, will be successful in securing the long-term future of each business.

“Playgolf Northwick Park, for example, has reported a 26 per cent increase in green fee business in the first five months of 2009.

“This follows the manage-ment decision in 2008 to turn the Majors golf course there into a nine-hole facility, which has successfully corrected some perform-ance issues the business was having after its ambitious launch as a six-hole, golf-in-an-hour proposition.”

Takeover puts playgolf centre stage

first class greens thanks to scotts h²pro

A group of golf industry professionals, led by Burhill Golf and Leisure chief exec-utive Colin Mayes, has presented the National Memorial Arboretum with four new Club Car vehicles, bought with money raised on a 140-mile cycle ride.

Mayes was part of the eight-strong team who completed the coast-to-

coast cycle ride in August of last year, which started in Whitehaven and ended in Tynemouth.

Joining the Burhill team were other golf industry professionals Kevin Hart (Club Car) Andy Brown (Toro), Christian Grisard van Roey (Toro), Bruce Glasco (Troon Golf) and golf course designer Jonathan Gaunt.

pedal power buys new Club Cars

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Our team creates environments that incite people to enjoy life using all fi ve senses. The temporary and permanent environ-

ments that we create, inspire, heal, entertain and delight. Each Mind:Style project is future-oriented, both architecturally

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12 GME JULY 2009

news

With torrential summer thunderstorms comes the fear of devastating floods that could dramatically shorten the life of traditional land drainage for both homeowners and landown-ers throughout the UK.

One British company, however, has created a revolutionary system to drain the panic away.

Aquadyne is created from 100 per cent recycled plas-tic, which is converted into easy to install blocks of macro and micro porous cells that effectively drain surface water from golf courses without clogging.

Research undertaken at the European Turfgrass Laboratories, Scotland, has

revealed that Aquadyne significantly improves the drainage of water, compared to conventional methods, due to the unique capillary draw action creat-ed by the product.

“The problem with tradi-tional land drainage is that over time the aggregated soil and particles washed through from the surface eventually clog the pipe below,” said James Arrowsmith of Aquadyne Sales and Marketing.

“Clay, in particular, can be a nightmare as it contains such fine particles.

“Aquadyne panels have been scientifically proven not to clog, so once it has been installed with minimal

disturbance to the grass surface, draining up to 20 litres of water per second, there is no need to replace the product or even wash the panels.

“During times of unpre-dictable weather patterns, Aquadyne provides peace of mind that no time, energy or hard earned money will

have to be spent digging up and replacing land drain-age that have been clogged by flooding,” added Arrowsmith.

“It is the most environmen-tally conscious system on the market as it saves up to 200 tonnes of green gases for every 200 metres installed.”

aquadyne aims to drain the panic away

Toro’s popular ProCore aerator range has been strengthened thanks to The Toro Company’s recent State-side purchase – the Minneapolis-based compa-ny now owns deep-tine aeration specialist Southern Green’s acclaimed Soil Reliever range.

Established in 1993, Southern Green is consid-ered by many to be the

leading manufacturer of deep-tine aeration equip-ment in the US.

The seven-strong range of Soil Reliever products is set to be relaunched through Toro distributor Lely as the ProCore SR Series, and Toro is confident that this already renowned range will go from strength to strength as part of the ProCore product stable.

Toro strengthens with soil reliever purchase

Ely brothers rejoice at Turnberry jobWhen Michael Campbell

fired off the first shot of the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, there were satis-fied smiles on the faces of two proud men in Reading.

For brothers Mark and Nigel Ely’s construction company, ElyGolf International Ltd, was the firm charged with the exten-sive renovation of the histor-ic course in advance of the championship.

The work was carried out over the winters of 2006/7 and 2007/8 – and only when the Open began could the brothers sit back and admire their work.

Mark Ely explained: “There weren’t that many holes we didn’t work on, though the major works were on the 10th and 16th holes.

“At the 10th we put a new tee right on the cliff by the lighthouse. There was new bunkering and we re-shaped the fairway there as well.

“On the 16th we built a new tee complex and a new dune complex on the right-hand side of the fair-way.

“We basically flipped the fairway over from one side to the other, lifting all of the turf off the old fairway, putting it over to one side, while taking the left-hand side rough off and putting it over the artificial dune we created.”

As part of the construction programme, the company also installed a new 17th tee complex plus many new bunkers around the course.

Despite their many years’ experience in the industry, historic courses like Turnberry still have the ability to excite even the most hardened of course constructors.

Ely added: “It’s a privilege for us as a company to work on the course – and to follow on from doing all the modifications at Hoylake and get the work at Turnberry was fantastic.

“You just feel very proud to have worked on such a famous course. It was a fantastic project for us to work on and great to work with the course manager, George Brown, and design-ers Mackenzie and Ebert.

“We also had a couple of meetings with the R&A so got to meet Peter Dawson – it was great.”

A golf management course, delivered in the Highlands of Scotland, is now available to students anywhere in the world, after going online.

The professional degree is being delivered by the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands.

The BA golf manage-ment degree, unique in Scotland, begins an honours year from this September, and will also be available for full or part-time online study for the first time.

Students cover the basics of golf club and resort operation, market-ing, finances, tourism potential, and the main-tenance of fairways and greens.

Later years will develop golf knowledge as well as skills in strategic planning, effective management and organisational lead-ership.

Through lectures, hands-on learning and home and overseas placements, the course applies current business and management tech-niques to the operation and management of traditional members’ clubs and international golf resorts.

JULY 2009 GME 13

news

Troon Golf has been selected to manage the Gary Player Signature design course at Mazagan Beach Resort, Morocco, which is currently under develop-ment along the coastal shoreline of El Jadida.

The US$350 million first phase of the Mazagan Beach Resort, developed by Kerzner International, broke ground in the summer of

2007 and is scheduled to be completed in the Autumn of 2009.

The first phase consists of the 18-hole golf course as well as a 500-room hotel, 11 restaurants, luxurious spa, casino, night club and conference centre.

Designed across undulat-ing sand dunes with holes stretching alongside the Atlantic coastline, the par 72

Gary Player Signature design golf course will provide stun-ning views at every tee box, fairway and green.

“Mazagan Beach Resort is an exciting addition to our portfolio and we are thrilled to partner with Kerzner International,” stated Bruce Glasco, Troon Golf’s senior vice president and manag-ing director, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Commenting on the part-nership, Marie-Béatrice Lallemand, president of Kerzner Morocco said: “This breath-taking golf course is sure to become one of the finest in North Africa.

“We are delighted to have Troon Golf on board and believe their influence will make the difference in providing a world-renowned golf experience.”

E-Z-GO has delivered a fleet of 30 RXV golf cars to Club Jarama R.A.C.E., situat-ed close to the famous motor racing circuit 28 Km north of Madrid, Spain.

Commenting on the deal, assistant director Carlos de Linares Saez said: “We have 4,500 golfing members and another 16,000 members who use our other facilities – horse riding, tennis, paddle tennis and swimming.

“As our golfers play more than 65,000 rounds a year,

there’s an awful lot of pres-sure on the course,” he added.

“To improve traffic around the course we encourage the use of golf cars and when our previous contract with Mox was coming to an end we looked at alterna-tives.

“The electric RXV golf car was demonstrated by E-Z-GO distributor Green Mowers and it quickly became evident that this was the car for us.

