GCM

july 2009

The
Business

Volume 5 • Issue 7
Magazine
for the Golf Industry
Golf Club Management Visit www.compleatgolfer.co.za for back issues of GCM

Glenvista
A candidate Country Club
for
most improved
course

Also in this issue:

■ USGA specification
■ GCM workshops reviewed

■ Bells Manager of the Month

■ Winter tasks – servicing drainage

■ Golf carts – petrol or electric?

■ Are greenfees too cheap? brought to you by

Golf Club Management July 2009 1

 EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTENTS
birdies and bogeys
Snippets of news from the last month 4

turf management
USGA sand specification 6

human resource development

Labour pains and letters 15

GCM workshop review

Report back from Umhlali and Glendower 18 from
club profile
Glenvista Country Club

manager of the month

20
the editor
Barry Woods of Umhlali 22
Shaken and stirred – not a bad thing
turf management
Ready for the rains 24 We must accept that the world’s financial brawl breaking out.
markets have been rocked to the core, and I am also encouraged by the fact that the
rands and sense none of us could have believed that in the ‘Big Three’ in turf maintenance equipment,
What should a round of golf really cost? 28 21st century we would see our sophisticated namely Jacobsen, John Deere and Toro (and I
system of commerce hijacked by a few list them alphabetically), have committed to
PGA greedy executives who took advantage of the assist GCM in what will be a first – a series of
Are we handicapped by handicaps? 29 dumbed-down public. In a recent edition of head-to-head tests of their products against
Finweek the main cover line read: “Every each other. Beginning in our next issue, we
Last word man for himself – tactics for a post-recession will have a neutral course superintendent, his
It’s in the numbers 30 operator and his workshop manager evaluate
economy.” I am determined not to harp on
about how bleak the economy looks, so I de- similar pieces of equipment – a no-holds-
Cover Picture cided to find something to feel good about, barred, sort of ‘Jeremy Clarkson does lawn
Glenvista Country Club
and I didn’t have far to look. mowers’ type of thing. I thought while I was
With respect to the views of the erudite at it, I would get various course architects to
■ Editorial
John Botha financial journalist who wrote this rather critique each other’s designs, but I somehow
email: bogeyfree@mweb.co.za gloomy cover story, the golf industry has not believe that this will be a bit tougher.
cell: 082 498 7380 subscribed to this every-man-for-himself phi- To the clubs that received special awards
losophy – in fact, quite the opposite. This was from Compleat Golfer, namely Randpark, for
■ publisher again proven at our recent workshops. Those the excellent work done on its clubhouse, and
Simon Turck involved in the trade seem happy to share Southbroom, for its status as the most popular
email: simon@ramsaymedia.co.za information, and the general feeling is that club in KZN, we offer our congratulations.
cell: 083 252 8387
we are all in the same boat, and helping each Finally, GCM has had to bid farewell to
other might be the most sensible approach. Sarah Mathews, who has moved on to work
■ Advertising The fact that GCM called upon friends to for another publication. We wish her the best
James Ferrans (National Sales Manager)
email: jamesf@ramsaymedia.co.za speak at our workshops, and they were only of luck.
cell: 084 252 6373 too happy to help, was most gratifying. It In July we will be hosting our workshops in
was also pleasing to note that the groups of the Southern and Western Cape – the number
To request your complimentary subscription to GCM, simply delegates, people who compete against each of guests we can accommodate is limited, so
SMS ‘GCM and your name’ to 35172 (SMS costs R3) or other, have also embraced this spirit of coop- I would urge our friends in these regions to
contact Natalie Shekleton on 011 301 4448.
eration. This is heartening, and so is the fact confirm their attendance without delay.
Visit our website www.compleatgolfer.co.za that the host clubs, Glendower and Umhlali,
for back issues. bent over backwards to accommodate us.
At the Evergreen Turf show, I again noticed
A monthly business-to- business magazine how rival companies came together and, while
brought to you by
most are competing for the same shrinking
business, they all seem to be the best of
mates – well, maybe that’s pushing it a bit.
They were at least all very civil to each other,
and the bar did a brisk trade – without a

Golf Club Management July 2009 3

Birdies and bogeys
Suddards secures
Fleuron agency for KZN
David Suddards, the man with the
greatest record in South African
amateur golf and our most capped
international golfer, has secured the
agency for Fleuron (Pty) Ltd’s range
of products.
After joining Stegman Golf at the
beginning of last year as sales manger,
the legendary golfer has since started
his own company David Suddards
Distributors CC, distributing Stegman
Golf’s products to golf clubs and driv-
ing ranges. He also has the agency for
Benross Golf Equipment, voted the best
value for money brand in the UK.
The Fleuron agency includes
products such as Anderson’s, Scotts,
Philolime, Roots, Cytozyme, Nitrosol,
Aquatrols, Rocol and the Duraturf range
of products.
■ D ave can be contacted on 031 764
2906, 082 568 6202 or e-mail
suddards@telkomsa.net.
Thanks, but no thanks
The Highland Gate Estate in Dullstroom,
Mpumalanga, with its almost-completed
Ernie Els-designed golf course was meant
to be sold at an auction held in Sandton,
but although some 300 people attended the
4 July 2009 Golf Club Management
GCM’s Preferred
Suppliers
One of the key aims of GCM is to help
facilitate decision making for people
in the golf industry. Most golf clubs
and resorts have long lists of varied
suppliers, and GCM is about to em-
bark on a programme that will make
the processing of choosing a reputable
and credible supplier all that much
simpler. Through an instant
referral system, run by GCM, a
Preferred Supplier List will be
made available to all key decision makers
in the golf industry.
In order to qualify for the GCM Preferred ■ F
 or more information contact:
Supplier List, a supplier must obtain a mini- Simon Turck on 083 252 8387 or e-mail
mum of three different golf club referrals simon@ramsaymedia.co.za
or recommendations. Once GCM/PSL ap- Natalie Shekleton on 011 301 4448 or
proved, the supplier will receive a Preferred
Supplier certificate endorsed by GCM and
e-mail natalies@ramsaymedia.co.za.
■ You can download the application form at
will be featured in a listing on a monthly www.compleatgolfer.co.za – click on the
basis published in GCM and on the web. GCM cover and follow the links.
A Sign
of the
Crimes
It would seem that pilfering has gotten out of hand in Harrismith, as illustrated by this
bench, chained and padlocked to a tree on the golf course. Worse still, when GCM
recently visited this historic club (founded in 1887) it appeared that somebody had
also nicked the bar, or perhaps the watering hole had been gutted in preparation for a
revamp. There was nobody on hand to tell us what was happening.
public sale, there were no buyers. This is not the first golf estate to be
Estimated to fetch upwards of R80 mil- auctioned off, and according to group CEO
lion, the 700ha estate attracted no interest of auctioneers Alliance Rael Levitt, it won’t
when a bid of R50 million was called for. be the last. Levitt is confident that the estate
After reducing the call to R40 million, there will be sold outside the auction process, but
were still no takers, and proceedings closed. warns that it could take some time.

Turning heads at Glendower
Talk about ‘pimped-up wheels’. Yamaha’s latest offering in its stable of golf carts is a
beauty. With the chunky good looks of a serious 4X4, this baby has all the bells and
whistles, and makes stock-standard varieties look positively whimpish. Equally at home
on the golf course and the game farm, this vehicle has a price tag of around R70 000
– well worth the money if you want to intimidate your opposition.
Southbroom
Golf Club
claims ‘Most Popular’ award
The pro shop team at Southbroom were
delighted to learn that their club was
adjudged by Compleat Golfer to be the
most popular club in KZN. The club,
managed by Tish Robinson, consistently
earns high mark marks for its quality of
service and its magnificent golf course
– few clubs can claim to offer a warmer
welcome to visitors. Pictured here, from
left to right, are Lynn Sheridan, Sheena
and Derek James and Beauty Shusha.
Birdies and bogeys
Dean Webster displayed
this Yamaha cart at the
GCM workshop held
at Glendower – it was
immediately put on the
wish list of more than a
few golfers.
Talking
Trees
Renowned tree expert Val Thomas kept
delegates at the Glendower GCM workshop
enthralled with her talk, and we are happy to
announce that she has agreed to contribute
a regular column to GCM, beginning next
month. Val is well known for her research
and development for the production of a
Sappi-sponsored series of publications. The
Sappi Tree Spotting volumes, which are a
mine of information concerning indigenous
trees and shrubs found in every area of South
Africa, should not only be required reading
for every course superintendent, but everyone
involved in the golf industry.
PowerPlay
threesome in SA
The co-founders of PowerPlay golf, Pe-
ter McEvoy and David Piggins, recently
met with South African licensee Neil
Mathews. The response to the new
format of the game has been enthu-
siastically received in the UK and in
other parts of the world, and already 25
South African golf clubs have signed up
to become official license holders.
PowerPlay has the blessing of the
R&A as well as the USGA and this new
form of golf, which claims to be game’s
equivalent of cricket’s Twenty20, could
South African licensee of PowerPlay Neil
just be answer to growing the game,
Mathews, flanked by Peter McEvoy (left)
and David Piggins (right).
and plans for professional and amateur
PowerPlay to be televised are being for-
mulated. “When we first launched this
form of the game, we decided to invite a
Welcome back Houghton group of golf journalists to play – we as-
Houghton Golf Club is set to reopen sumed that if we could impress a group
in January next year. The new Jack of golf writers, known for being rather
Nicklaus-designed layout complete cynical, we were on the right track. Their
with new clubhouse will be unveiled, positive reaction surprised us, and it
despite the residential development makes sense for golf clubs to be in a po-
(said to have cost Murray and Roberts sition to offer a different product to their
R150 million) being put on hold. members and visitors,” says McEvoy.
Golf Club Management July 2009 5
Turf Management

