My new golf course

[Bob_Gold]

Congratulations Don!
     I have zero knowledge about how to maintain/run a course but I can tell you this, If the pace of play is swift I can forgive many course problems.  Please don't oversell tee times!  I once showed up for a 6:30am tee time and they told me they had a 30 minute delay and it wasn't due to frost!  Give the rangers authority to do what they need to do but in my opinion it all starts with the first tee.  Here's an idea.  Time each group.  If they play 18 in less than 4 hours offer a discount on the next round.  If it takes them more than 4.5 hours, put them on double secret probation.  Don't be too harsh but make it known that you are serious.  Have fun with it.
Good luck!
Bob  

[RJ_Daley]

Don, I'd like to add two somewhat conflicting pieces of advise I have gotten about possibly becoming an owner of a golf course one day.  The first tid-bit is from a very successful fellow whose well known family "owns" a private for profit non-equity club.  I don't know much of their corportate organization details, but they have been the owners of that regionally high profile club for many years.  He told me very adamantly, and contrary to his own family's long time situation at their club, "don't marry the whore".  Ironically, he felt that if you get in and get it turned around, and can make money relatively fast on a sale, then get out from under it - negotiate your own lifetime priveleges to play there and enjoy it.  I merely pass that along because of who it comes from.

The second is also from the patriarch of a long time family operation pubic course with little architectural merit, but a high volume of local players and leagues and outtings set-up.  

He says he never needed a great turf man as he can do everything scouting and application wise himself or with his sons and minimum full-timers and part-time help mowing (that is apparent ) but he has a great FT mechanic who can do everything in the turf equipment shop to mechanicals in the clubhouse.  Obviously you also are in that position because you ARE the great turf man.  He has his outting food service down to a science.  Members of his family act as rangers to keep the groups on pace.  Our outting there last Sunday had 75, finished in 4.25hours then for supper had a surprisingly good Porterhouse with trimmings that was served buffett style just in time sizzling efficiently and he claimed that the kitchen facilities would be cleaned up including the dishes within a half hour after we finished eating!  I thought that was impressive. He does his own books and was proud to say he passed several audits over the years with flying colors.

Finally, cops and firefighters are good groups to cater to for mid week business due to their work schedules and they seem to really take to the game with passion.  But, don't forget teachers.  Our 247 member men's club may have 30% teachers or retired teachers.  Although the teachers may be a little tighter at the bar than the cops and firefighters...I may be a little bias on that one.

[Doug Wright]

Congratulations Don!

Many excellent ideas above...

Stuff you already know, but a couple of things for emphasis,

--You're in the service business, the customer is always right
--Each and every employee is a reflection of your business. They need to know this is part of their job description and be told what you expect in this regard. How many of us have been put off by a rude ranger or golf course worker or, conversely, felt good about our golfing experience because we were treated consistently with courtesy (and I'm not talking about the Troon Golf CCFAD obsequiousness)?
--Apropos of the last item, be careful who you hire: it's harder to recover from a bad hire, and if you make one and then find out deal with it promptly

Last, and most important, tell everyone you are a Full Member of GolfClubAtlas in your bio, on your business card, at your office door, the club entrance, on your advertisements, everywhere! Knowing this, the golfers will flock to your club just to see who this Full Member is!  

All The Best , and best of luck,

[Kevin Smith]

Don,

Congratulations, I have no  doubt that your venture will be a tremendous success.  My best advice is to immediately go purchase a pair of Tony Lama's and a Resistol hat, this will make a good first impression with the locals.  Seriously though, get your turf ready for some brutally cold, desiccating winter winds.  You can plan on some winterkill about every five to seven years.  Bob Banner, super. at Amarillo C.C., is a former Asst. of mine and would be delighted to help get you acclimated to the area.  Clint Deeds is also a solid guy and is the Super. at Tascosa C.C., he also happens to be a very good player.  Furthermore, Sherwin Cox is the longtime pro at Ross Rogers G.C. in Amarillo and would be an excellent resource and expert on the local clientele.  West Texans are some of the nicest people I've met anywhere in the country, I have a feeling you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Best of luck,

Kevin

[Don_Mahaffey]

Thanks to everyone for all the nice comments and advice. Right now there's not enough hours in the day and I'm beat. I'll respond in more detail when I get a little more time. Thanks again. Don

[ed_getka]

Don,
 Congratulations! I would recommend taking care of the the greens first and foremost and then work your way back to the tees. Make pace of play a priority. Have a "not a GCA outing" outing next year so we can all come visit.  

