Annual Bluegrass - Twelve Years Later

Golf Course Management (GCM) just released an article titled, “Annual bluegrass update: 12 years later.” The 12 years is in reference to a former 1996 article from GCM titled “A historical perspective of annual bluegrass control.” Both works were authored by Nick Christians, an Iowa State University professor of horticulture, and both look at the progresses made with superintendents and their 85 years of struggle to control annual bluegrass on golf course turf.

As course managers should already know, Bluegrass (Poa annua) is the grass that is the widespread low-growing plant that is a common weed of cultivation and occurs as a constituent of lawns. It is often treated as a weed. It is also sometimes the most suitable lawn grass for many sites, and can form most of the entire grass sward in some lawns.

While there is probably no other weed that is so widely adapted to variations in mowing height, site conditions and cultural practices, the fact is that Poa is hard to control. So has 12 years of research brought superintendents any closer to eliminating it from golf course turf?

Click here to find out.

Promote Your Club Through Cross Marketing

Want to expand your cross-marketing opportunities? Want to find new customers?

Consider promoting your club’s products and services through new avenues. Consider some smart cross-marketing.

The possibilities are endless and the concept is quite simple. Find the products and services that compliment your golf course and work with the companies that provide them to promote their offerings while you promote theirs simultaneously.

You can easily research what areas are beneficial to target. In doing so, start thinking about the opportunities and possibilities when you know even a few facts about what golfers are up to on and off the course.

Did you know that: ??

50 % use a professional financial advisor

66 % invest in mutual funds

15 % own property on or in the same neighborhood as your course

33 % drive a Ford

9 % plan to buy a Lexus as their next automobile

50 % use a department store credit card

61 % drink bottled water regularly while golfing

23 % own a satellite TV

64 % drink domestic beer while

38 % drink imported beer

*Percentages are based on data from the National Golf Foundation (NGF).

It is never too early or too late for some smart cross-marketing. So next time you are out shopping nearby, talk to the local storeowner about ways in which you can build up eachother’s customer base or maybe leave some coupons at the nearest financial advisor’s office... and offer to reciprocate.

For more facts, visit the NGF website.

Club Managers Offer Audit Advice

Tax season may be over, but unfortunately the IRS hasn’t closed their doors for the year. In fact, the fun never stops. The IRS can still audit your club at any time.

The chances of your course getting audited may not be monumental. In fact, only about 2 percent of golf courses will be subjected to an audit, but the fact remains that audits are anything but fun for you and your club. That is why many club managers are saying that it is always better to be safe, rather than sorry.

Because audit standards have changed and audit costs have increased, the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) Research Institute wanted to find ways to lessen the impact of an audit for club managers. So who better to ask advice from then club managers themselves? HFTP surveyed these superintendents on what actions they were taking to minimize audit costs at their own properties. The following list shows results from this survey:

1. Be Prepared. The number one piece of advice is to be prepared when the auditors arrive. Write reports and prepare most of the work papers before auditors are on site. The auditors can then concentrate on sampling and proving the figures; therefore, reducing the need for additional junior staff. The following list provides a few of the items which should be prepared ahead of time. Your audit firm should provide you with a complete list of all work papers, which can be completed before they arrive.
Some examples include:

• Accounts payable listing at year-end
• Accounts receivable aging by member
• Bank reconciliations at year-end
• Copies of loan closing statements and amortization schedules
• Copies of new lease agreements
• Copy of minutes from board meetings
• Final inventory valuation reports
• Fixed assets and depreciation schedules
• List of current officers and directors
• Schedule of insurance
• Schedule of non-member and reciprocal income
• Schedule of prepaid expenses
• Trial balance and internal financial statements at year-end

2. Be organized. Being organized and being prepared are related topics, but one could be very organized, but not prepared for the audit. Several respondents indicated that they have binders full of information coded and prepared for auditors when they arrive on site. Also, have files from the prior year easily accessible.

3. Document, Document, Document. Make sure you keep continuous documentation on file. Make copies of all backup documentation to accompany all schedules. When auditors arrive, you are able to provide the appropriate backup. Some of the items you should have on file include board of director’s minutes, changes to club officers, bank signature cards, wire authorizations, corporate resolutions, bank notes, etc.

