Actually... Below is the article that was written about the project in Golf Business.
Three Is the Magic Number
Working with a triumvirate of course builders, Thornblade Club completed a renovation project quickly and cost-effectively
By Trent Bouts
Published: October 2010, Golf Business
Two for the price of one is always a good deal, but Thornblade Club drove an even better bargain by effectively locking in three-for-one pricing on a recent renovation project. The Greenville, South Carolina-based club used three separate contractors—all working simultaneously on seven-, six- and five-hole sections of the course—to overhaul the greens and tees of the layout that co-hosts the Nationwide Tour’s BMW Charity Classic.
Conventional wisdom holds that what might be viewed as “boutique” contracting (using multiple contractors simultaneously on segments of a larger project) is more expensive than one-stop shopping. But Thornblade’s experience indicates that given the current economic climate, the old economies of scale no longer apply. It also suggests this may be a prime time for course owners to invest in updating their primary asset, particularly if they aren’t averse to trying creative approaches to their projects.
Pricing has certainly come down among contractors, many of whom are desperate for work and any kind of cash flow to keep gas in the corporate tank. In fact, Tom Marzolf, senior design associate for Fazio Golf Course Designers, says that architects’ and builders’ willingness to reduce profit margins is leading to “pricing we haven’t seen since 2000 to 2001.”
That trend certainly played in Thornblade’s favor, enabling the club to get not only a better price but a quicker timetable as well for its renovation. Somewhat surprisingly, it also reduced risks and led to a greater concentration of expertise, even if it caused a bit of initial anxiety.
“In my mind I thought ‘no way,’” recounts Patricia Calder, general manager of Thornblade. “Then I looked to my course superintendent and said that if he was comfortable with it, we should go with that plan.”
Admittedly, there was a good deal of logistical work required during the bidding and contracting process to ensure the three contractors were, in the words of Calder, “comparing apples to apples.” Thornblade representatives asked each contractor to quote for a section of the project and also for the entire job, and from those numbers elected to try the three-pronged strategy.
Soon after, the onus shifted to Randy Long, superintendent of Thornblade, who was responsible for overseeing the coordination of three staging areas, three times the amount of equipment and three construction foremen, all the while knowing that the 10-week window from start to the August 15 seeding date was non-negotiable.
“It was hectic, really frenetic,” Long says. “But I think it went extremely well.”
Aside from Long’s lengthy experience and enthusiasm for construction, a significant factor in Thornblade being able to effectively manage the logistics was the property’s geography. Set in an upscale residential neighborhood with multiple access points, the course was easily compartmentalized to minimize crossover traffic and confusion between contractors.
“Everyone did a great job,” Calder says. “We feel we got the work done sooner than we might have with just one contractor, and we certainly felt that having three contractors on the property ameliorated any risk. If one contractor had fallen behind, we could have called in help from the others to pick up the slack. But that didn’t happen.”
In addition to the “insurance” that three contractors offered, Thornblade benefitted from a greater concentration of expertise. Each group brought fewer people than if the entire job had been theirs, but each still had to assemble a core group of key personnel. Consequently, no one was spread too thin or ran the risk of running out of steam.
“We got more manpower and more equipment for our money,” Long notes.
Blake Bickford, who supervised construction on site for Fazio Golf Course Designers, says using multiple contractors in the heat of summer also increased efficiency. “Your production is better because the guys are fresh and more efficient,” he says. “That also reduces the need for overtime, which can drive up costs.”
In the end, the combined bill for three separate contractors performing sections was just 6 percent more than their average for the entire job. Numbers like that and a soft market are reasons Marzolf predicts more course operators—especially those at established facilities with stable finances and with an eye to the time when the economy rebounds—will consider this type of strategy in the future.
“That was one of the main factors in the club deciding to go ahead with the renovation now,” Calder says. “We didn’t want to wait until things improve, then shut down while the work got done. By doing it now, we’ll have the golf course that people will want to play when the recovery comes.”