GMé | issuu 92

GolfManagement Europe

UK £6.00 Eur 7.00US $9.25

GME travels to the beautiful island of Mauritius to see first hand how The Four Seasons Resort at

Anahita are attracting more overseas golfers page 25

‘footgolf’ kicking-off in style The UK’s first custom-built ‘FootGolf’ course has been designed and installed by European Golf

issue 92october 2013

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ocTobER 2013 GME 3GolFMAnAGEMEnTnEwS.coM

publisher’s editorial

Many thanks to all of you who took the time to participate in our recent reader survey. we were delighted with the re-sponse, which threw up some interesting statistical data, not least the suggestion that social media is really struggling to make an impact on the management of golf clubs.

A combined total of just six per cent of you said your preferred method of re-ceiving news updates from GME was via Facebook or Twitter – a figure that, we’d readily admit, surprised us somewhat. Email was the preferred choice with al-most three-quarters of you in that camp.

And, disconcertingly, a relatively high 44 per cent of respondents did not be-lieve that 2014 would see a better year for the golf industry as a whole.

It was also interesting to see the in-creasing influence of golf course owners when it comes to purchasing decisions. The final buying authority at more than 40 per cent of clubs now lies with the proprietor in most spheres, except for the pro shop, where it would appear the final decision of the pro remains sacrosanct.

Reassuringly – at least for those of us here at GME Towers – an overwhelming 98 per cent of you found GME ‘informa-tive and interesting to read’. what we’ve done to upset the other two per cent I dread to think...

More than half of you also confirmed you are still in favour of the print version of the magazine over the digital.

Also, we were delighted to learn that GME has a clear 14 point lead in terms of readership over other golf business magazines covering the same sector, tes-tament, we like to think, to our commit-ment to employing professional journalists and remaining loyal to the ethos of our publication.

we’ve said it before and it’s worth re-peating again here: we’ve been publish-ing GME since 1997 – we’re not just here to make a fast buck. This is a long-term commitment.

Again, and apologies for repeating ourselves once more, we promise we won’t rest on our laurels. Your views on the magazine and its content are essen-tial to its evolution and we were inter-ested to discover which subjects were of the widest interest.

As GME enters its 17th year in publica-tion, we will continue to bring you what we like to think is the best news and features service in the golf industry. like us, many of you believe that we already do, and we have no plans to disappoint that 98 per cent! GME

survey confirms GME the clear market leader

Michael [email protected]

European Golf designs and builds the first custom-built FootGolf course in the UK.

7

Paul Mould of Material Matters talks to GME about his passion for the golf industry.

19

TaylorMade’s recently opened training academy at Quinta do lago sets the standard.

31

For a few shorts days every year, the golf travel industry comes together at IGTM.

37

Golf Management Europe is published six times per annum by PPc Portman.

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Associate Editor David bowersContributors Mark Alexander, Vanessa Gardner, Scott Maccallum, Kevin Marks, Paul Mould, Aidan Patrick, charmian Robinson

Publisher Michael lenihanPrint The Manson Group

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“The final buying authority at more than 40 per cent of clubs now lies with the proprietor in most spheres”

4 GME ocTobER 2013

headline news

The Scottish Golf Union (SGU) has reiterated its call that no more 18-hole venues should be built in the coun-try, after lothianburn Golf club was closed down.

lothianburn’s membership dropped from more than 820 to 270 in the last nine years, as clubs in the ‘Home of Golf’ still struggle with the tough financial climate.

The huge drop in member-ship of the 120-year-old venue had made the club financially unsustainable.

A spokesman said he hopes to reach a deal with a neighbouring club to keep the course in use.

An accountant’s letter was attached to the club-house’s front door, stating

that the club had closed with immediate effect.

club captain Alan Greenshields said: “Membership numbers is the one factor that certainly hit us hard. Up until 2004 we were probably in the region of 820 to 830 members in all categories.

“last year we dropped down to about 350 and this year we’re round about 270 – so we’re talking about a drop of two thirds.”

Another club, Perth Merchants, also fears for its future. owner Perth and Kinross council has said it is considering options for the golf course as it is now running at a significant loss with user numbers dropping.

Some members are stat-ing that the course is now deteriorating and a decision on the club’s future needs to be made soon.

A council spokesman added: “A review of options is currently under way. we recognise the value of the course as a community asset and are keen to find a way that the course can be run in a way that generates revenue, thereby securing the long-term future of the facility.”

Golf has been played at the venue since the 16th

century – with King James IV said to have played there.

Hamish Grey, (pictured) SGU chief executive, said: “we have more courses than we need for the current playing numbers. I guess part of our challenge is, how do we grow those numbers, and take that forward?

“In doing so, how do we make sure we keep such a good geographical cover that Scotland enjoys. It is one of the key elements of why, in Scotland, the game is so accessible.”

sGu calls for a halt on new course development

one of the most popular golf course designers of recent times, Dave Thomas, died in August, at his home in Marbella, aged 79.

Thomas, who started play-ing professionally in 1949, competed in four Ryder cup

tournaments, won more than 20 European titles and narrowly missed out on two open championships. After arthritis brought a premature end to his playing career, he immersed himself in course design, going on to design

more than 100 courses, including The belfry’s famous brabazon course in partner-ship with Peter Alliss.

Jack nicklaus was among those who paid tribute, saying: “Dave Thomas and I shared a unique kinship in that we were blessed to have parallel careers as golfers and then course designers. In many ways, Dave was an inspiration for me and many other players who followed in his foot-steps.

“I think Dave would agree that the 150 or so golf cours-es he designed and left for generations to enjoy – to allow everyone to enjoy a game that has given so much to both of us – is a legacy that will likely be remembered far more than the golf we played.”

The crown Golf group has joined a growing number of venues offer-ing an alternative to traditional golf club membership, this time with the introduction of ‘Freedom Play’.

Golfers pay a low annu-al subscription for credits which they exchange for rounds of golf. Play at busy times and you use more credits; play when it’s quiet and your credits go further.

The new option is now available at eight of the group’s golf clubs: Eccleston Park, The bristol, blue Mountain, The Hertfordshire, South Essex, Stapleford Abbotts, oak Park and Merrist wood.

commenting on the new scheme, crown Golf cEo Stephen lewis said: “You can play in club competitions, get a golf handicap, and you belong to the club just like a full member.

“It’s ideal if you’re one of the thousands of golf-ers in the UK who feel that they don’t play quite enough golf to justify a full annual membership,” he added.

Jack nicklaus pays tribute to Dave Thomas

Respected businessman José Asenjo Vera has been appointed as la Manga club’s new general manag-er as the five-star Spanish resort prepares to enter an exciting new era.

Asenjo Vera joins with immediate effect from warner Park in Madrid and will be responsible for over-seeing, developing and

implementing future strategy at the award-winning Murcian resort.

The Spaniard has exten-sive experience and a prov-en track record in the management of high-profile sports and leisure destina-tions having been deputy general manager and finan-cial director at oceanographic Valencia

for almost five years before taking over as cEo at warner Park in June 2009.

Asenjo Vera is the second top managerial appoint-ment to be made by la Manga club in as many months after renowned entrepreneur and business-man PY Gerbeau joined as non-executive chairman at the end of August.

la Manga club appoints new GM

MASTERING THE ART OF SYNTHETIC TURF INSTALLATIONS

6 GME ocTobER 2013

news

Ian Jackson has been appointed as club manager at the new centurion club near St Albans. Jackson joined the exclusive new private members’ club less than two months after its of-ficial opening in July.

SkyGolf, manufacturer of Skycaddie – the GPS rangefinder – has announced that buyers of its sub-£200 Sport Series models in the UK and Europe can now access its 30,000+ golf course maps without paying annual membership charges.

Trojan Battery Company has announced TAIJIn Instrument and Electric co. ltd. will distribute Trojan’s deep-cycle batteries in South Korea. TAIJIn will sell and service Trojan products for the golf car market strength-ening Trojan’s brand name in the region.

Brocket Hall Golf Club has enhanced its reputation as a premier league golf-ing venue by teaming up with one of the country’s top football clubs. The historic Hertfordshire club has renewed its corpo-rate partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Fc in a relationship that will benefit both parties.

The PGA has unveiled a major strategic part-nership with marketing group RetailTribe which is designed to raise the profile of its members in the wider golf industry. It marks a significant development for the PGA as it strives to highlight the important role played by PGA professionals.

in briEf;

Management of the trou-bled basildon Golf club, in Essex, has been taken on by chairman of oGRo, colin Jenkins.

basildon borough council handed over the manage-ment of the course in 2005 to Jack barker ltd, which took on various municipal golf courses around the UK and planned to redevelop them via the use of import-ed spoil. However, the project ran into financial difficulties and in 2011 the Audit commission criticised

basildon borough council over its deal as councillors were not officially told the agreement included 140,000 tonnes of spoil being dumped on the course. In the end, the work never took place.

basildon Golf club has been run by london Golf Management on a tempo-rary contract for several months as the council has searched to find an opera-tor that would reduce the local authority’s bill for the facility to zero.

commenting on the deal, councillor Kevin blake said: “If the course cannot demonstrate its viability and the contract or lease fails at any time during the first two years, then it is recommend-ed that the golf course will close with immediate effect.”

Jenkins added: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to run basildon Golf course. I am looking forward to getting started and hope it will be a success for many years to come.”

Jenkins adds basildon to his portfolio

A survey has revealed that the number of people play-ing golf in the UK could be doubled if clubs and courses were friendlier, encouraged families and offered greater flexibility and better playing conditions.

‘Growing Golf in the UK’, a report commissioned by Syngenta and undertaken by independent market

research company GfK, canvassed the opinions of more than 3,500 UK resi-dents, including 2,145 non-golfers and 1,477 golfers.

It revealed a huge latent demand for golf in the UK with an estimated 8.5 million people interested in taking up the sport, of which just under half are in the young-er 15-39 years age group.

Simon Elsworth, Syngenta head of Turf and landscape EMEA, said: “clearly, there is a significant opportunity here for golf to both retain existing players and to attract many new people into a sport that offers health and social benefits to all.”

currently, out of a total UK population of 63 million, 38 million people are physically active or participate in sport, with approximately four million playing golf, the survey claimed.

of the non-golfers inter-viewed, 65 per cent said they were looking for a new or additional sport or hobby, with 55 per cent saying they had enough time for golf.

The shortfall in female participation in golf, and the potential for more women and family golfers, was also highlighted in the research.

Female golfers prefer to participate with family and friends, the study found. They also play a key role introducing children to the game.

survey claims uK needs family friendly clubs

Slow play is the bane of modern golf, but the UK’s largest golf club group is using brand-new Finnish technology to learn more about its cause and effect.

club operator crown Golf, which has 25 golf clubs in the UK, started a two-month trial of the new GREEni pace of play software at Pine Ridge Golf club last month.

During the trial, golfers who pay a green fee at Pine Ridge are being encour-aged to download the free

GREEni club app onto their smart phone. once activat-ed, the app tracks the group around the golf course, giving the Pine Ridge pro shop team real-time information about their speed of play.