The USGA sand

specification for root zone mixes
Willie J Pretorius of Golf Course Solutions and Dr Eduard Hoffman, member of SACNASP, IUSS, SSSSA,
SABI and chair of Soil Science at the University Stellenbosch, explain the reasons behind USGA
specifications for greens and what happens to the root zone over time.
The purpose of this article is not to discuss An important concept to understand when percent macro porosity. Since these porosities
the very well-known USGA sand specification discussing the USGA greens spec is ‘porosity’, represent free air space and not actual mate-
with which every superintendent is familiar, which refers to the voids between sand and/or rial, it becomes clear that these quantities are
but rather to explain the reasons for the soil particles. These porosities are classed into determined by the size and arrangement of the
specification and how the parameters of the two categories: macro porosity, pores larger sand particles. It must now become clear why
specification change over time. This influ- than 0.1mm (important for good aeration con- the USGA specification defines a particular
ences the turf quality and, in particular, the ducing water under saturated conditions, and sand particle size distribution.
onset of black layer. filled with air when the excess water drain) and
New techniques are now available to micro porosity (pores smaller that 0.01mm How established turf
measure the deviation from the norm and how that hold water against gravitational forces). alters sand characteris-
this can be used to select the correct cultural An ideal situation is one where the total poros- tics which influences the
practices to reverse the deviation before serious ity is around 50 percent of the sand by volume quality of the greens
and irreversible problems are experienced. and split into a 20 percent micro and 30 The first issue is the build-up of thatch that

The objective of
the specification
The object is to establish a suitable growing “... it is extremely important to use
medium that will satisfy both golfer and grass.
In other words, the grass will establish a good
topdressing sand that is the same as that
putting surface and survive the severe growing used in the construction of the green...”
conditions under which it will be placed.
As a growing medium, sand on its own
has extreme limitations in supporting a very
demanding turf condition. The absolute ideal
physical conditions required by plants growing
in a sand medium had to be established, and
thus the USGA specification was created. First
in 1960, revised in 1973, 1989, 1993 and
the latest revision in 2004 by Dr Norm Hum-
mel who, on a request from the USGA, spent
a year revising the present specification.
This specification had to establish a grow-
ing medium that would allow for the follow-
ing four very important physical aspects:
■ P rovide a good and smooth putting surface
■ G ood drainage or hydraulic conductivity
■ R etain sufficient water for plant growth
■ A llow for sufficient air movement to the
root zone areas
This article will not touch on the fertility
aspects of the USGA greens specification,
as this will be dealt with in a future article.

6 July 2009 Golf Club Management

 Turf Management

eventually degrades to non-decomposed and
decomposed organic material. Thatch fills
some of the macro pores which decreases their
percentage, negatively influencing the hydrau-
lic conductivity and oxygen movement to the
roots. If this situation is allowed to get out of
control, layering starts – usually as a surface
layer to which topdressing is added, moving
this layer progressively lower down the profile.
Thatch removal techniques such as verti-
cutting, hollowtinning, with the use of the
Graden machine, followed by topdressings,
is the correct procedure to prevent serious or-
ganic matter build-up in the top layers of the
root zone. This should improve oxygen move-
ment to the roots and promote microbial
activity that will assist with decomposition of
the organic matter.
Over time, some residual organic matter
build-up will still occur, and this amount
will depend on how effective the cultural
practices mentioned have been executed.
In this instance, it is extremely important
to use topdressing sand that is the same as
that used in the construction of the green, as
finer sand will contribute to a perched water
table. Together with residual organic matter,
this will worsen the hydraulic conductiv-
ity and initiate anaerobic conditions which
contribute to the start of the black layering
process. This process starts gradually as
oxygen movement in the top layers becomes
depleted, a process that speeds up as the
anaerobic conditions become more severe
and begin to manifest over larger areas.
It is therefore obvious that the macro
pores (air spaces) must be kept open as best
as possible at all times, as this promotes
healthy roots and beneficial microbial activity
that assists with organic matter breakdown.
Once an anaerobic condition has manifested
itself it is extremely difficult to turn this situ-
ation around, so prevention is certainly better
than cure in this case.
What is black layering,
what is its composition,
and how is it formed?
The black layer is the remains of anaearobi-
cally decomposed organic matter that usually
has a foul smell. The anaerobic decomposition
is effected by a group of microbes that use
the oxygen from the sulphates (usually present
from sulphate containing fertilizers) and
reduce this to sulphide complexes of mainly
iron and manganese. In this process, the foul-
smelling hydrogen-sulphide gas is generated
that is lethal to plant roots. As these plant
roots die off, the organic matter pool increases
exacerbating the situation even more.
It becomes very obvious that the conditions
that will establish the onset of black layer-
ing must be avoided at all cost. It is for this
reason that, together with the Soil Science
department of the University of Stellenbosch,
we have introduced an analytical process
whereby we take a 200mm-deep core sample
and analyse it in situ, layer by layer, for all the
USGA-specification characteristics.
As we measure the chemical composition
of the soil to establish the correct fertilizer
programmes, it would be a good idea to also
measure the deviation from the USGA specifi-
cation of the root zone sand mix from time to
time to establish its physical wellbeing. Once
the physical soil condition becomes limiting,
no fertilizer application can remedy this, and
could in fact contribute to the deterioration. ■

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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Exclusively distributed, serviced and supplied by

Durban 031 705 3390
Johannesburg 011 922 2000
Cape Town 021 380 2600
Tindrum 8/007

Port Elizabeth 041 484 6240

www.cse.co.za
 Club Car promotion

Petrol versus electric golf carts –

Which makes
economic sense?
The debate concerning whether electric golf carts might be better than
those powered by internal combustion engines has raged ever since
carts were first imported into South Africa in the early 1980s. Both
camps have valid reasons for their preferences, but if it is about
saving money, it is clear that volts beat horsepower.
Before we look at the costs of running a fleet months). The daily maintenance needed for
of carts, it is worth considering the pros and electric carts, checking battery terminals and
cons of petrol and electric carts. There is no water levels, takes very little time. ■
question that the noise factor is important,
and petrol carts, even the best of them, are
relatively noisy. Another problem faced by
clubs that run fleets of petrol-driven carts is Alex Ackron, CSE’s national manager, Turf Division, points out
petrol theft. Even a club that can honestly that running a fleet of electric carts makes economic sense.
say that it has a fool-proof security system in
place cannot discount the fumes and emis-
sions, not to mention the danger associated
with fire risk.
Petrol vs electric running cost
There are well-documented cases of plucky Based on three years and an average of 18 rounds of golf per month per cart. 
petrol vehicles, as long as they are well main-
Description Petrol Electric
tained, trundling along for 20 years or more.
Maintenance cost (service parts only) R10 260.00 R96.00
They do need less storage space, as ‘petrol
heads’ will point out, because the recharging
Petrol cost (1x 26.5 tank per month) R6 868.80 R0.00
facility needed for electric carts does take up Once-off deionizer cost R0.00 R1 000.00
some room. Battery costs (replacement after 3 to 4 years) R0.00 R9 000.00
But assuming that well-ventilated garaging R17 128.80 R10 096.00
(needed for all carts) is available, once total Cost per month per cart R475.80 R280.44
maintenance costs are calculated, electric Cost per month on 65 carts R30 927.00 R18 228.89
carts come out on top – by a hefty margin. Cost per month on 65 carts for 36 months R1 113 372.00 R656 240.00
Also the down-time involved in servicing petrol Saving on electric over 36 months (65 carts) R457 132.00
carts is far higher (they require servicing every
This calculation does not include the labour hour to service the carts. Keep in mind that it will take
100 hours, compared to their electric coun-
one person one hour to service a petrol cart apposed to 15 minutes to service an electric cart.
terparts needing a service every two to three

