GCM

JULY 2010

The
Business

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 7
MAGAZINE
FOR THE GOLF INDUSTRY
GOLF CLUB MANAGEMENT Visit www.compleatgolfer.co.za for back issues of GCM

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
HOW TO BE
WATER-WISE!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Indigenous grasses rule
■ Shrubs to plant for spring colour

■ Rate your club’s biodiversity

■ How do your fees compare?

■ Form a green committee

GCM IS PRINTED ON
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
 EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTENTS
BIRDIES AND BOGEYS
News from last month 4
COURSE MANAGEMENT
Measuring water consumption 6

FROM
SHRUBS FOR COURSES
Val Thomas offers advice for colour 14
THE ARGUMENT FOR
INDIGENOUS GRASSES

THE EDITOR
Choose a more water-wise option 16
HR
The value of exit interviews 22
THE ENVIRONMENT
Forming an environmental sub-committee 26
CARROTS, STICKS AND COMMON SENSE
RETAIL 101 The theme of this month’s edition is very
Select the right brands for your pro shop 28 much slanted towards environmental af-
RANDS AND SENSE fairs, and at the risk of repeating myself,
Compare your club’s rates 36 we are all going to have to embrace the
idea of transforming our golf courses into
COVER PICTURE eco-sensitive zones and do everything in
Sabi River, courtesy of Sun International our power to rehabilitate areas that are
sorely in need of restoration.
■ EDITORIAL
Former Springbok rugby player Ian Mc-
JOHN BOTHA Callum, a physician, naturalist and writer,
Email: bogeyfree@mweb.co.za wrote an excellent book titled Ecological
Cell: 082 498 7380 Intelligence, which should be required
■ PUBLISHER reading for everyone in the golf industry.
SIMON TURCK McCallum pointed out that we all have an
Email: simon@ramsaymedia.co.za unconditional responsibility to preserve
Cell: 083 252 8387 wild places (and golf courses must be
■ ADVERTISING included in these areas). But he suggests
JAMES FERRANS (NATIONAL SALES MANAGER) that we seem to be losing the sense to
Email: jamesf@ramsaymedia.co.za recognise this responsibility. Course de-
Cell: 084 252 6373 signer Peter Matkovich coined the phrase
NICKY MEARS (ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE) ‘listening to the land’, and McCallum writes
Email: nickym@ramsaymedia.co.za that the land, when we are prepared to lis-
Cell: 082 927 5408 ten, knows how to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to us.
To request your copy of GCM, subscribe to Dare I suggest that certain greens com-
Compleat Golfer by calling 0860 100 205 mittees seem to be stone deaf, and other
(indicating that you would like to be placed on the general committees are showing signs of
GCM mailing list) or go to www.compleatgolfer.co.za
being distinctly hard of hearing. I would
to download your free copy.
assume that if you are reading this, you
A monthly business-to-business magazine
brought to you by are blessed with reasonable eyesight, good
enough to have undertaken an audit of the
trees on your golf course. We haven’t ex-
actly been inundated with responses after
been certified as an Audubon Cooperative
Sanctuary (since November 2006), and
while a few others may have made the
effort to register and be working towards
certification, most continue to drag their
heels. It will be difficult to sympathise with
clubs that find themselves falling foul of
environmental laws in the near future, as
most have chosen to ignore dire warnings.
On a more encouraging note, a meeting
of concerned parties – all highly regarded
people in the golf industry, including Carol
Knoll who edits Environmental Manage-
ment magazine – met at Royal Johan-
nesburg and Kensington to discuss the
formulation of the Green Star panel.
It is heartening that these people, some
of whom have their hands full running
clubs and others who have been frantically
constructing soccer pitches, were prepared
to make the time and have volunteered to
give of their expertise. A heart-felt thanks
to all of them.
Finally, there seems to have been a
flurry of movement of club managers, golf
directors and club professionals of late, yet
course managers for the most are staying
were they are. Perhaps there is a mes-
sage there somewhere, but I haven’t quite
worked it out. It would seem that the SAGA
has worked out the handicap issue and
about time too. ■

several appeals for clubs to assist with our

tree register, but I am confident that you
are all diligently working on this project. I
look forward to seeing the results.
For the umpteenth time I have to say
that I find it quite shameful that in a
country with 500 golf courses, only one,
Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, has

Golf Club Management July 2010 3

 birdies and bogeys

The Turf of legends pitches have been different to those that

SHARING The accolades that have been heaped

on our turf industry for the excellent jobs
must be met during golf course construc-
tion – the most obvious being limited direct

YOUR done in producing truly world class soccer

pitches are well-deserved. The challenges
sunlight caused by the massive stadia.
Pictured here is the Peter Makaba Stadium

VISION
faced by contractors in preparing in these in Polokwane – the work of Turftek.

Contractors in golf course

design, construction,
renovation and
maintenance.
The affordable option!
Contact: Robbie Richardson
+27 82 468 4772
Mowbray MeMorabilia
Mowbray Golf Club, one of the grand old
institutions that is more than a century old,
is a candidate for the prize for the best
display of photographs that captures the
historic feel of the club. A definite birdie.
FroM The leFT: Captain of the

.co.za
76 years and counTing GCMA Jonathan Stanley, Joan Gordon
cts and host manager Doug Bain.
roje
The Gauteng Club Managers Association,
np which was founded in 1934, is still going

gree strong and holding monthly golf days that

to
tee
are well attended. Joan Gordon, honor-
. ary secretary of the association (formerly
ww known as the Transvaal Association of Golf
w Club Secretaries) tells us that the regular
v meetings of the members are still popular
events and present a good opportunity for
committee members and their managers
to network with their counterparts from
different clubs. The association’s most
recent golf day was hosted by Randpark
and sponsored by Mizuno.
 Birdies and Bogeys

Moving and shaking

Sandy Barnard, who has managed
Kloof Country Club for almost a decade,
has moved to Glendower where she
has been appointed as general man-
ager. Sandy is relishing the prospect of
managing one of our premier clubs, a
recent recipient of Compleat Golfer’s
5-Star Golf Experience Award. “I am
proud of what I managed at Kloof,
which is a country club as opposed to a
traditional golf club, and I look forward
to the challenge at Glendower. I am
also looking forward to being closer to
my family in Johannesburg. (Sandy is
the daughter of Roy Yates who is based
at Blair Atholl.) Sandy’s husband Mike,
the course superintendant at Kloof, will
be staying on at the club until the end
of the year, before joining his wife in
Johannesburg. spent an idyllic honeymoon in Paris, and
Pam Maybury, previously general Tying The knoT no, the well-known golf pro, TV personality,
manager of Royal Durban, has been Dave Usendorff finally did it – he married trick-shot artist and raconteur did not take
appointed as Kloof’s new GM. his lovely fiancé Elri Botha. The Usendorffs his take his golf clubs with him. ■

DRIVING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd is the first company within the turf care
industry to be awarded ISO 14001, the international standard
for enviromental management.
The Ransomes Highway LPG epitomises the Ransomes
Jacobsen commitment to alternative power. As the first
commercial triple mower powered by an alternative power
source, the Highway LPG is as green as the grass it cuts.

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Durban 031 705 3390
Johannesburg 011 922 2000
Cape Town 021 380 2600
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George 044-870 8885

www.cse.co.za
Course ManageMent
It is not enough to simply irrigate less, but the
time of day is critical, and irrigating when the
sun is at its zenith is madness.

Managing
your Most preCious
resourCe
While most responsible golf clubs are working hard to implement water management
programmes, many are choosing to ignore dire warnings regarding the lifeblood of their golf
courses. Golf course consultant Jock Tame offers advice on using water more sparingly.
Golf courses are criticised by government, The DWEA (Department of Water and equately prepared. Is the rest of the country
environmental bodies and members of the Environmental Affairs), previously DWAF prepared for such an eventuality?
public for their excessive water consumption. (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry) Now that we have ascertained that golf
Many facilities consume more than a million has begun sending representatives to various courses have a legal and moral obligation
litres a day during mid summer. Often one golf courses in an initial consultation proc- to conserve water (in fact, their long term
sees golf courses irrigating fairways during ess. They are making facilities aware of their sustainability depends on it), effective water
midday. Are courses concerned about their legal responsibility to initiate the removal of management is a priority at all facilities.
water consumption, and if so, what are they declared weeds and invader plants in accord- Water management is a system of us-
doing to conserve water? ance with the Conservation of Agricultural ing water effectively and minimising water
Authorities have predicted that South Resources Act of 1983, and amended regu- wastage. Many facilities have used optimal
Africa is going to be declared a water scarce lations 15 and 16 as promulgated in March amounts of water to maintain turfgrass. This
country by 2014 or sooner. Once this occurs, 2001, focusing on water wastage by certain philosophy has to change. From now on
it is highly likely that current legislation will be of the listed trees in particular. minimal levels of hydration will be required
further amended, placing even more strin- The Eastern Cape and Garden Route has to achieve acceptable results rather than
gent criteria on water usage. Historic water been subject to a severe drought over the last optimal results. Optimal results are part of the
rights will most likely be reversed. two years. Many of the facilities were not ad- ‘Americanisation philosophy’ that turfgrass