GREEni’s Steve Schindler says the system can not only help clubs battle the slow-coaches, but can also have more far-reaching uses.

“by using GREEni, the club can demonstrate the aver-age playing times for each

hole quite scientifically, and this may help them to build a business case for possible pace-quickening course alterations in the future.”

GrEEni gathers pace


on the cover

facTfilE;

16 Redcliff RoadMelton Enterprise centre

Monks way westMelton

Hull HU14 3RSEngland

TEl; (44) 01482 333120faX; (44) 01482 333128

WEBlInK; EURoPEAnGolF.co.UK

FootGolf, is the latest revo-lution to hit the world of sport. like golf, FootGolf is very addictive and great fun to play, yet only requires a basic amount of skill.

As in ‘real’ golf the aim of the game is to get the foot-

ball into the hole in the fewest number of strokes as possible.

The first affiliated FootGolf course in the UK was recent-ly installed by European Golf at the ‘one Stop Golf’ centre in Hull, with synthetic greens and tees specified for all year-round play.

Designed to test every player’s ability, each of the nine holes on the course were designed differently, in a similar way to regular golf, with a mix of bunkers, water hazards and even three tier greens.

FootGolf – which is a revo-lution waiting to explode within golf – can turn any under utilised or unused practice area into a new, exciting and profitable reve-nue stream for golf course owners and operators.

The simple transition of these courses into fun golf for beginners further illus-trates their versatility and flexibility. In fact, SnAG (Starting new At Golf) cours-es are very similar in design, size and layout to FootGolf courses, where tennis sized soft balls and oversized clubs are used to introduce beginners to the sport.

It is then a small step to the full-blown game of golf, and before you know it, you have converted an armchair football fan into a regular playing golfer!

Having installed the course at ‘one Stop Golf’, European Golf have proved that their knowledge of providing synthetic grass surfaces for golf, translates and adapts to FootGolf courses, which naturally lend themselves to being played on synthetic turf due to the high levels of wear.

European Golf’s product range, knowledge, skill and design capabilities enable them to turn a under utilised area into a potentially seri-ous income generator and development centre! GME

European Golf aiming to take footGolf to a wider audience

each of the nine holes on the course were designed differently, in a similar way to regular golf

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8 GME ocTobER 2013

news

Royal liverpool has reaf-firmed its relationship with Toro and distributor lely by making its biggest fleet investment yet, spending £300,000 on new machinery – including the very latest green technology.

The Hoylake course – which will host the 2014 open championship – has been an exclusive Toro customer for the past ten years, but used a mix of machinery for the five years prior to that.

course manager craig Gilholm says the fact that the fleet never let him down in the eight years he’s been with the club convinced him to sign on the dotted line for a further five years.

The new arrivals reflect the club’s commitment to more sustainable course manage-ment, with Gilholm choosing Toro’s revolutionary hybrid and electric models over diesel and petrol versions in a bid to cut fuel costs and become greener.

As Gilholm explains: “It’s really important to us to be greener, but we want to keep moving forward by investing in the latest machinery and technology, too.

“Fortunately models like Toro’s new TriFlex and eFlex greensmowers allow us to do both.”

Greener Greens for royal liverpool

Technical staff at Ransomes Jacobsen had a busy couple of weeks in July providing tournament support at the Alstom open de France at le Golf national in Paris and at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish open, played at castle Stuart Golf links near Inverness.

In 2010, le Golf national signed an exclusive supplier agreement with Ransomes Jacobsen France (RJF) for both golf course machinery and golf cars.

The agreement includes regular product training for the golf club’s greenkeep-ing team and maintenance technicians at RJF’s Toulouse headquarters supported by

regular visits from their tech-nical director, Pierre Poursel.

Alejandro Reyes, the recently appointed course manager at le Golf national, is delighted with the collaboration and said: “The quality of service and the level of engagement provided by Ransomes Jacobsen France is excep-tional.

“I have always paid great importance to the technical support from any partner companies to ensure the optimal performance of the equipment purchased.

“Since arriving at le Golf national in January and working in close collabora-tion with laurent Proupin and his team, I have been delighted with their profes-sionalism.”

Graeme McDowell won the Alstom open de France to claim his third title of the year, carding a closing round of 67 to finish nine under par, four clear of

South Africa’s Richard Sterne. commenting after his victory he said: “This is such a difficult course; we may have one of the great-est Ryder cup venues in European golf history in 2018.”

one week later, the support team technicians headed up to Inverness for the third and final Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish open to be contested at castle Stuart Golf links, where Phil Mickelson over-came the variables of links golf to win after a play-off with branden Grace.

commenting on the support received from the Ransomes Jacobsen team, course manager chris Haspell said: “on behalf of all of the management team here at castle Stuart, I would like to thank every-one at Ransomes Jacobsen for the support over the last three years at the Scottish open.”

Jacobsen backs service with tournament support

colt Mackenzie Mcnair (cMM), the specialist executive search firm operating across the global golf markets, has opened a Scottish office to service the country’s golf economy, which generates annual reve-nues of over £1billion.

Headed by managing consultant, Douglas Philip, the Edinburgh office will allow cMM to offer a face-to-face and highly focused service to Scotland’s many world-class golf clubs and resorts that continually seek best-of-breed busi-ness professionals.

with Philip’s move to head up Scottish opera-tions, Mike Shrieve joins cMM as a research analyst, based at the company’s berkshire head office.

cMM also announced the departure of principal consultant, Ian Timberlake, who has been with the business for six years. “Ian leaves with our thanks – we all wish him the very best for the future,” said Richard wood, director of cMM.

IMG has acquired the Golf Business Forum (GbF) and the Golf Business Community (Gbc) from KPMG.

Andrea Sartori of KPMG said: “we believe we have developed a fantastic prod-uct that benefits not only KPMG’s business but the whole golf industry.

“As with everything, we are always looking to improve our offering and we are sure that partnering with the industry leader, IMG, will help bring new life to the event and take both the Forum and community to new levels,” commented Sartori.

nick oakley, who will join IMG as part of the transition, said: “I am looking forward to joining IMG to help further develop the GbF Forum and continue to grow the Gbc whilst working closely with my former colleagues at KPMG to ensure a smooth handover.”

iMG acquire Golf business forum


news

LinksMaster is a specialist golf club insurance policy that can be tailored to the specific needs of your club, including comprehensive cover for your course, buildings, possessions, equipment, staff and members.

If you would like to arrange a free review of your current golf club insurance to ensure you are adequately covered, please contact David Morgan, Marsh (quoting: GME02/13).

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10 GME ocTobER 2013

news

Golf Care, the specialist golf insurer, has an-nounced a new partner-ship with Glendale Golf, which will ensure that visitors to any of Glendale Golf’s eight venues in the UK are suitably covered for Public liability and Third Party Property dam-age. Furthermore, the single-day insurance is provided free of charge to the golfer.

Prominent Irish sports stars and business leaders were among the guests welcomed to burhill Golf club for the inaugural ‘Golf, Guinness & oyster Gathering,’ in association with Golf Ireland and hosted by lord Iveagh.

Harradine Golf has launched a Russian language version of its website. Published in the world’s fourth most popu-lar language, the Russian version will expand Har-radine Golf’s audience in Eastern Europe. Visitors to harradine-golf.com will now have the option to read the site in English or Russian.

Ernest Doe and Sons ltd, the Ransomes Jacobsen’s dealer for the south-east of England based at Ulting in Essex, were awarded the accolade of Dealer of the Year 2012 at a gala dinner held at beaumont House hotel recently.

Club de Golf Alcanada, in Mallorca, can cele-brate its 10th anniversary safe in the knowledge that users of the popular website 1golf.eu have voted it their ‘favourite European course’ for the third successive year.

in briEf;

when liphook Golf club course manager, David Murdoch MG, looked out over his fabulous heathland course for ways in which to make it even better, there were very few areas in which a significant impact could be made.

There was one however. The pathways around the clubhouse and throughout the course itself could be

improved upon so Murdoch set about researching the subject and visiting other golf clubs which had addressed similar issues.

Murdoch ultimately decid-ed to install the unique blinder Eco Path system which has been developed out of recycled rubber crumb and which can be bought in various styles and colours.

“I worked with blinder Eco Path on the order and noth-ing was too much trouble, even though we were work-ing on another project at the time and as a result the pathway spec changed while we were in negotia-tions,” explained Murdoch.

“They were extremely professional and a superb company to work with. The installations process itself was extremely impressive with Profusion Environmental completing the 400 square metre order in one day having worked solidly for 16 hours.”

Penny long, of blinder bunkers, said that the Eco Path had been developed alongside the successful bunker liner concept and are proving to be equally successful.

“Everyone who sees the new Eco Paths are extreme-ly impressed with them and it offers a solution to a prob-lem which many golf clubs struggle with,” she explained.

liphook Golf club finds pathway to success

nike Golf has appointed Daniel Schenk to the posi-tion of EMEA marketing director, effective December, 1.

Schenk, who hails from Indiana, USA is a ten-year veteran of nike Golf, having previous held roles including digital marketing manager and US brand manager before moving into his current position as global brand integration director for nike Golf.

Angus Moir, nike Golf’s EMEA general manager said: “we are very fortunate to have an extraordinarily talented team member in Dan joining us in the EMEA region.

“over the last ten years he has done an outstanding job creating inspiring and engaging marketing campaigns that have helped develop nike Golf’s consistent voice and posi-tion as a global giant.”

Schenk, who will relocate with his wife and three chil-dren from nike’s world headquarters in Portland, oregon, will be based at European headquarters in Hilversum in The netherlands.

nike appoints schenk to key EMEa position

A High court judge has quashed planning permis-sion for a golf course that had been earmarked for an ecologically sensitive Green belt location.

The complex, which would also have also have involved a hotel and spa being built at cherkley court – the former home of press baron lord beaverbrook – was the project of longshot, a company controlled by chairman of the Royal Parks Foundation Joel cadbury.

The local council had given the scheme planning consent last year in spite of being in breach of both national and local policies.

but the campaign to Protect Rural England (cPRE), along with infuriated local residents, pointed out that there are already 628 golf courses within 50 miles of cherkley.

Plans to turn the house into a hotel raised few objections, but proposals for the adjacent golf course in

an Area of outstanding natural beauty led to anger in the surrounding area.

The judgment was scath-ing of the company’s appli-cation, with Justice Haddon-cave stating: “The fact that longshot could sell member-ship debentures to 400 millionaires in the UK and abroad who might want to play golf at their own exclu-sive, ‘world class’, luxury golf club in Surrey does not equate to a ‘need’ for such facilities.”

high court quashes cherkley court


news

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A shepherd from a small town in southern Spain has stopped the building of a 36-hole golf development after a ten-year-long legal battle to protect his land.

Pascual carrión, 60, will finally be able to live in peace after officials closed the appeal window for a building project which, if approved, would have cost him his 30-hectares of land.

carrión told the Spanish daily newspaper El Confidencial: “I’ve not won anything, apart from peace of mind. I’m left with my land and the heart problems that have arisen from all the stress.”

carrión first became aware of the plans to build a 15,000 home residential complex around two new golf courses when electricity

company Iberdrola inexpli-cably put up a high-tension power line through his land in 2002.

