Cypress Golf Solutions

Cypress Golf Solutions provides a broad range of solutions to Course Owners & Operators, Marketing Partners & Affiliates, Golfers and Advertisers.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Golf And The Economy

Want to know what your members think about golf and the economy? Golf Digest asked them. Here is how readers responded:

How has the price of gas affected your golf?
a) I’m playing more rounds closer to home...... 27%
b) I’m playing fewer rounds ............................22 %
c) I’m carpooling to the course more often.........6 %
d) It hasn’t affected my golf habits one bit .......45 %

What’s the most you would ever spend on a golf shirt?
a) $50 ........... 33 %
b) $75 ........... 26 %
c) $30 ........... 24 %
d) $100 + ..... 13 %
e) $9.99 ........ 4 %

Which do you consider the best value in golf today?
a) $5 pullcart ................ 54 %
b) $25 riding cart .......... 29 %
c) $50 caddie ................17 %

How much on top of the green fee would you be willing to pay for a guaranteed three-hour round?
a) $10 ...........................24 %
b) $25 ...........................16 %
c) $50 ............................ 6 %
d) $100 ......................... 2 %
e) Not a penny more ...... 52 %

How much would you pay for the hot new driver everyone is talking about?
a) $300 ........................................................... 23 %
b) $150 ............................................................ 7 %
c) $500 ............................................................ 6 %
d) I’ve got to have it, whatever it costs ................ 2 %
e) I’ll wait a year and buy it at discount .............. 62 %

Your group just finished 18 holes, and a staff member takes a few minutes to wipe off your clubs. How much do you tip him?
a) $2 a bag ............................... 43 %
b) $5 a bag ............................... 41 %
c) $1 a bag ................................ 7 %
d) I’m supposed to tip him? ........ 9 %

A bucket of range balls costs $10 to hit off mats. For $5 more, you can hit off real grass. Do you pay the extra $5?
a) Yes .......... 59 %
b) No ........... 41 %

You’re invited to join three clubs in your area, but you can choose only one. Annual fees are about the same, but initiation fees vary greatly. Where do you join?
a) For $100,000 you can join one of America’s Greatest Courses ....... 7 %
b) For $40,000 you can join one of the top-10 courses in your state .. 11 %
c) For $7,000 you can join an unranked but very nice private course .. 39 %
d) I’ll stick with my local muni, thanks ............................................. 43 %

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Keeping Your Greens Clean Of Ball Marks

Not only is repairing a ball mark one of the most important aspects of golf etiquette, it is essential to maintaining a smooth, level putting surface. Even the smallest divot or cavity on a putting surface disrupts an accurate ball roll. It is generally the seasoned golfers that know this. They are also the ones that will carry around divot repair tools in their pockets during play. But what about the rest of the golfing community?

Some golfers either were never shown proper use of a repair tool or are too new or inexperienced to the game to understand the importance of repairing divots. Did you know that using ball marker repair tools incorrectly is worse for your greens than not using them at all?

Make no mistake - It is the responsibility of golf professionals and superintendents to promote ball mark repair. So what can the golf staff do to assure continuous and daily repair of ball marks on greens? Consider these:
  • Offer free ball mark repair tools specifically designed for the soil and grass of your greens. Or, add a small ($0.25 a player?) surcharge to each green fee to offset costs.
  • Post proper ball marker repair methods in the pro shop, locker rooms and stick labels with these methods on all the golf carts and push carts.
  • At the beginning of each season, mail a ball mark repair tool to all members with proper methods that explains the importance of usuage in an attached brochure.
  • Promote repair in monthly newsletters and all club correspondence to golfers.
  • Place a small and appropriate notice on each table in the clubhouse requesting ball mark repair.
  • Promote proper ball mark repair during all teaching lessons and specifically with new or younger golfers.
  • Issue policy cards to all guests and new golfers that states to repair ball marks.
  • Place a petition on the bulletin board in the locker rooms signed by the golf professional and golf course superintendent asking golfers to sign his/her name as a personal commitment to repair ball marks.
  • Make sure the ranger is armed with ball mark repair tools to hand out to each player at tee time, and make sure each player knows the correct method on using them before they leave the green.
  • Place instructions on proper ball mark repair above urinals and on the back of stall doors in the restrooms in a small picture frame.
*Make sure to let golfers know that the best of them will that even if the ball doesn’t land on the green, they should always find at least one divot to repair on each hole.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Upcoming Industry Events

Here are some events coming up the golf course management industry:

Sept. 13-15 – Canadian GSA 42nd Annual Fall Field Day, Georgian Bay Club Clarksburg, Ontario, Canada. Contact CGSA.