6 July 2010 Golf Club Management


Verdant turf is all very well, but
over-watering in an effort to keep
colour in the winter months brings
with it a host of problems.
managers attempt to follow. To generalise,
South African golf courses are over-watered,
especially bentgrass greens. A 30 percent
reduction in overall hydration outputs would
probably result in better turfgrass quality on
many golf courses anyway.
I am going to discuss the basic principles
of water-saving methods rather than the
highly technical aspects of water manage-
ment. Jargon such as soil tension, field ca-
pacity, water matrix, etc will be excluded from
this article as these technical aspects will only
serve to confuse readers who do not have a
technical background and may lead to un-
necessary technical debates that will distract
from our primary aim – to reduce water usage
on the majority of golf courses and not only
on those with a high profile.
How do we begin?
Even though it might sound like stating the
obvious, most facilities do not know how
much water they use. Many of the affluent
clubs have computerised irrigation systems.
Most of these have a record of their theoreti-
cal water consumption but have no clue of
the actual stats. Most computerised irrigation
systems calculate water consumption from
the flow management software of the sys-
tem. The consumption by leaking valves and
pipes as well as from the use of hose pipes
and draglines cannot be calculated. Most of
the time, the actual consumption is much
higher than the figures recorded from the
irrigation system.
Course ManageMent
A high-pressure flow meter should be
installed on the delivery line of pump stations.
It is best to record readings daily, but weekly
is still acceptable. These readings will give
you your actual water consumption. Every
pump station should have a flow meter and
hopefully legislation will be tabled to facilitate
this basic requirement.
The next step is to establish your total ir-
rigated area. The best way of establishing this
is by means of professional GPS instruments.
This information can also be ascertained from
topographical maps of the area or by physi-
cally measuring hole by hole. Do not only
measure the distance from the sprinklers on
one side of the fairways to that of the opposite
sprinkler head. If the sprinklers are set at 360
degrees, take the extent of the irrigated arc
into consideration.
As an example: Your total irrigated area is
20 hectares. This equates to 200 000 square
metres. If you applied 1 000 000 litres over a
24 hour period, you applied the equivalent of
5mm of rainfall. You now have to determine
what your evaporation rate is for that specific
24 hour period. This can be determined
from a computerised weather station, an
A-class pan or a homemade evaporimeter.
Either way, a percentage of the evaporation
rate needs to be replaced by irrigating in the
absence or mist or rainfall. This percentage
of hydration replacement is called the crop
factor. I will discuss crop factors later. I first
want to elaborate on methods of determin-

ing evaporation rates or what is commonly
known as ET (evapotranspiration). A number
of really good weather stations are available
on the market at reasonable prices. They
measure all required meteorological informa-
tion automatically, including rainfall. This
information is downloaded onto a notepad.
This is the most hassle-free way of determin-
ing ET. Although the majority of golf courses
don’t have automatic weather stations, they
can still practice water management at a cost
of less than R100.
An A-class pan can be purchased, al-
though they are expensive. An evaporimeter
can be built in less than half an hour for a
few rand. I will provide is a brief description
of how to build one.
Use a drum with a diameter of 30cm or
more (it must be round with straight sides).
Cut off the top so that the drum is 30cm
deep. A plastic drum is the best as it will not
rust, or if using a steel drum, it should be
rust-proofed. Glue a 30cm plastic ruler to the
inside of the drum with the zero at the rim.
Place the drum on a level and open grassed
area away from trees, buildings, walls etc. It
is best to cast a level concrete base for the
evaporimeter. Make a wooden or steel frame
and cover it with chicken wire. Use this to
cover the top of the drum. This will stop birds
from bathing in it and animals from drinking
the water. Plant a straight pole at eye height
close by and attach a rain gauge. You now
have everything you need to begin with a
basic water management system. All that is
now required is a small amount of effort.
Course ManageMent
Realising that within a few
years we could run out of water
should make us think twice
before turning on the taps.
Fill up the drum with water to the 100mm
mark. Record evaporation readings on a
consistent and regular basis. If the water level
is at 95mm you record 5mm on a chart and
refill the evaporimeter to the 100mm mark.
If your reading is above the 100mm mark
then you have had rain. Scoop out water until
the water level is at the 100mm mark again
and record the rainfall from your rain gauge.
It best to record readings daily, but every
second day or even once a week is sufficient
to determine ET.
Below is a sample chart:
MarCh 2010
Date rain - mm et - mm total - mm
1 0 7 17.80
2 0 6.3
3 14 -12
4 3 -2
5 0 5
6 0 7
7 0 6.5
Add up the positive values (days without
rainfall) and deduct the negative values (days
when rainfall occurred). The sum of this is
your ET for the first week in March 2010. You
can also calculate the amount of water loss in
your dams from these figures.
The next step is to decide on a crop factor
that suits your grass type. A crop factor is the
percentage of replacement water required to
achieve specific results. For instance, kikuyu
normally requires a minimal crop factor of 0.5
(50 percent of the ET) to be able to maintain it
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A water hazard without its main ingredient
is always a sorry sight – this could become
a lot more common in the future.
at a low level. It requires a crop factor 0.7 (70
percent of the ET) to maintain it at an optimal
level. Cool season grasses require a crop
factor of between 0.7 – 0.8. Cynodon between
0.3 -0.6. This is only a guideline. You must
determine your ideal crop factor according to
the soil type and depth, aspect and degree of
slope of the site. Over time you will determine
different ideal crop factors for different parts
of the golf course and set your irrigation to
comply with these specific crop factors.
How to CalCulate
your aCtual irrigation
requireMents
The easiest way of explaining this is by us-
ing an example. Say, for instance, you have
established that a crop factor of 0.5 is best
for your fairways and tees. We will use the ET
figures shown in the tabulated example. The
total ET was 17.80mm for a period of seven
days. 17.80mm divided by seven (days)
equals 2.54mm. Multiply 2.54mm by 0.5
(crop factor) = 1.27mm. This is the amount
of irrigation water required per day. Hypotheti-
cally you have a clay loam soil. Therefore you
decide to irrigate tees and fairways every four
days at a higher volume to facilitate deeper
penetration of water. You multiply 1.27mm
by four. This gives you 5.08mm of irrigation
required. If you have decided to irrigate the
golf course (besides the greens) every four
days then take ET readings every four days to
simplify the process. Every four days you can
recalculate your requirements and adjust your
irrigation system accordingly.
Course ManageMent
Most irrigation systems provide the facility
whereby a percentage adjustment will adjust
all the cycles automatically.
You will also have to calculate the amount
of water the irrigation system delivers over
a specific area so that you can calculate
irrigation cycle times. If necessary, ask your
irrigation supplier to help establish these
parameters.
The above calculations may appear difficult
or confusing, but once one has worked with
them they are really simple. It takes very little
time to establish requirements.
Personally, I do not use the above methods
to determine irrigation requirements on
greens. Greens are not soil based. They are an
artificial environment requiring a high level of
manipulation. I use a manual probe to estab-
lish the requirements and irrigate accordingly.
Over time, by applying better turfgrass
management techniques, one’s crop factor
can be reduced without any decline in quality.
This is genuine water saving in a sustainable
manner. We cannot compare the water usage
of a 30 hectare golf course in Bela-Bela with
a 30 hectare course in Johannesburg. We
have to evaluate the water usage in relation
to specific conditions. The above evaluation
method allows for this. An estimated water
requirement can be established and therefore
savings can be quantified. Over time the
percentage of water saved from specific water
management methods used will have greater
significance than the initial quantity used. The
percentage saved is what facilities should be
evaluated on.

Particularly in areas that are not in play, simply
watering areas of turf makes little sense, and
thought should be given to creating natural
areas planted with water-wise flora.
The latest computerised irrigation systems
have the option of using a weather station
in conjunction with very sophisticated soil
probes that automatically adjust the irrigation
system for optimum efficiency. This is a great
system to have, but does put water manage-
ment out of reach of the majority of South
African golf courses.
Ways to save Water
Here are a number of suggestions
to keep in mind:
■ Have respect for water. Don’t expect the
next person to conserve it. It is the responsi-
bility of every individual. Water is a valuable
commodity, treat it as such.
■ Repair leaks immediately. This might be
stating the obvious, but often I visit a golf
course and report a leaking sprinkler. When
I return a few weeks later the same sprinkler
is still leaking. Wastage through incompe-
tence should be a punishable offence.
■ Do not over stimulate turfgrass growth.
Excessive growth increases transpiration
and the plants physiological requirements
for increased moisture.
■ Allow warm-season grasses to become
dormant in winter on summer rainfall inland
golf courses. Irrigating heavily throughout
winter in an attempt to keep kikuyu green is
madness. This is the easiest way of promot-
ing ‘kikuyu patch disease’ and wastes water.
■ Instruments can be used to determine the
moisture content of soils and growing me-
dia. But I find it best to know your turfgrass
types and to be able to identify stress. Irri-
gate when temporary wilt is evident. This will
encourage deeper root development. Probe
greens to establish moisture content. Ideally,
the profile should be cool and slightly moist.
■ Do not irrigate during the hottest part of the
day. Unnecessary evaporation will waste up
to 40 percent of the water applied. The only
time water should be applied at the hottest
time of the day is to syringe seedlings and
greens. Evaporation is then required to cool
down the plants. Syringing is not irrigating.
Apply only enough water to cool down the
plants using a fine nozzle. Don’t wet the soil
or growing media excessively.
■ Apply short irrigation cycles frequently to
sandy, well drained soils. Apply infrequent
longer cycles to loam or clay type soils.
■ Make sure your sprinklers are atomis-
ing properly as large droplet size causes
compaction, which reduces infiltration. Also
make sure your sprinkler heads are correct-
ly spaced and areas are irrigated uniformly.
The pressure at each sprinkler head should
be similar. Poor irrigation systems are not
efficient and waste large amounts of water.
■ Stop irrigation run-off. Most of the latest
computerised irrigation systems have soak
cycles. Use them where necessary.
■ Be aware of the condition of your soil struc-
ture. Often inadequate calcium and high
levels of sodium compromise soil structure
resulting in poor infiltration of water and a
significant increase in the evaporation of
water lying on or close to the surface.
■ Monitor water quality at least every six
months and where water quality issues are
Course ManageMent
known, every three months. Poor quality
water has a negative impact on turfgrass
and remedial action within the growing
medium is often necessary. Water should be
managed by taking the necessary remedial
action before it reaches the pump station.
Upstream pollution sources should be im-
mediately reported to DWEA. Follow up to
make sure action has been taken. I know
of a number of facilities where upstream
sewerage leaks have compromised their
water quality. These problems can be recti-
fied, but are often overlooked. Using poor
quality water is considered as wastage, as
desired results per volume of water are not
always achievable. A good example of this is
water containing high levels of sodium from
sewerage leaks used for irrigation. The so-
dium breaks down the soil structure. Severe
compaction can result. Infiltration is reduced
and therefore evaporation is increased. If the
surface becomes dry the salt index increases
resulting in potential salt burn. Under these
conditions over-irrigating is necessary with
additional wastage from further evapora-
tion. An undesirable cycle is created with an
astronomic increase in water usage.
■ Reduce or relieve compaction. Compaction
reduces water infiltration resulting in an
increase in evaporation.
■ Increase the efficiency of water by applying
surfactants and wetting agents. Improving
the efficient spread of water within the grow-
ing medium has resulted in water savings
greater than 20 percent, according to trials
conducted in the USA. Economics will ulti-
mately determine the use of such products.
Once water becomes a scarce commodity,
these products will be more widely used.
■ Mulch gardens and the bowls of trees and
saplings to reduce evaporation.
■ Far more emphasis is placed on nutrition
than water management in the turfgrass
industry. Water management is as important
as nutrition. Correct your water management
practices and nutrition will be far less critical,
even though they do go hand in hand.
Do we have to wait until we don’t have water
before we start conserving it? The turfgrass
industry should lead the way in water
conservation, as it is totally reliant on this
valuable commodity.
We have the information and the technol-
ogy to economise on water, but do we have
the will? ■
Golf Club Management July 2010 13
TREES FOR COURSES