Soon building contractors for the Santa Ana del Monte Jumilla-Golf complex were offering carrión €2.6 million for his land, while Iberdrola also attempted to buy his silence by offering him €30,000 to turn a blind eye to the high-tension towers.

The shepherd was having none of it though, and turned instead to the courts, spending more than €30,000 of his own money to take the matter before a judge.

Initially, Murcia’s High court ruled against carrión, who in 2010 decided to take the case to Murcia’s Supreme court with the judge finally ruling in his favour.

spanish development thwarted by shepherd

club car is gearing up for the 2014 Ryder cup and played its part in the ‘Year to Go celebrations’ at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Two captains’ cars in team colours were on display for the special two-day event that started the countdown to the 40th Ryder cup.

And while the captains gave their first joint press conference inside the Gleneagles Hotel, guests were able to get up close

and personal with the iconic vehicles in their famous blue and red liveries.

“Everybody loves to see the captains’ cars and there was a steady stream of people having their pictures taken with the vehicles over both days,” said club car’s Kevin Hart, sales director golf for the EMEIA regions.

“The way the cars were parked up at Gleneagles was a tangible symbol of what we’ll see in a year’s time – two outstanding

teams competing nose-to-nose in a great sporting contest for an historic trophy.”

“club car looks forward to 2014 and what we believe will be the biggest and best Ryder cup ever.”

club car gears up for The ryder cup 2014

12 GME ocTobER 2013

newsnews

Titleist UK sales staff made a lasting impression at this month’s Golf Show in Harrogate, wearing the ‘white coats’ which have been a symbol of the Titleist brand for more than 50 years.

The origin of the white coats is testament to the Titleist brands long term and continued success at the highest level across world-wide professional tours.

before Titleist leadership staff travelled with the PGA

and European Tours, local market Titleist representa-tives were the contact point between players and suppli-ers.

Regardless of where the tournament was taking place the Titleist staff were easily recognisable by their distinguished white coat, who would in-turn provide players with ‘chits’ which could be exchanged for Titleist golf balls in the pro shop where the event was being played.

“The white coat dates back to when we were establishing our position as the leading golf ball choice amongst the world’s best players more than 50 years ago, and continues to be a symbol of our heritage and leadership,” commented Matthew Johnson, brand director, Titleist EMEA.

Titleist dress to impress at harrogate Golf show

luke Turner, greenkeeper at willingdon Golf club in Eastbourne, has won the 25th Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award, and with it an all-expenses-paid trip to study turf management in the USA.

Turner, 28, was awarded the coveted title thanks to the high level of technical knowledge that he demon-strated in a series of practi-cal tests, coupled with his professional performance in what was a rigorous inter-view process.

He beat off stiff competi-tion from seven other fellow student greenkeepers at the national finals at bIGGA House in York and will, in January, fly to America for eight weeks to undertake a six-week residential turf management course at the University of Massachusetts, courtesy of awards’ sponsors Toro.

The trip also includes visits to The Toro company’s global headquarters in Minneapolis and the Golf Industry Show in orlando.

“I was hoping, but not expecting, to win,” said Turner. “The competition was incredibly tough and I was up against seven really impressive guys – I think the achievement will take a while to settle in!

“I’m very much looking forward to my trip to the States, it’s a huge opportuni-ty to go out there learn as much as I can and then bring it home to implement

at willingdon. Gaining inter-national experience is a big part of my career plan and I see this trip as the start of fulfilling that ambition.

“I’m really grateful to Peter negus, course manag-er at willingdon Golf club, who gave me a chance and my break into green-keeping, and to all those at bIGGA, Toro and lely for the opportunity and a good and fair interview process.”

Turner was declared winner by a judging panel, which included lely’s Trevor chard, Toro representative and golf course consultant bruce Jamieson, bIGGA vice-chairman chris Sealey and bIGGA learning and development manager Sami Strutt.

over the 25 years, the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award judges have interviewed 750 student greenkeepers on a local level and almost 200 in the finals!

Turner wins Toro student Greenkeeper award

cambridge Golf club has closed down and will be converted into a hous-ing estate.

The owner of the 21-year-old, 18-hole proprietary golf club said he made the decision because of economic reasons, and that the site of the club will now form part of a new town, featuring 9,500 energy efficient properties, about seven miles outside cambridge city centre.

At least 1,500 homes are planned to be built on the former golf course, after planning permission was granted last year – meaning the closure came as little surprise to the golf club’s members and staff.

The club’s owner, Ken Green, said: “when it’s uneconomic, how long can you keep something open? You can only carry on with something that is losing money for so long. It is a very sad day.”

A statement on the club’s website simply says that the club has closed down and the domain name is for sale.

Gothenburg-based golf architect christian lundin is to oversee renovation work on the långe Jan course at one of Scandinavia’s largest golf resorts, Ekerum, on the island of Öland, in Sweden.

Ekerum has two 18-hole courses: långe Jan, conceived as a heathland

style design, and långe Erik, which is more parkland, while on-site accommoda-tion is provided in 72 rooms and suites. lundin has been engaged to enhance the heathland characteristics of långe Jan, while making the course a more natural fit to its environment.

lundin explained: “The island is characterised by limestone barrens, and we aim to give the course that sort of flavour too.

“The idea is to promote the importance of the island’s unique eco-system and for the course to be a tribute to Öland.”

lundin plans tribute to Öland


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St Andrews links Golf Academy has extended its range of instruction services to include its first-ever resi-dent sport psychologist.

Dr Paul Mccarthy, who is a chartered sport psycholo-gist with the british Psychological Society and practitioner psychologist with the Health and care Professionals council, will join the Academy having

spent the past 15 years help-ing amateur and profession-al athletes to excel and win when it matters most in sport.

Having worked for several years at nottingham Forest football club, Dr Mccarthy now works mainly in profes-sional golf and tennis. His clients have played and won on various tours across Europe.

commenting on the appointment of the first-ever resident Sports Psychologist, director of instruction, Steve north said: “More and more golfers of all abilities are starting to appreciate the importance of the mental side of the game of golf.

“If you look at the world’s leading players you can see how seriously most of them take their approach to

mental conditioning in every aspect of their game, whether its practice or in the heat of competition. Those same skills are applicable to every golfer and can make a real difference in your approach to the game.

“our aim at the Academy is to provide the highest standard of coaching and support for all aspects of the game.”

links welcomes resident sports psychologist

Hunter Industries, a lead-ing global manufacturer of irrigation products, has added a new distributor to its international network.

nottingham-based Radius Irrigation provides technical services, supply and distribu-tion to the UK and Irish golf market. The company, which is owned by water and irrigation engineers, Giles wardle and Marcus white – who operate sister company Irriplan – makes Radius Irrigation an ideal

partner for Hunter Industries and its range of golf irriga-tion products.

Mark Ganning, Hunter Industries northern European manager commented: “we are delighted to be working with Radius Irrigation who are ideally placed to service the market in which they are already established with a high level of technical expertise.

“Radius directors, Giles and Marcus have both worked in the industry for

over 20 years and built a professional company that is well respected throughout

the irrigation industry. we look forward to working with them.”

hunter industries appoint radius irrigation

14 GME ocTobER 2013

company profile WEBlInK; AnDIDEEKS.coM

We’ve all been there. You’re visit-ing a golf club for the first time

but despite having left in plenty of time, you’ve missed the sign’s and have shot right past the entrance, and are chasing to make your tee time.

You arrive, track down the visitors’ car park, then run over to see the pro and pay your green fee. You get

a mild rebuke for not having changed out of your collarless shirt and then find that you can’t get into the locker room

because no-one has told you the security code. By the time you get on the tee,

with seconds to spare, and a host of member’s moaning as they wait for you to clear the tee, your opening drive is not

one for the scrap book. Andi Deeks is a man who wants to change all that.

Deeks made his name in motorsport, working in Formula 1 where brand image and customer satisfaction is of paramount importance, and having turned his atten-tion to golf he has seen many golf clubs lose thousands of pounds worth of poten-tial revenue, just by making basic mistakes and not paying enough attention to their brand, image and customer care.

“I have found so many golf clubs where they pay little or no attention to their brand, image or what they offer as the customer experience. That is what I’m passionate about,” he said.

“You never know the customer you’ve lost. It may sound odd, but if you’ve got a member or a regular guest and they stop visiting your club, then you have their details so why not call them up and ask them why they’ve left.

It’s not all that often that golf is compared to the image conscious world of motorsport, but perhaps the two sports

have more in common than you perhaps might have thought. Scott MacCallum delves deeper.

Driven to perfection


“They may tell you that money is tight and that you are too expensive, but at least you then have some feedback.

“But if someone has driven past the end of the drive and gone on to the next club, or pulled in, taken a look and then turned around and left, you have no idea who he or she is, or what has put him or her off,” explained Deeks.

After leaving F1, Deeks set up DKS Sport and as a consultant worked across the spectrum of motorsport including the British Touring Car Championship, Suzuki and Honda World Championship teams. He has also utilised the branding, image and customer service skills he has developed to help bike and car dealer-ships boost their profits as well as their customer service.

“I’d go into automotive dealerships and shops, where the sales and customer numbers were declining, look at the busi-ness and work with the business to improve their brand image and customer service.

“In some cases this was minor points, and in others cases a major re-vamp of staff and location was required. There are always reasons why customers were not buying or being retained, and often in most cases little adjustment’s can bring a tangible benefit.

“Sometimes you find the business and its staff are working in the business and not for the business,” added Deeks, who on the back of this retail experience set-up andideeks.com to offer advice to retail outlets. Sometimes it was just small things but they proved so effective.

Deek’s business motto ‘Understanding the Window on Your World’ comes about

by looking in – this is how the business is seen to a visitor or customer, and looking out – how the business believes it is seen, how it works and operates, how the busi-ness sees the customer and any new potential business streams.

“Total eclipse,” added Deeks, “is where we look at both the results of looking in and looking out to see if they match, and this tends to give the direction of work needed to build the business.”

With golf clubs, Deeks can offer all sorts of advice, from assisting with procurement of website designers to bringing in décor experts. What is clear is that every course, club and venue has the ability to develop; it may range from signage and advertising to management and venue make-overs.

“Most websites for golf clubs scare new customers while too many have lists of rules first and it’s not easy to navigate around the information required.

“There was a rule on one course that stated that you have to go to the pro shop to pay first – this might seem normal to the regular golfer, but imagine a new golf-er. He won’t know where the pro shop is or where the changing rooms are and it’s small things like that, which can put people off as they don’t want to be embarrassed.

“It’s all about the first impressions you give and the lasting impression it often creates,” added Deeks who also offers advice on introducing new revenue streams to clubs.

According to Deeks, most venues have the potential to add a revenue stream that can easily add between £35,000 to £45,000 a year without making any changes or doing anything more than they already do.