For more information contact:

Johannesburg (011) 922 2000
Cape Town (021) 380 2600
George (044) 870 7143
Durban (031) 705 3390
Port Elizabeth (041) 484 6240
Website: www.cse.co.za

Golf Club Management July 2009 9

storey eng promotion
Professional assistance
pays dividends
Pierre Storey of Storey ENG (Pty) Ltd looks at the role of the irrigation professional.
There are immense pressures on golf clubs to
have well-manicured courses with year-round
lush green grass, no matter the season or the
weather conditions. One of the most impor-
tant investments a club can make towards
satisfying this demand is its irrigation system.
All too often, however, the appointment of
an irrigation professional to assist the club
in maximising the potential of the irrigation
system is deemed an unnecessary expense.
Decision makers need to recognise the
irreplaceable role played by the irrigation pro-
fessional and that a successful installation of
an irrigation system, be it new or an upgrade,
requires the participation of four parties: the
club (usually represented by the green-
keeper and greens committee), the irrigation
professional, the equipment supplier and the
contractor. The irrigation professional is more
than an irrigation designer – most likely he is
an engineer with expertise in water resource
planning, irrigation design and specification,
and civil engineering and related contracts.
Acting as an agent of the club, he will
firstly assess the needs of the club, not
only with respect to irrigation, but also to
determine the overall availability of and
demand for water. This done, the irrigation
professional will prepare the designs for the
irrigation system. Not having any loyalty to a
specific irrigation manufacturer or brand, the
design will be generic, but in all respects in
accordance with recognised quality standards.
The standardised irrigation design enables the
club to source competitive quotations from all
of the reputable manufacturers. The detailed/
comprehensive irrigation specifications and
contract documents prepared by the irriga-
tion professional enable the club to source
tenders/quotations from suitably qualified
contractors to undertake the installation of the
irrigation system. The greatest advantage in
generic designs and standardised specifica-
tions is that the club can make an ‘apples
10 July 2009 Golf Club Management
with apples’ comparison between prices
quoted, for both the irrigation equipment and
the installation.
The contract, which the irrigation profes-
sional adapts to the specific requirements
of each project and administers on behalf
of the club, is invaluable. Most importantly,
it structures the apportionment of risk and
how unforeseen events and cost variations
will be dealt with. The irrigation professional
monitors the installation, regularly checking
on the quality and the performance of the
system. Throughout the contract the irrigation
professional also monitors the progress of the
installation, certifying payment to the con-
tractor only as and when appropriate. Upon
completion the system is ‘snagged’
and commissioned.
A case study highlighting the benefit of
the appointment of an irrigation professional
was the upgrading of the irrigation system on
Royal Cape’s course in 2007. Having called
for tenders without having first secured the
services of an irrigation professional to prepare
a generic design and standardised specifica-
tion for an irrigation system upgrade, Royal
Cape found itself with three unequal tenders.
As such, Royal Cape could not realistically
compare the offers presented. Realising that
assistance was needed to assess the tenders,
it appointed Storey ENG, consulting engineers
with extensive experience in irrigation systems
for golf courses. Storey ENG evaluated the de-
signs and tenders received by the club in order
to determine which offered the best upgrade
solution for the course. This done, Storey
ENG, on behalf of Royal Cape, conducted
negotiations with the preferred supplier. As
part of this process, the specifications for the
work were firmed up and the conditions of the
contract between the parties agreed.
Once agreement was reached the contract
was awarded, and work commenced with
Storey ENG overseeing the installation of the
system and administering the contract be-
tween the club and the contractor. Taking into
account rain delays allowed, the installation
was completed on time despite Cape Town
experiencing one of its wettest winters ever.
An important factor contributing to the
success of the irrigation upgrade was the
effort Storey ENG made to ensure that the
contractor’s installation complied with the
designs and specifications. This eased the
commissioning process with few faults having
to be traced.
Integral to the manner in which the
upgrade was managed was the fact that the
course remained in play throughout the con-
tract period and little, if any, revenue was lost
while the upgrade was in progress.
Although Storey ENG was not involved
from the start, the success of the irrigation
upgrade disproved the common misconcep-
tion that the involvement of an irrigation
professional unnecessarily inflates the cost
to the club. The savings Storey ENG were
able to achieve for the club far outweighed
the fees incurred. The final word must go to
the greens committee chairman who was so
delighted with the outcome of the irrigation
upgrade that he proclaimed that he would,
without hesitation, recommend the parties
involved with the project. ■
 Silica Leisure promotion

The
not so
new
kid on the
Chatting to Neil Reid, Greg Phyffer and Nick
French, shareholders of the newly formed
Silica Leisure (Pty) Ltd, it is immediately
apparent that there is a wealth of knowl-
edge and experience that has been brought
together to provide the leisure industry
block
with a one-stop shop for all its sand and
organic needs.
Greg explains, from the company’s offices
between Delmas and Bronkhortspruit where
the silica sand deposit is mined, that the
synergies were just too big for a silica sup-
plier that has been producing graded silica
sands for over 30 years to not team up with a
company that is actively servicing the leisure
community with quality organic compost and
related products.
“Although we have been involved in the
production of USGA sands for years, we have
never supplied direct to the industry, but
rather to companies that then onward mar-
keted our product with all the other products
related to the industry. This joint venture will
allow sand to be sold to the industry by the windows of raw materials and pumping On closer inspection, these new kids on
actual producer.” bacteria-enriched water through the lines, the block have got years of experience and
Neil stressed that notwithstanding the the compost reaches temperatures in excess knowledge with a lot to offer the leisure
long history of sand production, sand sam- of 70 degrees Celcius, making sure the industry. ■
ples were sent to accredited laboratories in germination of all weeds and seeds is
the United States and the UK, and passed killed, and all that remains is high-quality
with flying colours. organic compost.
The organics yard is based in Fourways Nick and Neil, who personally service
just north of Johannesburg, and produces in excess of 50 golf courses in the Johan-
the highest-quality medium to fit its clients’ nesburg, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal
needs. The one-of-a-kind organics are regions, are backed up by Reinet Pretorius
produced through an aerobic composting who is based at the mine. Reinet, who
method, combining a perfectly balanced has been involved in the golf course indus-
nitrogen and carbon mix. try for over 15 years, can be contacted on
Nick explains that, through turning 013 665 7908.

Golf Club Management July 2009 11

Cadillac promotion

A 5-Star drive
Cadillac’s partnership with Compleat Golfer includes sponsorship of our Annual Awards Dinner as
well as being the official transport for our 5-Star Golf Experience judges. It made sense to have the
managers of our 5-Star clubs test this luxury vehicle to see if it lives up to its iconic status.
Blair Atholl’s Mark Williams was the first of “Another interesting feature is the Smart manufactures of luxury German sedans.”
our testers, and he was clearly impressed Remote Start system, which allows you to Blair Atholl has been judged to be the last
with the looks of the CTS. “I must admit start the car from 60 metres away – so, by word in 5-Star Golf Experiences, and Mark
to knowing very little about Cadillacs – my the time you get in, the climate control has Williams has no hesitation in declaring the
perception was influenced by old Hollywood adjusted the interior temperature to the CTS deserves recognition as simply the best
movies where the ‘Caddy’ was a large, rather perfect level. in its class. ■
cumbersome beast and, of course, left-hand “But the biggest surprise was the perform-
drive. The new CTS looks very different – ance – the quiet, powerful V6 effortlessly
modern, sleek and bold – a definite head- pours on the power and, although I never test-
turner. Only the rear taillights hint of the ed the actual figures, I was told that the CTS
famous pedigree,” he says. will go from a standing start to 100km/h in
“The interior was really an eye-opener – six seconds, and comfortably reach 240km/h
this is seriously luxurious, with every feature – I’ll take Cadillac’s word for it. I particularly
you can imagine. Voice control of the Bose liked the six-speed automatic transmission.
cabin surround audio system with 10 speak- This is nothing like I expected for a reasonably
ers, navigation system, an on-board TV and a big car; it is nimble and handles beautifully.
finish that oozes quality. This takes comfort- There is no question that the Cadillac CTS
able motoring to a new level,” he enthuses. presents serious competition to the