SHRUBS GIVE
STARTING IN THE NORTH ANd EAST
Long-tail Cassia, Glossy Bottlebrush,
Pride-of-de-Kaap Bauhinia and

COLOUR
Cork-bush are all bushveld and
lowveld shrubs with magnificent,
colourful flowers.

TO COURSES
Val Thomas, of the Sappi Treespotting series, recommends
shrubs to spruce up the brown and green of fairways.
As the middle of winter bites, we all start to trees that provide regular colour, and in
look forward to the warmth of spring, but we an earlier article I commented that if plant
also know that this new season heralds a re- colour was your essential requirement in
newed rush of plant life on our golf courses. any area, then perhaps trees were not the
Practically speaking, more care will be answer. The flowers of most trees blossom
required from us, so our busier work months quite briefly, and only once a year. Trees are
are just around the corner. alive for many decades and therefore do
For most of our summer-rainfall country, not need to propagate themselves through LONG-TAIL CASSIA

All the art is by Joan van Gogh

July is a relatively dry period without much masses of seeds and young plants on an Cassia abbreviata
contrast to brighten the brown or green annual basis. Flowers Aug – Oct
expanses of the fairways and surrounding Many woody shrubs, however, seem to Pods Most of the year
rough. I am often asked for the names of be able to expend the energy required to

GLOSSy PRIdE -Of-dE-KAAP

BOTTLEBRuSH BAuHINIA CORK-BuSH
Greyia sutherlandii Bauhinia galpinii Mundulea sericea
Flowers Aug – Oct Flowers Sep – Mar Flowers Oct – Feb
Fruit Oct – Dec Pods Mar – Jul Pods ripen Feb – Apr

14 July 2010 Golf Club Management

 TREES FOR COURSES

keep maturing in size, while at the same time
offering bright shows of colour for long(ish)
periods through the year. Personally I find
these smaller, bushy cousins of trees incred-
ibly rewarding on a golf course. Despite their
lack of height, bushes serve
so many other functions
simultaneously. They can
be used for screening,
protecting, edging and
separating various elements between holes.
Whether you need them around tees or
greens, along a fence to block an unsightly
‘view’, for hiding a rubbish pit or simply as
an attractive addition in a garden, they grow
faster than large trees do. They reach their
expected maturity size quite rapidly and are
therefore able to serve their required function
relatively soon after planting.
To cheer up the winter pages of this
article, I have chosen to present 10 shrubby,
colourful species that between them really do
cover most of South Africa.
In much of the country, late July to end
August is the ideal time to plant. This means
you could start your planning now, by noting
the accompanying distribution maps for each
shrub that I have selected, to see what suits
your needs. And remember, as always, to
check availability at the nurseries near you.

TOWARDS THE
SOUTH AND EAST
Bitter Aloe is striking
when in flower from
May to October, as are
Three-leaflet Rhigozum,
in early summer. Tree-
fuchsia finds its colourful
way from the north-west
right around the coast to
Cape Town from April to
December.

THREE-LEAFLET
BITTER ALOE TREE-FUCHSIA RHIGOZUM
Aloe ferox Halleria lucida Rhigozum obovatum
Flowers May – Oct Flowers Apr – Feb Flowers Sep – Feb
Fruit Jul – Dec Fruit Jun – Feb Fruit Oct – May

THROUGHOUT THE NORTH

AND HIGHLANDS
The two Raisins – Crossberry and Velvet
– flower repeatedly through summer, as
does Deurmekaar Puzzle-bush.

CROSS-BERRY DEURMEKAAR
VELVET RAISIN RAISIN PUZZLE-BUSH
Grewia flava Grewia occidentalis Ehretia rigida
Flowers Oct – Mar Flowers Oct – Jan Flowers Aug – Oct
Fruit Dec – Apr Fruit Jan – Jun Fruit Oct – Jan

Golf Club Management July 2010 15

The environmenT

The argumenT for

indigenous
grasses
Even if a total conversion to
indigenous grass is not practical,
developing wetlands resplendent
with indigenous species of grass, as
seen here at Royal Johannesburg and
Kensington GC, is a great idea.

It is unlikely that modern golf courses are suddenly going to convert their tees, fairways and
greens to indigenous turf anytime soon, although some clubs are giving serious thought to this
option. Rand Water’s Megan Taylor points out the advantages that indigenous grasses have over
the imported varieties, and any new course should certainly consider this.
The Golf Course Superintendents Asso- be combined with the strategy of avoiding natural grassland on the golf course, this
ciation of America and The Environmental over-irrigation of turf. It is always easiest claim can be given much more solidity.
Institute for Golf produced a report on water and cheapest to choose the correct option Reducing the area under irrigation, as
use and conservation practices on US golf upfront, so golf course developers need to 20 percent of the US golf courses in the
courses in 2009, based on input from over choose the right turfgrass at the start. survey are doing, or using indigenous turf-
2 500 golf course superintendents. This Course developers sometimes argue grasses that are adapted to the local rainfall
report found that 69 percent of 18-hole golf that the environmental harm caused by the will greatly assist with this.
facilities in the US are keeping turf drier development will be balanced out by benefits Greens – choose an indigenous turfgrass that
than in the past, but only 13 percent have such as the oxygen produced by turfgrass uses as little water as possible.
switched to more drought-tolerant turfgrass and its filtering of harmful chemicals out of Fairways – as stated in the article entitled
species or cultivars to conserve water. stormwater. However, natural grasslands ‘Green and gold’ (GCM, May 2010), the one
Considering that using Cynodon in place of will provide these same benefits without the option is to use low-water turfgrass species
kikuyu or imported cold season grasses can need for irrigation, fertilizer or pesticides so on the fairways, leading to water savings.
save 30 – 50 percent of water, this option this argument is a bit thin. Considering how By allowing turf types such as Cynodon to
should receive much more attention, and to use indigenous turfgrasses and areas of become dormant in winter, even more water

16 July 2010 Golf Club Management

 The environmenT

savings can be realised. winTer dormancy coring of fairways and rough to enable a
As indigenous turfgrass species adapt to Cynodon hybrids are warm season grasses full and thorough recovery.
the local conditions, they will need less in that become dormant when soil tempera- ■ Frequent – but light– applications of

the way of fertilizer and pesticides, resulting tures drop to between 10-13°C. The new soluble fertiliser will help to maintain active
in less pollution of runoff water. ultra-dwarf varieties do retain some colour at growth until the weather turns cold and
Rough – this area would be kept as natural lower temperatures, but otherwise the golf growth ceases.
grassland, in the fashion of links-style golf course should educate players that a green ■ In the final weeks of growth, raise the

courses. Sixteen percent of the US golf and gold course is the ideal situation in a wa- height of cut on the fairways to 18mm.
courses in the survey have switched to low- ter-stressed country like South Africa. Playing ■ Cutting back of maintenance and golf traffic

water-use landscape plants, and by taking
this one step further and choosing local
indigenous plants that are adapted to the lo-
cal rainfall, the benefits will include: saving
water, contributing to biodiversity and there
will be no need for fertilizers or pesticides
on a dormant surface is perfectly possible as
it provides a good putting surface.
Possible problems include wear and tear
with the turf not being able to recover,
and weeds gaining a foothold. The best
management practices to reduce damage
across the dormant fairways is also advis-
able. Restrict access to paths. If permanent
cart paths are not available, delineate tem-
porary paths on the turf and repair them
during post-dormancy maintenance.
■ The properties of three types of Cynodon

