Green Committee Cancel The title field is required!

1. Tim Gravert

   

   0 posts
   
   10/5/2012 9:10 PM

   I had a meeting with my new green committee chair today. We had a talk today about the committee size as well as who would be running the meetings. I have only been at the club for three years and have been trying to change their committee format. There seems to be 20 people I have to email when I send out the reminder about the meeting. I have tried to get this number down as there is too many people and the meetings don't run as smoothly as I would like. I have always ran the meetings and thought this is pretty much how every club does it. He mentioned today that he would like to run the meeting. I was wondering what size most Green Committees are, how often they meet, and who runs them. Any other words of wisdom would be great. Thanks
   
   Tim Gravert
   Short Hills Country Club

   
   
   
   
2. Peter Bowman

   

   11 posts
   
   10/5/2012 10:10 PM

   Someone wiser than me on this Forum once said that a Greens Committee should always have an odd number of members, and three is too many.

   
   
   
   
3. Tim Gravert

   

   0 posts
   
   10/6/2012 5:10 PM

   I guess I should have put this in the political forum so maybe I could have gotten some discussion and feedback!!

   
   
   
   
4. Christopher Boldreghini

   

   0 posts
   
   10/6/2012 6:10 PM

   I have 5 members and we meet 1-3 times per year. I let the chairman run the meeting.

   
   
   
   
5. Randall Boudinot

   

   4 posts
   
   10/6/2012 6:10 PM

   4 on the committee plus me, we have had two meetings this year so far. The chairman leads the meetings.
   
   Randy Boudinot
   Walnut Grove Country Club
   Dayton, Ohio

   
   
   
   
6. Wahlin Scott B

   
   10/6/2012 6:10 PM

   Tim Gravert said: I guess I should have put this in the political forum so maybe I could have gotten some discussion and feedback!!

   
   
   We're not ignoring you Tim. Activity mostly occurs on here Monday through Thursday unless I post anything then there are about half a dozen guys who are compelled mess with me. I am the token left-wing Christian on here, so I catch it from all sides.
   
   In my mind the key is to define what is a Committee Action and that only the Green Chairman can communicate (in writing) a Committee Action to the Superintendent. I do not care who runs the meetings, but I do want everyone to know who is in charge. And when it comes to cutting a tree down (or planting one) or spending $100,000+ I want that it to be a Committee Action communicated to me in writing.
   
   I would think the ideal size of a Green Committee would be 5 or 7, an odd number, but I personally am comfortable with an audience of 300. It does not matter to me. I am going to tell you what I think and they are going to tell me what to do. I would also like to have my USGA Agronomist there. I do not necessarily expect him to back me up all the time, but we are there to have a discussion and determine what is best for the club.
   
   I am sure you will get more information on Monday, especially from the angry few who hate my left-wing political views!

   
   
   
   
7. Wahlin Scott B

   
   10/6/2012 8:10 PM

   Tim Gravert said: I guess I should have put this in the political forum so maybe I could have gotten some discussion and feedback!!

   
   
   I have had some time to think about this post and I get the impression that you might be a young guy. Either way if you don't get major big dogs responding shortly others of us who know these guys need to bring their attention to this. Bickering about politics is entertaining, but your concern is real and should be addressed in a timely manner in order for these forums to have value to the members.

   
   
   
   
8. Spotts David A

   
   10/7/2012 6:10 AM

   when I was at a Country Club , for 18 years we had 7 green committee members,the Greens Chaiman ran the meetings, I answered to him. I like Scotts' idea of getting it in writing. They met about 4 times a year unless something like a new irrigation system was in the works. Right now I work for an owner and things work much smoother than a committee of any size.