14 July 2009 Golf Club Management

 HR

Labour
pains
Severance pay
Severance pay relates purely to the monies you must pay a person you
are retrenching for operational reasons. It doesn’t apply to any other
form of termination of contracts. If you are retrenching a person it is
known as a ‘no fault’ termination and the severance pay is to compen-
sate the person for having to terminate their services through no fault of
their own.
The law states that you must pay a minimum of one week’s remu-
neration per completed year of service. This is in addition to any other
contractual notice pay, leave pay, commission or any other form of
remuneration that the person is entitled to.
To calculate the length of service you must take the date that the
person first started in your employment, including any breaks in service

ADVERT
of less than a year.
Note:
■ Casuals who work for you less than 24 hours per month do not
qualify to receive severance pay.
■ Guard against setting a ‘precedent’. If you pay certain retrenchees
above the formula of a week for every completed year of service,
word will soon get out and you will have set a precedent that you may
not want to continue with in the future.
■ The first R30 000 of a severance package is normally tax free.
Tax directives, indicating the amount of tax to be deducted will be
required for packages in excess of R30 000. ■

LETTERS
Readers’ questions answered
Dear GCM,
I have an employee who has not returned to work for the past three
weeks and we are terminating his contract of employment for reason of
‘absconding’. Will his leave continue to accumulate after the last day that
he attended work?
Margaret, Western Cape

GCM’s Andrew Wilson responds

I am assuming that you have proven that you are dealing with a case of
‘absconding’ by either holding a hearing with him or in his absence if he
was not available to attend. If you do choose to terminate his services on
the grounds of ‘absconding’ then you can treat his absence as ‘unau-
thorised leave’ and the period he was absent can be ‘unpaid’. He will,
however, continue to accumulate annual leave up until the time that you
terminate his contract of employment, which would be immediately after
the findings of the hearing are made known. ■
■ I f you would like help with an HR or IR issue contact Andrew Wilson at
consultaew@iafrica.com.
JOHN DEERE
Winter Season Sale
Afgri Equipment Winter Special
Model Brand Hrs Condition Price excl VAT
4520 Turf Tractor John Deere 900hrs Good R145,000.00
2500 Triplex Ride-on Greens Mower John Deere 2000hrs Rebuild R120,000.00
2500 Triplex Ride-on Greens Mower John Deere 2300Hrs Rebuild R100,000.00
2500E Electric Ride-on Greens Mower John Deere 1800hrs Rebuild R75,000.00
3235B 5 Fairway Mower John Deere 900hrs Good R145,000.00
3235B 5 Fairway Mower John Deere 2000hrs Good R120,000.00
220B Walk Behind Greens Mower (x3) John Deere ? Good R30,000.00
3235C Fairway Mower John Deere 800hrs Very Good R190,000.00
1200A Bunker Rake with Front Blade John Deere 4000hrs Fair R30,000.00
2653A Surrounds Mower John Deere 2400hrs Rebuild / Good R120,000.00
2653A Surrounds Mower John Deere 2000hrs Good R90,000.00
2500E Electric Ride-on Greens Mower (x4) John Deere New New R190,000.00
260B Walk Behind Tee/Surrounds Mower (x8) John Deere New New R55,000.00
6X4 Diesel 4WD Gator (x2) John Deere 850hrs Fair R65,000.00
6X4 Diesel 4WD Gator John Deere 850hrs Fair R65,000.00
4X2 HPG Diesel Gator 2WD, John Deere ? Fair R45,000.00
Contact Persons
David Kelder • Cell: 071 689 9663 • E-mail: david.kelder@afgri.co.za
Pieter Beukes • Cell: 082 575 7302 • E-mail: pieter.beukes@afgri.co.za

Andrag Agrico Equipment Winter Special

Model Brand New/Second Price excl VAT
2500B Greens Mower John Deere New R198 000,00
2653B Tee’s and Surrounds Mower John Deere New R198 000,00
7400 Independent deck 3 Mower John Deere New R315 000,00
7500 Fairway Mower John Deere New R295 000,00
3235C Fairway Mower John Deere New R313 000,00
8800 Independent deck 5 Mower John Deere New R298 000,00
1445 Rough mower -72” deck John Deere New R195 000,00
1200A Bunker rake John Deere New R85 000,00
1200H Hydro Bunker rake John Deere New R98 000,00
2030 Progator with Spray rig John Deere New R270 000,00

Second hand equipment

John Deere 1200A bunker rake R28 000,00
John Deere 1145 Rough mower R60 000,00
John Deere 3235B Fairway mower R85 000,00
John Deere 2500 Greens mower R52 000,00
John Deere 6x4 Diesel Gator R50 000,00
Toro 3500 Semi rough mower R50 000,00
Toro 355 Semi rough mower R50 000,00
Jacobson Greens King 4 R28 000,00
Jacobson LF 3800 Fairway mower R55 000,00
Jacobson 528D Rough mower ( Flail deck ) R50 000,00
• Prices exclude VAT • Prices ex-stock Cape Town
Andrag Cape Province
Western / Northern Cape
Stephen Osborn • Tel: (021) 950 4111 • Cell: 083 444 9636 • E-mail: stephen.osborn@andragagrico.co.za
Southern / Eastern Cape
Travis Rochart • Tel: (044) 878 0274 • Cell: 084 516 3444 • E-mail: travis.rochart@andragagrico.co.za
GCM workshop review
GCM workshops
Review
GCM recently completed two successful workshops in Gauteng and
KwaZulu-Natal. If you weren’t there, this is what you missed:
The concept of holding GCM workshops took
root two years ago. The idea initially was to in-
vite recipients of our awards to regional events,
and, although these worked in terms of getting
interested parties together and slapping each
other on the back, this year we decided to
raise the ante.
Rather than simply inviting a select few
club managers, course superintendents, direc-
tors of golf and club captains for a session of
‘shooting the breeze’, this year we extended
the number of our invitations, and with the
help of some knowledgeable people in the
trade, compiled what we hoped would be an
informative, entertaining day out – and yes,
there was still plenty of ‘shooting the breeze’.
The first of these events was held at
Glendower, and presented an opportunity for
those who had not seen the recently revamped
course and clubhouse to do so. Nine holes of
ABOVE RIGHT: Peter Matkovich gave a presentation on the failings of modern clubs and what they can be doing to ensure the health of the game.
BELOW: It’s no longer ‘every man for himself’. The workshops proved that those in the industry are enthusiastic about getting together and sharing ideas.
18 July 2009 Golf Club Management
PowerPlay Golf began proceedings, Smith Turf
conducted a demonstration followed by lunch,
after which a number of short, interesting
speeches were delivered. The day ended with
a whisky tasting, and a good time was had by
all. Glendower’s GM Paul Leishman and his
team made sure that things ran smoothly, and
executive chef Otto Stumke excelled himself.
Not only did Otto pull out all the stops by pre-
paring an excellent lunch, guests were greeted
on arrival with coffee and freshly-baked
muffins and chocolate brownies. Those that
had not played the ‘new’ course were suitably
impressed by the work done by Golf Data, and
most agreed that as classic parkland layouts
go, it doesn’t get much better. Experiencing
PowerPlay was new to many, but everyone
seemed to enjoy this format – although not
everyone worked out how to score, not that the
scores mattered.
Highlights of the Glendower workshop
included a talk by Val Thomas, the renowned
tree expert, whose passion and encyclopedic
knowledge kept everyone entertained. Mike
Slabber of Talborne Organics offered an in-
formative overview of the advantages of organic
fertilization. The point was well made that
besides the spiralling costs of chemical fertiliz-
ers, the organic option makes more sense. (One
of the guests, Topturf’s Dave Kirkby, will be
conducting a long-term experiment to measure
the effects of chemical versus natural fertiliz-
ers, and GCM will be following this research
with interest.) Tim Johnstone spoke about the
importance of introducing juniors and women
to golf, and we were also given a presentation
by Neels Harmuth of Advance Seeds.
 GCM workshop review