in this area at all. Further, if these natural to dormant grass are: (information from Evergreen Turf) are com-
grassland (or wetland) areas are carefully ■ Before dormancy sets in, undertake early pared in the table below:
situated so that stormwater runoff is filtered
through them before reaching streams or Cynodon Gulf GReen® Bayview: TifSPoRT®
rivers, they will be able to perform their vaRieTy:
ecological function of filtering stormwater.
indigenous Yes Yes Bred from
indigenous
Focus on cynodon For parent varieties
greens and Fairways
In South Africa, turfgrass growers are focus- Leaf texture Fine Fine Fine
ing on local indigenous species, especially
colour Bright green Blue green Dark green
Cynodon, as these are adapted to local cli-
mate conditions and rainfall. Research done drought Good Good Good, also cold
by Potchefstroom University showed that, tolerance tolerant
of the Bermuda grasses, Florida (Cynodon
shade Slight No Fair
transvaalensis) used the least amount of
tolerance
water, while bayview had the highest water
use. Numex Sahara and speedy royal soil types Wide range Wide range Wide range
(C. dactylon) were between these two in establishment rate Fast Moderate Moderate
terms of water use.
Care for Cynodon grasses is as follows:
■ Good core aeration, sand top dressing and wearability Excellent Good Good
light surface grooming programmes are
cutting Cut regularly in Cut regularly in
necessary to reduce thatch and organic
summer summer
matter. Thatch management should be initi-
ated at the time of grow-in to prevent it from dormancy Goes dormant in the Goes dormant on the Goes dormant
accumulating to the point that it becomes a Highveld in winter Highveld in winter in winter
problem.
■ Ultra-dwarf grasses can be maintained at
sunlight Requires a minimum Requires a minimum
low mowing heights, but take care during of six hours of sun- of six hours of sunlight
prolonged cloudy, humid or hot weather as light per day per day
these can become stressed.
■ Ultra-dwarf grasses do well if lightly rolled for In addition, TifSport® has been the top performer on the NTEP trials for 12 years in the USA, and
increased speed. has been approved by FIFA for their soccer fields.
■ Cynodon is shade sensitive and needs at

least eight hours of full sun a day.

■ Cynodon can tolerate irrigation with grey

water, as long as a regular programme of

leaching is put in place to maintain accept-
able salt levels.

Golf Club Management July 2010 17

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 PGA ProfessionAl

The TrAdiTionAl
PGA ProfessionAl
– A dyinG breed?
There is some concern that the professional is being muscled out of clubs, but while the role of
the pro may be changing, it must be realised that these men and women play a critical part in
the success of individual clubs and the game itself, writes John botha.
It has been the cause of some alarm that after they have lost them. I could mention should be charged a rental for the shop was
more than a few clubs have decided to dis- more than a few clubs that have treated their an alien concept until not so long ago. This
pense with their resident professionals. I have professional rather shabbily – this after years and other bones of contention have seen
heard of a few acrimonious partings in recent of loyal service. relationships become strained and in some
times, a poor state of affairs, and one that It wasn’t too long ago that the agreements cases disputes have never been resolved. To
looks to be happening more frequently. between clubs and their professionals were suggest that the club professional could be
OK, so it may be tough out there, as the based on the proverbial handshake; perhaps ‘making too much money’ is simply ridicu-
cliché goes, but if clubs believe that by get- befitting the game that likes to claim that lous. If they do happen to make a reasonable
ting rid of one of their major assets they will integrity is one of its cornerstones. But some- living – after investing a lot of time and a
be better off, they are making a big mistake. I where along the line things went wrong, and considerable amount of money in their busi-
have heard it suggested that some clubs may as the formulation and signing of intricate nesses – good luck to them.
believe their pro is ‘making too much money’ contracts of employment became fashion- The position of the club professional has
and that by taking over the pro shop, the golf able, so too did disputes. certainly changed in recent times and the job
carts and any other revenue streams, they Traditionally the club professional has description continues to be reinvented, but
will be able to boost their flagging fortunes. If owned the sole rights to sell all equipment without these long-suffering servants of golf
they really think this, they could be in for an and related goods in the shop, but suddenly clubs the game would be much poorer.
unpleasant surprise. the notion that the club ‘owned’ the club GCM would welcome any input from
Of course as in any profession there are badge came into vogue and committees club managers and professionals regarding
good, bad and indifferent individuals, but began demanding that the club should be possible solutions to what seems to be an
the majority of club pros do a great job and paid royalties for sales of anything branded unhealthy trend, because the sooner this is
indeed some clubs only wake to that fact with the logo. Even the idea that the club pro reversed the better for everyone. ■

Golf Club Management July 2010 19

 EXTRA SPECIAL mAnAgER of ThE monTh
Something money cannot buy – the magnificent
trees on this course, which designer
Bob Grimsdell wisely left alone.

mAnAgIng
mogoL
neels gerber is the general manager of Lephalale’s Mogol Sports Club, and with no
less than 23 sub-sections to look after as well as an 18-hole golf course,
he certainly has his hands full.

Lephalale in the Northern Province,
(formerly known as Ellisras), is a relatively
young town having only received full mu-
nicipal status in 1986.
Originally a farm owned by the Ellis and
Erasmus families, who settled in the area in
the ‘30s (hence the original name of Ellis-
ras), it was found to be rich in coal and iron
ore, and the existence of the town as it is
today is owed to the development of the rich
coal mine and the generation of electricity.
The huge Grootegeluk operation, mined
by Exxaro, is the biggest of its kind in the
world and Eskom’s Matimba Power Station
is also the largest dry-cooled power station
in the world.
The growth of Lephalale has been
nothing short of spectacular and with
plans underway to establish another huge
power station as part of Eskom’s expansion
programme in the area, the town and its
sports club are going to continue to grow.
The Mogol Club (named after the
nearby Mokolo River, a tributary of the
Limpopo) has 2 500 members, with 23
sub-sections covering every imaginable
sport, but is best known for its beautiful
golf course – one of the last to be designed
by Bob Grimsdell.
The main feature of this layout is its
magnificent trees – huge Marulas and
other indigenous species including a few
majestic Camelthorns. The course, which
is regularly subjected to temperatures in
excess of 40 degrees, is kept in superb
condition by golf manager Jan Beyer.

Extra SpEcial tiMES, Extra SpEcial ScOtcH

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18

20 July 2010 Golf Club Management


ABOVE: Neels Gerber with Mogol’s beautiful
thatched clubhouse in the background – a building
that fits perfectly with its surroundings.
Neels Gerber is certainly well qualified
to run this club and he has an impressive
academic record.
“I started working in the industry when I
joined the club in 2006,” he says.
“Having taught high school business
economics and sport management at
tertiary level and obtaining a MBA degree
and MCom degree in sport management,
ABOVE: Jan Beyer (left) the golf manager at the
Mogol Club with general manager Neels Gerber.
This classic bushveld layout is known for its
excellent year-round conditioning, despite the high
summer temperatures in the region.
I thought I knew enough to manage a
club. The learning curve was actually very
steep and I soon realised that in practice it
was not that easy. The challenges I faced
during the first part of my career made me
realise that more could be done to better
educate sports facility managers, so they
could gain more relevant knowledge to be
able to manage more successfully.”
Gerber began doing research on the
management competencies a sport facility
manager needs to manage a sports facility
as part of the DCom degree he started at
the University of Johannesburg.
Due to limited resources, he tells us, his
study could not include golf clubs. The aim
of his research was to set guidelines for a
curriculum to train sport facility managers
in the South African context.
The results of his study certainly have
relevance to the club industry and the
management of a sport and/or golf clubs.
Completing his studies earlier this year
made him only the fourth student in South
Africa to obtain a DCom sport management
degree. According to his study leader, Prof.
Not for sale to persons under the age of 18
Wim Hollander of the University of Johan-
nesburg (the second student to obtain
the same qualification after the late Prof.
Johan Gouws), his achievement is unique,
as Gerber is the first student of the Univer-
sity of Johannesburg – formerly the Rand
Afrikaans University – to have completed a
BCom, BCom Honours, MCom and DCom
in sport management at the university.
“Managing a club with almost 2 500
members and 23 sub-sections you cer-
tainly deal with a variety of needs. As at
any golf club, the Mogol Club deals with
a range of members’ requirements and
resources are limited. Early in my career as
a club manager I realised that it is vital to
listen to your members and try to accom-
modate them as far as is operationally
possible. As any club manager will tell you,
unfortunately it is not always possible to
do this, and often you have to say ‘no’ to
members. In doing that it is easy to build
up a reputation, good or bad, but in these
situations I have learned that it is important
to never blemish your character. This has
always been important to me and I always
quote Solly Ozrovech’s explanation that a
reputation is what people think of you, but
your character is what God knows of you.”
To face all the challenges a club poses
Gerber soon learnt that it is very important
to ask for advice.
“Being part of CMASA and being fortu-
nate enough to have attended all its educa-
tion courses I have built up relationships
with various leaders in the club industry. For
me it is indeed a relief to be able to quickly
send an email to other GMs and get advice
on certain issues.
“For me personally, it is indeed an
honour to be able to learn form experts
such as Beryl (CMASA), Paul (Glen-
dower/Bryanston), Doug (Randpark), Lloyd
(George/Fancourt), Sandra (George), Jason
(Pinnacle Point), Sue (Steenberg) and De
Wet (Kameeldoring), who are always ready
and willing to give advice on any questions I
might have. For me, the value of networking
has proven to be a vital tool in managing a
club successfully.” ■
Golf Club Management July 2010 21
HUMAN RESOURCES
EXIT INTERVIEWS: what do your
employees really think?
Sarah Donnelly points out the advantages of conducting exit interviews and offers advice on
questions that should be asked.
An exit interview is an interview conducted
with an employee who, for whatever reason,
is leaving your business.
Conducted effectively, a good exit inter-
view can furnish you with valuable knowl-
edge about the quality of your company, the
culture of your business, how effective your
processes and systems actually are, where
improvements can be made, and how your
management style is perceived.
An exiting employee is more likely to give
you honest answers and opinions than the
staff that remain in your business, as they
have less to lose. However, it is the employ-
ee’s choice whether or not to participate in
an exit interview.
Having exit interviews in place in your
company can in itself set the tone for a more
positive culture and will support your HR
practices, provide insight into training needs,
staff retention and in some cases may help
to retain the employee who is leaving.
Here are some basic guidelines:
THE EXIT INTERVIEW
In order to make the exit interview most effec-
tive, your departing staff member should feel
comfortable and unthreatened by this proc-
ess, enabling them to provide full and candid
answers without fear of any sort of backlash.
The interview should be conducted face-
to-face in order to encourage open com-
munication and to avoid misunderstandings
by providing an opportunity for clarification.
It also provides the opportunity for the inter-
viewer to probe into issues that may be of
HOSPITALITY & LEISURE INDUSTRY
22 July 2010 Golf Club Management
particular interest.
If you find that the employee is uncom-
fortable with this however, it is possible to
provide an interview questionnaire form, but
this should only be done in exceptional cir-
cumstances. The interviewer should spend
the majority of the interview listening, instead
of talking, and where required, asking clari-
fication questions or for more information on
a subject that is of particular value. Provide
encouraging feedback and make certain that
your non-verbal cues are also supportive and
reassuring. Do not become defensive in your
interview and resist any urges to argue any of
the points raised. Ask open questions, such
as ‘why?’ and ‘why not?’. It is not a good idea
to probe for identities of any staff issues that
are raised and if you do so then be careful in
order to avoid defamation cases.
THE QUESTIONS
The following are some sample questions
you might want to think about including in
your exit interview.
You may want to have different questions
for different positions held in your busi-
ness, and you should have your questions
prepared in advance.
■ What is your primary reason for leaving?
■ What was most satisfying about your job?
■ What was least satisfying about your job?
■ What would you change about your job?
■ Did you receive enough training to do your
job effectively?
■ Did you receive adequate support to do
your job?
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FOR THE
■ Did you receive sufficient feedback about
your performance between merit reviews?
■ Were you satisfied with this company’s
merit review process?
■ Did this company help you to fulfil your
career goals?
■ Do you have any tips to help us find your
replacement?
■ What would you improve to make our
workplace better?
■ Were you happy with your pay, benefits and
other incentives?
■ What was the quality of the supervision you
received?
■ What could your immediate supervisor do
to improve his or her management style?
■ Based on your experience with us, what
do you think it takes to succeed at this
company?
■ Would you consider working again for this
company in the future?
■ Would you recommend working for this
company to your family and friends?
■ What did you like most about this company?
■ What did you like least about this com-
pany?
■ What does your new company offer that
this company doesn’t?
■ Can this company do anything to encour-
age you to stay?
Exit interviews provide a powerful method
for company analysis and ongoing improve-
ment. As the saying goes, if you keep on
doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep
on getting what you’ve always got. ■

