GMé | issuu 58

GolfManagement Europe

UK £5.00 Eur €7.00US $10.00

Almost a century of golf had been played atDun Laoghaire Golf Club, but now the club has

a sparkling new 27-hole facility outside Dublin.page 15

nothing waters like a deereA new name in golf irrigation is about to reign supreme,as John Deere prepares to take Europe by storm

issue 58january 2008

THE LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE PAN-EUROPEAN GOLF INDUSTRY

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JANUARY 2008 GME 3

publisher’s editorial

Golf Management Europe is publishedsix times per annum by PPC Portman.

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Editor John VinicombeNews Editor David BowersContributors Nick Bayly, Neville Johnson,Kevin Marks, Jon Mawson

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© Portman Publishing andCommunications Limited 2008

Jimmy Greaves used to say football “isa funny old game.” Yet it is but a smirkcompared to the belly laughs golf canoften throw up. Let’s take the use of GPSrangefinders. Last month the PGAreached a landmark decision to allowtheir use in all events including nationalchampionships.

Yet a number of clubs have alreadyexpressed their intention to carry onbanning usage in club competitions.Where is the sense in that?

PGA chief executive Sandy Jonesknew there would be some Luddites –but was at great pains to point out thebenefits at all levels.

“I’m aware a number of traditionalistsmight well be appalled by this decisionbut the evidence suggests that usingrangefinders really helps improve paceof play so it is difficult to see why such adecision should be detrimental to thegame,” he said.

“Slow play in professional and amateurgolf has increasingly become an issueand we’ve taken the decision toembrace technology in a bid to resolvethis problem and increase enjoyment ofthe game.”

And to compound the ridiculous someof these clubs actually sell brands ofrangefinders in their pro shops, butprohibit their use on the course.

Elsewhere there are clubs missing outon a commercial opportunity by notstocking them.

I’m forbidden from using my hand-helddevice in competitions at my club,Ufford Park, in Suffolk.

Their argument is it gives me an advan-tage over someone who doesn't haveone. Hardly: We both work out ouryardages, but my playing partner has totake extra time in pacing his out.

The result’s the same, but I get there somuch quicker. And I often get asked touse it to measure out for my partner.

Incongruously, Ufford Park actually hasthe course mapped professionally but stillbans devices, while complaining aboutslow play in competitions. Go figure, asour American cousins might say.

Personally, I now only visit courses forwhich I can download yardages toenable me to play my round at anacceptable pace – and I can’t bealone.

While it’s heartening to see the PGAtaking a step forward, in the samebreath it’s distressing to learn of so manygolf clubs within the industry so unwillingto embrace progress.

Gutta balls anyone? GME

Embrace newtechnology –don’t ban it!

Michael [email protected]

John Deere launches its irrigation range of productsinto the European market.

5

Taba Heights is the latestresort course to open for playin northern Egypt.

20

Ruffin Beckwith is executivedirector of Golf 20/20, aunique US-based think-tank.

23

Luton Hoo is steeped in historyand now boasts one of thefinest courses in the area.

30

PPC

“it’s distressing to learn of so many golf clubs withinthe industry so unwilling to embrace progress.”

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Troon Golf, the upscalegolf course management,development and market-ing company, hasannounced that PaulDellanzo, vice president ofEuropean Operations, TroonGolf, received the ProSportMedia Five-Star Professionalaward at the PGA of EuropeAnnual Dinner and AwardsCeremony in Spain lastmonth.

Dellanzo has made asignificant impact at someof the world’s top resorts,opening and managingsome of the world’s greatprivate clubs and resorts asdirector of golf at WhistlerResort, Canada; head

professional at East SussexNational; golf consultant atDubai Creek and from therehe went to Loch Lomondand on to the role of gener-al manager at Doha GolfClub in Qatar.

During this time he devel-oped a reputation as anoutstanding teacher givingthousands of lessons to alllevels of players from begin-ners to winners on the majortours.

Before joining Troon Golfin 2002 Dellanzo served asgeneral manager at theprestigious Pevero Golf Clubin Sardinia, during whichtime, he introduced thePGAs of EuropeChampionship.

With his extensive industryexperience, Dellanzo hassignificantly contributed tothe aggresive developmentof Troon Golfs Europe Africaand Middle East division.

Today, the companymanages golf operations at29 leading courses withseveral under developmentincluding Castiglion delBosco in Italy and NavarinoResort in Greece.

“It was a great privilege tobe recognised for some-thing I have dedicated themajority of my life to,” saidDellanzo.

“Working for Troon Golfhas furthered my experi-ence and obviously theprofessionalism and expert-ise of all my colleagues atTroon has contributed signifi-cantly to this award.”

Headquartered inGeneva, Switzerland, TroonGolf EMA is committed todeveloping Troon Golf’spresence in Europe, MiddleEast and Africa.

This rapidly expandingdivision now oversees oper-ations at 29 courses in ninecountries including Dubai,Portugal, Spain and Englandwith further expansionplanned across all regions.

With global headquartersin Scottsdale, Arizona, TroonGolf is the world’s largestgolf management compa-ny, overseeing operations atmore than 190 courses in 29countries. Additionally, 35Troon Golf facilities enjoy aTop 100 ranking by nationalor international publications.

headline news

4 GME JANUARY 2008

ProLink Holdings Corp, aleading provider of GPS golfcourse managementsystems and digital out-of-home on-course advertising,announced earlier thismonth, with the knowledgeof Elumina, that it has termi-nated its agreement toacquire its distributorElumina Iberica, S.A.,Elumina Iberica UK Limited,GP ADS, S.L., and GP ADSLtd (collectively “Elumina”).

ProLink originallyannounced that it hadentered into a definitive

agreement to acquire all ofthe outstanding equity inter-ests of Elumina onSeptember 17, 2007.

“The parties intend tocontinue discussions andhope to move forward witha restructured acquisitionreflecting the changed busi-ness environment,” saidLawrence Bain, CEO ofProLink Solutions.

In the September andNovember editions of GolfManagement Europe, wereported that a DefinitivePurchase Agreement had

been signed between bothElumina and ProLink.

GME was premature inreporting that the deal had

been successfully conclud-ed and we apologise forany inconvenience this mayhave caused.

ProLink terminatesElumina Deal

Dellanzo wins five-starprofessional recognition

Gary Player Design andNicklaus Design have beenselected by The ShacolasGroup to create two cours-es for the Limni Golf Resorton the island of Cyprus.

Located on the north-westMediterranean coast, the

small mountainous town ofLimni will soon be the site ofa world-class resort aimedat European holiday-makers.

Formerly an old coppermine, the parcel of landdesignated for the Player

course is characterised by alarge crater which will beintegrated into the design.

In addition, the property israised up and set back fromthe shoreline, allowing forspectacular long-distanceviews of the Mediterranean.

The Cypriot governmenthas a strategy which allowsfor 14 golf courses to bedeveloped over the comingyears, and the Limni resort isthe first Player-Nicklausdevelopment in the wholeof Europe.

Player and Nicklaus team-up in Cyprus

The IOG and BIGGAhave ceased their investi-gations into a possiblestrategic merger of thetwo organisations.

A statement issued bythe IOG says: “The IOGBoard has decided that itwould not be appropriateat this stage to proceedwith the merger talksbecause the benefits toindividual members andthe profession as a wholedo not justify such acourse.

“However the IOGBoard, in the samecontext, remainsconvinced that discus-sions should continue witha view to developing acloser working relationshipbetween the two bodies.”

Alex Millar, IOG chair-man said: “Every avenuehas been explored andwhilst at this current time ithas not resulted in therecommendation for amerged body, it is hopedthat the lines of communi-cation between IOG andBIGGA will remain openand continue to benefitboth organisations andthe profession.

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JANUARY 2008 GME 5

FACTFILE;

on the cover

John Deere hasannounced the expansionof John Deere Golf Irrigationinto Europe for the first time.The company has beenproviding water manage-ment products and solutionsin the USA since 2006.

A comprehensive line ofstate-of-the art John Deeregolf irrigation heads, rotors,valves, internal replacementassemblies and accessorieswill be available throughselected John Deere deal-ers across Europe.

“We are very pleased tooffer this new product lineto our golf and turfcustomers,” said spokesmanDavid Thorne.

“Up to now, customers inthis region of the world havebeen offered a limitedrange of competitive irriga-tion products and solutions.

“Coupled with JohnDeere’s industry leadingequipment and dealer partsand service support, wenow have the ability toprovide truly unique andcomprehensive solutions forgolf and turf professionals.

“As the official golf courseequipment supplier to thePGA Tour, John Deere canbe trusted to provide green-keepers with the tourna-ment level quality neededon today’s golf courses.”

Initially available is a lineof internal replacementassemblies, comprising high-quality stainless steel rotorsthat will fit into a number ofcompetitive sprinkler heads.

Interchangeable nozzlesprovide a range of flow andradius options, and all inter-nal components are fullyserviceable from the top of

the rotor. Features includestainless steel risers, dualdirection flushing and abuilt-in rear nozzle forimproved coverage in vary-ing conditions.

The unique X Series golfrotors offer two adjustable

flow rates from the front andback nozzles of the samesprinkler head.

This allows more preciseand economic irrigation oftransitional areas of the golfcourse, such as greens andaprons or fairways androughs.

Completing this initial newJohn Deere golf irrigationrange are the reliableQuantum Series electric andhydraulic pressure-regulat-ed valves and electric dirtywater valves, and a selec-tion of hose end acces-sories. GME

WEBLINK; JOHNDEERE.CO.UK

John Deere golf irrigationlaunches into Europe

John Deere LimitedHarby Road

LangarNG13 9HT

NottinghamshireEngland

TEL; (44) 01949 860491FAX; (44) 01949 860490

“we now have the ability to provide truly unique andcomprehensive solutions for golf and turf professionals.”