4. Educate. Many respondents stated that having professional accounting staff reduced audit fees. Make sure that current accounting staff are educated on audit procedures and are able to answer questions posed by auditors. One way to do this is by compiling a policies, procedures and internal control manual. Respondents also stated that it is important to inform managers and board about fiduciary responsibilities.

5. Utilize Technology. Get ahead of the game and e-mail necessary documentation to auditors before they arrive at your property. Auditors are then able to setup files prior to fieldwork.

6. Monthly Maintenance. It is important to keep on top of things on a monthly basis so you do not get overwhelmed at the end of the year. You can do this by conducting a monthly internal audit. Also, ensure that each balance sheet account is reconciled monthly.

7. Time Management. This piece of advice has two meanings. First, club managers must ensure that all documentation is provided to their auditors in the timeframe they requested. Secondly, managers must keep the auditors on a tight schedule which will reduce their billable hours and their resulting fees.

8. Bid The Audit. In order to keep rates competitive, many clubs have sent their audit out to receive bids from various firms. When looking at bids, keep in mind that the least expensive audit is not always the best. Also look at what kind of added value each firm offers. Many clubs who responded to this survey are opting for an annual review and conducting an audit every three to five years. Proceed with caution when deciding to switch to a review instead of an audit. Reviews are not as comprehensive and sometimes just as pricey.

9. Club Familiarity. Try to find auditors who are familiar with the club industry. Several respondents mentioned that they are forced to go with the auditing firm providing the cheapest fees. This firm may not be familiar with the club industry; therefore, there is no added value to the relationship.

10. Ask For Help. When treading into uncharted territory, contact your CPA firm and talk to them about unusual situations

To find the complete survey results, check out the September 2007 issue of The Bottomline, HFTP’s bimonthly journal.

IQLink May Be Just The Ticket Against Vandals

Golf course vandalism isn’t a novel threat to superintendents. There are copious acts of vandalism each year to course facilities and supplies. In fact, some golf course-specialized insurance firms have put the number of annual acts into the hundreds and thousands. Consequently, vandalism acts are rising and is yet another problem facing golf courses.

The costs to such incidents are skyrocketing. These financial hits include insurance premiums, especially for repeat incidents, replacements costs to carts and course supplies, and of course lost revenue if the incident forces any kind of shutdown for repairs.

In fact, last week at Torrey Pines, the location for the next month’s U.S. Open made national news by vandalism. It was the second time in a month that the San Diego championship course was hit by vandals. Course employees discovered vulgarity etched into the bunker on the 3rd-hole. Reportedly, there were several other broken sprinkler heads on this same hole, the course’s most photographed and signature green.

These acts prompted superintendents to put up fencing near the green and to install a set of portable lights. With any luck, the June 9th 2008 scheduled U.S. Open will begin without any further problems.

The most common target for vandals hitting the links after dark is golf carts. Although, stealing the cart may be way more serious than any possible damage to the cart itself. Courses have reported vandals driving the carts across the pristine and protected greens and in places that damage prime course ground which has high potential for an environmental and financial burden.

So, how do you stop these acts from happening on your own course? Well, there may not be a fail-proof way to prevent all course vandalism, but Golf Business Magazine published some good advice on how to tip the odds of ending joyriding in your favor – outsmart the vandals with technology.

In cooperation with Club Car, UpLink created a IQLink system, which integrates UpLink’s GPS-based course management system with the motor controller in Club Car’s IQ System golf cars to give the course control over where golf cars go and don’t go. The IQLink software also allows courses to shut down their entire fleet after dark night to ensure the cars don’t end up in the hands of illegal riders, even if they have a key.

Golf Business Magazine reports, in addition to thwarting vandalism, courses also can use the IQLink system to define areas where they want to restrict or control golf car use and program the cars’ performance in those areas. For example, if a golf car is entering an environmentally sensitive area, going too near a green or starting down a steep grade on a cart path, IQLink can send a message to the GPS display in the golf car to alert the driver to the situation. The technology can actually override the driver’s behavior to slow the car to a safer speed or stop the car completely if it continues on the same path.

The technology enables courses to define areas where they want to restrict or control golf car use and program the cars’ performance in those areas.

Wouldn't you consider having full control over your golf carts?

Source