“I particularly like the regenerative braking that puts energy back into the battery and the way the car automatically applies the brakes, when it stops.

“This means that golfers can get out of the car on an incline without actually putting on the brake. When the car takes off again, there’s no rollback either.”

EzGo takes the chequered flag in spain

Troon Golf wins right to manage Mazagan beach

SHADEmakersCommercial Parasols

St Andrews | V&A | Royal National Theatre | The Grove | HiltonArnold Palmer Golf | Spinnaker Tower | Kensington Roof Gardens

Adventure Golf | Brocket Hall | Park Hyatt | Trecco Bay | Down Houseand many more...

JULY 2009 GME 15

club focusWEBlInK; VSLGOLF.COM

As a self-confessed Francophile it doesn’t normally take much to get me on a ferry or a plane or a car if I’m heading across the channel on assignment.

And the fact there are thousands like me, who, every year, happily spend a week’s break in the laid-back ambience of France, is one of the main reasons that the country has spawned an increasing number of golf resorts or country clubs.

It affords one the relaxed French way of life with the comforting familiarity of a golf course and sundry facilities, without the pie and chips and Watney’s Red Barrel atmosphere of some of the Spanish areas.

I have to admit to not knowing much about Villeneuve sur Lot Golf and Country Club, which may justify the resort’s marketing tag line that it is ‘French golf ’s best-kept secret’.

Many claim that of course, but few can deliver. And the unique thing about Villeneuve sur Lot Golf and Country Club (VSL Golf) is that its greatest strength might actually be considered, by some, to be a commercial weakness.

Its location does not lend itself to the touring golfer. It’s not easy to stay here for a couple of days and pop out to play other courses nearby. There just aren’t the courses to do it. And there is no nightlife to speak of.

And the reason for that is that VSL Golf is in a very quiet, rural area of the country – indeed, the sort of area that

many Francophiles actively seek for their annual vacation. This is France as God intended... if God was a high handicapper that is.

Owner Graham Goodman, 62, a former property developer in the UK, admits that this might be viewed, by some, as a problem.

He said: “The remoteness and beauty of the course is in my opinion a strength; but by another definition it’s a weakness, because there are only one or two golf courses within a 90-minute drive that I would recommend.

“If you go as far as Bordeaux or down to Biarritz there are some fabulous golf courses but they’re both more than a two-hour hike from here.

“We are midway between Bordeaux and Toulouse in a very rural part of France most famous for its bastide towns which were mainly built in the 13th to avoid the roving bands of brigands.

“It’s relatively sleepy, old-fashioned if you like – it’s a bit like going back 50 or 60 years when you look at the shops; it’s a nice slow pace of life, with beautiful roll-ing hills and a lovely soft climate. It has similar rainfall to the UK but is generally ten degrees warmer.

“Because we’re not five miles from 20 other golf courses we don’t get the groups who are planning to play a different golf course every day and drink a different nightclub dry every night.

Goodman set to awaken france’s best kept secret

Villeneuve sur Lot Golf and Country Club may not be a name that’s all that familiar to golfers who regularly travel to France, but as David Bowers reports, that may soon change if owner Graham Goodman gets his way.

16 GME JULY 2009

faCTfilE;

Villeneuve sur Lot GolfLa Menuisière

47290 Castelnaud de Gratecambe Lot et Garonne

France

TEl; (33) 05 5301 6019 faX; (33) 05 5301 7899

EMail;grahamgoodman@vslgolf.com

propriETor;Graham Goodman

dirECTor of Golf;Jenny Lyon

Club foundEd;1987

“We either get family groups or more mature groups who will also take the time to look at the pretty villages or visit a vineyard or go to a chateau or go to some of the local farmers’ markets…

“We offer something for people who want a more relaxed style. What we have found is that by concentrating on the senior group market we do have fabulous repeat business.

“I’ve been here only since 2003 and even this year I’ve welcomed back two groups for their fifth visit.”

But one of the major reasons VSL Golf is turning heads is the development project on the site.

When complete, ‘The Village’ will consist of around 200 properties, with up to eight weeks owner usage per year. A ten per cent deposit buys you a property with full management service.

Goodman said: “The village is going to be SIPPS compliant so the properties within the village can be purchased by someone to be put into a pension fund or portfolio – so for many people who manage their own pensions buying a property in Euros in a country which is renowned for protecting the individuals’ rights is a particularly attractive place to put your money.

“It’s a great opportunity for an invest-ment and is part of an overall develop-ment strategy we have in place. I bought the club in 2003, because I could see it had enormous development potential and my main role here has been to get a devel-opment programme under way.

“The famous French bureaucracy has made it quite a challenge and after four years we got 12 hectares of the site reclas-sified as land on which we could build.

“So we now have planning permission of up to 30,000 sq m of tourism-related development, so that’ll be a hotel as well as the village.”

He added: “The first thing we did, in 2004-05, was to convert what had been a hotel – which had been closed about three years previously – into 13 apartments.

“They’re mainly three-bed, three-bath-room apartments – a little over 100 sq m

so they’re much larger than the normal holiday lets.

“That turned what was a terrible eyesore into a jewel in the crown as it overlooks the first tee and fairway and one of our seven lakes, which are the source of all our irrigation.

“Since then we’ve been negotiating on the land which has now become develop-able and where the village will be built in what will be the first of three phases of the development.

“Before the village opens we will rebuild and extend our old clubhouse so we have all the facilities you’d expect.

“We already have a very nice tennis court and swimming pool but we are going to build another swimming pool and a couple more tennis courts because we’re very much aiming for the sporting family, if you like, where golf is just one interest within the family.

“In phase two we’re going to build a spa and health centre and a gymnasium. We already have an on-site hairdresser and beauty salon but all of those facilities will be extended as we go through the development programme. We expect to complete the village – the first phase of 94 houses – in 2011.

“Depending on the rate of sale we’ll move on to the next phase within the next 12 months or the year after that.

“I can see the whole development site running from 2011 through to 2014-15 when ultimately, if we develop to the extent of our current planning, I would imagine that as well as a 60-bed hotel we’ll have something in the region of 200 properties.

“We’re also building a number of what we call VIP houses along the fairways which are four-double-bedroom with pools and they currently sell for around €400,000.

“When I came here I thought this was a five-year plan but now I see it more as a 15-year plan – things move relatively slowly here and by the time we’d sorted out the incredibly bureaucratic French planning system we discovered ourselves in this economic period of doom and

JULY 2009 GME 17

gloom which will also put in a 12 to 24-month delay into the programme, as we wait for everybody’s enthusiasm to invest in bricks and mortar to pick up.”

He continued: “We have very large, very spacious self-catering apartments which overlook the first fairway.

“We have a very friendly, small club-house at the moment – because our old clubhouse burned down in 2006, and we’re still talking about how best to

restore it – but in the meantime we have a restaurant that seats 50-plus people and is cosy and provides very good quality and value food, with a three-course meal currently costing €14.

“Most of the groups tend to eat in when the restaurant is open in the evening – we’re not open in the evening outside the high season.

“Having said that, one of the very few three-star Michelin restaurants is just half-an-hour away and at the other end of the scale there are some lovely local restaurants where for €30, including wine, you can have a very nice meal.”

With prices for the two-and three-bedroom properties starting at €169,000 there has already been some interest – not least because Goodman also has a very pleasant golf course.