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In its first year of opera-tions, the Robert Trent JonesII (RTJ II) designed StadiumCourse at Bro Hof Slott GolfClub, on the shores of pictur-esque Lake Malaren nearStockholm, has been votedSweden’s best golf courseby Golf Digest Magazine.

This impressive achieve-ment comes at a time whenthe golf course is alreadybeing heavily touted as aleading contender for the2018 Ryder Cup.

The brainchild of Swedishmulti-millionaire Bjorn Oras,whose aim even before heselected the course’sdesigner was to create aworld-class championshipcourse, Bro Hof wasconstructed withoutcompromise.

Although the harshNorthern European climateinflicts constraints on theaverage Scandinavian golfcourse, Bro Hof was built util-ising the most innovativetechniques in irrigation anddrainage, which will createoptimal playing conditions

for as long as seven monthseach year - a rarity in theregion.

Blending classic designwith innovation, RTJ II werethe first in Sweden to designgreens with undergroundventilation systems similar tothose found at AugustaNational, and the first to callfor the use of creeping bent-grass on fairways in theStockholm region.

All this attention to detailcontributed to Bro Hof’sselection as the venue for

the European Tour’s 2009Scandinavian Masters.

Robert Trent Jones, Jr.describes the course thus:“Everything is big at BroHof!The holes are longer, thegreens are bigger, thecourse has more water andthe bunkers are larger andwell-placed.

“Besides which the windalways factors into the play-ing strategy. On the dog-legholes you not only have tohit the ball a long way, youalso have to get it to stop.”

news

6 GME JANUARY 2008

Yeovil Golf Club’s 2007centenary celebrationswere made even morespecial after the eagerly-awaited arrival of twonew Toro ReelmasterSidewinder mowers. TheSomerset club took deliv-ery of them after evaluat-ing several other manu-facturers’ machinery.

Work has been completedon a new drainagesystem at Orpington GolfCentre in Kent. Clubowner Crown Golf hasinvested £10,000 in the‘pipe free’ sand slitdrainage project, in whichsmall channels areconstructed along thelength of the greens tohelp drain off surfacewater.

Plans are on the horizonfor a golf and countryclub in the Mallow area ofCounty Cork, Ireland. Theproposed multi-millioneuro development islocated on the town landestate of CopsetownAbbey, and Jeff HowesGolf Design have beenappointed as architects.

The R&A are to providefunding and support forthe first golfdevelopment initiative inCape Verde. The archi-pelago of islands off thewest coast of Africais set to become the nextgolf and tourism hotspotwith several golf resortsplanned as partof the country’s develop-ment initiative.

A country club is hopingto build a new golfing andspa resort in Cornwall.Lakeview Country Clubhas applied for permissionto build a £19m hotel, spaand 18-hole course in its220 acre site near Bodmin.

IN BRIEF; Bro Hof officially named Sweden’s best

Celebrity Fox Basil Brushhas been spotted playinggolf regularly at RedbournGolf Club, Hertfordshire.

Basil, who is now present-ing Swap Shop, took breaksfrom his starring role inCinderella at the St Alban’s

Arena over Christmas tosneak in morning roundsand driving range practicesessions at Redbourn.

Simon Folbigg, sales andmarketing manager atRedbourn Golf Club, part ofthe Burhill Golf and Leisuregroup, said: “It has been apleasure to have Basil play-ing at Redbourn Golf Club.

“Basil has become aweekday member and hasmade friends with many ofthe golfers here, and canregularly be seen playing 18holes in the morning or prac-tising on the driving rangeand short course.

“Golf used to be a sportfor snooty foxes, but every-one is welcome atRedbourn Golf Club, includ-ing Basil and his fans.”

Boom! Boom! as Basilswaps for the pro shop

A council’s green beltpolicy is putting members ofthe public at risk fromwayward golf balls being hitout of a driving rangeaccording to the owners ofa Berkshire golf club.

Motorists, horse riders,pedestrians and cyclists are

all at risk because roguegolfers are breaking therules and using highperformance golf balls atthe driving range at Bird HillsGolf Club, Braywoodside.

The balls are then clearingthe range and flying into thebusy Ascot Road say the

club’s owners, who haveapplied to the RoyalBorough to build a new 15-foot fence at the range.

But the council’s planningoffice has recommendedthe application be refusedbecause of its green beltpolicy.

Range balls putting public at risk

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Ransomes Jacobsen hasagreed an additional fiveyear extension to an exclu-sive supplier agreement withPolaris World, the develop-ers of prestigious residential

properties and golf coursesin the Murcia region ofSpain.

The agreement, atEurope’s largest golf devel-opment, involves the supplyof golf course maintenanceequipment, golf cars andutility vehicles to the tenJack Nicklaus-designedcourses in the region, whichwill be known as the‘Nicklaus Golf Trail.’

Polaris World has beenworking in partnership withRansomes Jacobsen since

the initial golf courseconstruction began back inmid-2004.

With the advent of thenext tranche of courseconstruction, new machin-ery fleets will be purchasedas each course comes on-line.

Francisco HonrubiaGrijalbo, a director at PolarisWorld, said: “We haveenjoyed an excellent rela-tionship with RansomesJacobsen during the initialthree-year agreement

signed in 2004 and thesupport we have receivedhas been exceptional.

“With the expiry of theoriginal contract we invitedthem and two other majorcompanies to put forwardproposals to be our machin-ery partner.

“We were delighted whenit was clear that, in terms oftotal commitment to qualityand a shared vision,Ransomes Jacobsen wasthe best possible partner,”he concluded.

JANUARY 2008 GME 7

news

Celebrating over40 years building

golf courses

{1966 - 2008}

Brian D. PiersonTHE GOLF COURSE BUILDER

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY

44 (0) 1425 [email protected]

www.piersongolf.com

HAWTREEGOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

Since 1912

5 OXFORD STREET, WOODSTOCK,OXFORD OX20 1TQ

TEL: (01993) 811976 FAX: (01993) 812448

WWW.HAWTREE.CO.UK

The Celtic Manor Resorthas promoted two of itssenior managers to the posi-tion of director as it steps uppreparations for hosting TheRyder Cup in 2010.

Gareth Rees-Jonesbecomes marketing directorat the five-star golf and sparesort in South Wales whileRebecca Joy has beenappointed special eventsdirector.

Rees-Jones joined CelticManor as campaignmanager in April 2004 andhas been head of marketingsince February 2005.

Overseeing a marketingdepartment of eight, he willnow be responsible forpromoting the new courseand clubhouse, built at atotal cost of £16m, whilecontinuing to develop theResort’s other facilities.

Celtic Manor appointsnew directors for 2010

Polaris World extends maintenance agreement

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 9:22 AM

news

8 GME JANUARY 2008

More than just a walk inthe Parc for EZGO

The Bristol Golf Club hasappointed Ben Laing as itsnew general manager.

Laing joins theAlmondsbury-based club,which is part of the CrownGolf group - Europe’slargest golf course ownersand operators - fromMarriott Hotels where heworked for ten years.

His most recent role wasas director of golf at StPierre Hotel and CountryClub in South Wales. Hepreviously held the sameposition at Tudor ParkHotel and Country Club inKent.

Laing comments: “I amdelighted to join The BristolGolf Club as generalmanager and to be join-ing Crown Golf.

“The club featuresfantastic facilities includ-ing a superb 18-holeChampionship course thatis maturing into one of thebest in the region, a nine-hole Academy courseand ten-bay drivingrange.

“These, combined withour beautifully-appointedclubhouse boasting stun-ning views across theSevern estuary and fivefunction rooms, combineto make The Bristol one ofthe best clubs in the Bristolarea.

“Over the comingmonths we intend toinvest in the club to furtherimprove facilities for ourmembers and guests.”

The Parc Golf Club, situat-ed on the coast betweenCardiff and Newport inSouth Wales, has recentlyadded six new EZGO golfcars to its growing fleet.

Terry Hicks, managingdirector of the family-runbusiness, began his golfoperation in 1988 when heopened a small drivingrange, which was quicklyenhanced with a nine-holegolf course.

A clubhouse followed,then a further nine-holeswere added to provide apar 69, 18-hole course.

Terry’s son Carl is thecourse manager and isresponsible for all courserelated matters. He said:“We originally operated justfour buggies, but demandoutstripped supply.

“We’ve gone for thepetrol-engined EZGO TXTgolf car on the basis of theirreliability and simplicity tomaintain.

“The golf cars are animportant factor in theatmosphere, ambience andgeneral golfing experiencewe offer here at The Parc,”he concluded.

John Deere’s worldwideCommercial and ConsumerEquipment (C&CE) Divisionhas concluded an agree-ment with Ecology GroupEnschede BV, an affiliate ofCitadel Industries ofHilversum in TheNetherlands, to sell its JohnDeere Enschede factory.

The Netherlands factoryproduces a number ofcommercial mower modelsfor Western European andNorth American markets.

Under the terms of thetransaction, Deere will sell aportion of the ongoingactivities and assets of JohnDeere Fabriek Enschede to

Ecology Group EnschedeBV.

The agreement alsocontains provisions for thecontinuation of traditionalJohn Deere Enschede prod-ucts as well as the contin-ued assembly of small chas-sis compact utility tractors,selected rotary mowerdecks and jumbo reels.

All of these products willcontinue to be availableexclusively under the JohnDeere brand name andthrough the John Deeredealer network throughoutEurope, Africa and theMiddle East.

Customers in the UK andIreland can continue to buythe 500 and 900 triple and1905 five-gang cylindermower models, and the 997zero-turn mower will beproduced in the US for theAmerican and Europeanmarkets.

Spare parts and servicingfor all current and previousEnschede products willcontinue to be availablethrough the John Deeredealer network.

Deere sells Enschedefactory to Citadel

Toro mowers a boon inthe wet for Pannal

Pannal Golf Club, nearHarrogate, is seeing signifi-cant improvements incourse presentation afterboosting its Toro fleet withtwo more mowers - includ-ing this Reelmaster 5610 fair-way machine as well as aGreeensmaster 3250-D.