There are ways to increase revenue with a few simple changes and additions, in most cases these options are already in place but just not understood or market-ed. In others cases, clubs may need to do more, but in all cases golf clubs and venues are an untapped resource that needs to be exploited.

“It’s all about maximising the customer experience and maximising the revenue you get back from those customers,” concluded Deeks. GME

“Sometimes you find the business and its staff are working in the business and not for the business”

16 GME ocTobER 2013

huxley golf WEBlInK; HUxlEYGolF.co.UK

In 2014 Huxley Golf products – which include a full range of all-weather tees, greens, pathways and lawns, practice nets and mats – will be used by new golfers in regions as diverse as they could possibly be, from Eastern to Southern Europe, and from the Middle East to the Highlands of Scotland!

So, what is the secret that has put this Hampshire-based company so firmly on the global map?

Paul Huxley, director of Huxley Golf, believes it’s all about sticking firmly to your core strengths whilst being adaptable and receptive to new opportunities. He says: “The Company was originally estab-lished in 1946 by my father, Edward.

“It’s certainly seen a great deal of change since its origins as a grass-cutting and turf maintenance machinery busi-ness, and it’s never been more vital that we continue to respond to industry demands.

“It seems that the game of golf continu-ally appeals to new global audiences and this inevitably throws up numerous climatic and environmental challenges for clubs and teaching establishments,” continued Huxley.

“These issues need to be overcome if the game is to thrive in an up and coming market. Our core strength, offering the highest quality, durable and low mainte-nance all-weather surfaces for golf, is something we’ve been able to build on in order to meet these increasingly wide-ranging and worldwide demands.”

So what of these worldwide demands? Well, in January, Huxley Golf announced a new distribution partnership for its products with Relvados e Equipamentos Desportivos in Portugal.

This was swiftly followed in March by the formation of Huxley Golf Bohemia covering the Czech and Slovakian Republics; countries showing evidence of much greater interest in the game of golf.

In April, Huxley Golf collaborated to create a new pitch and putt academy course at the Ambasadori Golf Resort in Georgia, enabling golf to be played in the country for the first time ever.

High temperatures and water scarcity in Dubai helped to create exactly the right conditions for a roll-out of Huxley Golf Middle East in May. Here, a flagship putting green and large tee area has already been installed at The Els Club in

one british golfing brand is proving that growth lies in focusing on what you do

best. Vanessa Gardner speaks to Huxley Golf at the

end of what’s been a winning year for the

company.

playing to your strengths


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Dubai, the signature golf resort of former world number one Ernie Els.

And to complete the whistlestop world tour, Huxley Golf Andalucía was formed in Europe’s ‘golfing capital’ in August, where the challenging economic climate means courses across the region have been looking to reduce their running costs.

Closer to home, high profile installa-tions for the R&A at the 2013 Open

Championship, and at prestigious academic institutions like Winchester College and the University of the Highlands and Islands, demonstrate that the Company’s all-weather products have never had such widespread appeal for both commercial and domestic clients.

Indeed, it seems golf professionals far and wide are queuing up for their own green, green grass at home. British ladies number one, Catriona Matthew MBE, had a 375 square feet Huxley Premier Putting and Chipping Green installed at her home complete with surrounding fringe areas earlier this year.

Tournament standard, the green was designed to Catriona’s specifications, accurately reproducing the conditions she faces as a professional golfer. She said: “Huxley Golf worked closely with me to develop a putting and chipping green that would cover the various putts I face on the tour, with both the ball roll and chip-ping qualities replicating the natural greens on tournament courses.

“It’s great to be able to practise from home, especially during the winter months, knowing I am giving myself the best chance possible to compete on the world stage.”

Catriona joins a formidable list of sporting legends who have ‘Huxley at home’ which includes Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Geoffrey Boycott OBE and Sir Clive Woodward.

Commenting on why he believes Huxley Golf is first choice, Paul Huxley

continued: “For us, it’s all about an unwa-vering commitment to quality. It might sound obvious, but offering the best, be it product or service, has been at the heart of the company for nearly 70 years.

“Today, it’s because we haven’t wavered, diversified our products dramat-ically, or cut any costs that would impact on our offering, that we continue to win new business opportunities, and interest-ingly, on an increasingly global stage.”

He continued: “When club budgets are tight, we know that it can be tempting for clients to opt for a lower grade product.

“However, time and again, despite the economic doom and gloom, we have won new business precisely because the client knows that they will not be disappointed with the end result, or worse, have to replace their installation anytime soon.”

This sentiment was echoed recently by Alan Fleming, PGA professional and Golf Management Lecturer at The University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, who, commenting on the installation of a new putting green, said: “We chose Huxley Golf because they were the only brand I was confident of getting the quali-ty of product from.

“We had a relatively tight budget but were keen not to spend less money on something that was not suitable or inferi-or. I knew of Huxley Golf through PGA training and contacts.

“Their endorsements from tour pros and the work the company has done with other academic institutions gave non-golf staff the confidence to make the invest-ment, on which I’m confident we will see a big return.”

When asked what 2014 had in store for this great British golfing brand, Paul Huxley was unable to comment, although it is clear that there are plenty more avenues on the world stage that his team are exploring.

“It’s been a busy year, that’s for sure and long may it continue!” he said. GME

“time and again, despite the economic doom and gloom, we have won new business precisely

because the client knows that they will not be disappointed with the end result”

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question timeWEBlInK; MATERIAlMATTERSlTD.coM

How did you come to work within golf? Did you have a burning passion for the game, or did you come into the industry via another route?

I played low single figure golf in my early teens and, like many people do, thought that I was the next Nick Faldo... sadly it didn’t take long to work out that I wasn’t, but by that time, golf was already in my blood.

I followed my fathers footsteps into civil engineering, but as soon as I saw that golf course construction projects were a far more glamorous form of civil engineer-ing, I went for it! I have worked and run a business overseas, but all bar six years of my career, I have been very lucky to work within golf.

The last four years before creating Material Matters I spent working in corporate financial services in London – a fantastic job but it was just not golf. The idea for Material Matters came to me late 2009 so I set about building a business plan with the added incentive that it would get me back into golf!

I am very lucky that I get to visit eight golf clubs per week on average and that feels like where my office should be!

You started Material Matters just

over three years ago, so what was your thinking behind starting up a new business during the middle of

one of the worst recessions in modern times?

Strangely, the recession almost helped us. It has been a very tough time for all businesses and golf clubs were not protected from that. Therefore, when Material Matters came along working on ways to help golf clubs purchase better and gain efficiencies of process and scale, our timing was good.

Don’t get me wrong, it has been tough for all businesses and to an extent it still is. We have focussed on doing a first class job for all the clubs we work with and providing the highest level of customer service and support that we can.

Our aim has always been to be a golf clubs first port of call on all matters purchasing. There is no right time to focus on buying better – that should be in-built into a business all of the time.

I am completely passionate about golf and golf businesses. My belief is that well run, genuine and honest businesses will grow and prosper in all financial climates. I am determined that we help the golf clubs we work with continue to be successful and if that is the case then MM will continue to grow and succeed also.

Material Matters is known as ‘a

buying group for golf clubs’ so was the idea behind setting up the busi-ness to concentrate solely on golf, or

breaking the Mould

with a passion for golf, it was only a matter of time before Paul Mould started

Material Matters with a desire to help golf clubs

beat the recession.

20 GME ocTobER 2013

did you move into golf from other areas?

Well firstly, we like to think that

Material Matters is regarded as the buying group – we work with well over 200 clubs now and a growing number of the group operators but there is still so much to do and so far to go.

We have been asked to look at a number of associated businesses and the technology we have built would definitely translate to many other business arena’s. For the foreseeable future though we will be focussed on golf as I think that is one of our core strengths.

We are so immersed in golf that we can really understand and help clubs with what they are trying to achieve both above and below the line.

What particular aspect of running

a golf club operation can Material Matters help with?

We cover 95 per cent of purchasing areas for both the clubhouse and the golf course, so I am not sure we would single out just one part of the operation.

You just never know where you are going to find the golden nugget of help – huge savings can spring out in any area so we have to ensure that we maintain strong support and options in every aspect of golf club purchasing.

The only single point that I might high-light would be our technology – that is more about how we have built a set of purchasing and contract management tools to help clubs run their business. Perhaps that would be an aspect that we would highlight as setting Material Matters apart.

It’s fair to say that from a

geographical perspective, Material Matters strength is in the south of England, so is the plan to grow the business further north and perhaps into Scotland?

We would love to work for clubs further afield. At the moment we only operate south of Birmingham. With many of the areas where we provide purchasing support it is completely possible for us to work further away from our Windlesham Golf Club base.

The Material Matters Portal set of online tools are all web based so clubs can take advantage of those wherever they are. It is very difficult to build a reputation across the whole of the UK so we would welcome enquiries from more Northern clubs and into Scotland. We work with several suppliers based in Scotland so there would be no problem in supporting clubs and helping save them money.

And what about Europe? Surely

there has to be opportunities to help European golf clubs who are looking to save costs?

We have had some discussion regard-ing Spain as I have worked there before and also Denmark and France. We would need to investigate the market in much greater depth but you never know.

We would certainly be in a position to help other European clubs with require-ments for UK based products. Carriage costs are now so competitive then this could still be an option.

With communications and the internet shrinking the business world then we would certainly never say never.

Looking at the golf industry in

general, are you noticing any shift in buying authority at clubs away from the PGA pro and more in favour of the owner/proprietor?

Now that’s a really interesting question. I am not sure that there is a specific shift that I have seen – although one thing though is for sure, that even in our short three-year history, we have seen a massive change – near revolution – in purchasing habits, ability, focus and policy, much of

“we like to think that Material Matters is regarded as the buying group – we work with well over 200 clubs now and a growing number of the group operators but there is still so much to do and so far to go.”


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which has been driven by economic pres-sures and also by necessity.

In 2010 we might have been putting forward savings in areas of £5,000 per year plus and they would go unchanged as the inconvenience and pain of change was considered too much. Now every £100 that we can find is snapped up. As we always say every £500 we save is the cheapest member you never need to find.

We do find that owner/proprietor clubs are often faster and in a better position to make a decision on purchasing. Private members clubs are often held up in the layers of approval that still exist.

Fast forward three years, and real-istically, how many clubs would you be looking to work with on a regular basis, and geographically, how far afield will the Material Matters net go?

We have built to well over 200 clubs to date. Our focus has never been on the number of clubs but more on the level of savings and trade that we actually do with them. We could have built a model where the number of members was all that drove us.

For me it is the level of business that we transact and the savings we deliver that is more important. Three years from now I can see us working with around 400 clubs as we see our service today.

However, the technology that we have already built will enable us to work with

many more clubs over a far wider geographic area, but in a different way than we do today.

Could that be 700-800 all together across more countries? Yes I think it could.

What drives us and what I will not allow to change is our reputation for the highest level of effort, trust, service and ownership – I will not compromise that in search of a target number of clubs.

Finally, what separates Material Matters from other buying groups that are working within the industry today?

Passion. I could not be more proud of the team that we have. My belief is that a business doing what we do will not be measured by the fact that things never go wrong, but by what they do when that happens.

