Golf Nirvana

       I have been to golf heaven and its name is Royal Porthcawl! I am in the UK with the Bernhard Company this week. While making the trip over the pond a few of us decided to head over a few days early and get in some golf in Wales. After a 36 hour marathon that would make the men on the Deadliest Catch proud, we had 15 holes of golf at Celtic Manor and a few pints as a warm up and finally some sleep. Saturday was to be the something special. As we headed to the town of Newport, will full rain gear in tow, we were all looking forward to a chance to play the home of the 2014 Senior Open Championship (by the way  here it is not the British Open as we call it in the states!)

       As we arrived we were met by the PGA Professional, who could not have been more welcoming. He told us to make ourselves at home and head to the clubhouse for a pint before our round. This is where it got good. The members after a kindly reminder of hats indoors equals to you buying a round of drinks, we were welcomed into their club. The golf talk began and it was became clear that playing golf was not what makes this incredible place so special. From the questions about the US Open at Merion to some home course knowledge tips, you could not have asked for anything more! As the round went on, my golf may have been bad and the 20+MPH winds not helping but it was a day I will never forget! From the incredible views to having one of the members from inside come over as we were on adjoining holes to see how we were doing, just really an incredible experience.

       As we finished up and headed into the clubhouse there were still two members finishing up their drinks. As we talked some more golf in a room filled with photos of past club Presidents and Captains dating back to 1891, I truly believe I have been to golf heaven and its name is Royal Porthcawl!

 

WJC

 

 

That Is Pretty Cool

       This past week our sales group held a training event. While we covered many topics, one of the primary reasons we got together was to talk about our allied lines. While Toro products is what our distributor spends the majority of our time representing, there is still a boat load of other products out there that don't get the attention that the main product lines do but can be time and money savers.
       The hard part for allied products is to stay in the conversation but when you hit the trade show trail this fall think about spending a few more minutes walking down those side aisles. Some of the pieces that we rep for that are really worth a second look come from Seago International, True-Surface and Bernhard & Company. Scott Sweeney from Seago does a great job scouting the globe for products that fall into the "that is pretty cool" category. From the Atom Cart Path Edger to the Hover Trimmer, they have some things that might make you think about changing how you have always done your maintenance practices. True-Surface has the vibratory rollers and multi-option cassette heads. With some independent research on their side, the use of vibratory rollers to work in topdressing will be a process that should be more common in the future. And another product we represent is Bernhard Grinders. While your grinders seem to last forever the difference in a 10+ plus year unit grind and a new unit is worth thinking about. Even just adding the use of a rapid facer into your reel maintenance practices could help to improve your turf's health.
       While these are only three of many, it really is worth the investment of your off season time to do some research on the products from some of the smaller companies. You never know what you might find that just might make your job a little easier!

www.SeagoInternational.com
www.True-Surface.com
www.Bernhard.co.uk

WJC

Moving On Up

       I recently spoke with a Superintendent who had been approached by his club to take on a larger roll. It is an interesting trend that seems to be happening more often. When making the move from Superintendent to General Manager/Superintendent there  are obviously many variables that need to be considered. While being an excellent manager of the most important and profitable asset for the club, in most cases, few Superintendents have the food and beverage background.
       From talking to those who had made this transition, the key seems to be to do your home work. With many Superintendents already putting in long hours, the thought of having to be required to be at the club at night too is not something they are looking for. So how do you do it without living there 24/7? The common thread seems to be the same thing that makes a very good Superintendent, the ability to surround yourself with good people and the ability to delegate.
       With one of the main suggestions in career advice articles being to make yourself the go to person at your facility, the transition to GM/Superintendent seems to be a logical move. It is an interesting trend to watch as clubs evolve.


WJC

Don't Touch That Dial

       When you are having issues with a reel mower, what is the first step you take? One of the best things I have learned over the years from working with Jim Nedin is having a process. The first thing Jim always suggests is to take a step back and check all your adjustments. The key is starting with everything set up the same. It may sound obvious but you would be surprised how often something as simple as reel speed is where the trouble is. It seems like many of the operators think they are helping by messing with the dials!
       With heights of cut going lower and lower, the impact is quickly seen when just one thing is out of specification. So the next time you have a mower that is acting up, take a step back and take a few minutes getting the unit back to the having everything the same. It  may not solve all issues but it gives you an excellent baseline when trouble shooting.


                         Hopefully you don't get to this point!

WJC

Assume

       When anyone uses the word assume, I cannot help but think right away of the old saying" You know what happens when you assume....You make an a** out of you and me!" The reason I am on the assume train is some recent transactions in my own territory and my 12 year old daughters new business.
       My daughter, Sydney, at 12 has her heart already set on buying my brothers old Jeep when she turns 16. So last year she put out a flyer to our neighbors offering to do anything from walking dogs, taking care of cats, collecting mail and watering plants. What is great to see is she is getting referrals and she is now getting calls from her customers friends and neighbors. Now as her business grows so does some of the growing pains. She had not set a fee in the past and would tell neighbors to pay me what you think is fair. Well after one person gave her some syrup as payment, she is now rethinking the pay as you feel as a fair plan.
        As I talked with her about giving the new people who she is dealing with some type of sheet with her charges or an invoice, I started to think about how I often conduct business and make  assumptions. This past year, I have had a few occasions where if I had it do over I would have gone in to more detail before coming to an agreement. For me, sometimes it is just because of a comfort zone with a longtime customer that I have let some things go unsaid. In reality, when both sides have a clear expectation what they are agreeing to and there are no surprises, everybody wins.
       And no, there are not any plans for a syrup special for greens mowers in the near future....


WJC

Vollie

       There are a few names you can say in the golf business and the majority of people know who you are talking about right away. One of those names since I started has been Vollie Carr. I had only met Vollie a few times over the years but I have heard so many stories involving him. Sadly Vollie Carr pasted away this week. When someone is spoken about so highly by so many, that shows what a special a person they were. I never had the chance to work on the same team as Vollie but was always amazed by his reputation for taking care of the customers needs.
RIP to a Legend.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/courierpress/obituary.aspx?pid=166291510#fbLoggedOut

Can Wait To Aerate

       As we enter the first week in August and the count down clock to aeration is ticking!
High temps/soaking rains/high humidity/soil temps over 75 degrees for 30 plus days all created turf struggles. For many this is why people talk about this being one of the tougher areas to grow turf. While the long range forecast looks a little better as some good weather would help on many fronts. For most the damage has been done and the reality is that this has been a tough summer. Even with all the preventative actions sometimes Mother Nature just wins. Hopefully the rain switch is turned off and we have a nice dry fall.
       I do know one thing, there will be lots of additional plans for drainage and fan purchases for next years budgets...but if that is anything like buying a snow thrower we will have a dry 2014!
      

WJC