Head greenkeeper at the18-hole course, Kevin Wroe,

said: “We did our homeworkand evaluated all the lead-ing brands before wesettled on Toro. Their buildquality is far superior, andthey have really improvedpresentation on the course.

“The Reelmaster is fittedwith rear roller brushes,which enable us to cut thegrass in very wet conditions

and still achieve a cleanfinish with no unsightlyclumping. With the rainwe’ve had this year thisfeature has been a realboon.”

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 9:24 AM

JANUARY 2008 GME 9

news

BRITISH ASSOCIATION OFGOLF COURSE CONSTRUCTORS

Promoting excellence inGolf Course Construction

throughout EuropeFor further information about the

British Association of Golf Course Constructorsor to join, please contact founder member

Brian Pierson on 01425 [email protected]

BAGCC

Brian D Pierson has nowcompleted the third nine-hole course at the originalDonald Steel designedChateau des Vigiers Golfand Country Club in theDordoyne, France.

Having competed his yearas president of the EGU,Steel is now back to full timeachitecture with two newprojects in North Americaand several more plannedin the UK and Europe.

Pierson has several proj-ect management contracts

in Europe, and has justreturned from putting thefinishing touches to a GaryPlayer Signature course onthe Black Sea in Bugaria.

Working with architectJonathan Gaunt, Piersonhas also secured a projectmanagement contract forthe first ever golf course tobe built in Macedonia - a 27hole design that willcommence construction inthe spring, and has furtherprojects anticipated inCroatia and Romania.

Pierson remains buoyant

KPMG hasannounced that itssecond annual GolfBenchmark Surveyhas won the supportof major golf indus-try businesses.

The ground-breaking survey,designed toprovide golf courseowners, operatorsand developerswith benchmarkindicators to compare their

business’ perform-ance againsthigh, average,and low-performers intheir geographicmarkets, is beingsponsored byNicklaus Design,Toro, GPSIndustries, TroonGolf andLeisurecorp, asubsidiary of

Dubai World.

“The fact such majorplayers in the internationalgolf development businesswish to sponsor the GolfBenchmark Survey is recog-nition of the fundamentalimportance of thisresearch,” said AndreaSartori, head of KPMG’s GolfAdvisory Practice in Europe,the Middle East and Africa.

“This is only the secondyear of the survey, but it isalready clear that we arefulfilling a need for compa-

rable business performancedata that has not previouslybeen available to the golfindustry.

“This year, the surveysample has almost doubledto nearly 1,500 courses, aswell as being extendedbeyond the key golfingregions of Europe, theMiddle East and Africa toalso cover fast-growingmarkets including India andthe Caribbean,” concludedSartori.

KPMG Golf Benchmark Survey wins trade support

Construction Remodelling Water Features

Tel: 01604 468908Fax: 01604 474853www.deltagolf2000.co.uk

180 Ruskin Road, Kingsthorpe Northampton NN2 7TA

BAGCC

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 9:28 AM

news

10 GME JANUARY 2008

Leeds Castle Golf Club, in Kent, has successfullyovercome a serious drypatch problem on its nine-hole course last summerwith Scotts H2Pro wettingagent.

Troon Golf has announcedthat the Bay Course atNavarino will be designedby Robert Trent Jones, Jnr.The legendary golf coursedesigner made his firstworking visit to the sitelate last year and metwith Captain Vassillis CConstantakopoulos,founder and chairman ofTemes, the developer ofluxury mixed-use resorts atNavarino in Greece.

Sunbury Golf Centre hasappointed BrodiePearmaine as its newgeneral manager.Pearmaine has worked inthe leisure industry for 14years, having been gener-al manager of Sunbury’ssister club CottesmoreGolf and Country Club inCrawley.

Kikuoka Country Club hasrecently added a six holecompact course withsynthetic sand filledgreens with three synthet-ic tees per hole, designedby Steve Marnoch ofGolfmarnochInternational.

Scottish First Minister AlexSalmond has attacked LibDem leader Nicol Stephenover his criticism of thehandling of the DonaldTrump golf application. Mr Stephen said thegovernment’s involve-ment with the £1bnAberdeenshire golf resortplan “smelled of sleaze.” Ministers will have the finalsay on the plans afterthey were rejected by thelocal council.

IN BRIEF;

Colin Montgomerierecently made a site visit tohis design project in Bahrain.

The Riffa Views' 18-holechampionship course, ispart of a luxury develop-ment which sits amongst1,000 villas, an internationalschool, leisure facilitiesincluding a tennis resort,nine-hole executive golfcourse, a golf academy, ashopping mall and a luxuryhotel.

Montgomerie is workingalongside European GolfDesign, the design compa-

ny of the European Tour andIMG, on the 27-hole golfdevelopment at Riffa Views,which is due for completionin Spring 2008.

Montgomerie spent theday in Bahrain walking all 18holes, with project architect,Robin Hiseman. He wasdelighted with the progressmade since his last visit inJanuary. “The differencebetween the look of thecourse now and when I washere last is amazing.

“The front nine has beenshaped and will be grassed

within the next few weeks.Now the back nine will takeshape, and I’m really look-ing forward to that.

“This is a very importantproject that I’m extremelyexcited about, and I’m veryproud to have my nameattached to it."

The undulating links stylelayout takes its inspirationfrom the dramatic wadilandforms carved out of thedesert rock over manycenturies.

The layout is expansive totake account of the fiercewinds that sometimessweep through Bahrain, withlarge, multi-levelled greensand open approaches toencourage bump and run,links-style play.

The flatter parts of the sitehave been shaped withdramatic, craggy sanddunes, which will be plant-ed out with flowing, desertgrasses, an imitation of thewild marram grass look ofthe traditional links courses.

At the end of the visitMontgomerie commented:“Everything I have seenworks extremely well, thiscourse will really put RiffaViews on the map.”

Monty enjoys the Viewsas Riffa takes shape

Norman plans to transform NorthopA Welsh entrepreneur is

investing £25m in an effort totransform Northop CountryPark into one of the UK’sleading leisure and countrypursuits developments.

Darren Norman’s plans totransform the park include a60-bedroom four-star hoteland conferencing facilityand a golfing centre ofexcellence, all within theexisting golf course and 247-acre country park.

The existing clubhouse willbe extended and re-modelled for the hotel and

conference suites. The firsttask will be to build areplacement clubhousenear the 10th tee.

Norman bought NorthopCountry Park in October2006 and the project is theculmination of a long-termambition.

Planning permission grant-ed previously for a hotel,leisure, conference and30,000 sq ft of office spaceat Northop Country Park isstill valid, and Norman hasapplied to Flintshire CountyCouncil to alter the position

of the hotel and leisure facil-ities within the application.

He said: “It’s taken twoyears of planning andacquisition to get where weare today and a strong andrealistic financial model is inplace to complete the proj-ect by 2010.”

Founded in 1993, thepark’s golf course opened in1994 and immediately host-ed the Welsh PGA NationalChampionships beforegoing on to play host to anumber of top amateurevents and competitions.

Ernest Doe and Sons,Ransomes Jacobsen dealerfor Essex, has recently deliv-ered a huge fleet of newcourse maintenance equip-ment to the Five Lakes Hotel,Golf, Country Club and Spa,situated near Tiptree in ruralEssex.

The equipment, with aretail value in excess of£500,000, also includes afleet of 20 electric powered

golf cars with onboardchargers and single pointbattery fill system for easymaintenance.

Commenting on the deal,course manager, PaulMillard said: “We run with alean team here at FiveLakes and therefore needquality equipment to ensurethat we provide our guestswith the optimum playingconditions at all times.”.

“Take the three JacobsenG-Plexs as an example. Theirspeed, efficiency and quali-ty of cut is excellent and wespecified them with rearroller brushes which result inless stress on the green.”

New fleet at Five Lakes

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 9:31 AM

January 2008.qxd 12/12/2007 11:29 AM

news

12 GME JANUARY 2008

Firma Thomas bvba,Ransomes Jacobsen’sdistributor for Belgium andLuxembourg, held a galaopening event recently tocelebrate the officialcommissioning of their newpremises in Merchtem, situ-ated between Antwerp andBrussels.

The official opening wasconducted in the presenceof over 400 guests, whoincluded customers from

their agricultural andgrounds care divisions,representatives from themajor suppliers and manu-facturers plus local digni-taries including the mayorand the local pastor.

The new building, whichlooks like a prestige motordealership, provides exten-sive space for a huge show-room, administrative offices,parts department and twowell-equipped workshopsdedicated to agriculturaland grounds care equip-ment respectively.

In his address to guestsFrank Thomas, a director ofthe family-owned company,paid tribute to the supportthey had received from their

major franchisees, NewHolland and RansomesJacobsen and had specialpraise for John Moore,Ransomes Jacobsen’s terri-tory manager:

Thomas said: “John hasbeen tremendously helpfuland extremely professionalsince we joined their distrib-utor network at the end oflast year.

“He has supported usthroughout this venture andhas become a valuedcolleague, highly respectedacross our business.”

The company, which wasestablished in 1931, joinedRansomes Jacobsen’sdistributor network late lastyear.

The English Golf Union(EGU), at Woodhall Spa, hassigned a new five-yearagreement with Toro for a

complete fleet of coursemaintenance machinery.The prestigious Lincolnshiresite is home to two

18-hole courses, theHotchkin - voted 47th in theworld by Golf Magazine -and the Bracken. Opened in1998, it perfectly comple-ments the Hotchkin, with itslarge undulating greens andwater hazards.

“This latest arrangement isreally a continuation of therelationship we’ve had withToro for around 12 years,”said EGU director of opera-tions Richard Latham.

“We had a look at othermachinery suppliers, but inour opinion Toro was stillahead in terms of qualityand performance.

“We are certainly commit-ted to Toro, and also havetheir irrigation system here,installed some while ago byPar 4.”