“I inherited a very interesting golf course,” he said. “It’s relatively hilly and very challenging with many blind shots to the green so you do reap the benefit of playing it three or four times. Because of the hills and the slopes it changes quite dramatically depending on where your tee shot lands.

“It provides quite a lot of different chal-lenges – it’s not a simple course to get to grips with, which is an advantage if you’re

staying here for a few days. By the time you leave you feel that you’ve learned your way round.

“We have around 300 members of whom around 25 per cent are ex-pats who will play around three times a week. The locals tend to play less than once a week.

“You will meet a lot of ex-UK residents, although we are very much still a French golf club with a French association managing our competitions and obviously we’re affiliated to the SFG rather than the PGA.”

With the properties set to go to the market in the next couple of years it would be fair to assume you’ll soon be bumping into a lot more ex-pats at Villeneuve sur Lot Golf and Country Club. GME

“The remoteness and beauty of the course is in my opinion a strength; but by another definition

it’s a weakness.”

Tel: +44 (0)1462 683031 www.huntergrinders.com

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18 GME JULY 2009

property development

How’s your geography? Which country is bordered to the north by Estonia, to the south by Lithuania, to the south-east by Belarus and has Sweden in the west across the Baltic Sea?

Its capital city is Riga, which is not only a top weekend tourist destination for the British, but is a favoured holiday place for Eastern Europeans, Russians and many Scandinavian travellers.

This beautiful city lies on the Baltic coast, and boasts a charming historic centre with cobbled medieval streets, and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

If you haven’t already guessed, the answer of course is Latvia, which was described by the Lonely Planet guide as “the continent’s next A-list star.”

Like many of the Baltic countries, golf is in an embryonic state in Latvia, with just two 18-hole courses currently up and running. But it is growing in popularity and its inviting spring, summer and autumn climates are bound to make it increase in popularity with the touring golfer in years to come.

That’s why there has been much inter-est in a 294-hectare development in Dobele, just a 45-minute drive from Riga’s international airport which is being offered for sale by PPC Golf.

While a spade hasn’t yet been raised in anger against the sod, the necessary permissions are in place for an 18-hole championship course, clubhouse, a five-star 300-room hotel and nearly 600 hous-ing plots.

So one will imagine there will be much to-ing and fro-ing as entrepreneurs and developers go back and forth looking to agree a mutually acceptable financial package.

Not surprisingly, one or two multina-tional hotel chains have already been ‘sniffing around’, for the way the existing owning company is set up means none of the seemingly ubiquitous bureaucratic procrastination will be forthcoming.

A spokesman for the company explained: “We are open to audits and scrutiny of any kind. We have all the documents signed by the necessary legal authorities – as the government has been very supportive of what we are trying to achieve.

“We have spent the last three years obtaining all the necessary rezoning permissions and have carried out all the environmental studies, even working with Greenpeace at one stage.

“The purchaser would actually buy the whole company so there is no need to re-register any documents, everything would already be in place. The whole thing could almost be done in just one day.”

The land varies between 70m and 120m above sea level and the designated layout of the course takes in rolling hills and lush forests.

“The land is actually that of an old Soviet collective farm,” added the spokes-man.

“We’re able to utilise all the old pasture areas and the whole region teems with wildlife. The Soviets educated the people well and they planted an abundance of trees so there are mature woods and forests all around.”

With flying times from the UK just over two-and-a-half hours, and a lot less from other major cities – Moscow is just an hour away with three flights daily into Riga – the resort would be in easy reach for more than half-a-billion people.

And the current owners – three of whom own 81 per cent of the shares – are keen to stress the plans don’t just entice golfers. The land is ideally suited to cross-country skiing, a hugely popular sport in Germany, Russia and the Scandinavian countries, and the winter climate in Latvia guarantees the perfect surface.

The current owners maintain, if the development goes through as it has been envisaged, it would attract whole families, not just golfers.

WEBlInK; PPCGOLF.COM

an ‘a-list’ opportunity

The global recession may well be grabbing its fair share of headlines, but as David Bowers reports, golf developers can bag a real bargain at the moment... and they don’t come any better than this superb development in Latvia.

JULY 2009 GME 19

And as an added bonus, the developers are of the opinion that the resort may even be busier in the winter than in the summer.

“The climate here means its ideal for an year-round resort. There is a long golf season – in the summer we have daylight from 4am to 10.30pm and the tempera-ture was up around 28°c in June – and during the winter the whole site would be idyllic for cross-country skiing.

“There are also plans for around a dozen tennis courts and there would be three or four swimming pools on site – and a spa when you take into account the hotel. There is also a fabulous Government-funded lake nearby with all manner of watersports and horse-riding just up the road.”

As a destination for tourists, one can easily see why it would prove attractive. But the biggest ‘pull’ for a developer would surely be the residential zoning.

With almost 600 home sites planned it’s thought to be unique in Eastern Europe – and, with plots of around 2,000 sq m, the homes would not be in the style of the Eastern Bloc!

As you would expect, substantial research has been undertaken to establish the fiscal validity of the project, and the sale, as it stands currently, with the asking price of €8.5m, works out at under €3 per sq m – a lot different to the €4.5 per sq m and above being asked for develop-ments with fewer facility permissions in central Europe.

And the coup de gras, as they might say in Brussels, is that the EU could fund up to 75 per cent of the costs of constructing the golf course – Latvia having joined the EU in 2004, while retaining its own currency.

Tourists looking for a summer break this year outside the Euro zone should take note…

“When we decided to go ahead with this project we knew we didn’t want to be in the city – but also we didn’t want to be out in the middle of nowhere. This is just a short drive from downtown Riga – a similar amount of time it would take to drive to Disney from Orlando airport.

“It’s a fabulous site and we have received great support from the local people and the Government. Much of that may be to do with the fact the Government recognised the need for such a destination if Latvia was to attract tour-ism in any great number.

“Indeed a minister has gone on record as saying ‘what is lacking in Latvia is a resort complex outside of Riga’.

“Well here it is – all waiting to be devel-oped.”

The economic climate may not be great – under normal circumstances one could expect to see such a tract of land on the market for at least twice the current asking price – but just occasionally some-thing comes up which, even in a buyers’ market, is still an attractive deal for the seller.

This may well be that something. GME

(44) 01394 380800 | ppcgolf.com

Located in Dobele, Latvia, 45 minutes from Riga International airport, this 294-hectare site comprises planning for an 18 hole golf course, 596 residential plots and a 300-room hotel complex.Guide Price: EUR 8.5 Million.

To view this, and other golf courses for sale throughout the UK, Europe, The Middle East and Africa, register your interest at ppcgolf.com — the company that really understands the business of golf.

PPC

FranceIrelandLatviaMoroccoSpainSwedenUnited Kingdom

20 GME JULY 2009

war golf

What did golfers do in the war, gran-dad? Good question, young man.

In 1939 when it all started I was learn-ing at Haste Hill which a hickory-shafted mashie niblick and cut-down spoon.

As a boy I was hooked on aircraft recognition and being in the Air Scouts. Haste Hill was not a long way from the RAF aerodrome at Northolt in Middlesex so I could check the planes and also pretend I was Henry Cotton.

It was not long before I was seeking shelter when the sirens sounded but golf went on.