Two statements that are banned in Material Matters are ‘I can’t be bothered’ and ‘because we have always done it that way.’ We are a purchasing partner for the clubs that want us to be that. Our objec-tives are aligned with theirs and we work together towards a common goal.

The next three-to-five years in golf will, in my view, be even more dramatic and change filled than the last. We will keep focussed on doing a great job with every-thing we do.

Total attention to detail and 100 per cent care is what makes us tick. GME

22 GME ocTobER 2013

insurance

Ask many golfers what first comes into their head when they think about golf insurance and the words “hole-in-one” will more often than not top the answer charts.

And true, the joy of seeing that perfect 7-iron bounce eight feet short of the cup and then disappear from view is multiplied if it is followed by the realisation that the bar bill which follows might be covered by your “hole-in-one insurance”.

But there is so much more to golf insurance than watching contentedly as your buddies enjoy a snifter of Glenmorangie to celebrate your previ-

ously well-disguised golfing prowess, safe in the knowledge that you don’t have to go home and explain how you’ve blown the week’s shopping budget.

Golf insurance is something which we all know a little about but, if we are honest, in which we probably don’t take too much interest. But we should.

For example, are you covered if you leave your clubs outside the pro shop while you’ve nipped in to pick up a score-card and they’re not there when you come out?

What if you take a practice swing on the first tee and catch your partner on the jaw? Or, if you slice one off the tee on a windy day and watch it fly over the trees and onto the busy road alongside?

Then, of course, there are the risks of playing a great game in a natural environ-ment. We’ve all played on a crisp morning and found our softspikes loading up with ice and performing more like skates than golf shoes. Couple that with a few nasty slopes and what do you know, you could be looking at a broken ankle or hip and many weeks off work.

From the club’s own perspective there are many valuable assets within golf clubs; many artifacts and trophies in the club-house itself and the contents of the pro shop and the greenkeeping maintenance

Take cover!Perhaps it’s a sorry truth that there seems to be a grow-

ing ‘compensation culture’ these days, and golf is certainly not immune as Scott MacCallum reports.


facilities where the machinery required to look after the golf course can amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The fact that many golf clubs are in secluded and remote areas means they are regularly targeted by thieves and expen-sive security has had to be installed to comply with insurance requirements.

David Morgan, senior relationship manager at the insurance brokers Marsh, has watched golf courses become the subject of increasing amounts of litigation and claims.

“We probably see more third party injury damage claims from golf balls leav-ing the course and causing injury or damage than we ever did. It used to be a case of member hitting member on a blind hole but now it is walkers, or people on bikes being struck by wayward shots, or damage to cars,” explained Morgan.

With the law allowing three years to elapse before a public liability claim needs to be made, more people are making the decision to seek damages.

“You could have an injury in 2010, put it down to bad luck or just one of those things, and in 2013 someone suggests ‘You should claim for that’ and because there is no cost to you, it might just persuade you to try and claim.”

Golf club members are encouraged to report the occasions when a ball leaves the course, or has actually hit something or someone, as this can identify the golfer who possibly has their own personal golf insurance policy.

However, visitors to the club are perhaps more inclined to keep their heads down and avoid any contentious issues. Especially knowing that they may not be back to that club again and in those cases it is the club’s insurance which may provide any cover for the perceived damage or injury.

“I recently spoke with a Golf Club Secretary who believes that there will soon come a time when all golfers will be required to carry their own public liability insurance as the increasing cost of premi-ums would make it too expensive for clubs to provide cover,” said Morgan.

One solution which is being adopted by more and more golf clubs is the block policy which covers the individual golf club members for public liability and is built into the annual subscription fee.

“While it may cost an individual around £23 for a policy, a golf club can buy a policy which covers all the members for as little as £2 per member

and while you would notice if £23 is added to your annual fees you wouldn’t notice £2 to the same extent,” explained Morgan, who added that it might be worth talking to your club about taking out a block policy if they are not already doing so.

However, while this solution looks the perfect fit for the club member, around half of the golfers who play the game in this country are not members of clubs and would not be covered by block poli-cies.

“There are approximately 1.7 million golf club members in the UK, and over 3.5 million who play golf, and included in the latter group will be many who are not established or regular golfers and, without being judgmental, perhaps not as aware of golfing etiquette.

“Couple this with the fact they are like-ly to be less familiar with the courses they play then incidents are more likely. The industry really needs to embrace these keen golfers and have a policy available providing the essential covers, with an attractive price point,” said Morgan.

There have been some well reported incidents of golf club litigation including the relatively recent case at Niddry Castle Golf Club, in Scotland, where an unfortu-nate golfer lost an eye after being hit by a misdirected shot by a fellow player and a sizeable compensation claim awarded.

“Sadly some people now associate that golfing venue with this incident, so golf clubs need to consider potential damage to their brand or good name too,” explained Morgan.

Proactive risk management is essential for clubs to reduce their liability exposure and all golf clubs should be seeking advice from their insurance supplier.

Other incidents which demonstrate the willingness for some people to seek to make a claim include golfers who have damaged eyes though hitting stones in the rough and another from a golfer who tried to claim because he was bitten by an adder on a golf course.

“He did lose — his argument being that there were no signs warning of the poten-tial danger. However, it provides a salu-tary lesson as to the diversity of potential risks on the golf course. “

Most of us are blissfully ignorant of our responsibilities and the dangers of not carrying sufficient insurance cover. In fact, we are still more concerned with the thought of paying that bar bill when and if we hit that perfect shot. GME

“I recently spoke with a Golf Club Secretary who believes that there will soon come a time when all golfers will be required to carry their

own public liability insurance as the increasing cost of premiums would make it too expensive

for clubs to provide cover”

24 GME ocTobER 2013


club focusWEBlInK; FoURSEASonS.coM/MAURITIUS

Sometimes it’s worth just going that extra mile – or, in the case of the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, the extra 6,000 miles.

Sure, it sounds a long way and the reason for that is that it is a long way. It’s a 12-hour flight or two six-hour flights if you break it up in Dubai. But the good news is that on the return journey you’ll be so relaxed that it will pass in a flash. That was my experience, anyway.

Initially I travelled down to the Indian Ocean resort, nearly 1,900 miles due east of Pretoria, in South Africa, to fulfil my journalistic brief and write a club focus, focussing on the renowned Ernie Els-designed golf course.

However – and I offer no excuses for this other than I’m the publisher and I can do as I like – it soon became apparent that to paint a true picture it would need to be a hybrid club focus and travel piece.

No doubt you were already aware that Mauritius was a beautiful destination – it’s

one of those places you see only in high-end travel brochures and Sunday supple-ments. But it’s only once you actually experience it for yourself and realise that all those airbrushed pictures had never actually seen an airbrush, that you really appreciate it for what it is.

Hence why, while providing the facts and figures relating to the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, I will also unashamedly border on the occasional eulogy.

Let’s start with the awards: the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita was voted top luxury hotel in Mauritius and the sixth-best hotel in the world, in the 2013 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, as well as being listed in Forbes Travel Guide’s top-10 beach resorts around the world in 2012.

As a fellow guest said: “If this is the sixth best hotel in the world, I can’t wait to visit the other five.” Like me he would have been impressed by the way resort

paradise foundIn June, publisher Michael lenihan travelled to the idyllic

island of Mauritius in the Indian ocean, to experience first-hand the stunning Four Seasons Resort at Anahita.

26 GME ocTobER 2013

facTfilE;

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

beau champMauritius

TEl; (203) 402 3131

EMail;[email protected]

DirEcTor of Golf;blyth Reid (pictured)

coursE supErinTEnDEnT;Mark Kirby

club founDED;2008

staff seemed to know one’s name tele-pathically for the duration of one’s stay. It was a memorable touch which added to the overall ambience and experience of the destination.

When it comes to being memorable, the resort, admittedly, had a head start: its location. It looks out over an extensive lagoon and private island which forms part of the resort; the fulcrum is the lively waterfront village with boutiques, fitness centre, golf clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts; to the rear is the Els-designed championship course.

The site on which the resort is located was formerly part of the Deep River Beau Champ sugar plantation – and, you can say what you like about those old coloni-alists, but they sure knew a good site upon which to place a factory and make a fortune.

There are still some remnants of the factory present and they have been embraced in the design of the resort rath-er than guiltily hidden – noticeably on the golf course where some of the old walls remain. Indeed, the 18th hole requires you to cut off the corner of the old facto-ry.

The resort itself covers 64 acres – amid tropical landscaped gardens – and occu-pies its own stretch of coastline, along which the intricate design of traditional Mauritian barachois – salt-water dams – create a flowing waterfront.

Within a protected sanctuary on the east coast, the 136-villa resort – just 40 minutes from the international airport – is set against a backdrop of the Bambou mountain and is part of the Anahita World

Class Sanctuary, a private mixed-use development.

The golf is complimentary and unlimit-ed, if you’re a guest at the resort, and includes a buggy, with GPS, and a pyra-mid of 55 range balls.

Opened only in 2008 – and winner the same year of the title of the African Property Award for Best Golf Development – the 7,580-yard, par-72 course enjoys expansive fairways and six ocean-front holes and is the first on the island to be built to USGA standards.

Weaving through rocky outcrops and trees, it is framed by the mountain and the Indian Ocean, and punctuated by the red and orange foliage of native flame trees.

Designer Ernie Els said: “One of the strengths of this golf course is we were able to maximise the visual impact of the surrounding scenery, but at the same time preserve the coastline’s natural beauty.

“The hole-routings move in and out of the trees, along the water, and back, giving players great variety and magnifi-cent views of the ocean.

“Another of the features that make this course stand out are some of the interest-ing design touches that we’ve been able to integrate into the layout; such as the use of existing dry-stone walls as strategic hazards, links-style burns and classic, grass-downed bunkers which reveal just a sliver of sand from the player’s-eye view.”

But while it’s in a tropical paradise it does have a respectful nod to the Home of Golf, as Els suggested. Like North Berwick, one hole – the 14th here – has an old wall in the middle of the fairway


and, also like North Berwick, there’s hard-ly any rough. “It speeds up play and we don’t want people to walk off the course feeling it’s beaten them up,” smiled the resort’s director of golf, Blyth Reid, himself a proud Scot.

“The facilities we have here in Mauritius are truly excellent, but what sets the best courses apart from the good is the creation of a unique experience for each player who takes to the course – that is what we are striving for here: to create world-class golf in Mauritius.”

The outstanding course is comple-mented by a 350-yard grass practice range and a Mauritian-styled clubhouse, bar and 90-seat restaurant, offering pano-ramic 18th-green and lagoon views.

The resort’s four restaurants offer a wide variety of styles, from the finest Mauritian and pan-Asian delicacies to fresh seafood, classic Italian dishes and a contemporary grill. And if you feel like lazing around your own pad one evening, in-villa dining is available around the clock, seven days a week.

With three secluded beaches and a spa with 12 over-water treatment rooms – eight of which are couple’s suites – there is very little excuse for not forgetting the stresses of the rat race back home.