Courses manager SamRhodes said: “In terms of

precision and quality of cut,ease of maintenance andoperator comfort, Toro is ourtop choice.

“We also receive excel-lent back up from Toro deal-er Chris Sellars, and our totalconfidence in them to lookafter us is a vital componentof the deal.”

As part of its relationshipwith the EGU, Toro is spon-soring the EGU’s well-knownCourse Rating Manual,which is used at county levelto grade golf courses inEngland.

Lynne Fraser, marketingand public relations manag-er at the EGU, said: “WithToro’s support we canensure that the manual isproduced to a very highstandard and is a morehard-wearing and substan-tial document.”

EGU signs up with Toro

Swan flies east for Indian take away

Belgian Dealer opensprestigious new-lookpremises

Plans to upgrade aLancashire golf club havebeen approved by thelocal council’s planningcommittee.

Sherdley Park’s outlineapplication involves relo-cating the existing club-house and driving range,providing new access forvehicles, better pedestrianaccess and floodlightingto the car park.

The application cameabout after a reportreviewed the council rungolf course in 2004.

It found that the coursewas in excellent conditionattracting almost 90,000visits each year – signifi-cantly more than similarmunicipal facilities.

However, improvementsto the clubhouse and driv-ing range buildings weredeemed necessary toimprove security, upgradethe clubhouse and tomake the course moreaccessible for people,particularly young people,without their own cars.

Users of the existingcourse and range wereconsulted by St Helen’sCouncil as it drew up theimprovement plans.

Once the new facilitiesare in place, the existingbuildings will be demol-ished and the landgrassed over.

Swan Golf Designs willdesign the new 27 holeMysore Golf Communityclose to the Southern Indianroyal city for the SastryDevelopment Group ofCompanies.

Set in 550 acres of rollingcountryside just west of thecity the development willinclude an 18 hole course oftournament standard, acomprehensive academywith an Academy courseand a ‘First Golf Course’ for

beginners to the game andspecifically for the localpopulation.

Principal, Howard Swanvisited the site in mid-September after the formalsigning of the designcontract. Work began onthe project late last yearand construction is antici-pated to last 18 months.

The Mysore project is thesecond for Swan GolfDesigns in India. The prac-tice is already working on

the renovation of theKarnataka Golf Associationchampionship course inBangalore.

Commenting on bothprojects, architect JamesEdwards said: “India hassuch an exciting potential toexpand its golfing stock inmodern times.

“It has, of course, some ofthe world’s oldest courses,and we are delighted to beinvolved in moving golfforward in India.”

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 9:34 AM

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January 2008.qxd 12/12/2007 11:33 AM

January 2008.qxd 12/12/2007 11:35 AM

JANUARY 2008 GME 15

club focus

The name of Hawtree has been associ-ated with golf and golf course develop-ment for close on a century.

It is safe to say that over 300 coursesbear a world famous signature but thatdoes not convey the complete picture forHawtree’s experience is founded on morethan 750 projects and shows no indica-tion of grinding to a halt.

The Hawtree dynasty - FrederickGeorge, son Frederick William andgrandson Martin Grant are bywordnames in the practice of building orimproving on wide open spaces for thepleasure of others.

Today the nerve centre of Hawtree Ltdlies in a modest terraced house in

Woodstock, Oxfordshire which mustdate back to the late 18th century. A

big man must stoop to getthrough the narrow

front door surmount-ed by a brass

knocker.There are

associate officesin Denmark andGermany andyou cannot helpthinking that an

Americanequivalent of

Hawtree operates from astate of the art address in New York.

Hawtrees’ international portfolio hasrecently been further enhanced by thecreation of a new home for the membersof Dun Laoghaire at Bray just outsideDublin.

There are no shortage of prestigiousgolfing establishments thereabouts.TheK Club is one, Powerscourt another, tomention but two.The Irish and golf gotogether like ham and eggs.

Dun Laoghaire, however, is different inthat it is purely a members’ club goingback to 1910 but only since last Augustenjoying the new 27-hole layout andsetting at Ballymanglen.

After 97 years at Eglinton Park alongcame an offer from developers CosgraveProperties that the members couldn’trefuse.The old course, designed over 75acres by Harry Colt, became encom-passed by good standard housing.

But problems started to arise andconcerned, among other things, balls ingardens and similar friction involvinghealth and safety issues. It was time tolook elsewhere.

Some of the stalwarts were reluctant totake up the offer of the developers aninitial 856 homes on the southern half ofthe club land. The local council gave thenod to the scheme and there were only16 objections. Final planning permissionis still awaited and no houses have yetgone up.

WEBLINK; DUNLAOGHAIREGOLFCLUB.COM

When a property developeroffers the best part of£100m for your course, itcan be more than a littledifficult to turn down asJohn Vinicombe reports.

Relocation the key tofuture prosperity for

Dun Laoghaire

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 8:39 AM

16 GME JANUARY 2008

FACTFILE;

Dun Laoghaire Golf ClubBallyman Road

EnniskerryCo Wicklow

Ireland

TEL; (353) 01 272 1866 FAX; (353) 01 282 3533

EMAIL;[email protected]

GOLF DIRECTOR;Pat Smyth

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT;Barry Mc Elroy

CLUB FOUNDED;1910

It is anticipated that the entire develop-ment will see the construction of 1,700homes.

The new course, which is half an houraway by car, opened in August, 2007 onwhat was dairy farm land. The totalexpenditure for course, clubhouse andthe thousand and one other things was...wait for it... £100m.

Both parties consider it a good dealand Dun Laoghaire’s 1,750 members arelike kids let loose in a chocolate factory.

There are no vacancies and hardly aday goes by when all tee times are notfully booked. The average age of themembership is in the mid-60s and topwhack for an annual sub is 16,000 euros.

Pat Smyth, 55, the general manager,hardly has a spare moment: “A lot ofmembers who were not playing the oldcourse are playing now and cannot getenough of it,” he said.

“We are a members’ club and are notdependent on the many tourists, particu-larly Americans, who come over to playall the classic courses like Portmarnock,Ballybunion, Portrush and Royal CountyDown. Other clubs want bums on seats.We don’t.

“Nor do we advertise or go looking forbusiness. We are here to satisfy therequirements of our members. Nothingelse. It is not our intention to go for tour-naments like the Irish Open. We maywell have an amateur event in two yearstime, but nothing big.”

Padraig Harrington, the OpenChampion, lives just down the road and ittook the club president’s nomination toapprove his membership application. Inno way are the members snooty - thatdoesn’t fit with the Irish character - butthey have something very good and havegone the right way about preserving it.

Des Smyth, Pat’s brother who plays theUS Seniors Tour, had nine holes early inthe New Year and declared it to be, “thebest course in Ireland.”

So just how good is this latest jewel inthe Emerald Isle’s multi-sceptered crown?

I asked Marc Westenborg, lead archi-tect and one of the four designers whocarry the Hawtree banner. He wasinvolved from day one with John Bridges,another team member and specialistquantity surveyor plus 20 odd otherconsultants on the project.

Westenborg has worked ten years forHawtrees and reckons Dun Laoghaire, allof which is parkland, to be unique amonghis experience: “To begin with it was anexceptionally complicated project as thecourse is on the side of a hill at thebottom of a valley. A special conserva-tion area did not allow any water outlet-ing into it.

“Due to the intensive drainage, rainwa-ter harvesting is the main supply for the45,000 cubic metres capacity reservoir.

“The project began in 2002 when firstcontact was made with the club and thecontractors, Southern Golf, beganconstruction in 2004. Work was held upduring the winter due to bad weather, butpicked up to full steam in early 2005.

“There were many engineering andenvironmental ramifications but it wasturned into an ecological haven quiteapart from a spectacular golf course. Thesite is set in lovely surroundings of theSugarloaf mountains with glimpses of thesea in the distance.

“The three nines are known as theupper, middle, and lower, each with theirown distinctive landscaping style.

“The upper course carries on the Pinetree theme which already dominated thehills above the site, before graduallyconverting to purely deciduous trees onthe middle and lower nine where themajority of water features were construct-ed.

“There are over 20,000 square metresof reedbeds that not only purify thedrainage waters but also provide habitatfor a wide variety of birds and waterlife.

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 8:42 AM

JANUARY 2008 GME 17

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Additionally, the construction of sever-al large lakes, the planting of eighthectares of meadowland and over100,000 trees further add to the positiveenvironmental impact of the courses.”

Westenborg has worked a lot in Irelandand his enthusiasm for this latest triumphis not the reaction of a novice designer.

“The course is more challenging thanthe old and I think it is an exceptionallayout, design and construction and cancertainly compare or compete with thebest in Ireland.The brief was to design amembers’ course, not a championshipcourse.”

An important part of the brief was todeliver a golf course that had an instantfeeling of maturity, not simply the look ofa golf course set in a farmers field.

Along with intensive tree planting,large quite intricately shaped dramaticbunkers, the reedbeds, lakes, wildflowerand fescue areas, this part of the brief hascertainly been achieved.

“The bunkers are quite large anddramatic and intricate with grass tonguesand fingers and sharp, rising points ofsand,” continued Westenborg.

“The sub-soil is loamy clay and thefairways sown with Rye grass withCreeping Bent on the greens and all to

USGA specification. For the golfer tack-ling the upper nine there are rewards ofbreathtaking views. Those opting for themiddle nine have to avoid the lakes andwetlands.”

From the clubhouse in attractiveDonegal stone you play downhill andcross the Ballyman Road to enjoy thetranquility of the lower nine that has asouthern edge bordering the Glen whichis another environmental treasure.

It is a tribute to the designer thatmembers cannot wait to play. “Thecourse has been played to death sinceopening,” said Westenborg.

“If I had the chance I’d certainly be amember.”

Westenborg, who lives near Crewe, is aten handicapper who only gets to playfour or five times a year. He’s too busydesigning courses for those who canspare the time. His job is designing butdoes he think there are too many courseschasing too few golfers?