MORe OF the beSt
in the business
Two more companies have joined the Preferred Supplier fold,
and both have the credentials required to make it on to our list.
There has been a positive response to
GCM’s initiative to name suppliers that have
developed a reputation for not only being
reliable, but who consistently deliver quality
goods or services. All the companies on
our list have supplied us with references
from their existing clients that have been
checked. GCM is thus comfortable recom-
mending these companies to anyone in the
golf business.
GCM
GOLF CLUb MAnAGeMent
PReFeRReD
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and South Africa, has installed their ultra-
modern Ranger GPS devices in more than
250 golf courses worldwide. The company
acquired the international distribution rights
for the Ranger Plus GPS device and in
2008 commissioned the development of a
new generation Ranger Sp1 units.
Green’s Sand has established itself as
MAyFORD
MayFord is a premier supplier of
specialised lawn seed products tested
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■ 011 548 2800
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GOLFtIMeSA
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StIhL
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of quality sand for every application on golf
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Sand has become the ‘one-stop-shop’.
Rosa van der Merwe and her team supply
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StAyPRIMe GOLF
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GReen’S SAnD
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her at natalies@ramsaymedia.co.za or
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follow the link to PSL via GCM.
Golf Club Management July 2010 25
environmental committee

Forming an
environmental
committee
Dave Henry is a long-serving member of Durban Country Club’s environmental committee. Here
he points out a few guidelines to help clubs that are considering forming a similar committee,
which should be made up of committed members who understand the importance of the
investment of their time and effort.
Every golf club, whether part of an estate, environmental sub-committee was estab-
a resort or of the traditional variety, should lished 14 years ago and, due largely to the
have an environmental committee. A good efforts of people like Dave, much has been
start is to bring in a specialist who can achieved. “Continuity is obviously important
assist in the formulation of a plan, and with and perhaps I have had enough stamina to
the strategy to implement whatever meas- outlast various golf captains of different per-
ures are needed. Durban Country Club’s suasions, abilities and commitments,” he
says. “If the conservation unit becomes a
Dave Henry is a committed member of Durban sub-committee of the golf committee, then
Country Club’s environmental committee and will
be sitting on the panel of the Green Star Award it will suffer or flourish depending on who
programme. heads the golf directorate at the time. At

26 July 2010 Golf Club Management


DCC I think that maturity has come through
in that members have seen and appreci-
ated the improvements made and therefore
conservation is part of the fabric of the club
and has been elevated to board committee
status.”
This is of course critical to the success of
any project – the buy-in of every member,
and it is largely up to the management
“...getting as many people involved as
possible is one way oF getting everyone
on the same page...”
and committee to get the message across.
“This could be a recipe for conflict, but if
we approach conservation as an advisory
function and the communication lines are
open, then consensus should ultimately
be the result,” says Dave. “On the ground
course walkabouts; getting as many people
involved as possible is one way of getting
everyone on the same page – this interac-
tion is important and the different points of
view and possible solutions to problems can
environmental committee
The magnificent Durban Country Club layout,
where great work has been done removing alien
tree species and where habitats for animals
such as mongoose have been established.
be discussed.”
“When we first started out we invited and
paid an environmental consultant to be part
of the process so that the eco advice was
top drawer. Geoff Nichols, highly regarded
in this field, was the man who put us on
the right track and his input was invalu-
able. We met on two Saturday mornings
a month, once at DCC Main and once at
Beachwood, dealing with nine holes at a
session, so that over a two-month period
we covered 36 holes. Any golf member was
free to join us; both from a point of view of
being able to put forward their concerns,
but also to understand what we were doing
when the Casuarinas came crashing down.
They, in turn, were important in relaying
what we were doing to other members. In
the beginning we put serious effort into the
exercise to make an impact. We also put
up EPA (Environmental Protected Area)
signs so that golfers would know that we
hadn’t simply forgotten to cut the grass. The
edge was cut crisply to show the transition.
What I am saying is that the commitment
needs strong follow-through. Today we
meet the golf committee on each course
once a year indicating the unanimity that
exists, and the benefits to DCC are tangible
and understood. The chairman of golf and
environment both sit on the main board
or committee so they can interact at that
level. Course superintendents and the golf
CEO are also committed and informed. Also
what has been most successful of late is the
employment on a part time basis of an indi-
vidual and a team that knows alien plants,
so results are positive and cost-effective.”
Dave stresses that the first couple of
years are critical, so that members buy in
when they see the results. The eco commit-
tee should have a balance of green and golf
so that golf decisions are kept to the fore.
There are always going to be a group
of ‘naysayers’ – those that take a rather
narrow-minded view of any changes that
may have to be made. A common response
to the decision to remove alien trees is often
along the lines of: “They have been there
for years and they are part of the hole, or
replacing mature aliens with indigenous
species will take too long.” Then there is
the brigade that believe that they should
be able to hit a golf ball in any direction
and be able to easily find and play the ball
from wherever it ends up – which is simply
ridiculous. Unfortunately, on many courses,
management and committees have
pandered to this way of thinking, resulting
in what is known as the ‘green desert syn-
drome’ – acres of verdant turf almost devoid
of fauna and flora that belongs.
In the August edition of GCM, Durban
Country Club was featured as setting the
example as far as environmental issues go,
and it is hoped that other clubs will take a
leaf out of its book.
Dave Henry has offered his time and
experience to the Green Star Award initia-
tive and will be sitting on the panel that will
assess golf courses. In the coming months
we will be featuring different clubs that are
setting the standards and making a real
difference in the effort to institute a policy of
environmental best practice. ■
Golf Club Management July 2010 27
retail 101
Brand
Selection
and Building
Supplier
relationShipS
Buying stock for a golf shop is a challeng-
ing – but crucially important – aspect of golf
retailing. Recently, I was teaching a group of
third-year PGA apprentices the finer points
of setting up a buying plan for a golf shop. I
explained to the class that over the years, I
have noticed two consistent – though unin-
tentional – errors that buyers tend to make.
The first error relates to how the buyer se-
lects merchandise. A common approach is
to base the selection primarily on their own
28 July 2010 Golf Club Management
Simola’s pro shop, with its narrow
floor space, is a good example of mak-
ing the best use of the area without
squeezing in too much stock.
Kymi Bodenberger
offers more advice on
successful retailing,
and points out some
common pitfalls when
purchasing stock for
your pro shop.
personal likes and dislikes of various prod-
ucts. An easy example of this tendency is a
shop I once visited where the entire clothing
selection consisted of black and navy shirts.
It turned out to be the favourite colours of
the head professional for the course.
Another shop had an extremely fashion-
forward ladies collection, consisting of
low-rise shorts and tight-fitting tops, even
though its female golfers were mostly senior
citizens focusing more on comfort than
At Euphoria’s pro shop,
it is easy to see why
displaying one brand per
fixture makes sense.
keeping with the trends.
The second common error is to purchase
a small collection from every sales rep that
enters the store. While variety is good to
have, too much variety can result in a store
looking rather haphazard and cluttered as
there is no defined space for each brand.
Correct brand and product selection
is paramount in maintaining a successful
business. Every store will be different, and
products that sell extremely well at one shop
may fail miserably at another. The key is to
know your market and keep them in mind
as you make your selections. This includes
age groups, income brackets, distances cus-
tomers are travelling, member versus tourist
business and many other factors.
At a course in the US I worked at previ-
ously, I knew that most of our golfers were
driving between one and three hours to
reach our property. Often, the weather would
change on the drive up and a car full of
excited golfers would arrive to a very wet
championship golf course. Because turning
back and going home was not an option
after the long distance, they were shown to
our selection of rain suits available for pur-
chase. Some golfers were determined not to
be deterred by the weather, and purchased
the $450 waterproof rain suit.
Other golfers, who may have already
owned an expensive rain suit but left it at
home on this particular day, were happy to
purchase the $50 rain suit capable of keep-
ing them dry through the next 18 holes.
The key is that we had the correct prod-
uct for their needs and we did not neglect
the opportunity to sell more expensive items
 RETAIL 101