The golf course, which is managed by Four Seasons, forms part of the ‘Anahita

Worldclass Sanctuary’ which also comprises private residences, as well as the Four Seasons resort.

“All guests staying at the Four Seasons resort receive unlimited and complimen-tary golf,” said Reid, who also added that the club has 60 lifetime members.

“And we have a lot of players from the other hotels and visitors who come from all around the island. Obviously our main aim is to look after our members and our hotel residents, while also building the outside play.

“The golden rule of Four Seasons is to treat others as you would like to be treat-ed yourself – and that applies equally as much to staff as it does to guests. And I think that really is the starting point and where the culture comes from,” Reid stressed.

“That impregnates every department: the golf, the bar, everything. We try to be the best we can possibly be; whether that’s the condition of the golf course, or to do with the service, or the items that we sell in the golf shop. We want to try to be the best and supply the best experience. And I think it’s an extension of the resort, a natural part of it.”

How refreshing to visit somewhere that fulfils the ethos and doesn’t just employ the ambition to ‘be the best’ as empty marketing rhetoric. GME

“The golden rule of Four Seasons is to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself”

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28 GME ocTobER 2013

links restoration WEBlInK; RYA.nU

Founded in 1934 as Helsingkrona Golfklubb, a nine hole course was constructed at Örby meadows on the outskirts of Helsingborg. The popularity of the club quickly grew, and in 1936 the club’s name changed to Rya Golfklubb.

The following year it became the 19th member of the Swedish Golf Federation, and in 1948, the club added four holes to the original nine, with the 18th hole final-ly completed in 1956.

In 1970 a new clubhouse was complet-ed and further land purchased, new holes 11 through 14 were constructed, which enabled the driving range to be enlarged and alterations to several other holes, increasing the length of the course.

Renovation and refurbishment of the former holes 11,12 and 14 started in 1982, including the much-criticized 14th green. The clubhouse was extended, neither the first nor the last time that this happened! In 1993 a task force was estab-lished to lead Rya into the new millenium. Another major redevelopment and exten-sion of the clubhouse was completed, but the planned construction of a machinery maintenance facility was postponed until 1994.

The club’s fortunes waned over the next ten years and debts were accumulat-ed with monies owed to the local commu-nity and financial institutions.

Something had to happen, so the board took the decision to offer members a shareholding in the club. This was offered to all members with 1,129 accepting and the club becoming Rya Golf AB in 2005.

The resulting influx of funds cleared the debts and allowed the club to intro-duce a Master Plan for the future includ-ing the construction of three new holes, under the guidance of golf course archi-tect Martin Hawtree, and the modernisa-tion of the entire course maintenance fleet.

The board consists of six members, all serving for two years, but they can be re-elected at the end of their term.

A four-person committee selects candi-dates for office; however in the interest of continuity, the current chairman has been in the role since 2004. Three new board members were elected in 2013.

On arrival I was introduced to the club’s manager, Magnus Sunesson (pictured opposite), a former European Tour professional from 1987-1994. He was appointed head pro at Royal Drottningholm Golfklubb in 1995, a posi-tion he held until 1998. During this time he worked for the Swedish Golf Association (SGA) as a part-time coach to the Boys’ national team and coached other teams at all levels.

The SGA has its own commercial company, SGF Affärsutveckling AB, which works to promote the sport to busi-nesses who want to be associated with golf which in turn creates more resources for the sport.

While working for SGF in 1999 he got involved with Hello Sweden, an organisa-tion that links Swedish sports with Swedish business. It looks at both promis-ing young sports people and established stars and offers support to help them excel. It has produced golfers such as Henrik Stenson, Peter Hansen and Christen Nielsen, all of whom Sunesson coached in 2004.

After seeing an advertisement in a local golf magazine for the vacant manager’s position at Rya, Sunesson was encour-aged to apply as he explains: “The former manager at Rya resigned suddenly and friends encouraged me to apply, so I spoke to the former manager, applied, was invited for an interview, then another and three weeks later was offered the job.

“I began my new career here at Rya in April 2012.

“We are a progressive club with high ambition and everyone is behind the board in making it happen. We now have almost 1,300 members, of which 150 are juniors, who cannot become shareholders until they are 18.

Situated south of Helsingborg on the Swedish shore of the Öresund – the body of water that separates Denmark and

Sweden – Rya Golfklubb, is an 18-hole coastal golf course with ambitious plans as Kevin Marks recently discovered.

rya links to the seaside


“We have planning permission for 20 homes on land we own adjacent to the course and are awaiting proposals from interested parties.

“Our main priority now is to improve the quality of the course, which will encourage more people to visit us. Our green fees are competitive, €60 in high

season, €30 in low season and we launched a new offer last June which allows nine holes of seaside golf for €20 after 6pm, any day.

“We welcome guests from all over the world and our goal is to be up amongst the best seaside golf courses in Europe and a viable alternative to Ireland and Scotland. I appreciate it’s a lofty goal, but it has the support of everyone at the club.”

My next stop was at the impressive maintenance facility, which was full of Jacobsen equipment following the signing of a recent preferred supplier agreement with local distributor Gräsvårdsmaskiner (GVM) of Malmo.

Head greenkeeper Brian Petersen came out to meet me and invited me to jump on a buggy for a tour of the course. Like all Scandinavians, his command of English was excellent and he began by providing some facts and figures for the course.

“We had more than 29,000 member rounds and 6,000 green fees last year, so in excess of 35,000 rounds,” he said. “I have seven staff in total during high season plus a full-time mechanic, so a big enough team to keep ahead of the golfers.

“We plan to increase the definition across the course by raising the height of cut in all areas; for example we are

mowing the greens at 3mm producing 9.5 to 10 on the stimpmeter and can get that up to 12.5 for club championships.

“We are drilling and filling the greens to get better soil exchange and bringing Rya back to its seaside roots. We want to preserve the history, but with subtle changes.

“The need for a long-term relationship with a trusted supplier was the prime reason for changing our machinery fleet. The quality and performance of the Eclipse greens mower was a major selling point and changing its frequency of cut and then rolling with the Smithco greens roller enables us to get championship green speed.

“Rafael Sundblom, who was probably the first modern golf course architect in the Nordic Countries, was responsible for the majority of original holes here. He was involved in over 30 golf projects throughout his career and his most famous course design was Halmstad Golfklubb, which opened in 1938 and hosted the Solheim Cup in 2007.”

My visit concluded with an invitation to lunch in the modern, contemporary club-house, where Magnus Sunesson reiterated the ambition of the club.

“We are a long established club, as you can see from our history, but our goal is to be the premier seaside club in Sweden. This is a significant challenge, but we believe that building strong and lasting partnerships with trusted suppliers is the way forward.

“The preferred supplier agreement with GVM is a typical approach we are taking; one that is beneficial to both parties in the long term.” GME

“our goal is to be up amongst the best seaside golf courses in Europe and a viable alternative

to Ireland and Scotland.”

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training academies

As Paul McGinley sends another crisp-ly struck iron shot down Quinta do Lago’s sloping driving range, you can’t help but admire his poise under pressure. He has just got off a delayed flight into Faro and raced to the opening of the new state-of-the-art training academy where a group of inquisitive journalists were

awaiting his arrival. He is three quarters of an hour late.

Despite the disruption, he delivers a polished performance answering questions about the Ryder Cup, Rory Mcllroy and life on tour. He also runs through some swing thoughts he is working on and quick-ly demonstrates how to fade and cut

the ball. Most of all he is here to promote Quinta do Lago and TaylorMade.

“Quinta do Lago wants to be right at the centre of every golfer’s mind as the

first destination to learn or improve their game and Paul McGinley and TaylorMade are the perfect partners to make sure we achieve that goal,” explains John Dwyer, CEO of Quinta do Lago.

The academy certainly has a futuristic look and feel about it. Laboratory clean and decorated with stirring imagery of TaylorMade’s pin-up Sergio Garcia, the place is designed like a temple to sporting achievement. It is also the latest example of a high-profile partnership between a club/resort and a manufacturer which has produced an on-site facility that would make a F1 team envious.

More importantly it is a place where TaylorMade can strike up one to ones with its most important audience; its customers. “Globally, the company is investing quite heavily in fitting centres,” explains Sean Brady, brand experience manager for TaylorMade and adidas Golf.

TaylorMade’s recently opened training academy

at Quinta do lago is the latest in a long line of

partnerships between golf academies and manufac-

turers. Mark Alexander explores this symbiotic and

lucrative relationship.

practice makes perfect

32 GME ocTobER 2013

“It gives us the opportunity to talk directly to the customer and show them our technologies. It gives them a chance to meet a guy who really knows his stuff and can help them get a set of clubs that are really dialled in for them.”

The bottom line is these lavish boudoirs of loft and lie are the golfing equivalent of the velvet-walled fitting rooms of couture industry. Admittedly the champagne might be a little slow and there certainly aren’t any fluffy robes, but these are unquestionably bastions of retail with a scientific bias added to satisfy the increas-ingly sophisticated tastes of the buying public – the new R1 driver, Brady tells me, has 183 different settings.

There is also a strategic rationale to TaylorMade’s investment. The new facili-ty at Quinta do Lago joins other key centres at Wentworth, Turnberry and the company’s centre of excellence located in Herzogenaurach in Germany. This hierar-chy gives TaylorMade a set of locations where it can engage with its customers in controlled environments right at the heart of golf ’s most fertile hinterlands.

The formula is repeated at Titleist with its UK headquarters based in St Ives and provincial centres at Kingsacre in Edinburgh, Carlton House in Ireland and Celtic Manor in Wales. “We’ve had some clients fly in by private jet from Turkey to St Ives to play golf, get fitted and then go home,” says Richard Temple, Titleist’s golf club product and fitting manager.

“We provide fitting capabilities to all our markets, it just depends on the kind of experience you want.

“If you have people who really want to go to town and get the very best fit and are happy to pay for it, then the national fitting centre is the best way to go.”

Titleist has adopted a three-tiered approach which begins with its 280 coal-face partners who provide a local fitting service at pro shops and retail outlets up and down the country. Next up are the 300 fitting days organised by a team of five Titleist specialists who tour the UK and Ireland with an array of club heads, shafts and balls.

And on the top of the pile are the four fitting centres manned by Titleist staff and controlled from HQ. At the St Ives centre, the two-man team have the poten-tial of carrying out 3,000 hours of fitting a year Temple informs me.

“We have an arrangement with each of the clubs we work at,” he says. “We have recently refitted Kingsacre and Carlton House so the expenditure is there. We feel it is worthwhile because hundreds of consumers come in yearly and get a great experience.

“Because these are chargeable fits, we cover our costs that way and the incre-mental benefit of having people buying products that they were humming and ahhing over is obviously a key element.”

From the club side, having a branded fitting centre on-site provides a host of advantages that perhaps wouldn’t be possible if they were left to their own devices. “We believe that by partnering up with key locations and venues,” explains Brady, “we are giving people the opportu-nity to talk to TaylorMade.”