“I’d say not in Ireland, but, yes, in someparts of England and particularly aroundLondon. But there are other parts of thecountry that could do with more. InIreland there are lots of clubs with longwaiting lists.

“This one is a case in point.” GME

“We are a members’ club and are not dependent on the many tourists, particularly

Americans, who come over to play”

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 11:22 AM

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January 2008.qxd 08/1/2008 11:39 AM

yearplanner 2008

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January 2008.qxd 08/1/2008 11:42 AM

20 GME JANUARY 2008

taba heights

Located at the northern tip of the Gulfof Aqaba, on the Sinai peninsular,TabaHeights is Egypt’s newest championshipgolf course.With dramatic vistas of theSinai mountains and the azure waters ofthe Red Sea lapping the fringes of someof the greens, this is a truly spectacularcourse.

It has been designed by John Sanford, amember of the ASGCA, and measures7,100 yards from the championship teeswith elevations varying from almost sealevel to 70 metres. Each hole has five teepositions and with many target fairwaysand approach shots over lakes and floodcanal the course provides all golfers witha testing challenge.

The 14th is a monster and, at 640yards, is the longest championship

hole in Egypt, while the 17thgreen and 18th tee lie less

than a short wedge fromthe water’s edge.

The resort is ownedby Orascom Hotelsand Development, partof the OrascomGroup, one of the

largest conglomerates inthe Middle East with signifi-cant interests in tourism,

construction, developmentand telecommunications.They also ownthe El Gouna resort, with its 18-holecourse situated on the west bank of theRed Sea.

Paul Oliver has been the generalmanager at Taba Heights since November2006. He was previously head profession-al at JW Marriott, and has worked withgolf coach David Blair at various coach-ing venues across the UK having begun

his professional career at East Brightonand Bletchingley golf clubs.

Sitting in his air-conditioned officewith a strong coffee and a plate of

sticky Egyptian pastries he explainedwhat he is trying to achieve at the resort.

“Orascom have a very successful oper-ation in El Gouna and that’s what we’retrying to replicate here,” he said. “The

climate here means that we can offersunshine golf all year round, so our targetsector is the northern hemisphere wintergolf market and those who want to playvacation golf.

“We’re looking to central and westernEurope as our main catchment withprobably 80 per cent of customerscoming from the UK.We expect ourbusiest months to be January and March.

“We feel that we can compete with theIberian golf offering, in Spain andPortugal, because of our superb resortfacilities, guaranteed sunshine and a flighttime from the UK which makes Egypt, ingeneral, and Taba, in particular, easilyaccessible.

“We’re very active in our promotion ofthe resort, especially with the Europeanholiday companies and by holding tour-naments, whenever possible.Typically, weare in the latter stages of planning for theinaugural Taba Heights International ProAm, in association with GolfManagement International, which takesplace over three days from 27th-29thNovember.

“David Lynn, our PGA European TourProfessional will tee off alongside otherGMI Professionals from PGA EuropeanTour and PGA Challenge Tour.We’veEgyptian and Israeli teams entered intothe competition and the professionals willbe playing for a total prize fund in excessof £20,000.”

The first nine holes at Taba HeightsGolf Resort opened on October 1, 2006and by the end of November that yearanother five were in play. By ChristmasEve that rose to 17 and on April 1, 2007,with the completion of the long 14th, thecourse was complete.

The first tournament, the Championsof Champions for amateurs in the region,took place in June with Egyptian golferFarid Issa defeating American DaveFormas and Israeli Jacob Avnaim by asingle point to claim the first prize. In theladies tournament Lesley Cunninghamfinished a clear nine points ahead of thefield.

Taba Heights Golf Resort isa superb new desert golfcourse nestling betweenthe Sinai mountains andthe sparkling waters of theGulf of Aqaba in northernEgypt, and during a recentwell-earned holiday to theresort, Kevin Marks took alook around.

Taba scales newHeights at the Red Sea

WEBLINK; TABAHEIGHTS.COM

January 2008.qxd 14/1/2008 4:53 PM

JANUARY 2008 GME 21

“We we’re delighted with the success ofthis, our first event,” Oliver added. “As agolf and social event it was excellent andfrom a PR standpoint it put Taba Heightson the map as a golfing destination forour local market.We expect it to growinto a major annual competition forgolfers from all over the region andbeyond.”

We left the air-conditioned comfort ofOliver’s office and hopped into a golfbuggy for a tour of the course. It was avery pleasant 32 degrees centigradeoutside and an ideal day for a round ofgolf.

Our first stop was the large greenkeep-ing facility, which was hugely impressiveand would certainly be the envy of manynorth European greenkeepers.

I was hoping to meet TonyAboujaoude, the course superintendent,but he was away at El Gouna, where he isalso responsible for all course mainte-nance activities.The club has signed anexclusive supplier agreement with JohnDeere, so green and yellow machinerywas predominantly on view.

Unable to speak to Aboujaoude, Oliverfilled me in with the environmentalconsiderations that were taken intoaccount when the course was construct-ed.

“Building a golf course in a desert loca-tion presents a number of challenges,

which called for careful planning andingenuity on the part of the engineeringteam.The grass type, Seashore PaspalumSalam Var, was chosen for its droughtresistant nature, reduced requirement forfertilisation and pesticides, while deliver-ing a very good playing surface for golf.

“We obviously have an irrigationsystem and to ensure that it meets theTaba Heights policy of environmentalcare, all the plastic piping has beenproduced by the resort’s own recyclingplant utilising discarded plastics from thehotels.

“The lakes provide a watery challengewhile serving a double purpose as reser-voirs.The water is actually treated waste-water, filtered and cleaned at the resort’sown water plant and mixed with freshwater drawn from deep natural desertwells.”

Continuing the environmental theme,he went on to explain the rationale behindthe purchase of a fleet of 50 electric golfcars that are compulsory for all golfers.

“At 7,000 plus yards and the desertnature of the terrain, it was decided thatwe would make the use of golf carsmandatory from day one.We had achoice of petrol or electric and threecompetitive manufacturers who all want-ed the business.

“In the end we settled for the electricTXT buggy from EZGO, which is a very

comfortable vehicle, copes with theterrain very well and, of course, is emis-sion-free at the point of use.

“We have a purpose-built, coveredparking and charging area and use a rota-tion system to ensure that their usage ismanaged properly.”

We continued our tour, stopping tospeak to various golfers on the course. Iexpected them to be predominantlyBritish, but there were Swiss, Belgians,French, an American couple and aJordanian three-ball. An eclectic mix,which is fairly representative of the clientsusing the four hotels at the resort.

We drove the length of the 14th andwere very grateful to be in a buggy; it is avery long hole.We encountered the resi-dent camel by the 18th tee, before return-ing to set up the obligatory photo shoot.This completed, it was back to the club-house for a cooling drink and to thankOliver for his time.

Waiting in the shade of the clubhousefor the resort bus that serves the hotels, Iwas left to marvel at the construction andengineering feat that can produce averdant landscape in such an arid area.

Oliver’s goal is to attract winter golfersaway from southern Europe.With a wellmaintained course like this, goodmanagement and perfect weather all-yearround, I can’t really foresee any problemsin doing so. GME

January 2008.qxd 14/1/2008 4:55 PM

January 2008.qxd 16/1/2008 12:23 PM

JANUARY 2008 GME 23

When many in golf are complainingabout the plethora of industry confer-ences being held, it takes a confident manto stride on to a stage and be the firstspeaker at such an event.

Ruffin Beckwith had no concerns,however, when he strode to the platformto open the 2007 European GolfBusiness Conference, hosted by theEuropean Golf Course OwnersAssociation, in November.

Like a Las Vegas veteran, first onbefore Sinatra, Beckwith captured hisaudience’s attention from the moment hespoke until he walked back to his seat.

There were no tricks with this man.He’s just a likeable guy who puts hismessage across well. But he’s got experi-ence in working an audience.

The 59-year-old New Jersey-borninnovator is now executive vice-presidentof the World Golf Foundation and anexecutive director of Golf 20/20, a collab-

orative effort of many forces within thegolf industry including associations andmanufacturers – but he started out as amusician in Colorado.

He smiled: “My family is very musical.My mum was a trained, classical pianist,and my dad always played the standardsof the day by ear. I took lessons on fouror five instruments as a kid but gravitatedto guitar.

I attended a boys’ camp each summerwhere, for some reason, there was anabundance of guitar players – always lotsof playing and singing. I was influencedby the folk singers of that time and endedperforming songs by better-known artistslike Neil Young, Elton John and JamesTaylor, as well as more esoteric songwrit-ers like John Prine and LoudenWainwright.

“I never played with anybody of distinc-tion – it was always just me, a guitar, amicrophone and some stupid jokes.”

David Bowers wasimpressed with RuffinBeckwith when he met himin Amsterdam inNovember. A couple ofmonths later he caught upwith him again for thisedition’s personality profile.

in personWEBLINK; GOLF2020.COM

Ruffin has 20/20 Vision

January 2008.qxd 19/1/2008 6:12 PM

24 GME JANUARY 2008

Music wasn’t going to bring in thebucks despite his passion for it, sobetween 1972 and 1977 Beckwith workedas a writer and photographer for the USGolf World magazine, covering more than100 Tournaments in excess of 25 coun-tries.

It was his first professional associationwith the sport of golf – an associationwhich was to last some considerable time.

He said: “I was hired at the magazineas a writer but immediately taught myselfphotography as well and the versatility ofbeing able to do both, led to three or fourinternational trips per year, which was thesingle most ‘impactful’ component of mycareer.

“Covering tournaments in Bangkokand Rabat, Stockholm and theDominican Republic and all over Europe,gave me a perspective on the globalnature of the game that has helped guideme ever since.

“The common denominator aroundthe world is the calibre of the people whoare passionate about the game.”