Once, I remember my father pointing out a figure on the first tee saying that he had been over Germany the previ-ous night. I was filled with

awe and wonder to this day whether my unknown hero

survived the war.Keeping out of harm’s way

when the bombing intensified was the concern of parents for their children but us little beggars were more intent on watching the Heinkel’s and Dornier’s than seeking shel-ter. Nobody in our gang was

hurt.Not so lucky were golfers on

the South Coast or Hell Fire Corner as part of Kent became

known when under bombardment from both aircraft and long range guns. This vulnerable slice of a sceptered isle was indeed Britain’s front line after the evacuation from Dunkirk.

Golf courses, many of which lay in the path of an anticipated invasion, were turned into armed camps. But, here and there amid the slit trenches, tank traps, searchlights, anti-aircraft batteries, barbed wire entanglements, mines and assault courses, golf WAS played.

In war the enemy became personal-ised... Hitler wasn’t going to stop us play-ing golf or cricket or football!

While Britain stood alone, its golfers comprising those too old to fight, remained defiant and even conformed to a set of rules framed covering war time conditions. A certain Major Edsell, secre-tary of St Mellons in Monmouthshire, laid down the following: “Bomb splinters may be removed without penalty.

“A ball moved by enemy action may be replaced as near as possible to where it lay, or if lost or destroyed, a ball may be dropped not nearer the hole without penalty

“A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb or shell, or by machine gun fire, may play another ball from the same place. Penalty, one stroke.”

Golfers were warned that red and white flags marking delayed action bombs were placed at a, reasonably but not guaran-teed safe distance.

That didn’t bother Charlie Macey, the eccentric Crowborough Beacon profes-sional. In June, 1944 he played 12 rounds in a day at Folkestone, starting at 7am and finishing 10.50pm.

At 11am the shell warning sounded and the heavy stuff began to drop. Macey, who liked doing all sorts of crazy golfing

The lasting effects of warJohn Vinicombe casts a nostalgic look back at how golf fared during the Second World War...

JULY 2009 GME 21

stunts, stopped for 15 minutes to munch a sandwich and quaff a glass of ginger beer.

He trudged 40 miles and played 949 shots. Just as reckless were his four caddies including an army corporal and a policeman. Sixteen-inch shells fired from the French coast evidently didn’t put Charlie off his stroke. By the end of the war the course was pitted by over 100 craters.

Some Kent courses closed for the dura-tion and all requisitioned in some form or another. Lord Brabazon likened the use of Prince’s at Sandwich when taken over by the army for target practice, to throwing darts at a Rembrandt.

The ninth fairway there provided an emergency happy landing for Wing Commander Laddie Lucas, DSO, DFC, MP who was to captain the Walker Cup team in 1949 and indisputably the best left handed player in the country.

He knew what he was doing as his crip-pled Spitfire lost height following a dog fight. Lucas had been born in the club-house during the time his father was secretary and an intimate local knowledge enabled him to avoid the poles erected to deter glider landings and walk from his aircraft in one piece.

Unannounced arrivals, either friend or foe were an everyday occurrence during the Battle of Britain. The secretary at Ham Manor in West Sussex was alerted that a German dive bomber had touched-down on a fairway undamaged.

The two-man crew were greeted in brisk fashion with a reminder that they were prisoners-of-war and an armed escort was on the way.

The secretary, calling on his Great War experience and fingering his service revolver, added that it would be unwise to try any, “monkey business.” A green fee was not required and the Luftwaffe were duly granted the brief courtesy of the course and friends would be welcome.

This was not the case at Hill Barn in Worthing where head greenkeeper Fred Harris was machine-gunned by a Heinkel 111 as he cycled frantically down the 11th fairway seeking the refuge of his cottage.

The German plane was being chased by two Spitfires who brought it down a couple of miles away.

The other side of the coin came later in the war. An RAF Halifax bomber, return-ing from a raid, crashed and exploded in dense woodland on Mannings Heath.

Fittingly, there is a plaque commemo-rating the tragedy in the clubhouse. And at Willingdon, near Eastbourne, a Liberator plunged into a hillside. There were no survivors.

Greatly mourned was Pam Barton, the British women’s champion who took a commission in the WAAF. She was killed aged 26 as a passenger in a light aircraft piloted by a boyfriend that crashed on the way from Manston to a party. Her grave is at Biggin Hill.

A golfer at Cooden Beach which was strewn with mines, was killed when he strayed off the line, while at Crowborough there is a memorial to the Canadian soldiers killed by a flying bomb near the fourth tee.

One of the key locations in the D-Day landings was at Rye. Hidden under the 18th fairway lay huge petrol tanks that fed Pluto, the pipeline under the ocean that

pumped precious fuel to the invading armies. All the impedimenta of war was concentrated in and around the famous links on Camber sands.

There was even an old French 75mm cannon close to the 11th green. It is not known if there was any ammunition but it was better than nothing in the dark days of 1940.

The clubhouse remained unscathed until a flying bomb exploded a long putt away in 1944. The Doodlebug blew a huge crater in the vicinity of the 15th fair-way and the blast accounted for the roof and south facing part of the build-ing.

Staff, trapped in the cellar, were shaken but otherwise unhurt. Play proceeded on part of the course and the survival of the club depended entirely on the dozen elderly members who made their way there to keep it in running order.

While some clubs kept going The Dyke, situated on top of the Downs north of Brighton and Hove, was not so fortunate. The course was taken over completely and used as a firing range and tank testing ground by Canadian troops.

Armoured vehicles churned the fair-ways and greens beyond recognition and artillery blew the clubhouse to smither-eens. Somehow, don’t ask me how, a singularly obdurate greenkeeper refused to budge amid shot and shell and lived to tell the tale.

Neighbouring clubs like Pyecombe and Lewes were headquarters of the Home Guard as well as battle schools for soldiers preparing for the invasion.

Even today remnants of live ammo are being found, and for some time after the war bomb disposal squads were constant-ly being called out to deal with mortar shells that failed to explode.

It is not uncommon to find concrete pill-boxes forming part of hazards along-side bunkers and ditches, as was the case at Potters Bar recently when two were discovered after being hidden for years under overgrown brambles.

Unsurprisingly the Germans made use of courses in France, Belgium and Holland. At Dieppe concreted paths are still there that once served a radar station. The clubhouse was a highly acceptable Luftwaffe officer’s mess.

Goodwood, being close to the Fighter Command station at Tangmere, saw a lot of action.

The airfield, next to the golf course, was a satellite for Tangmere and, in the spirit of the times, the secretary Arthur Gilligan, former England captain, joined the RAF.

The war there took a back seat while the Canadian Claims Office deliberated on a claim form from the club for damage done by soldiers through shooting at the metal tee boxes. A settlement of £15 was

agreed. After the war the station commander at Tangmere provided air force labour

at 1s.6d. per hour to cut long grass and tidy-up the bunkers. Gerry had left his calling card; a jettisoned bomb formed a crater

at the back of the third green which remained until the 1980s.

Clubs had to wait some time after the war to receive compensation. Worthing got £949 from

the War Department for damage done to the course.

Royal Eastbourne was the siting near the 18th green of an anti-

aircraft gun. In October, 1940 while blazing

away at an enemy bomber, the gunner put a shell through the gable of the clubhouse immediately above the secretary’s office.

Members joked it was the only record-ed case of the secretary being fired at in a good cause. A plaintive letter on the subject to the officer commanding produced an apology and an assertion, by way of comfort, that the bomber in ques-tion had been shot down by another of the unit’s guns. GME

“A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb or shell, or by machine gun fire, may play another ball from the

same place. Penalty, one stroke.”

