Golf Committee Minutes March 2020

Golf Committee March 10, 2020 Minutes

Attendees:

Michael Peabody, Dan Becker, Matt Dillon, Michael Nicoletti, Lisa Erickson, Carol Garvey, Ed Reeder, Jim Reis, Board of Governors: John Korvin

Meeting with ClubCorp

Prior to the Golf Committee meeting there was a meeting with Dan Hewitson, ClubCorp’s Senior VP of Operations.  GBGC was represented by Michael Peabody, John Korvin, and Dan Becker.  The meeting was to discuss ClubCorp’s recent budgetary decisions.

Here are key points from the meeting:

Both the Tilly’s kitchen and the golf course projects are postponed.  No assurances that they will be approved in the future.

No explanation why Tilly’s kitchen was approved in 2019 and postponed in 2020.

Apollo has different approach to capital. ClubCorp gave a little to everybody. Apollo gives a lot to a few. Apollo has different budget timetable than ClubCorp. ClubCorp made decisions in October. Apollo is much later.

All dues and revenues go into a corporate-wide pot. Other clubs got projects approved. We didn’t make the cut.

There will be no relief on dues.

It was agreed that Apollo/ClubCorp did a poor job of communication and they recognized that we thought it was a virtual certainty that our projects would be approved.

Mr. Hewitson got a clear picture of why we were very unhappy and the potential damage to the GBGC brand but he was not authorized to do anything about it.

Mr. Hewitson said that GBGC was valued by Apollo and they had no intention of selling it.

There will be a follow up visit for further discussion.

[Attached are the agenda and Korvin’s and Becker’s talking points]

General Manager Update

The ClubCorp meeting was discussed.

Matt Dillon was recognized as the ClubCorp Supervisor of the Year - Pacific Region.

Pro Shop / Outside Services Update

·         Evaluating a new Outside Services head position.

·         A new golf cart fleet, without speakers, will arrive in the Fall.

·         We will be switching to Callaway range balls.

·         Mike N is investigating the possibilities of private cart owners installing the GPS system.
Action Item: Mike N – Report your findings.

Course Conditions

For comprehensive information please check the Granite Bay Golf Club Course Update.

·         The club will soon start using a new pin placement and management program (ezLocator).  We will no longer have the red, white, yellow pin progression.  Daily pin locations can be found via an app, GBGC cart GPS, or daily printed pin sheets.  The benefits are many, among them: avoids “unfair” pin locations, increased green health, and introduces pin locations that may make feel like you are playing a new course.  The technology has been widely praised everywhere it has been used.  Matt will provide rollout specifics soon through the Granite Bay Course Update.

·         Aeration this Spring will be solid tined (no extraction).  This aeration will have much shorter-term impact on playability.

·         Bunker maintenance: Trying to keep the sand level consistent through the rainy season, will add sand later in the year..

·         Hybrid Bermuda Surrounds – they will be higher later in the year.  This will help avoid the extreme runoff of balls that travel a bit too far (like #11).

Junior Golf Update

·         Plans will need to be adjusted as a result of the changes to the course closure.

·         Designated range stations will be in place to ensure that golfers can warm up prior to play..

Handicap Integrity / Reports                                                                

·         Jack and Michelle could not attend but reported their statistics.  Jack reported a 69 percent compliance of posting scores in February.  Michelle reported 78 percent compliance.

Locker Room Attendant

·         The Locker Room is in place.
Action Item: Mike P – Send an announcement to the members.

On Boarding Process/Policies/Codes

Mike N reported that there were 16 or 17 new member on-boardings over the past year and they were very appreciative.  They were provided the updated golf guide and the guest policy as an attachment
Action Item: Mike P – Make sure that the club website gets updated with the new policies and codes.
Action Item: Mike N – Provide the new golf guide to the Committee
Action Item: Mike N/Lisa E – Establish welcome procedure for lady golfers
Action Item: Mike N – Invite the Golf Committee to the next New Member Orientation.

Tournament Update

·         There were two NCGA qualifiers and the Couples tournament.  Both had higher attendance than in the past.  The Couples tournament had twice as many participants than last year.

·         March will have s

·         As always, check the Club Life app for details on upcoming tournaments.

Attention to Detail / Action Items

This is a portion of the meeting where the committee reviews and voices items that should be corrected or where GBGC comes up lacking when compared to other clubs.  They should be focused primarily on the Golf Experience.

Prior items:

·         #5 bathroom walkway – loose tile, trip hazard.
-- In 2019 all bathrooms will be repainted and tile replaced/repaired.  This is currently in process and awaiting final budget approval. Note that the tiles have been replaced.

·         #10 fairway too narrow/rough too wide when using Pebble tees.
-- There will be tree trimming and likely the contours will be smoothed when the course is re-sodded.

·         It was suggested that a new Tournament tee be added to #11.
-- Will be done when the course is re-sodded.

·         Other area courses have short videos that cover course care, etiquette, etc. 
Action Item: Mike P – Come up with a plan to make the videos a reality.

