The present recession and its impact on disposable income will, undoubtedly, be yet another factor contributing to the financial pressures faced by many golf clubs. Generally, the largest area of expenditure for a golf club is the preparation of the golf course, and the key driver for this expenditure is the expectations or playing standards that are demanded by members. If golf clubs are serious about reining in their operational costs then it is timely to review the playing standards provided
SETTING THE S
ignificant advances in turf management, machinery and resources have, in the last thirty-
odd years resulted in golf courses making substantial leaps in both playability and presentation. Along with these advances members expectations have also increased, which is typical of human nature, often at a similar pace. This has now reached the point, in some situations, whereby playing conditions that were considered tournament standard a few years ago are today deemed to be normal day-to-day playing conditions.
This gradual improvement of playing standards comes at a cost. Such advances are desirable providing they are financially and environmentally affordable for the foreseeable future and can be funded from club revenue. When making improvements in playing quality on a golf course, one needs to remember that the Law of
38
Diminishing Return applies. In other words, substantial (disproportional) increases in inputs are typically required to achieve additional small gains in playing quality. For example, increasing greens mowing frequency from three to five times a week to gain speed (generally one foot at best) costs:
• Increase in labour (approximately six hours a week or 312 hours a year)
• 40% (approx) increase in fuel, repairs and maintenance for the greens mower
• Greens mower will require replacing (approximately) every 3-4 years rather than every 6-7 years
One of the key areas that must be
addressed, if better control of maintenance costs is to be achieved, is for clubs to take more control of their playing standards and adopt a course conditioning/presentation (maintenance)
model that best fits their resources and financial situation. In other words, take a more planned or controlled approach towards course improvement and playing quality, and endeavour to avoid additional and often unexpected or unplanned costs as the scenario above.
Funding
Clubs should be looking to provide the best playing conditions in accordance with their own budget and resources - not necessarily trying to copy the club up the road as their budget and resource allocations may be completely different. A worrying trend is that the better course standards (demanded by club members) are increasingly being funded from outside agencies and grants and not the clubs revenue stream. This may seem a great way to make a course improvement in the short term, but what happens when this funding is cut or, worse still, you miss out? In most
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