22 GME JULY 2009

lithuania

JULY 2009 GME 23

outside the box

Creative thinking is difficult at the best of times but when you’re facing falling membership numbers and an inexplicable lack of visitors, thinking outside the box can be the last thing on your mind. Just getting through the month can be hard enough.

That said, there are some who seem to excel when the chips are down, finding an extra gear when others would call it day. These folks are a rare breed and it’s thanks to them we have the occasional success story amid a torrent of bad news.

Take Haddington Golf Club, which recorded a loss of nearly £30,000 for 2007-08 but is now predicting a profit for the year ahead.

The reason for this upbeat forecast is raft of innovative measures designed to increase income and cut costs. To increase membership revenue, for example, the club removed its joining fee and offered full membership for £333 with two free lessons with the club’s pro thrown in.

The result was 180 full members joined the club between January 2008 and the beginning of August 2008.

Approximately £90,000 was also spent on repairs to the clubhouse and drainage has been improved across the course. “There’s now a great feeling in the club as numerous improvements have been made to both the course as well as the club-house,” notes club captain Andrew Douglas.

Further down the coast, the world’s 13th oldest club also seems to have caught the improvement bug. Despite being 177 years old, North Berwick is looking as fresh as a daisy thanks to a clubhouse revamp to the tune of £1.3 million.

New locker rooms and updated cater-ing facilities are just part of what Christopher Spencer, the club’s managing secretary, describes as an investment for the future. “When people are conscious of what they’re spending, the biggest sin is to cut service levels. They still have money but they want to spend it wisely.

“We want visitors to come back next year or in five years’ time, so it’s not about getting as many people to play as possi-ble,” he says.

breaking the MouldIt’s an often used phrase, but what exactly does ‘Thinking outside the box’ mean?

Mark Alexander talks to a few clubs that are bucking the downward trend by investing for tomorrow whilst implementing some ideas that offer them a competitive edge.

24 GME JULY 2009

“Short-termism doesn’t work. If you can afford to improve the quality of your course, facilities and service every year, you’ll reap the benefits.”

When it comes to continual investment, the St Andrews Links Trust isn’t shy in coming forward. Following last year’s £12 million Castle Course launch, the trustees at the Home of Golf gave the thumbs up to a substantial refurbishment of the St Andrews Links Clubhouse which was originally opened in 1995.

The property now features an impres-sive open-plan restaurant which hosts up to 170 people all of whom can enjoy spectacular views through glass walls to the famous St Andrews skyline.

Although he wouldn’t been drawn on the Trust’s total outlay, Ewen Bowman, director of operations, says its something that all golf clubs should consider. “Most clubs these days rely on visitor income, so it’s vital to get it right,” he notes.

“Golf clubs have to be warm and invit-ing if they’re going to attract the visitor market.”

Mike Woodcock, communications manager at the Trust, agrees: “If you’re trying to attract visitors, you have to bear in mind that competition around the world is so fierce and other countries are investing so much that you can’t sit back and expect visitors to come just because you have a restaurant open.

“When you have visitors, the whole experience should be designed to get them to come back.”

Bowman, who spent 17 years at Turnberry before joining the Trust in

2006, knows a thing or two about service and suggests investments should be tempered by visitors’ expectations.

“If you’re only charged £20 for a green fee, you not going to expect a five-star luxury clubhouse,” he says, “but we’re at the top end of green-fees scale.

“If you look at St Andrews, Gleneagles, Turnberry and Troon, who have all signif-icantly invested in their clubhouses, people expect quality and quite rightly so if you’re paying over £100 for a green fee.”

But as he explains, thinking differently doesn’t simply mean hastily opening the cheque book. “You have to get the service right,” he says. “There’s an old saying that it costs nothing to smile and it’s very true. A lot of clubs forget that.”

The Belfry has upped its catering credentials by appointing the former executive chef at Harrods, Stephen Wheeler, as its executive chef. The selec-tion reflects the perceived benefits of hiring recognised chefs who can attract customers in their own right.

One of the highest profile examples of this is celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s deal with Leisurecorp to launch a range of restaurants at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

But while attracting the likes of Gordon Ramsay or Marco Pierre White to set up shop might be beyond the pulling power of most golf clubs, approaching local restaurants to open franchises might not.

Privately-owned golf club operator The Country Club Group (CCG) takes a slightly different view.

JULY 2009 GME 25

Matthew Orwin, the group’s operations director, says diversification is the way forward: “We’ve followed a strategy of taking golf-only properties and adding premium-end products in terms of gyms, swimming pools and crèches.

“It’s a model business. From an operat-ing perspective, it’s about diversifying the product offering.”

CCG owns four golf clubs in the south east of England and manages a fifth, council-owned facility.

The idea is simple; instead of offering merely golf, the revamped clubs offer life-style leisure amenities through extended membership deals.

One of the first to receive a CCG makeover was Cranleigh Golf and Country Club in Surrey which reopened in June with a purpose-built gym, tennis courts, spa and children’s club, and double its former membership.

With subs increased by only £10, Orwin says it’s a numbers game that relies on supplementing traditionally male-dominated members with families.

“There’s stacks of potential left in our apparently struggling industry,” he says. “Revenues at three big chain operators are higher than last year and membership renewals are very good.”

Despite painting a rosy picture, Orwin has some stern words for clubs looking to follow the CCG template. “The industry hasn’t unleashed the potential of the sites its already got,” he says, “but managing one of our facilities is ten times more difficult than managing a golf-only facili-ty.

“So if you can’t make a fair crack at the whip managing a golf-only facility then you’re not going to stand a cat-in-hells chance of managing one of these.”

He argues that ownership structures prohibit many clubs from making the bold investments they need to survive but warns against simply spending your way out of the recession.

“If a club is struggling, I’d advise them not to spend £4 million on building a health and safety facility because there are obviously some inherent problems with the way the facility is being run. They don’t want to replicate that across a far bigger investment.”

The common perception is the golf industry is going through a tough time with falling membership and increasing competition for visitors. But with imagi-nation, commitment and vision, could this be the ideal opportunity to start thinking afresh? GME

“You have to get the service right. There’s an old saying that it costs nothing to smile and it’s very

true. A lot of clubs forget that.”

(44) 01394 380800 | ppcgolf.com

Situated on the idyllic Ring of Kerry in south-west Ireland, this 18-hole links golf complex comprises a 100-bedroom hotel with planning consent for 36 two-bedroom apartments. Guide Price: EUR 16 Million.

To view this, and other golf courses for sale throughout the UK, Europe, The Middle East and Africa, register your interest at ppcgolf.com — the company that really understands the business of golf.

PPC

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26 GME JULY 2009

recruitment

Whereas some industry’s seem to have an open-door policy to bringing in fresh talent with new ideas and renewed enthu-siasm, it seems golf has been slow to latch onto the idea that individuals with strong business acumen, from ‘outside the game’ might be able to give golf companies the kind of injection they need to step-change their fortunes.

Although it may be incredibly harsh and ‘broad-brush’ to stereotype the golf industry, it has suffered from ‘JFTB (jobs for the boys) Syndrome’ for too long and the more forward-thinking organisations are now transforming the way they find and recruit best-of-breed business profes-sionals to give them the edge over their competitors.