In 1978 Beckwith moved on to join theLadies Professional Golfers Association(LPGA) in New York and was instru-mental in the creation of its first market-ing department.

“That marked my first real exposure tothe business side of golf,” explainedBeckwith.

“The LPGA commissioner at thetime, Ray Volpe, was a

great marketer; hecreated many impor-tant alliances withmajor corporationsand capitalised effec-tively on the attention

that Nancy Lopezbrought to the women’s

game in the late 70s.“I learned a great deal from

my time at the LPGA aboutcommunications and public relations,marketing and licensing. I’d alwaysconsidered myself a creative person, not a

business person, but from Ray I learnedthat business can be creative.”

What he had learned he did not waste.After four years with the LPGA Beckwithmoved onwards – and most would argueupwards – to join the PGA Tour in 1982.

He spent the next 14 years in variousposts with the PGA Tour where hehelped create PGA Tour Productions in1984; orchestrated the move to Florida in1989; and founded the PGA TourMinority Internship Program in 1991.

“When I started at the PGA Tour in1982 there were about 30 to 35 peopleworking at the home office; we all used togo out together for beers on Fridays afterwork,” he smiled in recollection.

“Now there are almost 500 people,most of whom, sadly, I don’t even know.To have been witness to – and perhapsplay a small part in – growth of thatmagnitude has been a privilege. And withthat growth came many unique opportu-nities to work in new areas.

“As an example, in 1983, I was askedto take my writing and photographyexperience and produce the PGA Tour’sfirst ever promotional videotape. It waswell received, so in 1984 I was part of theteam which started PGA TourProductions, our in-house productioncompany.

“That began as three of us in Floridaand a relationship with a productioncompany in New York.Today it’s morethan 100 people in their own three-storyproduction building at the World GolfVillage…”

Beckwith’s career continued to developorganically and a move to the World GolfVillage seemed almost inevitable in retro-spect. Now, the St. Augustine, Florida,venue is marketed as golf ’s ultimate desti-nation, but at that time, it was little morethan a concept on a drawing board.

Beckwith said: “That was a situation Ievolved into, having started working onwhat was to be a PGA Tour Hall of Famein 1990.

“Over the next couple of years the

“Covering tournamentsin Bangkok and Rabat,Stockholm and theDominican Republicand all over Europe,gave me a perspectiveon the global nature ofthe game that hashelped guide me eversince.”

January 2008.qxd 19/1/2008 6:14 PM

JANUARY 2008 GME 25

PGA Tour invited many of the othermajor golf organisations to participate inthe design and content of the Hall ofFame, and in 1994, in order to have aparent entity under which all these globalorganisations could come together in thebest interests of the history of the game,we created the World Golf Foundation,and I was its first employee.”

Beckwith’s current role is with Golf20/20 – which is managed by the WorldGolf Foundation (WGF), where he issenior vice-president.The mission ofGolf 20/20 is to “align the global golfcommunity behind initiatives that addressthe future of golf in a strategic manner,with an emphasis on accelerating growthin participation and interest creating newavenues of access into the game”. It’salmost commercial philanthropy…

Beckwith added: “I left the World GolfVillage in 1999 to start Golf 20/20, in aneffort to unite the golf industry in the USbehind a strategic effort to grow thegame.

“It’s a challenge, as it is a very fraction-alised and diverse industry, but we’ve hadsome successes.We actually went througha very interesting strategic planningsession just before Christmas and will beannouncing a new mission statement andsome new initiatives in the spring.

“I think we will be getting much moreinternational in terms of gathering andsharing information.”

That’s good news for the golf industryin Europe.The collated knowledge ofBeckwith and his Golf 20/20 team isexceptional, as anybody who witnessedhis speech at the European Golf BusinessConference would confirm.

But what he imparts might not bereceived all that well by the traditionalists.As an example, one of the key notes ofhis speech in the Netherlands’ capital wasnine-hole golf.

To the massed hall at the RenaissanceHotel he announced: “We should look topromote nine-hole golf as a genuineexperience, not as half of a golf experi-ence.We should make golf less intimidat-ing and encourage new golfers to play.”

It was a theme he was happy to discussa couple of months later, during whichtime the National Golf Course OwnersAssociation made him the 2007 winner ofits ‘award of merit’, presented to individ-uals who have made significant contribu-tions to the sport of golf.

Beckwith explained: “I hope the rest ofthe world will learn from mistakes wehave made in America.

“The biggest challenge we have is time.We have less of it, with many moredemands on our time, many more diver-sions to choose from.

“It is going to be more and more diffi-cult introducing new players to the gamein its traditional 18-hole, five-hour form.People just don’t have that kind of time.So we have to market alternative golfproducts at non-peak periods of play thatoffer shorter experiences.

“Some residential developments areadding shorter courses as an amenity to thecommunity, with a focus on kids, on fami-lies, on new players, on women’s programsand I think that makes a lot of sense.

“Hopefully there will always be a placefor the traditional game, but if we aregoing to grow we had better get morecreative.”

Given that the subject of the interviewrepresents an organisation called Golf20/20 it would be churlish of GolfManagement Europe not to ask forBeckwith’s perfect vision of golf in theyear 2020.

He said: “Golf in 2020 will be growingmuch faster in other parts of the worldthan in the US and that’s exciting.Thebest professional tours in the world willhave more eclectic memberships; therewill be great players coming from coun-tries where golf is now emerging. Maybewe’ll have our first Croatian Masterschampion.

“More than anything I hope it becomesa sport kids learn to play and enjoy whenthey are very young. I love the values golfembodies and believe strongly the gamecan make a difference in people’s lives,”he continued.

Sadly for the golf industry – particular-ly in the USA – Beckwith is set to takeearly retirement in April.

“I will remain as a consultant for aperiod of time,” he insisted. “I certainlywon’t stop working and have a number offull and part-time opportunities I amconsidering, but primarily I want to getback to writing and to travelling more,especially internationally.”

He’s unlikely to be short of offers, butfor those who might not be able to affordhis expertise, he was generous enough tooffer up his advice for a burgeoningfuture.

To the European golf industry, he said:“Work together in the best interests of thegame. Share information and ideas. Don’tbe reluctant to try new things. Listen toyour customers. And have fun with whatyou do ... and do it with passion.” GME

“We should look to promote nine-hole golf as agenuine experience, not as half of a golf

experience. We should make golf less intimidat-ing and encourage new golfers to play.”

January 2008.qxd 19/1/2008 6:16 PM

26 GME JANUARY 2008

Somebody once famously said a weekis a long time in politics. Not so dramaticperhaps, but a year is certainly a longtime in the world of greenkeeping - or tobe more precise in the world of theBritish and International GolfGreenkeepers Association which looks

after greenkeeping matters in theUK.

BIGGA’s big annual show-piece this month, the BTME showat Harrogate, is always a focalpoint for big issues, as well asbeing the shop window for

machinery and materials forimproving conditions on thegolf course.

Last year, exhibitor rankswere depleted by the absenceof most of the big name equip-ment manufacturers and there

was underlying concern thatthe show’s demise might be

around the corner.This was further fuelled by the bomb-

shell announcement as club managers

and greenkeepers were descending on theYorkshire Spa town that BIGGA and theInstitute of Groundsmanship, the bodywhich looks after the interests ofgroundsmen, were looking into the possi-bility of merging.

Twelve months latter the ‘marriage’ isoff and all the big hitters are back exhibit-ing. Long live BIGGA: long live BTME.

The show has always been - will alwaysbe - predominantly about turf manage-ment on the golf course.That’s what theexhibition halls ‘shout’ very loudly to visi-tors.That’s what dominates the Continueto Learn programme of educational semi-nars too.

The Clubhouse Show off-shoot isworthy and interesting, but it’s how toimprove the playing surface that’s reallyat the heart of the Harrogate Weekgoings-on.

The big hitters are back at Harrogatewith a vengeance after a year’s absenceand are taking the show as seriously asthey always did. For mowing, powersource options are the thing it seems.

harrogate week WEBLINK; HARROGATEWEEK.ORG.UK

No more merger talk as the Big Guns return

Neville Johnson takes an in-depth look at what visitorscan expect to find at this years BTME and Clubhouseexhibition in Harrogate.

January 2008.qxd 16/1/2008 2:22 PM

January 2008.qxd 12/12/2007 11:40 AM

28 GME JANUARY 2008

Ransomes Jacobsen for instance showsof its new Jacobsen Eclipse walk-behindmowers.These offer greenkeepers thealternative of using either petrol or drop-in battery pack - and come with fixed orfloating cutting units.They also have twoelectric motors: one for ground speed, theother for reel speed.

The Ipswich-based manufacturer willalso be showcasing the all-new golf carfrom EZGO, the RVX, powered by aunique AC electric drivetrain or a new13hp petrol engine.

Developed by the design team atEZGO’s facility in Augusta, Georgia, thenew golf car is packed with technologicalfeatures that will please both the golferand the golf course operator.

Another of the big mower names,Toro,has its new Reelmaster 6000 fairwaymower on display.This is now fitted asstandard with the manufacturer’s DPAcutting units, which allows adjustment ofthe bedding knife from both sides.

Watering the course is what the compa-ny really scores with this year and ToroIrrigation launches the simple to adjustDual Trajectory Series sprinkler, whichaims to offer more cost effective andaccurate irrigation of greens and fairways.

The big irrigation story this yearthough is the move by John Deere intothis sector of course care this side of theAtlantic.The manufacturer has been intogolf course irrigation in a big way in theStates for some time, but this is the firsttime it has made its products available inEurope and the UK.

On show is the range of irrigationheads, rotors, valves, and accessories thatwill shortly be available through selecteddealers up and down the country. Alsoinitially available are internal replacementassemblies, comprising stainless steelrotors that fit into a number ofcompetitive sprinkler heads.

The chore of trimming bunkers couldbe that much easier thanks to the AtomBunker Edger being shown by DJTurfcare, which says cutting throughsand and soil to sever underground grassrunners need no longer be a back-achingjob.