   
   
   
   
9. James Smith

   

   113 posts
   
   10/7/2012 6:10 AM

   What is a greens committee? Seriously guys I have never had one. I do have a greens chairman but onoly talk with him a dozen times per year. I am one of the lucky ones in that my board pretty much leave my department alone. My current and past presidents have always given me the one person on the board that will just let me do my job and not bother me (by their choice). It seems like whenever a new greens chairman needs to be appointed they always ask me who I want. My reply is almost all the same where I tell them it is easier to say who I do not want! My only desire is to not have someone who wants me to run the course or set it up for their particular group and not think about the rest of our members. Not often is there a member that I would not want over my department. I do remember years back when they moved my Capital chairman over me and it lasted about 5 months before I had to threaten to quit if he was not told to lay off of me. He actually wanted me to completely stop aerifications because someone told him that TifEagle dose not need aerifying!

   
   
   
   
10. Wahlin Scott B

    
    10/7/2012 7:10 AM

    In South Florida we get a lot folks who were groomed to take over these leadership positions in private clubs. My ex-wife sold country club real estate and her clients liked to take us out to dinner. Invariably the males soaked information out of me like a sponge. Politically I had to be careful. I complained to my first Green Committee Chairman about negative comments from the membership, he responded, "They think you should take those complaints as a compliment considering they do not involve the playability of the golf course. At a club like this, if they stop complaining you'd better start looking because they have already decided to replace you."

    
    
    
    
11. Brett Morris

    

    0 posts
    
    10/7/2012 3:10 PM

    We meet monthly and there are 4 officially on the greens committee. The course chairman runs the meeting, but because there is always a lot of interest in what we do on course we have a number of ex officio members show up which usually swells the numbers to 8 or 9. It's not a bad thing in a way as any proposal doesn't have to be repeated or presented to other sub-committees, such as finance, or the general board, as most of them are present.
    
    Brett.

    
    
    
    
12. Keith Pegg

    

    0 posts
    
    10/7/2012 4:10 PM

    Tim Gravert said: I had a meeting with my new green committee chair today. We had a talk today about the committee size as well as who would be running the meetings. I have only been at the club for three years and have been trying to change their committee format. There seems to be 20 people I have to email when I send out the reminder about the meeting. I have tried to get this number down as there is too many people and the meetings don't run as smoothly as I would like. I have always ran the meetings and thought this is pretty much how every club does it. He mentioned today that he would like to run the meeting. I was wondering what size most Green Committees are, how often they meet, and who runs them. Any other words of wisdom would be great. Thanks
    
    Tim Gravert
    Short Hills Country Club

    
    
    I was at a private Club for 20 years and for 19 of those years we had a 5 man once a month Green Committee meeting. My last year we had 9 members and would meet every two weeks.
    In addition; With Board meetings 2X, House Committee 2X, Golf Committee 2X, Tournament Committee 2X per month and Special Projects Committee almost every week. All meeting started at 7:00 PM and went sometimes till 12:00. I went to work at 5:00 AM. I do not miss committees and meeting.
    
    Keith Pegg
    In Zama Japan loving few meetings

    
    
    
    
13. Ashton Alan W

    
    10/9/2012 11:10 AM

    Tim,
    
    The quote that Pete referred to is from Lee Trevino... he said that the Supt. should always be on the committee; that there should be an odd number of members; and three is too many!
    
    I tell my new chairman this joke each time, so that they get where I'm coming from... it's his committee and he runs the meetings, but I make sure he knows what I expect from his position... but then I still spend a year getting him trained!
    
    I still report directly to the Board, so if there's any issues at the committee level I still have my voice at the Board meetings. In essence, I strive to get the Greens Chair to work as my advocate as much as possible. I feel like I'm doing a good job here and it's his job to make sure I can do mine...

    
    
    
    
14. Kenneth Ingram

    

    18 posts
    
    10/10/2012 6:10 AM

    Tim- The USGA has a great publication, Goggle: USGA Guide for Green Committe Members. There is a great PDF online you could print out on a color printer for each member. It's probably available from the USGA website also. There is a section called "Who and How Many". Just what you need. Their recommendation is 5-7. Good luck. Kenneth Ingram, UMD.

    
    
    
    
15. Tim Gravert

    

    0 posts
    
    10/11/2012 9:10 AM

    Thanks guys. I did print off the USGA Guide for Green Committees and handed those out. The chairman also ran the meeting and it went better than I thought it would. Got the number slimmed down to 7 and I also think that helped.