Umhlali kindly offered to host the KZN leg

of our workshops, and again nine holes of Pow-
erPlay Golf got everyone loosened up. Martin
Finch of Modern Mowers, agents for Toro
equipment in KZN, gave a talk on his products
before lunch, and the speakers after the meal
included wine connoisseur John Platter, Peter
Matkovich, Andy Bean, environmentalist
Johan Bodenstein and Durban Country Club’s
Dave Henry, one of the driving forces behind
his club’s environmental committee. ‘Matko’
spoke most eloquently – pointing out the fail-
ings of certain modern golf clubs, and offered
possible solutions to ensuring the health of
the game. He also made his opinion of golf
carts quite clear, comments which bemused
the agents for Yamaha carts who were present.
Environmental issues have become a priority
for most golf clubs in recent times, and both
Johan Bodenstein and Dave Henry delivered
well-constructed talks that made a lot of ABOVE: Workshop attendants at Glendower being treated to a Toro demonstration.
sense. Particularly impressive were the photo- BELOW: Hearing from key people in the golf industry and the sharing of information ensured
graphs shown of areas of the Durban Country that everyone left having learnt something of value.
Club course that have been rehabilitated – ar-
eas that had previously been over-groomed but
are now clad in luxuriant growth of indigenous
forest. Many clubs would do well to follow
Durban Country Club’s lead in forming an
active committee that takes the environmental
responsibility of their club seriously.
John Platter, a member of Umhlali, pointed
out that although in KZN beer is very definitely
the preferred tipple among golfers, given the
large amount of golf tourists that flock to
the region, clubs should consider stocking a
sensible selection of wines. The point is well
taken that clubs should not forget that the
foreign golf tourist recognises South Africa as
a producer of world-class wines, and they must
be rather disappointed when their choice at
a golf club is limited to a few rather ordinary
wines served by the glass.
The success of these workshops depended
very much on the organisation of the host
clubs, and it must be said that both Glendower
and Umhlali did a sterling job. The speakers
were of the highest quality and, most impor- golf industry. Rather than the old ‘everyone benefit the game.
tantly, our guests appreciated what we were for himself’ ideology, there is a willingness to GCM appreciates the many phone calls
trying to do – ie offer something different from share ideas and information and, while healthy and e-mails, not only thanking us for these
the usual golf day. competition within the industry will hopefully workshops, but offering constructive advice
It is certainly gratifying to notice a definite always exist, cooperation between clubs and on how we might improve these functions in
shift in attitudes shown by everyone in the companies that service the industry can only the future. ■

A thank you to our sponsors:

Golf Club Management July 2009 19

club profile

Johannesburg’s
southern gem
going green
Glenvista Country Club’s course can claim to be one of the most underrated in Gauteng. As GCM
discovered during a recent visit to this club, the work done by course superintendent Johan Snyman
and team has further improved this excellent layout.
The Glenvista golf course was the brain- site for a golf course could not have been payable in instalments. Despite these modest
child of the ill-fated Glen Anil Development found; a mere 10 kilometres from Johannes- fees, the club was slow to get into stride,
company, a once powerful corporation that burg CBD, with a plentiful supply of water. A presumably competing with the nearby Read-
Dingham
Darrenthe
transformed large tracts of farmland to the tributary of the Klip River flows through ing, which was considered to be a premier
south of Johannesburg into residential areas. valley and a series of lakes form the focal facility with a fair amount of snob value.
In the halcyon days during the late ’60s, the point of the layout. Glen Anil was in control of the fledgling
company commissioned Sid Brews to lay out The construction of the course was obvi- club’s affairs, but the members were allowed
a golf course in a beautiful valley formed by ously not easy, either that or there was no to form a committee which effectively ran the
the Klipriviersberg range, after purchasing sense of urgency, because Brews began his club. Once Glenvista had about 200 mem-
this spectacular piece of real estate from work sometime in 1967 but the course was bers, the club’s facilities were somewhat in-
the Basson family. The Bassons farmed the only completed in 1973. It was certainly worth adequate, and the membership was showing
land which the course today occupies, and waiting for, and when the club was opened worrying signs of stagnating at that number.
it is scarcely believable that this area was memberships were sold for the princely sum of In flurry of activity, a manager’s residence
considered ‘rural’ only 40 years ago. A better R70 with an annual subscription of R150 – was constructed, a swimming pool was built

20 July 2009 Golf Club Management


and two tennis courts were erected –
giving some credence to the ‘country club’
idea, but soon after this Glen Anil suffered seri-
ous cash flow problems and was placed under
liquidation. The company’s assets were sold by
public auction, along with the club, which was
bought by the members for an amount of
R65 000 – a bargain price even in 1978.
The improvements made to this club since
have been steady if not spectacular – the
present clubhouse was built, the car park was
paved, a tennis pavilion was built and, most
importantly from a golfing point of view, a wa-
ter reticulation system was installed and the
greens were rebuilt. By 1993, Glenvista had
come into its own – the USGA-specification
putting surfaces were, and are still superb,
and during our recent visit we noted that the
kikuyu fairways are as good as any in the Gau-
teng region. The bent greens may be infested
with poa annua, but as is often proved, prop-
erly managed even a high percentage of poa
growing in bent is not the end of the world,
and Glenvista’s putting surfaces run as true as
anyone could find anywhere.
It is very clear that the work being done on
the course has been sensibly planned and,
with a relatively small labour force (14 in
total), the standards of general housekeeping
compare with the best. A project to rehabili-
tate the bunkering is underway and, while
Johan Snyman has his hands full keeping the
layout groomed to perfection, he has a list
Wynand van Vuuren has done a sterling job transforming dull areas into beautiful gardens.
Johan Snyman has a number of improvements planned for Glenvista.
of plans to further improve the course. This
includes hiding rather unattractive concrete
walls that borders one of the lakes, convert-
ing an area on a dam wall from kikuyu to
indigenous shrubs, as well as eliminating
encroaching wattle on the border of the course
into more eco-friendly flora. Most noticeable
are the areas that have been established
with indigenous plants, done with the help of
expert landscaper Wynand van Vuuren. A long-
club profile
time member of Glenvista, Van Vuuren has
transformed what were some rather unsightly
areas into attractive gardens inhabited by en-
demic plants that belong – frost-resistant spe-
cies that thrive on the Highveld. Well known
for his work on up-market residential gardens
that he has converted from exotic to indig-
enous, Wynand is less than enamored with the
rose bushes that have been cultivated on the
course. “Rose White, a member of the club
for many years (mother of famous rugby coach
and after-dinner speaker Jake White), loved
these roses, and they were the cause of a few
arguments – but the roses are still there,” he
says. A feature of Van Vuuren’s work is the
incorporation of various props such as African
pots and old sleepers. The end result is a truly
African look and feel that is eco-friendly.
Glenvista has certainly proved that a huge
budget is not necessary to compete with the
modern estate courses. The service in the
clubhouse is friendly and efficient and, de-
spite being a popular venue for private func-
tions, it has retained its feel of a traditional
golf club. Plans are being implemented to
expand the club’s capacity to host confer-
ences and, at a time when many clubs are
feeling the pinch, Glenvista would seem to
be bucking economic trends and forging full
steam ahead. In terms of making a serious
effort to ‘green up’ its act, Glenvista is well
ahead of the game. ■
■ W ynand van Vuuren of Excellent Gardens can
be contacted on 082 828 4477.
Golf Club Management July 2009 21
 EXTRA SPECIAL manager of the month