At the attractive St Francis Links Gowrie Farm’s shop, although quite small,
pro shop the point is well made – has a pleasant, spacious feel about it,
well-stocked yet uncluttered. with merchandise well displayed.

(having two pricing tiers of rain suits) know-
ing that there was a customer base willing
and able to purchase it.
I mentioned in the previous article that it
is important to analyse your shop to deter-
mine how many brands can successfully be
carried and displayed. Every shop has a limit
and each fixture should ideally represent
one brand. As you walk through your shop,
look at the fixtures on the walls and on the
floor and try and determine where the natu-
ral breaks appear.
Once you have determined how many
primary hard and soft brands your shop
should hold, see how close your buying
coincides with this breakdown. By giving
each brand a defined space, you are able
to purchase a well-balanced collection that
promotes variety within a theme or ‘story’.
Now on to the next part of this instalment
– your suppliers. You should work towards
building supportive, mutually-successful
supplier / buyer relationships to maintain
and increase sales for both parties. Not
every supplier or sales rep will suit the needs
of your shop, but over time you can weed
out the ones that you don’t need and form
lasting partnerships with the ones you do.
My experience with sales representa-
tives in the golf industry has been extremely
rewarding as a whole. By building relation-
ships and maintaining commitments, I
created a support structure in the industry
that helped me to build sales and assisted in
my career development. If I had a corpo-
rate outing that needed shirts with only a
few days notice, I had suppliers that would
always go the extra mile.
One of the benefits of having close rela-
tionships with suppliers’ reps is the ability
to tap into their product knowledge, which
they tend to receive internally as part of
their training.
In northern parts of the US, the golf
courses tend to close down during the win-
ter with the new season starting in spring.
At the courses I worked, I would contact my
key sales representatives at the start of the
new season and set a day and time slot for
each of them to present their products.
On training days, we would have two to
three hours of training presentations from
various sales representatives to educate the
staff on all the features of the new product
ranges. In addition, we would generally try
to create an informal fun atmosphere with
the sales reps giving out prizes and having
a luncheon with my staff. In this way, signifi-
cant product knowledge was transferred to
the course staff and the season was started
off with a bang.
Suppliers can also be useful in setting up
your shop. At previous courses I managed
to gain the financial support from suppli-
ers in remodelling the shop in exchange for
longer-term purchasing arrangements. This
way, I had a new shop appearance and the
key brands had guaranteed sales for an
established period of time, which allowed
them to recoup their investment.
The point being that it is every golf shop
owner’s responsibility to be an educated
buyer and work on building relationships
with the brands and companies that have
proven to be good.
In your primary soft and hard goods
brands, rather than filling your shop with bits
and pieces from dozens of suppliers, find
the companies and people that you work
well with and can rely on.
After five years of living in South Africa, I
still keep in touch with all my key sales rep-
resentatives back in the States. You never
know when they may come in handy… ■

ACUSHNET SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD

TEL: 011 462 9165

Golf Club Management July 2010 29

profile

for the love

of the Game
GCM speaks to Hendrik Buhrmann, a man who has made his mark on the professional tours
and has become involved in other aspects of the game, including coaching and course design.
He has also secured the agency that offers a new opportunity for golf clubs to acquire carbon
credits that can be sold.
No one who has come into contact with Joburg Open when he found himself in a as good as any player’s.
Hendrik Buhrmann would dispute the fact position to claim if not his greatest triumph, The tournament will be remembered for
that this man loves golf, and his enthusiasm certainly a sizeable cheque. After rounds of Charl Schwartzel’s emphatic victory and
for the game has not waned over all the 68, 64 and 69, he was in third place, but Keith Horne’s effort in finishing third – both
years he has played at the highest levels. after a 77 he slid down the leaderboard into of these players have been coached by
More than a few television viewers must 30th. Darren Clarke, who had played with Hendrik, who also counts the likes of James
have sympathised with him during that him, was the first to congratulate him on his Kingston and Richard Sterne among the
heart-wrenching final round of the 2010 ball-striking, a part of his game that remains successful players he has helped.

30 July 2010 Golf Club Management


As a youngster growing up in Bloemfon-
tein, the young Buhrmann began play-
ing golf at Schoeman Park relatively late,
when he was 16. Under the tutelage of Ian
Palmer, he wasted no time in becoming
rather good – in fact he played off scratch
before his 18th birthday. “I used to play with
Ian, and as an incentive he offered me 50
cents for every shot I could beat him by over
nine holes,” he says. “Of course I had to pay
him if he beat me – which was most often.”
A career in the amateur ranks yielded
many highlights; he was an obvious
candidate for provincial colours (he was a
member of the victorious Northern Trans-
vaal inter-provincial team while based in
Pretoria completing his national service),
and was selected for the Springbok team.
He was a member of a powerful team which
included Richard Kaplan, Dean van Staden
and Justin Hobday.
After turning professional in 1985, he
immediately settled into the routine of
“perhaps one of hendrik’s greatest
attributes has been his ability to see
the ‘bigger picture’...”
touring and was soon a familiar name on
leaderboards. He has retained his exempt
status on the Sunshine Tour throughout his
career, and campaigned successfully on the
Canadian Tour for the large part of the late
‘80s. He became a founder member of the
Asian Tour in 1995 and can look back on
a total of nine professional victories. One of
his most memorable wins was in the Wild
Coast Classic, when he faced an in-form
Ernie Els and beat him down the stretch. He
was also chosen to represent South Africa
in the World Cup of Golf in 1995, teaming
up with Retief Goosen. The same year he
represented Southern Africa in the Dunhill
Challenge at Houghton and had the honour
of holing the winning putt for his team.
Buhrmann has always been astute and
outspoken and has channelled his energy
into giving back to the game that he loves. He
served as a player representative on the Asian
Tour, and during his time as a committee
member (from 1999 until 2008), he played
an important role in restructuring that tour. For
the past four years he has served as a board
member of the Sunshine Tour and also sits on
the tour’s development committee.
For the last eight years Hendrik has
sought to increase his knowledge of course
design and construction and has worked
with DDV Design on a host of projects,
including the Legend Golf and Safari layout,
Eagle Canyon, Jackal Creek and others.
“I am very much a traditionalist,” he
says. “I love false fronts to greens, hate
blind shots, and believe that every layout
should be balanced in having a good mix of
holes – without favouring a particular shape.
I also believe that every course should
have one reachable par four.” He certainly
relishes pouring over topographical maps,
walking the terrain and studying every
aspect of a proposed layout. “I have really
learned a lot – there is lot more to design
than most golfers realise, and this has really
become a passion of mine.” Passionate is
definitely an appropriate adjective when
describing Buhrmann, and at the time of
meeting with him, he had been busy work-
ing with junior golfers including rising star
Johan Becker. Students of the game realise
that Hendrik has invested a lot of time and
effort studying the finer points of technique,
and has developed a keen understanding
of methods of unlocking the mental and
physical attributes needed to become a
champion. He has teamed up with Ashley
Roestoff and established an academy that
has developed a reputation for excellence,
and many serious golfers, promising ama-
teurs and professionals, seek advice and
guidance from these experienced pros.
Perhaps one of Hendrik’s greatest
attributes has been his ability to see the
‘bigger picture’, and this has inspired him
to become involved with SLM Green World
Africa, a company that facilitates carbon
trading, and which presents an opportunity
for South African golf courses. Following the
Kyoto Protocol, industrialised nations made
a commitment to reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions, and these nations are
now allowed to trade carbon credits. The
system allows for countries to trade these
carbon-emission credits with one another
profile
and with developing nations – effectively
‘buying’ credits from countries such as
South Africa. Simply put, in order to comply
with their commitments and to offset their
debit balances, the worst carbon-emission
culprits will pay for credits. These credits
are accrued by investing in low-emission or
energy demand-reducing projects.
The amount of credits earned in what is
termed a ‘clean development mechanism’
deal is based on the difference between
the amount of greenhouse gasses that
would have been emitted if the CDM host
had followed a more traditional develop-
ment path (the baseline), and the amount
of GHGs generated when a project or
country follows a low-emission path.
One of the ways of obtaining credits is to
create man-made ‘carbon sinks’ by plant-
ing trees or other vegetation, or by practic-
ing various types of soil conservation. Our
golf courses are ideal carbon sinks.
Hendrik is naturally excited about his
involvement with this project, which can
be seen as a way for golf clubs to differ-
entiate themselves from their competition,
increase their profitability and at the same
time improve the environment. “The way
the process works is SLW Green World
Africa will present the copy of agreements
to the club’s management and committee
to initiate the carbon assessment pro-
gramme, and signed agreements are then
handed over to the company. The club
then provides the information required
for the assessment of carbon credits in
the prescribed format, and the evaluation
of the carbon credit will then begin. SLW
Green World Africa will then arrange for
payment to be made to the golf course for
the credit scored as audited by the interna-
tional agent. The payment can be used in
any way the committee sees fit.”
Hendrik has another three years to go
before he qualifies as a senior professional,
and it is a goal of his to campaign on the
Champions Tour. In the meantime he is
staying sharp – and busy.
Buhrmann has volunteered to sit on
the panel that is formulating the system to
be used in evaluating golf courses for the
Green Star Award programme initiated by
Compleat Golfer and GCM.
■ He can be contacted at
buhrmann7@gmail.com. ■
Golf Club Management July 2010 31
Green Star awardS

