Grand opening in the middle of winter? Cancel The title field is required!

1. Jennings Dustin T

   
   12/3/2012 11:12 AM

   So here's my situation. I'm rebuilding a small executive course in NC that's been closed and grown over for 6 years. this past growing season we sprigged all 18 greens with diamond zoysia and tee boxes with tifgrand bermuda, bush-hogged wall to wall and currently digging out bunkers and installing drainage, ready for sand in a month or so. The owner has informed me that he wants to open the course in JANUARY 2013. I have done everything I can to delay it ever since the summer when he wanted to open then. The greens are still not 100% filled in; playable? maybe 5 or 6 of them. There are weeds EVERYWHERE and several large areas in fairways/rough where there is still no bermuda growth. And like I said above I have 20 gaping holes were bunkers will be soon but they still need liners, drainage and sand. The cart paths are a disaster and the irrigation system has no wiring to any of the tee/fairway heads. heading into winter my plans were to cover the greens, finish the sand trap project and do some drainage projects in much needed areas around the course, followed by re-wiring the irrigation heads that need it and having a company come out and repair cart paths. This is a very low budget course with a unique situation as far as opening. The city will not let us open the clubhouse separately from the golf course, so both must open on the same day or none at all. The owner desperately wants to open the clubhouse, but financially he doesn't need to. I have 2 options:
   1. begging him not to open until late spring when the greens start growing again (he isn't taking my advice) OR,
   2. your suggestions....

   
   
   
   
2. Jason Baker

   

   12 posts
   
   12/3/2012 12:12 PM

   Has he seen the condition of the course or is he an out of town owner? If he has seen it and you have explained your plan, go along with what ever he wants. Keep moving along with your plans, just do it around the golfers. It does not sound as if you will have a ton of activity this winter though. Good luck.

   
   
   
   
3. Jennings Dustin T

   
   12/3/2012 2:12 PM

   Jason Baker said: Has he seen the condition of the course or is he an out of town owner? If he has seen it and you have explained your plan, go along with what ever he wants. Keep moving along with your plans, just do it around the golfers. It does not sound as if you will have a ton of activity this winter though. Good luck.

   
   
   he only sees the golf course from the road (4 holes) and from the parking lot of the clubhouse. ironically the holes seen from the road look the best (from a distance) compared to the rest of the course. he is most certainly an "out of town owner" and only drops by the course about once a month when he's in town. The stressful part is I have scheduled all my plans to accommodate a grand opening in April. So suddenly I am 4 months behind schedule with a crew of 3 employees who never worked on a golf course before this year. Hopefully he will change his mind. Maybe a golf cart trip around the course accompanied by me will allow him to see things from my perspective.

   
   
   
   
4. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/3/2012 2:12 PM

   Dustin,
   
   It sounds like part of the issue is he would like to open the clubhouse and the golf course needs to open at the same time (if I read that correctly?).
   
   Is he thinking he will make as much money off the clubhouse as he does the golf course? Maybe this might be where he thinks the golf course is ok enough?
   
   Does he realize that maybe he will jeopardize future rounds as people will not come back if they think the course was not worth playing (or as we would term it, not ready to play)?
   
   Does he have to have all 18 holes open when the clubhouse opens? Could he just have a say $5 fee and you provide say 4 holes, 6 holes (not knowing your layout) or something similar where people can go out and play a few holes to satisfy the course and clubhouse opening at the same time? (for example we could have a couple of 3 hole loops, a 2 hole loop a 4 hole loop and 6 hole loop if we wanted, just the way our course is laid out).
   
   I think I would maybe ask him what his goal is by opening the clubhouse (and in turn have to open the course) it might give you an answer why he is pushing it, even if he doesn't financially really have to as you have mentioned. Maybe he thinks people come to play golf because the beer is cold and the cheeseburgers are good? I have known some club managers who have thought that way.
   
   But I would also maybe try to get more testimony or backing about how opening a course before it's time is detrimental to the overall financial health in the long term of the facility.
   
   Good luck!
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
5. Timothy Walker

   

   0 posts
   
   12/3/2012 8:12 PM

   Dustin,
   
   Having just gone through a similar situation this past winter, one thing to keep in mind is that he signs your paycheck. That said it seems to be important that you find out why he wants it open early if not for financial reasons and work with him to satisfy his needs as well as accomplish your goals.
   
   It sounds like you have a good plan in place however often times that plan may get delayed due to golf or owner demands. We are hoping to tie together some loose ends from our renovation last fall. Difference between you and me is that we were destroyed from hurricane Irene and had to reseed 16 holes and restore numerous features.
   
   We reopened march 1 of this year about 2 months before things really filled in. However, as the weather improved the turf filled in on its own except for some high traffic rough areas. Utilize temporary greens as necessary. We were also not open for food/pro shop operations until a month after opening - the 2 were not tied together like your situation.
   
   I had to keep telling the owner that the course was not ready for play and was a me to hold it off until march 1, otherwise he would have likely opened in the late fall...we dropped seed October 4th FYI.
   
   I think a ride around with your owner is essential to moving forward.
   
   Keep us posted and good luck !

   
   
   
   
6. Wahlin Scott B

   
   12/3/2012 8:12 PM

   No doubt, people who sign painchecks are important!

   
   
   
   
7. Hardy Andrew

   
   12/4/2012 6:12 AM

   Dustin,
   
   I am going to echo Tim's sentiments and say that you are pretty well committed to opening in January. The one thing I have learned at my current club (single owner) is that when he asks for something, it gets done. All you can do is present the possible downsides of opening the course "before its ready" and keep hard copies of those documentations. Its a little scary to think that opening the clubhouse is being viewed as a revenue generator given the fact food and beverage is a mere amenity that will break even.
   
   Good luck and I hope you two can meet in the middle somewhere.
   
   "never bite the hand that feeds"

   
   
   
   
8. Jennings Dustin T

   
   12/5/2012 3:12 PM

   so on update on the issue...I gave all the advice I could give as far as downsides of opening sooner than later. I drove the owner around the course and we discussed some issues, projects, plans etc...and the decision was to have a "soft opening" in January, early February at the latest. Thanks for the advice, wish me luck...

   
   
   
   
9. Peter Bowman

   

   11 posts
   
   12/5/2012 4:12 PM

   Opened a brand new golf course in Lodi, CA on Dec 23rd, 1990. Dormant and not yet fully grown in Tifgreen fairways, and six lakes frozen about a half inch thick for two weeks. Pennlinks greens were as brown as the dormant Tifgreen. My boss thought they were dead. All-time record low temps in the teens for about ten days. I could not cut a cup until very late in the day, and only a few times.
   
   I tried to push for a later opening due to the conditions, but the parking lot was striped, the clubhouse was ready, and the cash register was plugged in. Guess who lost that argument?
   
   We did 280 golfers on opening day in the middle of winter. They loved it. They kept coming back. We made money. If I had to do it all over again I would be the one to suggest we open early. I'd be the hero.