He continues: “One of the biggest diffi-culties is the actual investment needed to create something like this. To put some-thing like this together requires ten’s of thousands of euros and that’s not some-thing the average club has the wherewith-al to do.”

Like most manufacturers, TaylorMade isn’t averse to spending thousands of euros on creating bespoke fitting centres but it has to choose its partners wisely.

After all, these are significant invest-ments and a world away from providing a proshop with a bag of irons and card-board cut-out. One of the first venues to go down this route was, perhaps surpris-ingly, St Andrews Links Trust which, at the time, was hardly seen as a trailblazer. But as Steve North, director of instruc-tion at the Trust, explains, it was an inno-vation that made a lot of sense at the time.

“There weren’t many places doing that sort of thing,” he says. “When the acade-my opened in 2006, we didn’t want to work with just one company, so to start with it was Ping and Callaway.

But then Ping changed its global strate-gy which left Callaway. As our engage-ment became stronger, it made sense for us to work solely with Callaway.”

Today, the Trust considers Callaway as one of its key partners.

The company has a performance centre at the Links golf academy, it supports the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA) and, perhaps most important of all, it has aligned itself with one of the strongest brands in golf – visit the Trust’s website and the first thing you will see is a Callaway ball.

But according to North, the key advan-tage of linking up with a manufacturer isn’t the investment or the facilities that

follow but rather the intangible benefits of having access to the very latest equip-ment, techniques and ideas.

“A big part of coaching is making sure people are fitted with the right equip-ment,” said North. “As qualified PGA pros, we are taught how to do that but only at a quite a basic level, especially when you compare it to the detail we go into today.

“Some of the improvements we have made have come from our own research, but a lot has come from the manufactur-ers, so it’s a knowledge thing as much as anything.”

If the link between manufacturers and venues failed to produce benefits for both, it simply wouldn’t happen. As long as the manufacturers provide the cash and the clubs provide the punters, this symbiotic relationship seems set to flourish. GME

“To put something like this together requires ten’s of thousands of euros and that’s not something the average club has the wherewithal to do.”

34 GME ocTobER 2013

golf simulators WEBlInK; www.FoRESIGHTSPoRTS.EU

“We were doing three to four fitting sessions per year; now, with the installa-tion of a Foresight simulator, we’re on target to achieve almost 300.”

So said Dan Blesovsky, the golf services manager at the prestigious Woburn club.

So, as they say in the USA, do the math! A full, hard-sided installation, such as that at Woburn, can cost from as little as £25 per day with a Foresight finance package. Woburn charges £30 per 45-minute custom-fitting session, so just one 90-minute fitting, every other day, sees you in profit; or, if you simply performed a £50 fitting session, even every other day, it would cover the cost in one fell swoop.

And if you feel that £25 is too much to pay for year-round revenues and profits, check out the sidebar for the extra reve-nue streams the simulator can generate – it’s easy to see how the simulator can make a profit from day one.

The Foresight simulator – powered by the market-leading GC2 smart-camera system, which directly measures every aspect of ball-flight data accurately indoors or outside – is proving itself to be the first indoor simulation technology to be actively embraced by golf clubs.

Historically, just a few simulators per year were installed into golf clubs. Since

introducing the Foresight simulator to the European market the company is on target to install more than 100 systems in the coming year.

Ed Doling, sales director for Foresight Sports Europe, understands why clubs have been averse to simulation previously. He explained: “We understand the tradi-tional objections to indoor golf – space, cost, reliability, return on investment… But that is why the Foresight simulator is driving a sea-change, because it over-comes all those concerns.

“Every golf club manages its floor space carefully. The flexibility of Foresight technology means if you can swing a driv-er we can install a simulator in your space. So, for the first time, a club doesn’t have to set aside a room for it unless they wish to.

“Designs can be adapted to specific requirements, for example, when an installation is planned for the main bar, clubhouse or conference room: bespoke doors can be built to conceal the front of the simulator when not in use; or we can include retractable netting to allow the room to be used for functions as well as indoor golf.”

Where previous simulators ticked very few, if any, of the boxes for a golf club, the Foresight simulator ticks them all.

The Foresight Sports, Gc2-powered simulator is overcoming traditional objections to indoor golf, proving a boon for clubs large and small. And, as Aidan Patrick discovers, the financials stack up too!

how having foresight makes financial sense


It is so accurate the club professional will use it all day for coaching, equipment testing, club sales and industry leading club-fitting.

Members and guests can hire the system by the hour for practice, analysis of their game, or to play on any of the world-famous courses painstakingly reproduced in every detail. It’s also perfect for members and societies to enjoy nearest-the-pin or long-drive contests as part of their day.

And it’s this crossover aspect of the Foresight simulator that makes it so attractive for the golf club, with every department benefiting.

It is the most accurate simulator on the market, ensuring golfers return time and again to use it; it’s the ultimate technology for club-fitting, teaching and retail, plus, located indoors, it guarantees members can always be golfing, while professionals don’t lose lessons or club fittings after dark or in bad weather.

Yet, it doesn’t have to be a full, hard-sided installation, and it doesn’t have to cost £25 per day, to generate increased revenues. Many golf clubs start with a net and a GC2 linked to a PC, in the corner of the pro-shop. Many are quite happy to remain that way, enjoying the increased revenues. Others upgrade to a full simula-tor because the potential for increasing business is huge.

Doling added: “The fastest return on investment we’ve been told of on a GC2 is 14 days. On average, simulators are paying for themselves, in full, in less than six months. Our simulator customers report a minimum profit of £100 per day which is why so many, who start with a GC2, upgrade to a full sim further down the line.”

These aren’t arbitrary figures thought up by an advertising copywriter, these are statistics backed up by case studies of Foresight Sports current clients. Quite simply, Foresight Sports is rewriting the rules for the golf club market.

However the GC2 is used, it is, quite simply a game changer, as St Annes Old Links’ Dan Webster, the Foremost pro of the year in 2012, can confirm. He cites the GC2 as the catalyst for two years of steady growth and success and said: “I can’t live without the GC2 now, it’s as simple as that. My message to my fellow pros is simple: Stop wasting time; you need a GC2. Get one, it’s a business changer.”

Speaking just a couple of months after upgrading his GC2 to a full Foresight simulator, Webster said: “It has totally changed the nature of my business. The demand for fitting and coaching since we got the unit has been immense – instead of me doing £1,600 a month in coaching

I’m now doing around £3,000 a month…”

Doling continued: “Our clients tell us that rather than lose lessons because of bad weather and short days, they actually booked more lessons because of the comfort and convenience of the indoor facilities afforded them by the GC2 or Foresight simulator.”

The Foresight simulator is industry proven to be the most accurate system available. The GC2 is approved and

recommended by the world’s leading club manufacturers, including Titleist, Cleveland/Srixon, Cobra/Puma, PING and TaylorMade, so the accuracy of ball-flight data and golf simulation is beyond question.

So custom fitting: tick! Coaching: tick! Social golf: tick! All well and good, you may say, but does it tick the box on cost? The simple answer is yes; and every

department will benefit – even your bank manager will be impressed.

Foresight Sports’ finance options mean a fully installed simulator can cost from as little as £25 / €30 (+ VAT) per day, while the cost of a standalone GC2 starts from just £6 /€7 per day.

Foresight is delivering top-end simula-tion at a mid-range price point, which, until the development of the GC2, has never been possible before. The versatility of the system means its use within the

club is limited only by your own imagina-tion: boosting F&B and providing added value for members and visitors in the bar; increasing retail, coaching and club-fitting revenues in the pro shop.

Foresight simulation is revolutionising the golf business; it’s no longer a luxury item, it’s an essential part of your business in an ever-evolving, ultra-competitive industry. GME

Even taking the most conservative approach to potential revenues, it’s easy to see how the Foresight simulator can make a profit for your club from DAY ONE!

Custom fitting: £50 per fitting sessionConservative approach: one fitting session every two days = £25 per day

Tuition: £35 per 30 minutesConservative approach: one 30 minute lesson per day = £35 per day

Social use / simulator hire: £30/40 per hour, per group bookingConservative approach: one hour per day = £30 per day

Practice hire: £10 per 30 minutesConservative approach: 90 minutes of practice per day = £30 per day

Monthly nearest-the-pin contests: £2 per entryConservative approach: 50 entries per month = £100, £3 per day

Society golf: £3 per head to use simulatorConservative approach: one 20-member society, per fortnight, at £3 per head = £4 per day

Conservative approach total per day = £127Cost of finance = £25 per dayProfit per day = £102

Just ONE fitting session every two days covers the cost of your Foresight simulator! These are direct revenues generated by the Foresight simulator and the profit per day is already more than £100 before considering the other benefits to the business such as:

More custom-fitting means less expenditure on hardware stock;Increased equipment sales through proper custom fitting;Increased profit margin from equipment sales as a result of buying in greater quantity;Increased ball sales through ball fitting;Increased F&B sales, as you will retain members in the clubhouse for greater periods of time;Retention of customers – they’ll no longer head off to the ‘pile-‘em-high, sell-‘em-cheap’ retailers;All-year-round revenues, no matter what the weather;Essentially, it empowers your professionals and club to become service providers to your members and guests.

You do the Math!

“It has totally changed the nature of my business. The demand for fitting and coaching since we got the unit has been immense”

36 GME ocTobER 2013

Premier A l l -Weather Sur faces for Gol f

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golf travel

For those in the golf travel sector, there is only one place to be in November and it isn’t sunning themselves on a beach or working on their swing.

The International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) is the key event for golf tourism suppliers, buyers and media. It is held annually and is a heady mix of network-ing sessions, business appointments, drinks receptions and evening dinners. For four days, the industry meets, greets and parties.

The figures are mind-boggling. At last year’s exhibition held in Vilamoura in Portugal, 450 exhibitors met with 350 golf operators with 12,000 appointments

arranged before proceedings even got under way.

The 15th running of the event broke records in the number of scheduled appointments and followed the now all-to-familiar format of late nights, busy days and blistering feet. “People come here to do business and network,” says Peter Grimister of Reed Travel Exhibitions.

But IGTM is more than just an excuse to let your hair down at the end of the season. For four days, the industry stands side by side and markets itself in a huge display of colourful stands, balloons and free pens.

Making your Mark

For a few short days, the golf travel industry comes together in a blur of hand-shakes, business cards and colourful cocktails. Mark Alexander finds out how to make the most of IGTM.

WEBlInK; IGTM.co.UK

38 GME ocTobER 2013

This concentration of businesses is reason enough to attend.

“I have been in the business for more than 20 years and I have been at IGTM for the last nine years,” says Mikael Jenson, managing director of Krone Golf Tours. “It is very important for us to be here. We can meet everyone in the busi-ness from all over the world.”

This is perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to attend IGTM. In less than a week, golf operators can meet established business partners and strike up new relationships face-to-face. It is an opportunity to get a lot of business done in not a lot of time.

But with so many destinations vying for attention, how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? The Kenya Tourist Board started exhibiting at IGTM in 2001 and has never missed a show since. Its colourful and eye-catching stand embodies the beauty of Kenya conveying the country as an African retreat where golfers can follow a round with a safari or a dip in the Indian Ocean.

