By Design - Winter 2019

15 the staff a great opportunity to fit projects in their normal schedule— most clubs wouldn’t have that opportunity. For instance, once they have done their typical maintenance routine in the morning, they can go into projects in the afternoon, as well as taking advantage of two-to- three hours here or there, while most clubs need a golf contractor on site the whole time and pay them for it. This project allows the club to pick away at projects and fit it into their schedule of golf operations.” Steve Datwyler, the club’s superintendent, says: “After identifying that our productivity was limited by the equipment, we purchased a track skid steer and a mini excavator, which greatly accelerated the pace and quality of our work.” Managing expectations Atkinson is careful to advise clubs on the complexities of carrying out a long-term plan. “The course can feel, from a membership point of view, like it is always under construction,” he says. “That is the dynamic I find most complicated—it is much easier to shut it down and do everything you want. However, that approach for a lot of courses is not financially feasible. You shut the course down, you might lose half your members, because they don’t have anywhere to play.” Datwyler adds: “The biggest trial was making the transition back to golf course maintenance. The most humbling experience was in 2018 when we were wrapping up a large- scale project that lasted into early June. We struggled a good part of that season to keep up with maintenance and we learned that we should never over-extend our abilities at the expense of the golf course conditions.” When the course opened in 2005, membership was at 80, but following renovation work, the club now has around 300 members. “It’s not only been the best choice for the club from a financial point of view, but it also allows the superintendent to maintain consistency amongst his maintenance crew,” says Atkinson. “Typically for seasonal labor, different people would come in and out. But he keeps them on all year round, which allows projects to get done in the off season. The club continues to pay the wages of this crew but that is a drop in the bucket compared to having to always retrain a crew and then have typical golf construction costs.” Datwyler adds: “The phased approach was an excellent choice in our particular situation. We were looking for a cost-effective approach to tackling the project and the in- house option allowed us to pick off the ‘low hanging fruit,’ complete the majority of work on our own timeline, and did not require a large upfront financial investment. Taking on a few renovation projects each off-season provided a fresh playing experience each spring for our members.” Member buy-in Small steps can help build members’ confidence in the long-term goal. “I think, if they could afford it, most would choose to make the desired improvements all at once,” says Dave Heatwole, ASGCA. While working at Bonnie Briar Country The master plan that David Heatwole, ASGCA, created for Bonnie Briar Country Club in New York evolved during the project to focus on enhancing the course's playability Photos: Dave Heatwole, ASGCA This project allows the club to pick away at projects and fit it into their schedule of golf operations