No relation to
Tiger
Barry Woods is the new man at the helm of Umhlali Country Club, and
while his prowess on the golf course may not match that of his famous
namesake, he is determined to make his presence felt at one of
KwaZulu-Natal’s most popular clubs.
The Umhlali Country Club has had the ability been revamped and the course has changed
to reinvent itself over the years. Begin- beyond recognition. Umhlali has certainly
ning life as a modest nine-holer in 1961, arrived as a club to be taken seriously,
it was probably best described as a rather fortunately without sacrificing its charm.
quaint ‘country’ facility that wasn’t taken A visitor to Umhlali today is likely to
too seriously. The town of Ballito was only be struck by the young, enthusiastic team
proclaimed as a township in 1954, but it that keeps the club ticking, and the recent
was some time before the property market on appointment of Barry Woods as GM would
the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal boomed, suggest that the club is going places. Barry
and Ballito became one of the most favoured may lack experience in this particular
holiday destinations for the well-heeled. industry, but his fresh, uncluttered view
An important event in the history of of what needs to be done is perhaps an
Umhlali Country Club was the appointment advantage. He completed his schooling
of Peter Matkovich as the club professional, at Queens College in the Eastern Cape, ‘bean-counter’ and, as a self-confessed
and it was the now-famous golf course a school well known for producing great people’s person, he certainly seems to
architect who designed and constructed the sportsmen, but he freely admits that his go out of his way to make everyone feel
second nine holes. It remained a low-key, performances were nothing more than aver- welcome. He is quick to point out that he
unpretentious club with a playable layout age on the cricket and rugby field. Barry was fortunate in having a great group of
that may not have been in the best of condi- then studied accountancy and, after spend- people to assist him while he settled in.
tion at all times, but it was much loved by ing time in the corporate world, he decided “The team here is well motivated and we
the locals and the holidaymakers who prided to make this career change. “It probably are determined to continually raise the
themselves in finding this ‘hidden gem’. had something to do with my brother standards,” he says.
Peter Matkovich’s influence has continued Billy’s influence – he is the greenkeeper A key member of this team is golf man-
to be felt at the club he calls home, and when at Gowrie Farm in the Midlands, and ager Duard Nel, formerly of Waterkloof in
he revamped the course three years ago, becoming involved in the golf business has Pretoria, who has been at Umhlali for a year
without making any radical changes, it took been quite an eye-opener,” he says. “For and a half. He is responsible for every aspect
on a very different look. Compleat Golfer had starters, you are dealing with people that of the golf operations and is also involved in
no hesitation in declaring the course to be the come to the club to enjoy themselves, and setting up the course for play.
most improved in KwaZulu-Natal last year. it is our job to ensure that they do. Most of About 36 000 rounds were played on the
Anyone who has not visited this club for our members and visitors arrive at the club course last year, and monthly year-on-year
some years would hardly recognise it now in a good mood – it’s a pleasure dealing figures would suggest that this number is
– besides again changing its identity and with them.” Barry certainly does not come steadily increasing. At the time of GCM’s
becoming a golf estate, the clubhouse has across as the typical, rather conservative recent visit to the club, the pro shop was in

Extra Special TIMES, EXTRA SPECIAL SCOTCH

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18

22 July 2009 Golf Club Management

 ABOVE: A very playable and enjoyable golf experience is on offer at Umhlali.
the process of being gutted for a complete BELOW: From left to right, Duard Nel (golf manager), Robin Naiker (greenkeeper), Glynis Hunter
refurbishment. “The pro shop was contract- (marketing), Michelle Witthoff (accountant) and Barry Woods (general manager).
ed out, but it has been decided to employ
our own professional to run this operation,”
says Barry.
In between meeting and greeting and
generally ensuring that things go smoothly,
Barry’s accounting background has come in
handy in analysing the club’s operations, and
he has embarked on a project to fine-tune
were he can. “I must say that it seems that
among my colleagues in the club manage-
ment business, a regular complaint is the
difficulty in dealing with and reporting to
committees. Fortunately, I have no such
problems, as the committee has given me
their full support. They remain in charge of
policy decisions, but for the rest I am
allowed to get on with the job with
minimum of interference,” he says. ■

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18

Golf Club Management July 2009 23

Turf Management

Ready for the rains

With most of our golf courses now in the grip of winter, workloads have dropped off. But rather than
taking a well-earned break, now is the time to get stuck into tasks that will make dealing with the
summer rains a lot easier, writes Turftek’s Murray Veitch.
Every year our golf courses get hammered by drains and improve on them should this de-compacted, the drainage in the bunker
severe storms at some time or the other. Im- be necessary. will become compromised due to the fact
portant as the spring and summer rains may Your greens’ drainage should also be that the rain water can no longer perco-
be, these storms damage bunkers, wash away flushed if flush points are present. It is late through the sand. It is neccessary to
topsoil and contaminate drainage systems. important to ensure that the outlets of the decompact the bunkers after every rain storm
Winter is an excellent time to carry out any drains are kept clear. These tend to become if possible. Extra sand may also need to be
repairs to damaged drainage systems and to blocked by grass growing into them or sand added to some of the bunkers. If the base
improve any other faulty systems. being washed over them. Drains that lead of the bunker becomes exposed to the heavy
into dams can become blocked by crabs and rains this may result in severe erosion – it
Drainage other creatures. is not unusual for the drainage pipes to be
Although a task that is not normally high on Standing water can also cause grass to rot exposed and thus severely contaminated with
the list of priorities, fairway drainage should and die. Winter is a good time to level these bunker sand. In some of the older types of
be flushed to clear any sediment which may areas in order to spread the water, thus pre- bunkers, the crusher stone placed around
have built up during the previous season. As venting it from standing in one place. Where the drainage pipes can become mixed with
effective as your fairway drainage may be, possible, fairways should be reshaped so as the bunker sand. This requires the sand to
after a wet summer there is sure to be some to improve the surface drainage. be sieved or replaced. Ensuring that there
blockage preventing the drains from operat- is sufficient sand in a bunker helps prevent
ing at optimum capacity. There is no better Bunkers damage to the base and the drainage system
time to clear them. It might also be a good Bunker sand tends to become compacted in the bunkers.
time to assess the overall capacity of these during the rainy season. If this sand is not In severe cases it may be necessary to

24 July 2009 Golf Club Management

 Turf Management

reshape bunker faces which are continually washed away during the
rainy season. Many productive man hours are lost pushing sand back up
bunker faces that are too steep.

Equipment
It is a good idea to be prepared for heavy downpours, and every golf
course should have a sump pump and squeegees, which can be used
to remove any standing water. Particularly golf courses which are next
to rivers can have tons of mud dumped on them. The greenkeeper
needs to be prepared for this situation by having the necessary
equipment available.
The greenkeeping staff should be issued with gumboots and rain-
coats ahead of time. They cannot be expected to run around in the
rain un-blocking drains, pushing mud, etc, without the correct
protective clothing.

Eroded River and Dam Banks

The dry season is a good time to repack rocks on the banks of the dams
and rivers. Due to wave action, the banks of feature dams become
eroded. Placing rocks on the banks will help protect them from erosion.
Unfortunately, the water can be cold in winter, but this is the best time
to do it.

Spring Treatment

ADVERT
The hollowtining of the greens will help them drain a lot better during a
heavy downpour. There is a move away from hollowtining at the end of
winter, but a deep vertidraining will also help with drainage. Vertidrain-
ing during the rainy season is a good way to prevent greens becoming
waterlogged.
Knowing what sort of rainy season you are going to experience is
impossible. Carrying out the above mentioned tasks will go along way to
ensure that the severity of the damage is limited. ■

If the complete reconstruction of a bunker is called for, there is no

better time to do this. As with everything, if it is worth doing, it is
worth doing properly.
CMASA promotion

What is CMASA
and what can it do for you?
■ C
 lub Management Association of South- on trends in this sector. committee and management team, who
ern Africa (CMASA) is the representative ■ C
 MASA is committed to the ongoing collectively have in excess of 150 years
body for the recreation, sports and social professional development of manage- experience in club management.
club sector in South Africa. CMASA of- ment and staff in the club sector and ■ C
 lub management in South Africa and
fers its members access to information offers education programmes to suit all internationally is no longer a hobby but a
on international and local best-practice disciplines of employees. profession and clubs require a paradigm
material relating to the management of ■ C
 MASA’s strength is heightened by shift in the application of sound business
their clubs as well as current information the expertise of its elected executive principles to sustain the sector. CMASA
is able to offer these resources to assist
clubs in this paradigm shift.
Mission
To serve our members in every possible way and enable them to ■ E
 ach month Club Managment Association of
South Africa will focus on one of the many
improve their own professional standards in the management, services it offers its member clubs. For a
financial control, productivity, service and efficiency of their clubs full list of its services contact its offices on
through ongoing education and best practice. 011 482 7542 or visit its website at
www.clubmanagement.co.za.