The stand is also renowned for a local cocktail called Dawa, or medicine. “It is an expression of the Kenyan hospitality,” says Fred Okeyo, regional marketing manager at the Kenya Tourist Board.

“After a hard day’s work, after you’ve played your golf, after you’ve done your safari, after you’ve relaxed on the beach; you need Dawa to cool you and treat you.”

Sipping the powerful brew, you can’t help but imagine its healing powers following a blisteringly hot day out on the

Serengeti. And that’s the point. Before you know it, you’re chatting to Okeyo’s colleagues about the Masai Mara and the Africa’s Big Five – all aspects that make Kenya special.

“It brings people together,” says Okeyo. “It is a point of discussion and creates a relaxed environment in which people can really get to know one another and discuss business. But it’s not just about the immediate business; it’s about connecting with the visitors now and in the future.”

At least 300 drinks are served up by the Kenya Tourist Board during IGTM with queues forming around the stand when the Dawa sessions get underway. But Okeyo is not alone in realising the draw of alcohol.

The Home of Golf is quick to offer a nip of whisky at its expansive stand while wines are poured relentlessly at Spanish, French and Italian displays throughout the day.

But appealing to the palette isn’t the only way to draw attention to yourself. “They’re a bit of a laugh,” says Edward Mitchell discussing the Zebra print trou-sers he and his fellow South African exhibitors are sporting. “At functions in the evening they are a bit of a talking point. On the opening night, they caused quite a stir.”

The bold attire is certainly eye-catch-ing, but it also illustrates the benefits of exhibiting as part of larger team. “We had a meeting to discuss what we could do that would be different and the Zebra pants came out of that,” says Mitchell,

“It is very important for us to be here. We can meet everyone in the business from all over the world.”


whose company Rovos Rail forms part of the impressive South African floor-to-ceiling stand. “Everywhere we go, people know where we’re from.”

Mitchell explains the collaborative approach was originated by the South African Golf Tourism Association (SAGTA) which brought together golf clubs, resorts, accommodation providers and, in Mitchell’s case, transport opera-tors to create an all-encompassing pres-ence that is notable for its size and content.

“It presents a cohesive South Africa image, which helps us,” he says. “It really sums us up – we are together in the one area which makes us easier to find. Buyers can easily see where we are.”

As well as getting more bang for your bucks, being part of a larger group also provides the opportunity to refer clients to neighbouring businesses. “We use it for referrals,” says Mitchell. “I have just given some referrals to Sun International. I was chatting to a client who wanted something when he got off our train in Cape Town. I was able to point him in the direction of Table Bay hotel and referred him to Lydia.”

For a few short days in November, the golf industry sells itself unapologetically. It uses colourful costumes, tasty food and enticing drinks to impress and engage buyers from around the world.

Nicolas Iorio, inbound golf manager for the Argentinean tour operator WeGolf, says his country has been especially

skilled at engaging potential partners since it started exhibiting at IGTM in 2006.

“What Argentina has done well is to ensure the tourism bureau creates a big stand with a special look and feel of our country,” he says. “It is important to make something special so we always have a big presence at IGTM.”

With wood panelling and huge photo-graphs showcasing golf in Argentina, the stand is certainly conspicuous, distin-guished and clearly a place to do business. “No-one will confuse this stand with any other,” says Iorio proudly.

But even with this backdrop, the Argentines have relied on giveaways in the past, although in 2012 this approach was dropped due to a change of person-nel. “For the past five years on the Wednesday afternoon we gave out empanadas and wine. We offered every-one lunch and had a raffle to win wine, ruby balls and hotel stays. It didn’t happen this time and we missed it.”

Thankfully the hard work carried out by the Argentine contingent in previous years generated enough interest to secure 40, 15-minute meetings.

But as Iorio points out, IGTM isn’t simply about signing on the dotted line; it’s about securing market recognition and showcasing what you’ve got. “People know us as the guys with the tango, the empanadas, the big stand,” he says.

“For one reason or another they know us and that’s the important thing.” GME

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40 GME ocTobER 2013

my view WEBlInK; HUnTERGRInDERS.coM

Maintaining your fleet of professional mowing equipment to the highest stand-ards is an essential part of achieving a championship course. World television coverage of sport can be very unforgiving

and places a huge responsi-bility on the shoulders of the professional green-keeper and course manager.

Thats perhaps one of the reasons why eight out of the nine Open Championship courses in the UK have invested in their own Hunter Grinder relief/spin professional Grinder.

But it’s not only the professional golfers that appreci-ate quality fairways and greens. Every

course manager and greenkeeper worth his/her salt will argue that he/she strives for perfection for all the club members and this includes achieving the best cut.

What is available to help the fine turf professional achieve the perfect playing surface? As well as the advice from every member of each golf club, especially when they had a bad round, there are many more reliable and proven aids to fine turf maintenance.

Recognised root zone mixtures, chemi-cal herbicides and fungicides, aeration equipment, mowers of all makes shapes and sizes and an unsung hero from the back of the maintenance shed, the grind-ing machine. All golf courses have to sharpen their mower cylinders to achieve speed and accuracy on the course.

But if you are a greenkeeper who only has the mowers ground once a year and still sends them to the local machinery dealer for a regrind, it may well be the right time to take a serious look at the benefits of owning your own grinder.

Ian Robson of Hunter Grinders (pictured above right) offers some advice for clubs looking to invest in their own grinder. “First there is the obvious advan-tage of cost, not having to pay someone else to do a job that can be easily carried out in the maintenance shed, especially during winter when 80 per cent of this type of work is carried out.

not such a Grind

As we enter the long, winter months, this is the time of the year when clubs should be looking to sharpen up their act – quite literally! Charmian Robinson reports on the benefits of grinding.


“The cost of sending work out varies from one area to another. The average cost throughout the country generally works out at about £100 to £150 plus per cutting unit head, plus any parts required. Some units may need to be ground more than once a year due to damage from the frequency of top dressing applications.

“One of the most important benefits gained from having in house grinding facilities is that units can be kept in premium condition throughout the whole of the cutting season,” added Robson.

“Blunt or badly worn blades can result in fairways or greens looking shabby when something as simple as a re-grind can improve this almost immediately. Having a grinder on site significantly reduces this downtime.

“Owning your own machine allows you to plan your grinding schedules around top dressing programs, weather patterns and competitions. The cylinders can be maintained to a high standard of cut at all times throughout the year.

“The third benefit applies to repairs or maintenance. You have control over time, cost and quality. Although simple to oper-ate when you purchase any Hunter Grinder such as a Jupiter or Juno, full training is given to ensure the operator maximises the potential and performance of the machine.

“If you purchase a fully automatic grinder such as the Jupiter ATI you have an additional advantage of stand-alone grinding while you get on with other tasks.”

So what are the things to look for when purchasing a grinder?

“The three major manufactures of fine turf mowing machines spend vast sums of money on research and development of cutting cylinders and all of their equip-ment is supplied with relief angled blades. Will the grinder you are looking at return both cylinders and bottom blades to the original manufacturer’s specification?

“The grinder you purchase will be expected to perform accurately for at least 12 years and much longer in many cases. Look at the basic construction. Is it sturdy and robust? Ask if the machine has been through vibration tests and ask to see the results.

“How accurate will the machine grind is another key question. With cutting units having to perform at much lower heights of cut, the grinder manufacture needs to be able to guarantee accuracy.

“Another question that I get asked a lot is what method of grinding should you use? Spin grinding, relief grinding, single blade grinding, grinding to an edge...

“Whatever method you choose the fact is that relief grinding is the only way to return the cylinders and bottom blades to the original manufactures specification. Relief grinding also keeps blades sharper for longer or as it’s known in the trade; on cut, longer than any other method.

“Space is a premium in most work-shops. There are a variety of grinders on the market. Relief grinders, spin grinders, bottom blade grinders, and various acces-sories, all of which take up valuable foot-print in the workshop. So combining some of these features in one machine is a huge benefit where space is limited.

“Health and safety issues should be considered very carefully when purchas-ing a grinder. Always request noise and vibration figures for the specific machine you are interested in.

“Another aspect to be considered along with health and safety is dust. If the machine is not fitted with liquid coolant for all operations then dust is inevitable and can be a major health hazard.

“Liquid cooled machines absorb the grinding dust into the liquid and filter it out through the circulation system. Dust created through dry grinding will pollute the workshop area unless some form of extraction is installed.”

Having considered all of the aspects of purchasing your own grinder and decided that this would be beneficial to your club, you now have to consider costs.

“You can spend in excess of £20,000 to £50,000 for the most up to date mowers available. Investing in keeping them work-ing at optimum levels through an effective grinding programme makes economic sense.

“So if you compare the cost of mowing equipment against a grinder, then the grinder will be less expensive than the new greens triple, blades glinting in the sunshine, awaiting the first cut!” GME

42 GME ocTobER 2013

Remember the fabulous scenes at Medinah? How the European heroes invoked the spirit of the great Seve ballesteros to produce the fightback of all fightbacks – if you ignore this year’s America’s cup, which I always will.

Remember how they proudly wore his silhouette on their clothing and welled up at the mention of his name? what a shame then that when it came to playing in the tournament that bears Seve’s name they couldn’t be – for want of a better word – arsed!

when it was played in october, at Saint-nom-la-breteche, Paris, seven of the Ryder cup team who were eligible to play – six for Gb&I and one for Europe – decided to give it a miss. clearly Seve has served his purpose.

Scotsman Paul lawrie, speaking for many European golf fans I imagine,

criticised his Medinah team-mates for their absence.

He said: “I think it’s extremely disap-pointing that a lot of the guys are not playing. It’s disappointing for everyone involved – for the Tour, who have done a great job putting it on; and for Seve and his family. I mean, my God, most of us are out there playing because of what Seve did years ago. I would walk to Paris to play on the team...”

lawrie is spot on. without the pioneering ballesteros, these guys would not be able to jet off to mean-ingless tournaments in the far-flung outposts of the no-longer European European Tour and earn their mega-bucks for so-doing.

It was through his endeavours that these pros are now able to play so frequently in the US.

It was largely because of his swash-buckling style that golf became so popular in the 70s and 80s, where it had previously been regarded as an elitist pastime.

And yet, they couldn’t give up a week of their time to honour him in the tournament that carries his name. That is a final indication – if one were ever needed – that golf at the top level is just like most other professional sports: all about money.

If this tournament had been played in the Far East, and had borne the name of a world bank, which was prepared to shell out seven-figure appearance fees, instead of a European sporting icon, it’s likely these same players would have been loung-ing in first-class before you could say “please have your passports ready”.

Maybe they were all carrying injuries; or they had family weddings to attend. I hope so.

I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked, but I genuinely thought golfers were better than that. no, I really did. clearly, I – and many others – was mistaken.

The message seems to be: Thanks Seve, but no thanks… GME

the last word

lawrie is spot on when it comes to seve Trophy

“What a shame then that when it came to playing in the tournament that bears Seve’s name they couldn’t be – for want of a better word – arsed!”

David [email protected]

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