Clinically trimmed edges of wetland

areas defeats the object, and simply
destroys habitat.

dealinG with the

‘rouGh’ iSSueS Following on from his first article, John Masson presents a
starting point for an objective and measurable biodiversity
certification rating system underpinned by science,
rather than subjectivity. He sees it as an aid to golf club
management for identifying and quantifying the various
factors essential in establishing more effective sustainable
biodiversity on our courses.
why iS biodiverSity So important? on biodiversity for our security and health;
Biodiversity is the foundation of life on it strongly affects our social relations and
Earth. It is crucial for the functioning of gives us freedom and choice.
ecosystems that provide us with products Ironically, unlike foods and other prod-
and services (ecosystem services are the ucts we buy in supermarkets, many eco-
transformation of natural assets – soil, system services have no price tag attached
plants and animals, air and water – into to them. This means that the importance of
John Masson will be serving on the Green things that we value) without which we biodiversity and natural processes in provid-
Star Awards panel.
couldn’t live. Believe it or not, we depend ing benefits to people is ignored by financial

32 July 2010 Golf Club Management


Attracting birdlife to your course is just one of
many advantages of managing your golf course
in an eco-friendly way.
markets. If the full economic value of these
services was taken into account in decision-
making, the degradation of ecosystem
services could be significantly slowed down
or even reversed.
How it all Started
Throughout his years involved in conserva-
tion, John managed ecosystems in impacted
and pristine states – his awareness of the loss
of resource values in the former drove him to
introduce a sensitive approach to ecological
sustainability in the biospheres in which he
was involved. The journey began in 1996,
long before most decision-makers thought
about the degradation of the environment. He
began to formulate a biodiversity certification
system that would credit and reward ecologi-
cal efforts. He was one of the first people to
define ‘ecological landscaping’ as an impor-
tant conservation tool in urban restoration.
“tHe GolfinG induStry HaS tHe potential
to ...[enHance] local biodiverSity.”
This analytical and accountable sys-
tem provided guidelines for the required
processes – pathways for developing local
biodiversity and the evaluation of succession
status. This was underpinned by the encour-
agement of the mainstreaming of this strategy
by rewarding landowners with certification.
(He repeats this extremely relevant point
mentioned above as he is well aware that this
process can only succeed if one employs a
‘carrot’ – the root of life – versus the ‘stick’ –
long-dead, heavy-handed – approach.)
Green verSuS ecoloGical
Outdoor space is separated into two catego-
ries – ‘green’ and ‘ecological’. The certifica-
tion system differentiates between the two
and rewards on the basis of them being
different. ‘Green’ often performs and fulfils a
limited and specifically human ‘desire’ and
‘need’ – functional in nature with little or no
ecological value – lawns, shade, light filtra-
tion, reduction in temperature – the greens
and driving ranges of golf courses fall into
this category.
‘Green’ is just not good enough. Indeed,
for centuries ‘garden’ landscaping has
played a ‘silent role’ in habitat destruc-
tion – it’s a little like two of the greatest
causes of death – high blood pressure and
cholesterol working together strangling the
human population. Yes, the physiological
analogy is most appropriate simply because
dealing with the environment must be seen
as ecological preventative medicine – or in
the greatest number of cases as sensitive
surgery to reinstate the healthy state of the
universal body.
‘Green’ does not support naturally
occurring living organisms nor their in-
terconnectivity and variability – this is the
role played by ecological outdoor space
– enhancing local biodiversity and creating
a sustainable basis for the earth to prosper
and create true value to all flora and fauna –
including mankind.
Green Star awardS
a maJor Source of poSitive impact
The golfing industry has the potential to
make a major contribution to enhancing local
biodiversity – harnessing the vast urban (and
countryside) land surface of South Africa’s
(and the world’s) golf courses that have, to
a great degree, been a drain on the environ-
ment – recognising and promoting the role it
can play in turning golf courses into a mean-
ingful ecological systemic value. In order to
do this we need objective guidelines – turning
the golf course around to be a source of life in
the city – an ecological link circumnavigating
the country and the globe – enhancing true
value of golf in the marketplace.
■ if you have any questions or would like to
chat with John regarding any points raised in
this article, please contact him on
082 892 8860 or john@localbiodiversity.com
Just to confirm once again – the outdoor
space certification rating system shown above
must be seen as an initial stage in the proc-
ess of providing a foundation for further input
and development by members of the Green
Star panel. ■
Golf Club Management July 2010 33
John Deere Promotion

Dainfern proudly displays the

muscle of its green team.

Green
invasion
at Dainfern
John Deere’s range of premium equipment continues to make inroads into the golf market
in South Africa. Dainfern is the latest club to take delivery of a new fleet of Gators and a
legendary John Deere tractor with the right attachment to deal with a range of specific tasks.
A measure of John Deere’s success in the cases up to 10 percent more than for the offered. “I must admit that I was sceptical in
golf market has been the brand’s appear- equivalent equipment supplied by competing the past, but there is no question that John
ance on courses that might have been loyal brands. The fact that loyal customers in that Deere equipment is now being backed up
to other companies in the past, but have competitive market are prepared to pay more with excellent service, and when one looks at
chosen to ‘go green’ with recent purchases. says a lot, but here in South Africa we have the maintenance costs of the equipment, and
The reason for this has not simply been offered substantial discounts and can offer the prices of parts, I am confident that we
price, but rather value for money, as AFGRI’s excellent value for money.” have made the right decision.”
David Kelder explains. “Our products are Clinton Fouche, director of golf and course The 5303 tractor, complete with the
considered to be, and have proven to be, superintendent at Dainfern, says that the loading attachment, is an important addition
of the highest quality. In fact, in the United decision to go with the John Deere fleet of to the club’s fleet of vehicles and is used
States, customers are used to paying a pre- Gators was based on economic principles as to remove debris from the Jukskei River
mium for John Deere machinery – in some well as the much-improved after-sales service that flows through the course. “The river,

34 July 2010 Golf Club Management

 JOHN DEERE PROMOTION

The 5303 with attachment is tasked with

keeping the Jukskei River free of debris.

The diesel-powered six-wheeler is a cost-effective

way of moving heavy loads over any terrain.

The comfortable bucket

seats and easy handling
makes the Gator a firm
favourite with operators.

“JOHN DEERE
SUPPLIES
EXCELLENT
SERVICE...”

All smiles at Dainfern –

(from the left) AFGRI’s
David Kelder, Johan Otto
and Clinton Fouche.

although a major feature of our course, can
become a problem during the rainy season,
and to keep it clean, this machine works
overtime,” he says.
Dainfern’s workshop manager, Johan Otto,
is equally as enthusiastic about the six new
six-wheel Gators as well as the new four-
wheel HPX. “These vehicles are certainly
robust, and besides being easy to maintain,
I particularly like their design and the belt-
on two litres of diesel per hour. This com-
pares with comparable petrol-driven models
that use three litres of fuel per hour. “These
Gators certainly earn their keep,” says
Clinton. “We converted from ride-on greens
mowers to walk-behinds and used the Gators
to transport these mowers as well as other
tasks – they operate nonstop.”
As utility vehicles go, the Gator has
developed an excellent reputation. The
The specifications and standard features
are impressive – these include an hour
meter, fuel gauge and 12-volt DC outlet.
John Deere’s claim of high-quality per-
formance coupled with the brand’s depend-
ability is winning a lot of friends in the turf
industry – just ask the team at Dainfern.
For more info please visit www.afgri.co.za or
contact David Kelder on 071 689 9663 or at
david.kelder@afgri.co.za. ■

drive operation. I also agree that John Deere
supplies excellent service, and the availability
of parts is never a problem. A plus with these
Gators is that they are diesel-powered, which
results in a big saving.” These powerful utility
vehicles, which comfortably transport a load
of 600kgs and are surprisingly quiet, operate
six-wheel model offers unparalleled trac-
tion even on the steepest inclines and can
tackle the most punishing terrain without
missing a beat, even carrying a heavy load.
The highly efficient 854cc three-cylinder,
four-cycle OHV powerplant has proven to be
as reliable as any in its class.

