Golf Course Architecture - Issue 60, April 2020

15 MA I L BOX Dear Editor Norm Hollander’s letter in issue 59 of Golf Course Architecture was very kind to slow golfers and, of course, outlines some of the factors. However, slow play itself is never the problem. People can play as slow as they like, as long as they call others through promptly and effectively. In my experience of serving on golf committees for over nearly 60 years (the last 25 owning and running my club), the truth is that the people who hold up are usually those who hold others up on the highway and the post office too! Just selfishness. At Epping, we ask waiting golfers to ask to go through. This usually works but if not, phone the clubhouse and we come out and enforce the play through. So often we are called out to the same people. Recently, I tackled a popular local politician who had been holding our weekend play up for decades. I thought enough is enough. We spoke, and I suggested he move his play to a less busy time or there would be no membership renewal. He now starts at midday rather than 7am. Since then, we have had so many compliments on ‘How the new rules had meant they took 40 minutes less every Saturday!’ I didn’t tell them the real reason! But you must face the problem head on for real results. Now, in respect of new courses. I enjoy reading your magazine very much, thank you. However, your magazine celebrates and reports new courses opening while other golf administration journals endlessly report courses closing through lack of demand. Obviously, there is a mismatch here. In some cases, it cannot be avoided: compulsory purchase for example, but most times it is just poor management. Two points that make courses bad business models could be tackled at the design stage. One is the fact that many courses by their layout need so many staff to run them that the wages bill, particularly at quiet winter times, inevitably brings the business down. I designed Epping so one person can run the whole shooting match on a quiet day, including simple catering and phone answering. Such a system also takes care of the other wastage point: non-payment of green fees and subscriptions by regular players. The second is the very wise maxim: ‘Never put any money into a golf course that you can’t be sure you will get back’. Neil Sjoberg The Epping Golf Course, England We are delighted to receive letters from readers, and the best in each issue will be rewarded with a golf shirt. Send to 6 Friar Lane, Leicester, LE1 5RA, UK, or email us at letters@golfcoursearchitecture.net Issue 59’s Gopher Watch was proof, if proof were needed, that Sandy’s whereabouts are recognisable to most people when he is on a Scottish links course. The only clue we gave was that the course had a famous neighbour, yet a very large, possibly a record number of readers correctly identified the first tee of Gullane No. 1, in East Lothian, Scotland. Probably Scottish courses are so well recognised because a large proportion of our readers are travelling golfers, and the home of golf remains the favourite location for them to visit. That said, it was a ‘local’ (in global terms), Colin Shellard from Aberdeen, whose entry was first out of the GCA hat, and who wins the prized golf shirt! This month’s venue, although a links, is not in Scotland! But to be honest, we think that is probably clue enough, because the hole in question is extremely famous, although it hasn’t looked like that for very long – it was altered only a few years ago. Answers, as usual, to gopher@golfcoursearchitecture.net . GOPHER WATCH