[Don_Mahaffey]

I'm back in AZ for a couple of days to advise on what will hopefully be my last overseeding experience. I said I would try and respond to some of the comments and questions, so here goes.
Bill M.
We have quite a few pull carts, although some have seen better days. There are some very good pull carts out there and we may slowly upgrade what we have. The course is very walkable, but some benches and drinking water should be added to help encourage walking. We are in a college town and lots of students like to walk to save money. We will encourage them to do so.

Angie,
All good ideas, except for the free diet coke

Mike B,
The area HS coaches have already approached us about returning to our course. At one time the course was also home to West Texas A & M, the local Division II university. Quite a bit of work (mostly clean up and marking the course) needs to be done before we are tournament ready, but we will get there.

Adam,
They have a group of guys called the "lunch bunch" that use to play a couple of times a week. Rumor has it that they used to get as many as 60-70 players. We have started it up again and last Thursday we had a little over 20. I love groups like that and everyone likes a game, so hopefully we will build it back up.

Lynn S,
The architect is Neal Meagher. I doubt he knows a lot more then I about greens construction but he knows design. We have some traffic and parking issues he is also helping with. The course is basically flat and the greens are built up in an un-natural way. We wont end up with totally natural looking greens complexes, but Neal is doing a good job of getting the green's to flow into the surrounds. We have three greens under construction and we are using the California method very similar to what is being done at Texas Tech, as the sand source is the same. The greens we are rebuilding were failing and they needed to be redone.

Ed,
I agree with all your comments. In fact, when I return to TX, one of my first tasks is a presentation to the local Rotary club.

Mike,
The greens are indeed the focus. We can't re build the entire course, but we can, and will, have good greens. My partner runs the front of the house and he knows the importance of watching the cash.

Jaka,
One of the best places in town to eat is Fat Boys Bar-B-Que

Pete L.
The greens are bent and the rest of the course in bermuda. Some courses in the area are all cool season with blue and rye fwys and roughs, but with most of the play during the warmer months, I like having bermuda in the high traffic areas.
I will be adding rye grass collars to the greens to help deal with bermuda encrochment into the greens.
The water quality is poor and the greens we are building will be built to drain very well allowing for flushing of the greens. F & F will be a priority and shouldn't be too difficult to do.

Kevin,
The local guys seem to be a great bunch and I look forward to joining the West Texas GCSA.

That's all for now and maybe I can get Neal to add some of his thoughts. We are not ever going to be a top 100 course, but we can have a good course that serves folks who love the game.  

[Slag_Bandoon]

Congratulations Don and wish you the best.  

Palo Duro Creek GC?    How about "The Mad Irishman" GC?  It would help make Red Raider be a side trip to YOUR golf course.

  Envious Slag  

[somalley]

Bravo, Don.  We will miss you down at Torres.  How good will life be without transition every spring?!  Have fun.

Sean

[A_Clay_Man]

Don- I love the fact that you really want to encourage walking. Here's an idea I think might work, it might be more hassel than it's worth but it won't cost you anything but some headaches. Since you said it is a college town and even if it wasn't the economy is so tough right now, caddies may not get alot of work but having them as an option may work to help promote the new club. ( i know it's not new, you're the new) But a change of attitude is definitly worth  promoting and nothing says that like a caddie program.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

Don My best to you. I hope you have great success from day one. You know the game so just be yourself as they say. lol

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Just a couple more suggestions....Keep the beer cold and the cart girls attractive.  Angie would probably send hate mail along if I continued on that one

Congratulations and always remember that if it ain't fun don't do it!!

[Lou_Duran]

Congratulations Don!  I think that you and Natham will hit a homerun at Palo Duro.  Ditto the advice on keeping your expenses low, at least at the outset.  That property needs a lot of elbow grease, and some tender-loving care.   Knowledgeable owner-operators such as yourselves are just what the course needed.  Canyon is lucky to have you, and the community will be greatly enhanced as a result of what you will be able to accomplish there.  BTW, good choice on Neal.  I was higly impressed with his work near San Diego and his manner during our outing there.  Best wishes.