Snippets CMASA consulting with to make development happen. Comments

Congratulations… SAGA on development are welcome and can be sent to admin@
■ to Doug Bain There has been much contro- clubmanagement.co.za.
(Randpark), CMASA versy around the R5 develop-
Manager of Year, on ment levy for non-affiliated Manager development programme
his recent marriage golfers. Many of our member CMASA is soon launching a manager devel-
to Desire. clubs’ concerns are opment programme for junior
■ to Darren Dingam valid, however and middle management.
(Wanderers) on Doug Bain everybody is in Based on material received
the recent birth of agreement as from Club Managers Associa-
his son. to the need for tion of America (CMAA), this
development, and CMASA programme will be complet-
CMASA blog is hoping to complete a ed while in the workplace
Something got you in a knot? Want to share process of consultation with and covers all aspects of
some problems or solutions? Log onto member clubs and to revert club management. Keep an
www.clubmanagement.co.za and log onto to the SAGA with propos- eye out for the launching of
the member-only blog. als on how clubs are able this programme.
Darren Dingam

Postal address: Suite 374 Private bag X09 Weltevredenpark 1715

26 July 2009 Golf Club Management

 cmasa promotion

LEGISLATIVE INITATIVES
An association is only successful if it truly
represents and undertakes issues that could
have an impact on its membership base.
CMASA, over the years, has been successful-
ly involved in legislative issues that affect the
club sector – be it on a national or provincial
basis. One of the most recent initiatives has
been CMASA’s objection to the Proposed
Income Tax Amendment Bill, which in its
proposal form was extremely detrimental to
the club industry.
Approximately six years ago, CMASA (then
the Associated Clubs of Southern Africa) met
with representatives from SARS in an attempt
to illustrate a club business financial model
and identify the core issues relating to club
membership/participation. CMASA went to
great lengths to explain that while every not-
for-profit club’s model was different due to
the sporting discipline/activity the club was
involved in, the premise of break-even and a
principle of mutuality was common among all.
During the fact-finding sessions with SARS, Club managers networking at a CMASA education session.
CMASA provided it with a definition of a pos-
sible interpretation of what a club is:
“A voluntary association of persons non-member business at the club. Following adequate preparations for the amended tax
privately constituted and managed in terms the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Fi- legislation. Much work will still need to be
of its own rules by and for the benefit of nance hearing, the legislation was amended done by clubs in the next year in order to be
members, with an established clubhouse at to provide for partial taxation on clubs with prepared for these changes.
which members and invited guests meet on a the following areas being treated as exempt CMASA will continue to interact with all
regular or recurrent basis to further a specified income: membership subscriptions, fees and stakeholders in an effort to bring about an
social, sporting, recreational, cultural or other all club core business revenue. Non-exempt equitable solution to this legislation.
common interest, or a combination of such revenue included: income from investments Sadly, many clubs do not see the benefits
interests, and which precludes the active and club non-core business revenue of joining CMASA. In order for the asso-
pursuit and division of profits but encourages (eg advertising). ciation to continue to be the ‘voice’ of the
recreation and social conviviality.” Ongoing negotiations have taken place industry, it is imperative for clubs to unite
Amendments to the Income Tax Act No. with SARS and the National Treasury since behind CMASA in its dealings with govern-
58 of 1962 (the Act), effected in terms of the the promulgation of the legislation in order ment, both national and local.
Revenue Laws Amendment Act 2006, were to clarify various anomalies in the legisla- CMASA provides the education and
tabled in draft for public comment. Following tion. One of the anomalies has already been access to necessary knowledge required for
written objections by CMASA together with our included in the 2009 Budget Speech, which interpretation of legislation that affects the
tax consultant Jackie Arendse, CMASA was in- extends the submission of applications for club industry. ■
vited to appear before the Portfolio Committee partial tax exemption to 30 September 2010 ■ S hould you be interested in becoming
on Finance to make a verbal submission on as opposed to March 2009. a member of CMASA please contact us
our objections to the legislation. The legisla- The benefits of this extension are benefi- on 011 482 7542 or e-mail
tion so tabled included inter alia tax on all cial to clubs, most of which have not made admin@clubmanagement.co.za

Tel: +27 (0)11 482 7542 Fax: 088 (0)11 482 7542 Cell: 082 457 8235 e-mail: gm@clubmanagement.co.za

Golf Club Management July 2009 27

Rands and Sense
What should a round
of golf really cost?
A point was made at GCM’s Umhlali workshop that certain premier clubs are discounting greenfee
prices, which is having a negative impact on other clubs. Cotswold Downs’ Peter Miller makes the
point that by underselling golf, many clubs are on the road to financial ruin.
Traditionally, in order to come up with an
equitable amount to charge golfers to play,
clubs would divide their budgeted expendi-
ture by their budgeted number of rounds.
This calculation could be used to come up
with cost per round, eg if expenditure was
R2 million, this would be divided by
30 000 rounds which amounted to R66.60
or R70 cost per round. This was fine – clubs
were never meant to show a profit. Hand-to-
mouth accounting worked until an unex-
pected expense arose and, with no cash in
the kitty, many clubs found themselves in
financial difficulty.
The advent of television saw South African
golfers demanding Augusta-like turf on their
courses year round, and the cost of the
maintenance of these green belts began to
spiral. Golfers became more discerning – no
manicured turf meant less visiting golfers.
A round of R70 suddenly jumped to R100,
which resulted in less rounds, so again clubs
found themselves in financial difficulty.
To counter the dearth in visitor rounds,
a plan was implemented to make courses
more challenging, longer and with larger
and faster greens. It was hoped that this
would stimulate the business, but main-
tenance again became more expensive. In
an attempt to generate extra revenue, the
halfway sandwich was transformed into a
culinary experience. Play became slower,
the number of rounds again dipped, and
clubs faced more financial difficulty.
Corporate golf was rapidly increasing as
companies decided to use golf as an attractive
way to entertain clients, and some clubs saw
this as their salvation. But, offering reduced
rates to the corporate market, and annoying
members who found it difficult to get onto
their own courses, again caused many clubs
to take financial strain as members resigned.
28 July 2009 Golf Club Management
Along came virtual clubs that promised
struggling clubs a stream of business (albeit
at discounted rates). Fantastic! Members
of the traditional clubs were encouraged to
join virtual clubs and this practice put many
clubs in financial difficulty. No problem.
What did the clubs do? Reduce prices to
encourage more members to join and visitors
to play, but as the difference between the
two were minimal, clubs realised that none
of the new visitors were joining. This practice
put many clubs in financial difficulty. Sud-
denly the top clubs who had lost members
to smaller ‘cheaper’ clubs decided to lower
their prices which in turn made the smaller
clubs lower their rounds even more, and
guess what? This practice put many clubs in
financial difficulty.
So what should the cost of a round be?
Obviously there is no easy answer, but fun-
damentally income from greenfees (and food
and beverage, golf carts etc) should cover the
maintenance costs and wage bills for a club
to survive. Exclusive clubs such as Leopard
Creek and Pearl Valley demand, and get, top
rates, while more modest facilities compete
in another sector of the market. Still, there
seems to be some disparity in rates that
clubs charge. One accepts that a facility with
an above-average course and quality service
should demand a higher fee, but unfortu-
nately the pricing policy has become skewed.
Clubs in general do not trust each other and
would rather compete against one another
rather than face common challenges and
work together to find solutions.
In KwaZulu-Natal we do not have an
‘average cost’ (I know this sounds stupid) as
prices for the top clubs have been discount-
ed in order to attract rounds. Having played
top courses worldwide and most of the top
courses in SA, I believe that in KwaZulu-
Natal a round of golf is ridiculously inexpen-
sive. For instance one can play most of the
coastal clubs for less than R200 as a visitor.
A similar club on the Algarve in Portugal
would cost between R750 and R1 200.
The courses in the Cape cost on average 50
percent more per round, as do top clubs in
Johannesburg. Even premier courses such
as Durban CC and Zimbali are very competi-
tively priced, especially in the corporate golf
area as food and beverage is a large contribu-
tion to their income. This means the second-
tier clubs cannot ask the price per round
needed for survival. All clubs in KZN are
competing for the same players, the same
corporate market and the same group golf.
Registered golfers are estimated to number
some 19 000 with 80-plus clubs. Durban CC
and Mount Edgecombe have almost 4 200
members between them, which leaves only
15 000 for the rest to share. This means
an average of about 188 players per club,
which is simply not economically viable. So
again, clubs cut greenfees to attract golfers
and again this practice puts many clubs in
financial difficulty.
So, what is the answer? I wish I knew. It is
obvious that golfers should realise that they
have to pay more for a Rolls Royce than they
would for a Tata. ■

