We should be celebrating and marketing the individual uniqueness and differences of each golf course
STANDARDS
cases with turf, once you adopt a more costly improvement strategy (such as sand topdressing, fairway irrigation etc.), there is no turning back - the improvement strategy must be adequately resourced for the foreseeable future for it to be successful.
Comparing clubs
Although clubs in close proximity will inevitably compete for green fees and members, it isn’t necessary that you raise your standards beyond your means to keep up with the club down the road. Regrettably, this happens too often and is one of the contributing factors for some clubs now facing severe financial hardship.
The game of golf is unique and there
are several contributing factors that can provide a point of difference for each golf club: For example, each golf course is unique when its topography, climate, soil
type, course layout (links or parkland- type), as well as budget and resources (staff and equipment) are all taken into account. With this wide range of factors it is very difficult to draw a comparison with another club’s course. Yet, too often, this comparison is used as the driving force for change as opposed to what is the best (appropriate) direction for your club.
The game of golf is unique in the world of sport. Golf ’s playing surface is essentially dimensionless. Whilst there are some general guidelines (e.g. for length of holes, fairway widths and green sizes) that have evolved over time, there are no set dimensions for size of the playing area like there are for rugby, soccer, cricket, bowls or other sports. Additionally, course conditioning,
presentation and set up is often compatible with the skills of those who will play the course at that time. Thus, the playing conditions one is used to
seeing on television are there to test the top echelon of players in the sport. Such standards/conditions/set up are totally unsuitable for the everyday golf club where club members often have a wide range of handicaps. A sensible middle ground must be found. Therefore, as golfers and club management, we should be celebrating and marketing the individual uniqueness and differences of each golf course. In many cases, instead of striving for the unattainable, members should look at their own course and assess its strengths and weaknesses, at the same time, taking into account the resources they have available and setting realistic playing standards that the club can sustain long term. In golf there is nothing wrong with being different!
Course standards
The first step in taking control of your course’s presentation is to accurately
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