Ask any HR manager, either in the golf industry or outside, and they’ll all tell you the same. Cast a wide net and you’ll always pull in a huge catch – lots of people willing to take on the challenge of a new job, keen to prove they are the ‘right’ person for the role. But this meth-odology has one major flaw, of course.

There is no filtering system, no way of knowing who out of the bursting net of potential candidates will be the best-of-breed person who could transform the fortunes and performance of your busi-ness. And one of the major hurdles busi-ness managers’ do battle with in today’s climate is time, or a frighteningly obvious lack of it.

For some higher profile positions in the golf industry, you can rightly expect to

see more than a handful of applications landing in the office in-tray of the recruiter.

Then begins the potentially labori-ous task of reading the CVs, invit-ing people for interview and then

doing it all over again when you’ve whittled it down to a shortlist of ten!

Every part of this process is eating away at your time, which

is a commodity that you’d normal-ly guard like a winning Lottery ticket.

Were you to do an experiment and put a real cost on this recruitment process you’d be not only amazed at the amount of time you’d lost, but you’d also be left wondering how you could potentially ‘invest’ that lost money in a service that could take this recruitment pain away from your desk.

Wayne Sheffield, general manager at The Wisley Golf Club in Surrey, fully endorses the use of a specialist recruit-ment business, and recognises the time they could save him but also sees them as a lever to unlock candidates that, other-wise, would not be found through tradi-tional golf industry routes.

Sheffield said: “At The Wisley, people are our most important asset as the exact-ing requirements of our membership can only be met by a team of people who want to excel. Our working hours, quality of facilities and benefits package help us to maintain the right staff and minimise turnover, however, it is also important that we continually assess our quality.

“This, inevitably, involves us looking outside of our immediate golfing market for high quality staff, service standard and benchmarks from the world’s leading hotels, leisure and commerce.

“Clearly there is a significant value from external agencies in introducing such candidates and for the golf industry, adding such strength and skill base can only be a good thing.”

Of course, there will always be a need to recruit people but it is how people are recruited that is the important factor to be considered. Golf clubs or companies can no longer afford to take the risk of relying on the old fashioned ways of networking or finding the ‘right’ person through advertising, because they are then likely to miss out on the best candidates.

Some golf companies are already look-ing beyond golf to find exceptional talent and see parallels in the merchandising, marketing and sell-though of golf equip-ment with FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) businesses.

Time for Golf to TransformAs John McKenzie discovers, the business of golf has a huge opportunity to professionally develop existing people and recruit new best-of-breed candidates with fresh ideas and strong skill sets.

WEBlInK; COLTMM.COM

JULY 2009 GME 27

Callaway has brought in key individuals from outside of golf in the past – and continues to do so – seeing the clear busi-ness benefits of the fresh ideas these indi-viduals can bring to an organisation.

Penny Harrison, HR director for Callaway, said: “The channels in which we sell our products can benefit signifi-cantly from FMCG disciplines and knowledge, therefore individuals with this type of experience are of interest to Callaway.

“It’s important we have the best people with a combination of skills gained both within and outside of the industry in our organisation.”

This type of approach is also something Colt Mackenzie McNair – the leading specialist search and recruitment business serving the golf industry – is keen to educate the wider golf industry on. And it is already introducing new attitudes – and people – into the game.

Richard Wood, co-founder of Colt Mackenzie McNair, said: “The golf industry has got to realise it has to become more commercial and it must look to recruit people with more commer-cial experience.

“In some cases, I’m in no doubt that people have been employed not because of what they know, but who they know.”

Wood is also quick to endorse the way some companies, like Callaway, spread the net wider and look outside the indus-try for candidates with new talent that will bring additional value to businesses.

He added: “We should not dismiss people because they may not have any core golf knowledge. People who have worked in an FMCG environment are likely to have far more experience of dynamic business methods, something golf, in my opinion, is sadly lacking.

“Golf is not just about golf clubs, it involves so many other sectors including real estate, resorts, food and beverage, tourism and event management and a different outlook to recruitment is neces-sary to employ the best people in these roles.”

Although recruitment specialists can deliver exceptional candidates there is still a strong onus on organisations to under-stand what type of individual they are looking for.

What are the key skills required for the job? What background must the right person have? What personal attributes are essential?

The initial brief is as vital as the candi-date it delivers. It sounds common sense, but as Wood is quick to point out, some golf businesses fall at the first hurdle.

He said: “A quality, well-thought-out brief is essential for us the deliver the right candidate. Businesses must under-stand that the more detail we have, the greater the likelihood of finding the perfect candidate. I can’t stress enough how vital this part of the process is.”

Penny Harrison, at Callaway, added: “When we are recruiting for a senior position we would normally issue a detailed brief to two or three agencies and ask them to pitch back to us.

“The agency that has interpreted our brief the best would work with us on find-ing suitable candidates.”

“We have a small HR department here and an agency helps us with the initial search and background work and takes on a much wider search, in line with the brief we’ve given them.”

And to reinforce this point, Callaway has successfully used a specialist agency to recruit a new marketing director from a European FMCG business.

There is no doubt that people – the right ones with the right skills in the right jobs – and an injection of new business talent, from industries like financial serv-ices or even large blue chip multi-nation-als, will help to truly define golf as a genuine place for professional, best-of-breed people. GME

“In some cases, I’m in no doubt that people have been employed not because of what they know, but who they know.”

28 GME JULY 2009

egcoa

With more than 35 million registered users, LinkedIn has become an excep-tional tool for business-oriented network-ing. LinkedIn is a network of profession-als from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries.

You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals. For example, executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members. The millions of professionals from all different businesses use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities.

Getting started is quite simple: surf to www.linkedin.com and create a personal profile. This is more or less the same as your curriculum vitae: a professional identity online.

A LinkedIn profile sums up your education and working experiences, with the possibility to add your main responsi-bilities of your current job, a description of projects that you are involved in or results that you have established. To utilise your LinkedIn profile, it is best to explain what your company stands for.

What services or products do you offer to other LinkedIn users? What distin-guishes you from others? If you see your profile from this point of view, it can be a

effective and free way to market your company or in this case, your golf course. It is even possible to add slide shows to your profile, which further enables the possibility to show people what you have to offer.

Once you have created a profile, join the EGCOA LinkedIn Group. Hundreds of golf course owners, golf managers and suppliers already have a LinkedIn profile and with the goal of bringing the European golf business together in mind, the EGCOA has recently launched a so called ‘group’ on LinkedIn.

A LinkedIn group is a gathering of like minded users, mostly from the same busi-ness or organisation. Groups are more or less like traditional Internet forums, and are used widely to discuss topics of mutu-al concern in various businesses.

The big advantage of LinkedIn is that you don’t have to visit the website to stay up-to-date; a brief summary of news and discussions will be delivered in your e- mail inbox once a week.

It is easy to become a member of the EGCOA LinkedIn Group. Once you are a member of the group, there are three main features to be used.

The first is the possibility to ask ques-tions and participate in discussions. In the EGCOA group, you can ask any question

One of the main goals of the EGCOA is to facilitate networking for owners and managers of golf courses. Social media outlets such as LinkedIn can be highly effective tools to realise this as Tibbe Bakker describes.

Getting linked together

WEBlInK; EGCOA.EU

JULY 2009 GME 29

about managing your golf course, mainte-nance, suppliers, etc. Your fellow colleagues around Europe will help you out.