The exhibitor reckons its17-inch hard-ened spring steel blade lets you safelytrim bunkers up to eight times faster thanany other edging device. Bio-rubber gripson anti-vibration handles add to usercomfort.

When it comes to the grass itself seedproducer Barenbrug unveils a 100 percent fescue blend it says is suitable forclose mowing down to 5mm.

This mixture, BAR 22, is made avail-able to greenkeepers after a successfultrial period at Perranporth Golf Club inCornwall, which was looking for higherlevels of drought tolerance and betterwinter colour in its fescue dominatedgreens.

Sowing the most appropriate grass isone thing: seeing it’s always in tip-topshape in another. As usual there are plen-ty of ‘elixirs’ claiming this and that onshow. Among the more convincing offer-ings is DewCure being launched on tothe European market by HeadlandAmenity.

This liquid surfactant is designed togive longterm suppression of dew on turf.Now this could be a significant weaponagainst disease since research in the UShas apparently shown that minimisingwhat to greenkeepers is known as ‘canopymoisture’ can reduce the incidence of allsorts of nasties.

It’s also supposed to have a clearingaffect on frost for tees and greens. Just fora change we over here get to hear about aproduct ahead of America because itdoesn’t get its stateside launch until theGCSAA show in Orlando next month.

Also in the suppressing business is TurfAction Plan from Floratine.This time it’sgrass- attacking nematodes that are thevanquished by this new foliar feed pack-age. According to the exhibitor field test-ing here and abroad has produced veryimpressive results.

In the complex world of herbicides,fungicides and liquid fertilisers spraying itefficiently is everything. An exhibitor witha vested interest you might say, Scotts,has come up with an aid to accuracy andit’s launching it at the show.

Turf Mark Extra is a spray pattern indi-cator containing a distinctive blue dye,which shows a greenkeeper any missedareas and helps him avoid wasteful over-lapping.The new product also containsan ant-drift agent and a buffer to helpstabilise the pH of any spraying solution.

Water management is a fancy way ofsaying you make sure you’ve got enoughof the wet stuff and when you have youmake it count in the right places.Youcould have golf turf show with this as asingle theme these days.

This time around Vitax catches the eyeby launching a means of customisingwater management for its Aqua Aid prod-ucts.You feed details of your course’s soiltype, moisture levels and the extent ofthatch and black layer into a computerand you get a tailor-made treatmentprogramme to get things into perfectequilibrium.

Talking of water, worth a look if yourbunkers are always getting full of it is thenew BunkerBlaster removal system fromSisis, and from Charterhouse is theCC3000HL pedestrian Core Collectorwith a collection head said to ‘float overundulations.’

The show looks like a good one, butlike any party it’s the guests that make it.If you have anything to do with a club’scourse condition, it’s wise to be there. GME

“Developed by the design team at EZGO’s facility in Augusta, Georgia, the new golf car is packed with technological features that will please

both the golfer and the golf course operator.”

January 2008.qxd 16/1/2008 9:12 AM

January 2008.qxd 18/1/2008 12:32 PM

30 GME JANUARY 2008

Lorraine Chase has a lot to answer for.Her appearance in those TV adverts forCampari back in the late 1970s brought

Luton firmly into the publicconsciousness, and not in a good way.

While it didn’t seem to harm whatcareer the former model had going forher, Chase’s cockney tones will be

forever associated with this hard-working industrialBedfordshire town and its

eponymous airport.Shaking off its down-at-heel image is

not something that most Lutonians willlose much sleep over, especially now thatthey can lay claim to being home to oneof the most keenly-anticipated hotel andleisure resorts openings of recent timesfollowing the unveiling of Luton HooHotel, Golf & Spa in October.

Locals have been driving past the highstone walls of the Luton Hoo estate forover a decade now, wondering what wasto become of the grand 18th centurymansion that had stood empty since itslast owner, Nicholas Phillips, committedsuicide in 1991.

His unfortunate death forced the saleof the entire 1,064-acre estate in 1999 toElite Hotels, a fast-growing leisure groupwhose UK portfolio of propertiesincludes Tylney Hall in Hampshire,The

Grand Hotel in Eastbourne and AshdownPark in East Sussex.

Lying on the borders of Bedfordshireand Hertfordshire, Luton Hoo is one ofthe most famous historical buildings inthe south of England, having beendesigned by renowned Georgian architectRobert Adam and lived in and visited byroyalty, heads of state and wealthy indus-trialists for almost 400 years.

The Grade I mansion and the Grade IIlisted stables, which now houses the club-house and spa, are surrounded by 1,000acres of parklands landscaped by thelegendary Capability Brown, while theRiver Lea snakes through the estate.

Used as a location for films and televi-sion dramas such as Four Weddings and aFuneral, Eyes Wide Shut, Inspector Morseand Bleak House, today’s stars of the showare the hotel guests who receive five-startreatment from the moment they enterthrough the impressive wrought irongates and step back in time to an era ofopulence and grandeur rarely found inthe modern era.

Patience has been a virtue much indemand at Luton Hoo, none more sothan by Elite Hotels’ owner, who has hadto wait almost nine years before he couldget a sniff of a return on his investment -which is estimated at over £60 million.

The words ‘Luton’ and ‘luxury’have never been naturalbedfellows, but all that looksset to change following theopening of Luton Hoo Hotel,Golf and Spa, which promisesuncompromising countryhouse opulence and a brandnew golf course with anequally rich history. Article byNick Bayly.

luton hoo WEBLINK; LUTONHOO.CO.UK

Luton Hoo: The last word in luxury

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JANUARY 2008 GME 31

Owing to its listed status, a mountain ofred, white and blue tape had to be navi-gated, and numerous hoops jumpedthrough, just to get the project off theground. Once the green light was givenfor the restoration to go ahead, a veritablearmy of historians, landscape artists,specialist interior design and art consult-ants had to be employed to ensure thatevery last detail was in keeping with itscountry house heritage.

The actual building and renovationworks have taken ‘only’ two years tocomplete, with the final touches to theclubhouse and spa currently being added,but the other seven years were spentobtaining planning consent and workingclosely with English Heritage to ensurethat the integrity of the building and theparkland was secure.

One of the key attractions for visitors,apart from the 144 beautifully furnishedbedrooms, 17 conference rooms, tworestaurants and luxury spa complex, willbe the 18-hole golf course.

There has been a private nine-hole golfcourse in existence for a number of years,and that forms the basis of the holes thatare closest to the mansion, but new landreleased to the south of the estate hasallowed it to be opened up to a full 18holes, which occupies a site of some 250acres.

It was a massive project to reshape theland, with over 100,000 square metres ofearth shifted in the creation of the coursewhich was overseen by architect MichaelSmith and his team from Mass Designs.

At 7,100 yards off the back tees, thepar 73 course is one of the longest cours-es in the country and will no doubt bevying to host EuroPro and ChallengeTour events in the not too distant future,but four sets of tees on each hole allowthe course to be played at a moremanageable 6,810 or 6,544 yards.

Owing to its listed status the coursedoes not feature any bunkers, while notrees - of which there are thousands -

have been moved or cut down, whichpresents challenges of their own.

Without sand traps and with numerousoaks dotted on and close to the edges offairways and greens, the course presentsan eclectic mix of challenges, especiallywhen the man-made irrigation lakes comeinto play in the middle part of the course,which occupies land on the spur of theestate.

This part of the course has a veryopen-plan look to it, very much reminis-cent of The Oxfordshire or The LondonClub, although its fair to say that thenearby M1 motorway is something of ablot on an otherwise rural landscape.

The course officially opens to visitorsnext spring, but hotel residents will begiven exclusive access this winter, withbetween 40 and 60 players estimated to

play each week. A membership will belaunched early this year, with a maximumof 300-350 members being sought. Avisitor’s green fee has yet to beannounced, but a figure of around £80 around is likely given its palatial surround-ings.

Director of golf, Paul Keen, who had tobe prised away from nearby HanburyManor to take on this demanding role,can’t wait for the course to be played bythe public, and to get a reaction to thehard work he and his team have put in toget the course in the shape it is today.

“It was a real wrench to leaveHanbury,” he says, “but the opportunityto start something from nothing at such aprestigious venue as this doesn’t comealong very often. I’ve been able to createmy own team and we’re really pleasedwith how things have come on.

“Fortunately, we weren’t open for playduring the wet summer and the extendedgrowing season has really helped thecourse to mature.With the clubhousenow complete we’re just itching to get thecourse in use. It’s not a work of art -although we like to think it is - it needs tobe played!”

The responsibility of looking after thecourse was handed to 27-year-old AvonBridges, formerly deputy head green-keeper at Finchley Golf Club inMiddlesex, who recently won the 2007Toro Student of the Year award. Althoughit is clearly a massive step up from hisprevious position, Bridges is relishinghaving virtually a clean sheet to workfrom, as well as enjoying managing ateam of greenstaff.

Bridges said: “When the course iscompleted it will be one of the longest inthe UK.This, combined with the absenceof bunkers, will produce a course that isflowing and aesthetically pleasing, whilethe design will make for a very challeng-ing course.”

The rough is indeed punishing, withanything missing the second cut of fair-

way as good as lost in some parts, but thefairways are fairly generous, so it is by nomeans an unfair test.

On a busy course this might cause aproblem with slow play, but with no morethan 20,000 rounds expected a year, itwon’t be fatal here.

The clubhouse is located in the originalGrade II listed stable block, and featuresdedicated golfer’s accommodation, aspike bar and brasserie, as well as spasuites, an oak-framed 18-metre pool,sauna, steam room and gym. Golferswishing to remain close to the clubhousecan choose to stay in the Grade II RobertAdam Wing, where two studio suitescome complete with four poster beds, oakbeams and vaulted ceilings.

With its proximity to the famed airport,Luton Hoo will no doubt benefit from thepatronage of high-end travelers who don’tfancy making the trek into London.