Sept. 16-19 – Florida Turfgrass Association’s Conference & Show, PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Contact the Florida Turfgrass Association, 800-882-6721 www.ftga.org

Sept. 17 – Turf and Landscape Field Day at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Contact Oklahoma State University’s Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department, www.hortla.okstate.edu

Sept. 17 – GCSAA Webcast: Reel Mowing: What you don’t know might hurt with Frank Rossi, Ph.D. Contact GCSAA Education, 800-472-7878

Sept. 17-19 – Plantscape Industry Alliance’s Calscape Expo, Palm Springs (Calif.) Convention Center & Wyndham Hotel. Contact Plantscape Industry Alliance, www.piagrows.org

Sept. 18 –University of Tennessee Turfgrass Research Field Day, Knoxville. Contact 865-974-7201

Sept. 19 – Advanced Weed Management, Hawaii Prince Hotel-Waikiki, Honolulu, HI. www.gcsaa.org/education/education.aspx

Sept. 25 – GCSAA Webcast: Foliar Nutrition – A Splash on the Grass with Roch E. Gaussoin, Ph.D. Contact GCSAA Education, 800-472-7878

Sept. 25-26 – Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association’s "Green It’s Your Industry" Convention & Trade Show, Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City. Contact the Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association, www.oknla.org

Sept. 25-27 – Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association’s The Landscape Show, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. Contact the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association, www.fngla.org

Sept. 28-29 – Carolinas GCSA’s Fall Mountain Meeting, Etowah (N.C.) Valley Country Club. Contact the Carolinas GCSA, 800-476-4272, www.cgcsa.org

Oct. 1 – 7th Annual Irrigator Tech Educational Conference, Chino, Calif. Contact Irrigator Technical Training School, www.irrigatortech.com

Oct. 1 – GCSAA Webcast: Turfgrass Disease Identification and Treatment with Lane Tredway, Ph.D. Contact GCSAA Education, 800-472-7878

Oct. 2 – Winning Fields Seminar, Alliance Bank Stadium, Syracuse, N.Y. Contact New York State Turfgrass Association, www.nysta.org

Oct. 7 – Minnesota GCSA’s Greens Management Academy, Pheasant Acres Golf Course, Rogers. Contact Minnesota GCSA, www.mgcsa.org

Oct. 8 – Tree Care Issues Workshop, Oklahoma State University Botanical Gardens, Stillwater. Contact Mike Schnelle, 405-744-7361, mailto:mike.schnelle@okstate.edu

Oct. 14 – Iowa GCSA State Meeting, Briarwood Golf Course, Ankeny.
Contact Iowa GCSA, 800-605-0420, www.iowagcsa.org

Oct. 15 – GCSAA Webcast: Sending it Down the Drain - Drainage Basics with Bob Oppold. Contact GCSAA Education 800-472-7878

Oct. 21 – GCSAA Webcast: Career Marketing Tools with Carol Rau. Contact GCSAA Education, 800-472-7878

Oct. 23 – GCSAA Webcast: PGR Use on Golf Courses. Contact GCSAA Education, 800-472-7878

Oct. 29 – GCSAA Webcast: Digital Photography Instruction. Contact GCSAA Education, 800-472-7878

Oct. 30 – 2008 Turf Season in Review: Research from Field and Greenhouse, Results from On-Golf-Course Trials, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Contact UMass Extension Turf Program, 508-892-0382, www.umassturf.org

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Friends of Youth Tee Off Fore Kids In 2008

With some help from the popular tee time booking engine, GolfNow.com, Cypress Golf Solutions recently donated free tee times to Friends of Youth’s 2008 Tee Off Fore Kids program. Last month, these rounds were auctioned off at the nonprofit’s annual golf tournament and dinner.

Organizations like Friends of Youth rely heavily on community support to implement vital service programs such as Tee Off Fore Kids. The nonprofit trusts that by keeping the local community strong and investing in this generation, hundreds of the youth will benefit.

Friends of Youth recently reported back that the event was a great success, raising more than $100,000 to support Tee Off Fore Kids. Cypress was proud to be involved in any way to help support the next generation of golfers.

Needless to say, nonprofits such as Friends of Youth is just one of many supporting the younger population. And recent reports show that this group of youthful golfers may be more in need of support than ever before.

According to a National Golf Foundation (NGF) study of golf participation in the United States, the number of junior golfers, counting anyone age 6 and above who played at least one round of golf during the year, is estimated to be declining at a rate of 2 percent a year.

Now may be a good time to think about ways your course could join in on the goal of helping young people overcome challenges to build strong foundations for healthy futures in the game of golf. With any help, junior golfers will become future ambassadors to the game.

Click here to read more about Friends of Youth and to find ways your course can join in supporting your future customers.