As a member of the group, it is possible to see all questions and given answers from other members. Members can utilise LinkedIn to discuss a myriad of topics; to search for new employees, choosing the right software system for your business, dealing with the organisation of tourna-ments, food and beverage ideas, emergency procedures and no-show policies.

These are just a sampling of the topics. In the EGCOA group, recent discussions focused on the effect of the credit crunch for the European golf business and suggestions for the European Golf Business Conference 2009, that will take place in Amsterdam between December 2-4, 2009.

The second feature is the possibility to send messages and contact other golf course owners and managers. Once a member of the EGCOA LinkedIn group, you can view all profiles from other members. Most members include contact details in their profile.

The third feature enables users to post jobs and vacancies, but also to look for new staff. A LinkedIn group is an excel-lent medium to recruit new people for your course.

Once you’ve found a suitable person, take a look at their profile to get to know him or her.

Suppliers and companies in the golf business are also welcome to join the

EGCOA Group. The EGCOA Corporate Membership enables

this. Although it is not allowed to

spread commercial messages, the Corporate Membership is a very effective way to stay informed about the issues and problems that golf course owners have to deal with on a daily basis. Next to this entrance to the

EGCOA LinkedIn Group, a Corporate Member has the same

package of benefits that normal EGCOA members have, including subscriptions to important golf business magazines such as Golf Management Europe, member rate to participate in the European Golf Business Conference and membership of the American NGCOA.

The number of members in the EGCOA LinkedIn group, and thus its effectiveness, grows every week.

For more information on LinkedIn, these are some useful websites to visit including www.linkedintelligence.com, www.imonlinkedinnowwhat.com and www.linkedintuition.com.

If you need support to join the EGCOA LinkedIn group, contact Tibbe Bakker at tb@egcoa.eu. GME

(44) 01394 380800 | ppcgolf.com

A 27-hole golf complex in the south of Sweden incorporating a driving range, indoor practice facility and approximately 11 acres of development land allocated for residential homes and apartments.Guide Price: EUR 4 Million.

To view this, and other golf courses for sale throughout the UK, Europe, The Middle East and Africa, register your interest at ppcgolf.com — the company that really understands the business of golf.

PPC

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30 GME JULY 2009

polish golf

Before the world came to a shuddering halt last year, there was a strange perfume in the air. It had the distinct scent of confidence.

If you can remember that far back, you may recall a particular form of optimism surrounding golf-led property develop-

ments and expectation thrust upon emerging hot spots. With money to burn, developers sought virgin land with which to drive through projects and

spread the word of golf.Former Eastern block

countries looked liked the perfect candidates. After all, the fall of the iron curtain and accession to the European Union meant a raft of countries

were coming on line and awakening their economic

potential. Millions of people who had once been

denied the pleasures of golf due to its

bourgeoisie connotations were seeking out their own fortunes and were ready to play.

Poland’s expansion was rapid. At the start of the Millennium, there were only six golf courses to speak of.

Six years later, that figure had ballooned to 24 and the country commanded 20 per cent of the golf courses in Eastern Europe. Yet its colossal growth was borne out of hope rather than necessity. Despite having the 35th largest population in the world, take-up was slow and Poland’s courses could only drum up 70 active members apiece.

A year later, KPMG’s Golf Benchmark Survey revealed this figure had more than doubled to 164 but fell short of the regional average of 374. Not surprisingly, course operators in Poland were among the most pessimistic concerning their business, and that was when times were good.

But despite the poor take-up, golf development has continued in Poland even during the downturn.

poles apartWith golf in the traditional European markets still rather depressed, Mark Alexander reports from Poland where although very much still in its infancy, golf is perhaps slowly showing signs of growth.

JULY 2009 GME 31

Krakow Valley Golf and Country Club in the south of the country has been built on a 160-hectare estate which also boasts stables, a shooting range and skiing facili-ties.

Found an hour’s drive from Krakow, it’s hardly the most accessible place but the course more than makes up for the drive.

Joao Barros Teixeira, international sales director of Maexpa, a property develop-ment firm building 166 apartments on the fringes of the course, admits that while the course is good, Poland’s golfing repu-tation is often found wanting. “The opin-ions we’ve received about the course are very positive,” he says, “but Poland isn’t recognised as a golf destination. That’s something we want to change.”

It’s not surprising Teixeira wants to change things. According to KPMG, the average number of holes played in Poland is among the lowest in Europe and partic-ipation rates are as little as 0.005 per cent. If golf is to survive in Poland, it looks like it’ll have to rely on outside help.

“Poles in the UK have been living abroad for about four or five years now so they’ve possibly developed an interest in golf,” says Teixeira, who is originally from Portugal.

“They will inevitably try to develop some roots back home [and since] they’ve made some money, they may want to invest in something closer to their family. To have Valley Golf Village in Krakow is particularly attractive.”

While the domestic market in Poland is still finding its feet, there seems to be some optimism surrounding visitors.

This view is shared by Arthur Gromadzki and his wife Pamela who are major shareholders in Modry Las Golf Club in Choszczno in the West Pomeranian region of northwestern Poland.

“We need to take golfers from every-where,” he says openly. “Scandinavians are very keen so they travel down from Sweden, Norway and Denmark to play in the northern part of Poland. We already have bookings for next year.”

The Gary Player-designed course was officially opened in July following a protracted build programme that started in 2002. The idea was to capitalise on the growth of golf in Poland and accommo-date the fervent interest shown by more established, nearby golfing markets.

While the club has certainly attracted foreign visitors, Gromadzki says the Polish market is being pessimistically

undervalued. “The business case at Modry Las Golf Club was to attract a 50/50 split between foreigners and Poles, but we can clearly see we underestimated the Polish market which is developing very nicely.”

Although he wouldn’t be drawn on figures, he says almost 75 per cent of rounds played at Modry Las are complet-ed by Poles.

His wife suggests this reflects Poland’s growing wealth. “When Gary Player came over to critique the course, he wanted to know what we could expect from Poland. Ten years ago we would have admitted we wouldn’t have expected much, but we calculated that interest would grow for golf because people’s wealth would grow. So far, we haven’t been wrong.”

Although Modry Las Golf Club has only just been opened, it already has 100 members and has staged a number of events including the Polish Junior Championship. Not a bad start, and perhaps indicative of the zeal with which many approach the future of the game in Poland.

For instance, Poland’s PGA president, Marek Podstolski, is confident the coun-try will host a European Tour event within five years. “Our dream is to one day host a European Tour event.

“That’s still a while off, but in five years’ time, if everything goes to plan and a slot becomes available, then I’m confi-dent we will have a European Tour event in Poland.”

He also believes that despite the economic turmoil sweeping through golf, Poland is being gripped by the golfing bug. “Five years ago we only had fifteen instructors,” he says. “Now we have 25 fully-qualified professionals [and] this year alone we’ve had 20 young golfers join us so we’ve nearly doubled our intake in one year.

“This shows how much we’re progress-ing. It’s got to the point that some of the golf clubs are reluctant to release their professionals to play in tournaments at the weekend because they are so busy.”

For golf to succeed, it needs a strong domestic following, and that takes time to cultivate and grow. New courses like Krakow Valley Golf and Country Club and Modry Las Golf Club will help promote the game in Poland even if they initially target foreign visitors and over-seas investors.