Are we handicapped
by handicaps?
CEO of the PGA of South Africa Dennis Bruyns makes some suggestions
on how to handle the handicap saga.
Recently there have been several amend-
ments to our handicapping system, which
unfortunately seem to have caused more
confusion than ever before. I have received
numerous phone calls recently with rules
queries concerning handicaps, so let’s spend
some time on what the Rules of Golf require.
First of all, golfers in South Africa only
have one handicap. The other figure is a
stroke allowance (and it happens to be 75
percent of the golfer’s handicap). The stroke
allowance is the figure used in betterball
and alliance competitions. So, when a golfer
whose handicap is 12 speaks about his
handicap being 12/9, he is wrong. We are
also getting the fellow (with an ego) who
quotes his stroke allowance as his handi-
cap – sounds much more impressive to be
a nine than a 12! Let’s put that down to
plenty of betterball competitions and just as
much confusion.
The SAGA has re-introduced the directive
that only allows double-bogeys (2 over par)
on holes on which the golfer actually strokes
and bogeys (1 over) on non-stroke holes.
The bizarre thing here is that, when playing
betterball or alliance competitions, the golfer
has to apply his or her stroke allowance when
scoring for handicapping purposes and this
score must be submitted. This has got to
mean that handicaps are going to be unre-
alistically lower for those golfers who play
most of their golf in betterball or alliance
competitions.
Now, what do the Rules of Golf require
a golfer to do on a scorecard? A golfer is
required to write down his name, handicap
and score for each individual hole. After the
round, he is required to sign the card. The
golfer is not required to work out points, net
scores or totals.
However, the SAGA has instructed golf-
ers to write down their handicaps and their
stroke allowances on their cards (and has
requested that clubs make provision for this
on scorecards). Already golfers have been
disqualified from local competitions for
failing to do this. But hold on. This is not
a Rule of Golf and the SAGA does not write
the rules so, unless the tournament com-
mittee introduces this as a local rule, be
careful of disqualifying golfers who do not
fill in both figures.
It seems to me that we have become
handicapped by out handicap system – and
that we have lost sight of why we have it in
the first place: having a handicap is meant to
‘level the playing field’, allowing all golfers of
all abilities to compete equitably.
Golf is a game of honesty and integrity
and it relies on all golfers to play the game
in this spirit. It seems that the handicapping
system being sought is that which caters for
unscrupulous scoundrels who wish to ‘mas-
sage’ their handicaps in order to scoop the
biggest prizes at competitions. We seem to
be trying to find a tamper-proof system which
will eradicate this dishonest practice.
I think we will all agree that, given the nature
of our game, this is a foolhardy endeavour.
There is no doubt that we have lost sight
of what golf should really be about. It should
not be about competing against the field;
what has happened to the personal chal-
lenge of doing the best that you can do? You,
against the course? You, against the par on a
hole, the par of the course? Hitting fairways
and greens?
Let’s stop relying entirely on the computer
and re-introduce active handicap committees
at clubs, which can add the subjective hu-
man element to determining a golfer’s trends
when it comes to his or her playing ability at
any given time. Clubs should perhaps spend
more time promoting honesty, integrity, self-
discipline and fun among members – after
PGA of sa
all, that is the reason the vast majority of
golfers play this game.
Let me leave you with one perfect exam-
ple of this: a while back I played a social
game of golf at the ‘old’ Houghton. In our
fourball was Denis Hutchinson who, on the
1st tee, declared that on that particular day
he felt like he needed to allocate himself
six shots, given the way he was feeling! We
all chuckled and there was much heckling
and good-natured banter, but we accepted
Hutchie’s ‘handicap’ for the day.
Playing the last hole of our 18 (the par-
four 9th) Hutchie hit his third shot to about
six feet from the flag. Having played a friend-
ly betterball matchplay game, I hadn’t really
kept track of what everyone had scored. As
Hutchie stood over his putt, he declared that
he needed to sink it for a 78 – six shots over
par! So he was absolutely correct in his as-
sumption of what he felt his handicap should
be for the day.
Surely that’s what we should be
aiming for? ■
To contact the PGA of South Africa
Tel: (011) 485 1370
or visit www.compleatgolfer.co.za
and follow the link
Golf Club Management July 2009 29
last word
It’s in the numbers
Dennis Bruyns looks at ways that clubs could be working with the PGA to break down some of the
barriers to entry for casual golfers and new members.
Some time ago, the PGA identified three key
areas that contributed to golfers not playing,
or worse still, giving up the game. These
three reasons? The game takes too long, it
is too difficult and it is too expensive. And
so, whatever cunning schemes are dreamt
up to encourage more people to play golf, we
should always be trying to negate these
barriers as much as possible.
So then, our suggestions? For a start, the
club system is the backbone of golf in South
Africa. Municipal or pay-and-play courses
are, to all intents and purposes, non-existent.
Resort courses generally cater to the well-
heeled multi-star hotel market and overseas
visitors and residential golf estates tick over
according to residents and property sales.
The vast majority of golf courses in this
country then are attached to traditional golf
clubs with traditional memberships – you
know the type: get nominated and seconded,
pay a large joining fee (for some unknown
reason) and then pay a lump-sum subscrip-
tion once a year, depending on the category
of membership that you have chosen.
If we are to encourage the ‘casual golfer’
to play more, and ultimately become a mem-
ber of the club, I would contend that clubs
need to look more creatively at the member-
ships that they offer.
Let’s take a look at the ‘entrance fee’
for a start. So many clubs are waiving that
fee every time their membership numbers
take a dip. How’s this for an idea? Keep the
entrance fee, but use some of it to cover
the real costs of offering added value to the
new member. This added value could take
the form of a series of lessons with your
club’s PGA professional (which could include
lessons on the rules, etiquette and gener-
ally ‘demystify’ the game for beginners) or
it could cover the cost of the new member’s
first year of greenfees. Let’s get them ‘golf
ready’ – a beginner with knowledge is far
more likely to be relaxed and confident when
he arrives at the club, and therefore keen to
get to the club.
30 July 2009 Golf Club Management
Clubs should also probably look at a way to
get away from the whole concept of proposers
and seconders – clearly designed to ensure
‘like-minded’ membership in the past. There
is no doubt that we need to look beyond the
comfort zone of the ‘people we know’ if we are
to keep our membership numbers at a level at
which clubs can thrive. I’m sure I do not have
to point out that there is an emerging middle
class in South Africa that holds all the keys to
clubs’ future success.
How about a ‘try-it-before-you-buy-it’
membership? Encourage potential new
members to become temporary members for,
say, three months to get into the groove, so
to speak. Then actively convert them into
full members once they have recognised the
benefits of membership and feel welcome
within the club structures.
And then, that lump-sum yearly subscrip-
tion desperately needs to be addressed. Just
about any golfer can find R100 per week.
But ask him or her to drop R5 000 on the
secretary’s desk before the end of July and
it becomes substantially more challeng-
ing. Clubs have got to find a way to accept
monthly payments of subscriptions, prefer-
ably by debit order.
Now, let’s look at that evil of evils – time,
and the lack of it. Clubs need to seriously
consider moving away from the traditional
two-tee start for morning and afternoon
rounds and adopt the all-day one-tee start.
What are the benefits? Well, firstly, flex-
ibility. It gives golfers a far greater choice of
starting (and finishing) times, giving them
opportunities to do weekend shopping (or
chores) for an hour or two in the morning,
then playing golf and then watching live
sport or whatever SuperSport has for the
armchair fan. A one-tee start also encour-
ages nine-hole golf – something that clubs
need to recognise could be vitally important
to their survival. Now, golfers can either play
nine holes early in the morning (they can go
off the 10th tee for two hours from the first
tee time of the day) or immediately after the
last 18-hole tee time in the afternoon (say
14:00, depending on the time of year or
location of the course).
The SAGA should allow the playing of
nine holes for handicapping purposes. Too
often the excuse for not playing nine holes is
that it is a waste of time because the score
cannot count towards the golfer’s handicap
(unless two consecutive nines on consecutive
days are played and added together to make
an 18-hole score).
At the moment, doom and gloom contin-
ues unabated. Unless we become creative
with our ‘special deals’, we are going to
be sucked into that massive black hole of
negativity. Clubs should look at memberships
from the member’s perspectives, rather than
simply from the needs of the club. You’re
almost asking members to design their own
memberships. What is going to encourage
golfers to put their golf club memberships up
there with their car insurance and children’s
school fees? Make being a
member of your club simply irresistible.
And at the centre of that irresistibility
should be your PGA professional. He or she
should be central to making the experience
better by making the game less difficult, less
expensive and less time consuming, through
lessons and great retail advice and service.
Put him or her to the test. ■