Golf Club Management July 2010 35

rands and sense

Take iT or
In GCM’s May issue, Graham Webster posed the question: “Are golf clubs charging too much?”
Here John Botha takes another look at pricing and suggests that while some clubs might be
considered expensive, others could comfortably put their prices up.
There still seems to be no consensus on Every golfer in the world happily ac- amount is too high golfers will simply stay
what might constitute ‘market-related’ pric- cepts that it costs more to play a private, away, and this is happening.
ing at golf clubs, be this for membership, beautifully manicured layout than a tatty I once patiently listened to a successful
member and visitor greenfees or a ham- municipal layout, just as a bar bill at a plush businessman sounding off about the way
burger. During a period of recession or not, country club that offers five-star service will his club was being run, and although full
it is not about what golfers can or cannot be higher than at a more modest drink- of sound and fury, he did make a few valid
afford, but rather about ripping customers ing hole. It is, however, hard to explain points. He didn’t pretend to be a golf expert,
off and offering good value. why some clubs, with a truly excellent golf and it was difficult to defend many of his
The psychology involved with paying course, might be a lot cheaper to play than complaints. The first concerned the amount
customers is not easily understood, but no some other facility that certainly does not of staff employed at his club. “In the good
one likes feeling that they are being over- warrant mention in a letter home. old days we had a secretary, a golf pro and
charged. One often hears that tourists can Besides the confused tourist, the local a caddy master who ran the show, but now
make little sense of our pricing structures – market – which is worth billions of rands – is we have a CEO, food and beverage manager,
they will question why they were charged so just as confused, not to mention more than events manager, a PR department, a pro
much to play at a certain club and then had a little peeved. Of course, in a free market, shop manager, director of golf, a teaching
to pay considerably more (or less) at another. clubs can charge what they like, and if that pro and a host of other employees – and

CosT Comparison aT GolF FaCiliTies in sa

Club/FaCiliTy enTry Fee basiC all inCl all inCl + Compulsory disCounT disCounT member annual
Tradeable subs sub + spouse spend F&b GolF sHop GreenFees Trail Fee
no Trade Green Fees per CarT

Fancourt Property Purch 13 000 24 000 29 000 nil 20% 10% 300 2100

pearl valley nT 50 000 16 500 22 500 38 500 3 000 - 5 000 15% 15% 350 2750

steenberg nT 50 000 17 650 26 475 nil 20% nil incl nil 180 - 295
erinvale nT 15 000 13 000 26 000 nil 10% 10% incl nil 180 - 290
pezula T 25 000 12 420 18 630 24 840 nil 20% 10% 205 1 723
simola T65 000 9 500 14 500 nil nil nil incl nil 240
mossel bay nT 2 500 2 750 6 450 N/A nil 10% 5% 70 R10 / 18h
st Francis links Property Purch 8 678 12 353 nil 15% 10% incl nil 200
stellenbosch nT 5 000 3 700 8 100 N/A nil 15% 10% 85 nil
mowbray nT 570 4 750 8 550 N/A nil 10% nil 150 nil
mount edgecombe nT 25 000 5 000 12 250 N/A nil 5% nil 150 400
southbroom nT 2 000 1 860 5 260 N/A nil nil 10% 85 350
blue valley nT 4 500 4 900 9 400 15 300 nil nil nil 90 nil
royal J&k nT 10 000 9 138 15 178 N/A nil 10% nil 140 nil

36 July 2010 Golf Club Management

 rands and sense

leave iT
damned if I get a drink because there is a
company day on the go and we only have
three waiters on duty...” But he was just
warming up. “As for the course staff,” he
continued, “they are bloody falling over each
other, but none of them seem to be doing
any work.” Sound familiar? Unfortunately,
once he had been served his much-needed
drink, it did nothing to improve his mood.
about how the club is being run like a busi-
ness, but I wish I had a business like this.
Every year I could go to my shareholders and
ask for more money, because I had again
made a mess of trying to break square...
bloody ridiculous. See if you can attract the
attention of that waiter. ”
I must say, I do find it strange that there
is an assumption that so-called ‘country
centres? Even caddies at far-flung courses
are expected to get by on less money, yet
when last I looked, a loaf of bread or a pint
of milk costs the same in Johannesburg as
it does in some sleepy hamlet. Then there is
the golf cart conundrum – they too cost the
same to buy or lease, to run and maintain,
yet there seems to be a sizeable variance in
hire costs depending where you are.
GCM is in the process of establishing a
list of the best value-for-money clubs, and
already it is clear that Gauteng and KZN are
the places for the best deals. At the top of
the range the likes of Durban Country Club,
Southbroom and Cotswold Downs represent
superb value, and it is hard to beat the likes
of Royal Johannesburg and Kensington or

“iT is noT abouT wHaT GolFers Can or
CannoT aFFord, buT [abouT Good value].”
“Just getting a tee time has become impos-
sible at my own club – there always seems
to be some company or charity day on; a
bunch of hackers who dig up our course,
and parking is a bloody nightmare...of course
the lady captain and her committee all have
reserved spaces. The committee goes on
courses’ should be cheaper than their city
counterparts. A course manager, no matter
where he is, pays the same for fertilizer,
maintenance equipment and fuel – why
should he be expected to produce a good
golf course with a fraction of the budget that
his more fortunate colleagues in the bigger
Glendower for experiencing world-class golf
at affordable prices.
Famously, the McDonald’s burger has
become a yardstick when comparing the
real value of a country’s currency, and Big
Macs are the same the world over. With golf
courses it is more difficult to compare the
proverbial apples with apples.
If you believe that your club is a good
candidate for our best value-for-money list,
please let us know. ■

CarT Hire mem GuesT G/Fee visiTor G/Fee visiTor G/Fee burGer CasTle bell’s CommenTs
mem visiTor GreenFee Junior aFF - non aFF aFF - non aFF
Full CarT in & ouT sea in season oFF season

180 - 330 500 - 370 100 - 90 510 - 795 510 - 570 45 17 14 no affiliated
rate but hotel
guest rate instead.
2 750pa - 260 495 - 350 200 695 - 1 095 545 - 795 35 14 14 visitor greenfees
inc half share of
cart (not jnr's)
360 - 240 190 - 165 595 - 825 380 - 525 42 14.5 13.5
275 - 220 90 395 - 655 220 - 220 30 10 10.5
4 785pa - 220 395 - 395 225 625 - 795 495 - 595 45 14 14
380 - 380 200 650 - 750 650 - 750 45 12 15
160 - 200 120 - 120 40 220 - 400 220 - 400 28 9.5 9
250 - 250 70 410 - 510 410 - 510 45 13.5 10
150 - 250 170 - 170 75 250 - 420 250 - 420 30 10.5 10
150 - 200 185 - 185 65 235 - 395 235 - 395 30 11 10
173 - 210 220 - 220 50 260 - 400 260 - 400 25 11 10
150 - 200 180 - 180 90 220 - 220 220 - 220 17 11 10
200 190 - 190 60 400 - 400 400 - 400 27 11.5 10.5
190 - 220 300 - 300 130 290 - 490 290 - 490 30 11 11

Golf Club Management July 2010 37

last word

safety first
Staying with this month’s theme of environmental best practice, it is worth remembering that this
includes keeping a close eye on safety. Turftek’s Murray Veitch offers some good advice.

With numerous tasks vying for attention at Particularly when operating machinery, a
golf courses, it is easy to overlook mainte- moment’s loss in concentration can lead to
serious injury, and constant training and
nance safety. T-box mowers rolling off steep stressing safe practice is a must.
slopes due to wet conditions, green-sur-
round mowers sliding into dams and rivers,
golf balls missing their intended targets and
hitting maintenance staff instead... These
maintenance-related examples may not be
everyday occurrences at golf courses, but
they do happen and they can have serious
implications. That is why safety should
always come first.
Every golf course should have a health and
safety policy as stipulated by the Occupa-
tional Health and Safety Act. This policy must
cover all aspects related to maintenance.
But even if a golf course has such a policy,
maintenance safety is something that can be
easily overlooked, especially when deadlines example, can cost upwards of R400 000. include safety boots, a decent overall and
are looming. Therefore, it should be kept top The loss of productivity, lowered staff morale eye and ear protection. The greenkeeper
of mind at all times through a combination of and the costs of retraining staff should also has to ensure that employees are wearing
training, safety promotion and supervision. be considered. If you take all of these factors the correct clothing. He or she should also
Here are a few tips:

ready and able

Operator training lies at the foundation
of maintenance safety. Every employee –
whether he or she operates machinery or
handles chemicals – has to be properly
trained to perform his or her specific function
safely and efficiently. For instance, a person
who works with chemicals should know
which protective gear he or she has to wear,
how to handle hazardous substances in an
environmentally-friendly way and that the
use of chemicals must be recorded.
Employees should also be trained in the
ins and outs of working on a golf course,
and certain staff members should receive
first-aid and basic fire-fighting training in
case of emergency.
Without proper training, employees
may be in potential danger. There may be
financial consequences when expensive
machinery gets damaged. One mower, for
“[safety] should be kePt toP of mind
... through a Combination of training,
safety Promotion and suPervision.”
into account, proper training remains money
well-spent.
Time must be set aside for refresher train-
ing. Even if employees have done their jobs
safely for years, you shouldn’t assume that
this will always be the case. It is also essential
that they are continuously reminded of safe
practices with the help of safety reminders.
CheCk it out
In addition to training, daily and monthly
safety checks are recommended. Turftek’s
machine operators, for example, have to
check their machines daily to ensure that
they are in tip-top condition. Daily checks
also apply to protective clothing. Protective
gear is job-specific, but the basics should
be a member of a golf course’s health and
safety steering committee, which should
meet monthly to check that all safety re-
quirements are met.
Moreover, it is a good idea to appoint a
health and safety officer who can perform
health and safety checks on a regular basis.
Personal resPonsibility
Safety starts with every individual. This
message should be highlighted on the
golf course. Every employee should take
responsibility for working safely and inform
his or her manager of any safety concerns.
Emergency telephone numbers must be
available at all telephones to help individuals
take action if accidents occur. ■

38 July 2010 Golf Club Management

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For an approved Hansgrohe dealer contact:

0860 hansgrohe/0860 426747 | sales@hansgrohe.co.za | www.hansgrohe.co.za | info@akwasolv.co.za | www.akwasolv.co.za