More important will be the enthusiasm of everyday Poles to a sport that remains unknown to most. GME

“The business case at Modry las Golf Club was to attract a 50/50 split between foreigners

and Poles, but we can clearly see we underestimated the Polish market which is

developing very nicely.”

32 GME JULY 2009

my view

There are no two ways about it, the Internet has changed our personal and business lives for good and whilst it has taken the golf industry time to catch up with the modern world’s most far reach-ing technological phenomena, the indus-try is fast making up for lost time.

Through online video there is now a new way for clubs, resorts and destina-tions to promote themselves to the millions of golfers worldwide.

The latest information on clubs, cours-es, tee times, equipment, clothing, golfing holidays and even employment have been marketed online and through print media for some time.

Now the statistics endorse the fact that online video is not only here to stay but a rapidly growing and effective way to market to target audiences.

Visual Golf is the first company to offer this niche service to the European golf industry and managing director Tim Stansbury is sure that online video will be one of the prominent platforms for marketing golf venues and destinations in

the future.“Golf is a visual game

and when it comes to making choices on venues for a round or an extended stay, quality online

visual representa-tion is absolutely

essential,” said Stansbury.“Online promotional golf videos have

huge potential. Golf courses and resorts are visually stunning products so what better way than to use the medium of video to promote them?

“Online video will become increasingly important as golfers embrace new tech-nology and have higher expectations online.”

Launched in February 2009, Visual Golf provides video production and distribution services to golf resorts, golf clubs and destinations, giving depth to their online marketing strategies.

By providing golf venues and destina-tions with tailor made videos, golfers can view the product in a medium which is proven to drive enquiries, increase book-ings and strengthen brand identity.

The product is highly versatile and Visual Golf offers a variety of production packages ranging from under £1,000 to mid-range at £2,500, as well as more sophisticated productions priced on client request.

The formula is working. The company is less than six months old but it already numbers Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus, Emilia Romagna Golf in Italy and Donnington Grove Country Club in Berkshire among its clients.

Andreas Vasiliou, business development director UK and Ireland for Aphrodite Hills said: “As the golf industry continues to develop it is vital that we are innovative in the way we market our resort and Tim’s company is providing us with a cost effective digital marketing platform.

swing into online video with Visual Golf

With online video viewing figures rapidly increasing, the chance to present your venue through online video should be number one on the priority list, as Tom Cowle investigates.

WEBlInK; VISUAL-GOLF.COM

JULY 2009 GME 33

Visual Golf provides online video production and distribution services to the golf industry.

Whether you want to promote a golf resort, golf club or golfing destination, online golf videos have the ability to:

• Generate enquiries• Increase sales• Strengthen brand identity• Develop product awareness• Increase website traffic

With over seven years experience in the golf industry, Visual Golf offers unique services in golf video production that are unrivalled in terms of product quality and network distribution.

To find out more about our golf video production and distribution services, please contact us.

“Our unique visitors increased by 10% after just one month of the promotional golf video going live!” Christopher Strong, General Manager of Donnington Grove Country Club

T: +44 (0)20 8789 1876E: enquiries@visual-golf.comW: www.visual-golf.com

VISUAL GOLF

18th hole at Aphrodite Hills Resort – Cyprus

“By working with a specialist company like Visual Golf we are taking full advan-tage of the opportunities online video can provide.”

Christopher Strong, general manager at Donnington Grove Country Club added: “Our unique visitors increased by ten per cent after just one month of the promo-tional golf video being live on the website.

“The visualisation, professionalism and expertise of Visual Golf were greatly appreciated.”

Surveys carried out over the last year estimate that some 27 million people watched more than three billion videos online in the UK last June and Internet traffic to websites with video content grew by 40.7 per cent between February 2008 and February 2009.

UK traffic to BBC iPlayer has increased by 152.1 per cent over the last 12 months while it is predicted that the number of online videos watched will double in the next five years.

These impressive numbers support Stansbury’s decision to launch the new venture after seven years as senior prod-uct manager with Golfbreaks.com, giving him the ideal background to specialise in this field.

Stansbury explained: “When I started researching this medium with colleagues working in music video production, I found only a handful of examples where golf venues or destinations used video to promote their product and saw the poten-tial there.

“My production team has proven expe-rience of video production in the hotel and leisure industry and when combined with my knowledge and experience within the golf sector, we have a strong package to offer.

“Visual Golf has been really well received and most potential clients have said that it is definitely something they will be doing, it’s a question of building it into the budgets sooner rather than later.”

Visual Golf clients also benefit from an online video distribution network that offers excellent reach to European golfers and the company already has a number of distribution partners within the industry including YourGolfTravel.com, GolfToday.co.uk and Golfshake.com.

There are also a number of additional partners due to become part of the distri-bution network this year.

Stansbury said: “The key to online video is not only the quality of the prod-uct but essentially that as many golfers as possible see it - our distribution service ensures this happens.

“This can range from viewings on the clients own website, or video sites such as YouTube,” added Stansbury. “In addition, an important part of our job is to get video productions featured on targeted high-ranking golf travel and golf informa-tion websites.”

When all the arguments for online video are considered it’s hard to dismiss this cutting edge product and Visual Golf going from strength to strength. GME

34 GME JULY 2009

the last word

Given that I was raised in a working-class terraced street on a diet of 70s’ professional football it may seem incongruous that I take umbrage at crowd behaviour.

Following Portsmouth FC around the country as a soccer-mad teenager found me in some pretty unsavoury gatherings in the 1970s and 80s. But one expects a certain rumbustiousness at a football ground – I certainly don’t expect it at a professional golf tourna-ment.

For some years we had to endure the call of ‘get in the hole!’ at three of the world’s four majors, irrespective of whether the guy teeing off was doing so on a par three or par five. Imbecile!

Then, heaven forbid, it found its way across the Atlantic and people started shouting out the same thing here. Fortunately we have Peter Alliss to shame them on the tv commentary, but who does the shaming at the course?

And this year that lowering of stand-ards spilled over into downright unac-ceptable behaviour at Bethpage Black in the US Open.

Drunken fans had the temerity to heckle Tiger Woods while the world number one played down the inci-dents by saying: “They had a little bit to sip, I think. They had plenty of time in that rain delay, and I think they took full advantage of it.”

Such behaviour is totally and utterly unacceptable on a golf course, and just because Tiger doesn’t wish to create a fuss, it should not go unchecked.

Anybody heckling at a professional golf event should be ejected, without appeal. Personally I would take a four-iron to them, but the mealy-mouthed liberals probably wouldn’t allow it.

Sadly, such behaviour is not limited to golf. The lowering of social standards can be seen everywhere – especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

But some places – or sports – have always been above such uncouth conduct. Golf it seems has finally succumbed and so, judging by this year’s Wimbledon, has tennis.

The fact that people can yell out during a player’s ball-toss is unforgivea-ble. Again ejection is too good for them – yet they don’t even get that.

What next? Tiger Woods holing out on the 72nd hole of a major to chants of “Who’s the w***** in the red?”

In my day you were ejected from sporting events just for wearing the wrong colour scarf. What’s happened to the world? GME

Time to eject those who chant and abuse on course

“Anybody heckling at a professional golf event should be ejected, without appeal. Personally I would take a four-iron to them, but the mealy-mouthed liberals probably wouldn’t allow it.”

david bowerseditorial@portman.uk.com

(44) 01394 380800 | ppcgolf.com

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