[Mike Benham]

Don,

I echo the comments about watching the cash drawer.  There are lots of ways of having "checks and balances" to catch any wrongdoings.  You might want to talk with other course owners to find out what they do to prevent pilfering.  One simple way is to have a starter/greeter on the first tee.  The Starter verifies the receipt, # of players. etc.  It's not a perfect solution but it at least will take two employees (cashier and starter) to be in on the crime.

Of course, if you hire good, enthusiastic employees, who are well treated by their boss, receive good benefits, and fair pay, they will go out of their way to be good to you.  If you also give them incentive to meet or exceed goals, it may encourage them not steal and earn a "bonus" the old fashioned way, through hard work.

Unfortunately, the business side of the deal will cause you the most headaches and the side that will be the ultimate judge of the success (financially) of your business.  That being said, don't forget why you want to do this ...

Good Luck!

[Dave_Miller]

Don:

Congratulations and Best of Luck.

Enough said you're getting all the advice you need from everyone else.

Congrats again.

Best

Dave

[Neal_Meagher]

Just thought I'd chime in here to discuss a few of the specifics of Don's new Palo Duro Creek Golfing Club.  Yep, that's right.  Golfing, not Golf.  That's been the name and it is suitably unusual enough to warrant keeping.

After seeing the place for the first time, I can honestly say that I didn't know it was possible to let a course go so badly.  It would be the equivalent of a moldy 2 bedroom house in Florida that was last remoldeled in the 60's; with thin masonite faux wood paneling, harvest gold formica kitchen counters with avocado green refridgerator and all in very bad repair.  With a leaky roof.

That translates into knee-high broadleaf weeds choking right up to the very edge of what had been passing as fairways, a par 3 hole that had played to a temporary for over a year as the sod from the permanent one had been stripped off for use elsewhere and fairways that hadn't been fertilized in who knows how long and a clubhouse that is not only a bit tired, but in need of oxygen.

So, Don is really to be commended for taking over such a wreck but knowing that all it needed was a good mechanic and some serious body work.  

The course is par 72, 6,865 yards at elevation 3,500.  It is in Canyon, Texas, about 15 miles south of Amarillo.  It is mostly flat, except for a few holes on the newer nine which was built in the early 80's to compliment the original nine which was built in 1969.

Palo Duro Creek runs through the property which provides some strategic interest in several places.  However, most of the site lies within a flood plain (and it does flood) and so is mostly FLAT.

Short of throwing a few million $ at it and importing at least a few hundred thousand yards of material, most of the course will remain..........flat.  So, as Don has said, the interest can and should come in the form of intriguing putting surfaces and green surrounds.  That is the primary thing we are keeping in mind with the first three greens that are going under the knife next Monday.

In short, while my exposure to Amarillo-area golf is very, very limited, what I can say is that any course in the general area that features fascinating greens that incite thought and provide a sporting option or two, should stand out like a hippie at a Phil Gramm rally.

This first batch consists of the greens on a 140 yard par-3, a 179 yard par-3 and a 335 yard par-4.  I will attempt to post a few pics of the existing conditions along with some shots of what we have in mind  (feedback is always welcomed) and then, in a few more weeks, the finished product.

I hope that we all see more of this sort of thing.  Just golf, simple golf and a spare operation that is comfortable and welcoming but makes no pretenses about being anything other than what it is.  Don and his partner in the project, Nathan, are up to this task and I would like to periodically update all here on his progress - which will be very steady over the next few years.

Lou Duran: thanks for the very kind comments.

[Rich Goodale (Guest)]

Don (and Neal)

This is all great news.  Both of you are living out the dreams of most if not all of us on this site.  Congratulations and good luck!  With a brother in Texas, I might even get to Armadillo some day........

Keep us informed.

Rich

PS--I LOVE the "Golfing Club" part of the name.  That little "ing" says an awful lot.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

Neal I too am very excited for you and as noted above don. I too love the "golfing". You are not very far from Doak's work from a Texas distance point of view. I wish you the best on this move, while just for the length of the project, in the direction of your roots.

[THuckaby2]

More huzzahs, here-here's, attaboys for the choice of a talented guy (and equally importantly a great guy) Neal Meagher!

Neal - this sounds really cool... You and Don together can really give the community something great, I am absolutely positive.  Makes me want to get down Amarillo way some day... here's hoping!

And please do keep us apprised, guys.  This is gonna be fun to watch.

TH