With the best suite costing £850 pernight for B&B, and £275 for a groundfloor bedroom, Luton Hoo certainly isn’tcheap, but then cheap is not a word thatLutonions want to associate themselveswith these days, whatever Ms Chase hasto say. GME

“With the clubhouse now complete we’re just itching to get the course in use. It’s not a work of art - although we like to think it is - it needs to

be played!”

PPC 0870 241 4678www.ppcgolf.com

Are you looking for a

Financial Lifeline?If you’re thinking about buying, selling, leasing or managing a golf operation, call us in total confidence for some honest advice.

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January 2008.qxd 14/1/2008 4:58 PM

my view

32 GME JANUARY 2008

In my opinion, here has never been abetter time to install irrigation equipmentin the UK.

There are several reasons for this state-ment, some are obvious, others are a littlemore interesting as we see the UK irriga-tion industry once again expanding thearea of product availability with a newplayer in the market.

Firstly installation of irrigation systemsat this time of year is by far the best timeof installation.Whilst there may be someweather considerations and installationprogress may be slower due to availabledaylight, an installation at this timeensures that the system is completedprior to the growing season giving thebest chance of ground recovery.

More importantly the system can becommissioned and tested and ready to beused when needed in the event of a drystart to the growing season.Thishappened during spring 2007 as moststaff involved with growing grass last yearwill testify.

The main contenders producing irriga-tion system hardware for the UK markets

today are now producing very highquality products and sophisticat-

ed control systems ensuringhighly efficient systems areavailable for any application.

Water Management andEnergy Efficiency are keywords now being used when

speaking about irrigationsystems.

No golf club or sports facility canafford to be wasteful of water nowadays,and with environmental restrictions andpotentially huge water costs involved with

providing irrigation to large areas ofgrass, the manufacturers haveresponded to these demands by

producing equipment and systems thatmake the best use of available water as

accurately as possible. Huge savings canbe made in the year on year costs ofwater and power with the installation ofcorrectly specified and efficient modernsystems.

The range of products available toprovide a quality system has never beengreater.The hardware available from themain manufacturers, in no particularorder, Rainbird,Toro and Hunter allprovide quality solutions for particularapplications.

In addition the introduction of irriga-tion equipment from John Deere in 2008will provide a very interesting alternativeconsidering the company’s foothold inthe supply and distribution of machineryproduct within the industry.

This is bound to lead to some verycompetitive pricing of equipment.Therefurbishment market of existing systemswill continue in 2008 and the majormanufacturers are looking to marketshare with irrigation product.

With all this choice available obtainingthe correct advice on which system toinstall is very important.The equipmentsupplied from the major manufacturers isall high quality and designed to givemany years of successful operation,however finding the correct product for aparticular application can be daunting.

The integration with all the other asso-ciated pieces of equipment that makes upan irrigation scheme is equally important.

The design and layout of a system willensure the products supplied will operateas designed and within budgets. Manyclubs will approach their existing irriga-tion system provider for this service orapproach an installer directly.

This works well when the club knowsthe products they wish to install and areable to evaluate the proposals. Howeverlack of knowledge can lead to potentiallydevastating consequences.

Irrigate now forHeaven’s Sake

WEBLINK; YORKMARTIN.COM

With John Deere entering the irrigation sector, 2008is set to be a very interesting year for irrigationcompanies and consultants. Jon Mawson of YorkMartin International, takes a personal view of whatgolf clubs should be doing, with whom, and when.

January 2008.qxd 11/1/2008 10:12 AM

JANUARY 2008 GME 33

Other clubs will employ the services ofan irrigation consultant to design asystem, produce a specification andtender document, evaluate a proposal,appoint a contractor and project managethe installation.

This places the responsibility of theproject directly with an independentspecialist who will deal with all the techni-cal and design issues and also the legaland contractual obligations that a club isnowadays bound to adhere to.

Either way there has never been agreater opportunity to obtain some verygood advice at this present moment intime with true experts in irrigationsystems and system design available with-in the UK with vast experience on selec-tion of the correct product and systemsfor this climate.

The final piece of the jigsaw is theinstallation of a system. Installation tech-niques have never been better, quality andattention to detail from the majorinstallers within the UK is as good as ithas ever been. Installation companieshave invested heavily in specialist equip-ment and operator training to providehigh quality installations with minimumdisturbance.

Typically the irrigation delivery andcontrol equipment from the manufactur-ers amounts to some 15 to 20 per cent ofthe final project price so it thereforefollows that the remaining 80 to 85 percent of the materials and installation arecritical for a successful efficient system.

The materials over and above the deliv-ery equipment should be of the highestquality.There is a vast choice of productavailable.

Careful consideration should be madeas to the choice of these products asobtaining inferior quality equipment canseriously impact on the perform-ance of a system.The installation ofthe equipment will also be a signifi-cant part of the project.To ensurethe correct contractor isappointed ensure the irri-gation project is plannedin advance.

Good installers will bebusy and will need timeto program the installa-tion. Be prepared to waitfor the right team.Thesystem is a long terminvestment and installation isthe key to obtaining a troublefree life together with aftersales and product support.

Over the last ten to 15 years,irrigation systems and technology havebecome increasingly scientific to theapproach of applying water to growinggrass. It is no longer a case of turning atap on, letting it run then switching it off,but using a host of agronomy and envi-ronmental factors together with currentdigital and electronic technologies toensure that systems being installed in2008 are highly efficient, accurate andcost effective.

Sprinkler technology and nozzle designhas advanced to a stage where usage andplacement of water is highly accurate;control systems can be attached to weath-er stations offering flexible control andnecessary feedback without beingcomplex in operation and pumps are

energy efficient and reliable.Pipes and fittings are designed for

many years of operational life.Thistechnology all required in today’s

environmentally sensitive era.The hardware manufactur-

ers operate in a very compet-itive market place in the UK.The addition of a furthercompany in the sector canonly lead to increased compe-tition for product sales.

With expert advice avail-able golf courses can obtainthe best advice on the suitabil-ity and design of systems.

Professional installationcompanies can offer quality

installations and system support.Even with the exceptionally wet summerwe had last year there is no doubt that ourclimate requires the use of irrigationsystems at certain times of the year.Competition within the golf industry isfierce with quality and attention to detailbeing very important in attracting thatnew customer.

The opportunity to obtain a profes-sionally installed irrigation system hasnever been greater. GME

www.swangolfdesigns.comINTERNATIONAL GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

t f+44 (0) 1277 [email protected]

+44 (0) 1277 896300

Golf Courses, Sports Grounds and Land Drainage Contractors

Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire

GOLF COURSE, SPORTS GROUND ANDLAND DRAINAGE CONTRACTORS

Grassform LimitedDunsteads Farm, Trueloves Lane

Ingatestone CM4 0NJ

01277 355500www.grassform.co.uk

January 2008.qxd 16/1/2008 9:10 AM

the last word

34 GME JANUARY 2008

Given they live in such a litigiouscountry surely Masters’ officials haveleft themselves open to legal actionfollowing their recent decision to allowchildren free access to the event.

I for one will be consulting a solicitoras I think it’s discriminatory againstpeople of my age that such an oppor-tunity wasn’t open to me between1971 and 1979. I would imagine therewill also be the threat of legal actionfrom people born in years other than1963, but that’s the one with which I’mimmediately concerned.

My argument will be based on theimpact this could have had on myyoung life and the subsequent loss ofpotential earnings.

In 1971 aged just eight my immedi-ate concern was the Liverpool vArsenal FA Cup Final – the sight of abedraggled Charlie George lyingprone after scoring the winning goalhas haunted me ever since as anexample of over indulgence – andhow to secure an Action Man withrealistic hair on the parental subsidy ofjust 5p per week.

That money just about gained mefortnightly entry to Fratton Park, hometo Portsmouth Football Club – if you’rewondering what Fratton Park lookedlike in 1971 just visit certain parts of itnow – but that was considered some-thing between a hobby and a punish-ment and was in no way designed toshape my future career, although I did,even at that early stage, want to be asports reporter.

I contend that had I been allowedaccess to the Mecca that is Augustaat such an impressionable age I wouldimmediately have given up my ActionMan and Airfix soldiers in favour of aset of golf clubs and swapped maga-zines such as Whizzer & Chips! andShoot! for Golf World.

Given my natural affinity for thegame I would almost certainly havebeen scratch by the time I was 16 andwould therefore have carved out areasonable career as a journeymanpro before following my natural pathinto broadcasting and print media asa golf pundit.

I will not exaggerate the loss this hascaused me and my young family andwould be happy to settle for the

princely sum of £1m, a more thangenerous settlement I’m sure you’llagree, given what I could haveearned on the European Tour andsubsequently for the BBC and ABC inthe US.

Admittedly I may have to wait adozen or so years until one of theawestruck youngsters attending the2008 event is influenced to such anextent that they turn pro in his or herlate teens and I am able to cite aprecedent… but you can see myargument holds water.

Instead of scrabbling around as afreelance hack earning a pittancewriting golf columns and press releasesI could be out there sharing the micro-phone with Peter Alliss and find myselflisted alongside the great golf writernames of Bernard Darwin and PeterDobereiner.

And all this didn’t happen becausethe US Masters chose to wait until 2008to make one of the world’s greatestsporting events accessible to young-sters. The lawyers must be rubbing theirhands.

If you’re reading this Billy Payne, mywrit is in the post… GME

The future is writ large forAugusta’s youngsters

“I contend that had I been allowed access to theMecca that is Augusta at such an impressionable ageI would immediately have given up my Action Manand Airfix soldiers in favour of a set of golf clubs...”

David [email protected]

PPC 0870 241 4678www.ppcgolf.com

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Business Rates?You can’t escape them, but we could help reduce them, so let’s talk about helping yourclub recoup some money.

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January 2008.qxd 17/1/2008 6:15 PM

January 2008.qxd 12/12/2007 11:44 AM

GMé | issuu 58

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