This month’s unfiltered items:

·         Members are frequently leaving balls on the chipping green or not raking bunkers after they are finished with practice.  The Committee agreed that this was poor etiquette and disrespectful of fellow members.
Action Item: Mike N -- Propose a solution to the issue.

·         The Red tees on #10 are blind to tees further back.  Golfers on the Red tees are frequently “in the line of fire”.
Action Item: Matt/Mike N – Explore a possible solution
-- DONE (trees trimmed)

New Business

A proposed 2020 Golf Calendar was presented, given the course remaining open.  A key Ladies event was added.

Open Action Item Summary

Mike P – Make sure that the club website gets updated with the new policies and codes.

Mike P – Come up with a plan to make the videos a reality.

Mike P – Send out an announcement to the members about the Locker Room Attendant.

Mike N – Report on the possibilities of private cart owners installing the GPS system.

Mike N -- Propose a solution to the issue of improper practice area etiquette.

Mike N – Get a larger scorecard box for Tilly’s.

Mike N – Provide the new golf guide to the Committee.

Mike N/Lisa E – Establish welcome procedure for lady golfers.

Mike N – Invite the Golf Committee to the next New Member Orientation.

Next Meeting Dates (all 4pm)

4/28, 5/27, 6/23 (subject to change).

Attachment: ClubCorp Meeting Agenda

ClubCorp Agenda – March 10,2020

Attendees: Dan Hewitson – Vice President, Pacific Division
                     Michael Peabody – General Manager, Granite Bay GC
                     John Korvin – Chairman, Board of Governors
                     Dan Becker – Chairman, Golf Committee

Member Relations History

Food and Beverage

-          New Chef and F&B manager

-          Member Surveys

Golf Operations

-          New Pro

-          Outside Services

Product

-          Clubhouse/Locker Rooms

-          Golf Course

Communications

Brand/Reputation

-          Damaged in the Marketplace

-          New Member Recruitment Impact

Financials

  -2017 - 4.2% Dues Increase – No Noticeable Capital Investment
 - 2018 - 4.3% Dues Increase – No Noticeable Capital Investment
 - 2019 – 5.0% Dues Increase – 2 Clocks
 - 2020 – 5.9% Dues Increase – No Noticeable Capital Investment
 - 2020 – 3.5% Credit Card Charge – Seen as a Dues Increase

Tilly’s Project

-          Approved in 2019

-          Rescinded in 2020

Member Relations Today

Attachment: John Korvin’s Talking Points

                     HOW DID WE GET HERE? – VIRTUALLY CERTAIN

Bent Grass - Lots of Water - Wet Summer Conditions

Drought - Water Restrictions

Bermuda - Solves Current and Future Problems

Step1 - Multiple Types of Hybrid Bermuda Patches

Step2 - Surrounds on 4 Holes

Step3 - Sod #17 Fairway and 14 Surrounds on Remaining Holes

Step4 - Delay #7 Tee Complex until ‘The Project’

Step5 - No Sale of Outside Tournaments between June and November

Step6 – Move Men’s and Women’s Invitational’s to April

Attachment: Dan Becker’s Talking Points

For this part of the conversation, I will focus specifically on golf.

Speaking for myself, I’m passionate about three things as it pertains to GBGC;

1.    Playing golf.

2.    The golfer experience.

3.    Golf member customer service.

When Michael came on as GM, John and I enthusiastically committed to whatever time it took - and whatever was asked of us - helping Michael with anything/everything having to do with the Golfer Experience. 

We became passionate liaisons - and communication avenues - for Michael, Matt Dillon, the members, as well as some of the key GBGC employees.

Essentially, being the primary communication “link” between the capital contributing entity, and members.

The good news, on a local level, it has paid dividends as we continually address (and improve) the member experience.  Such as;

1.    The Head Golf Pro responsibilities & duties.

2.    Outside services.

3.    Pro Shop service and support.

4.    Junior Program.

5.    Attention to details.

6.    Locker Room service and support.

7.    Golf Course conditions and the playing experience.

The more realistic news, in spite of a course that has extremely “good bones” is we are taking daily bullets on the more critical “corporate” things such as;

1.    Awful summer course conditions - specifically fairways, roughs and surrounds.

2.    Terribly inconsistent bunkers.

3.    A municipal looking practice range (poor drainage, bad looking turf, deficient fence, etc).

4.    Over used and abused tee boxes.

5.    Tired, often smelly & dated locker rooms.

6.    A half-pregnant course with all kinds of grasses and conditions scattered throughout.

All of these challenges are currently being held together by nothing more than band-aids and hope - and the herculean efforts of people like Michael, Matt Dillon, and some other key employees.

John and I are both in an extremely compromised position.  We simply don’t know what to say (or do) in light of recent postponements.  Hope and verbal timelines aren’t going to cut it going forward. 

And with drought ramifications becoming more and more evident, it can only get worse!