The biggest waste of money within golf is .........?

[Thomas Dai]

The biggest waste of money within golf is ......?
Atb

[Tom_Doak]

Every time I have this conversation with people in the construction or maintenance side of golf, they point to the clubhouse - and they're not wrong.


However sometimes it seems more like an excuse not to do better on your own end of things.

[Bernie Bell]

Guess you need to define waste, but in terms of form over function, I've always suspected it's bunkers.

[mike_malone]

Guess you need to define waste, but in terms of form over function, I've always suspected it's bunkers.

+1

[Mark_Fine]

I considered saying excess maintenance but that is NOT the case on the far majority of golf courses.  Unnecessary bunkers has to be up there but again this is case by case. 

[jeffwarne]

Every time I have this conversation with people in the construction or maintenance side of golf, they point to the clubhouse - and they're not wrong.


However sometimes it seems more like an excuse not to do better on your own end of things.

Clubhouse all too frequently-become slaves to their enormity and end up hosting large nonmember functions to feed the beast
Pro shop/bag drop Do you really need an onsite department store and valet service to go for a walk?
Cement Bunker liners and crushed quartz sand(are they designed to have the sand be permanantly wet?)

[John Emerson]

General Managers

[Ira Fishman]

Keeping courses green.


Ira

[Rob Marshall]

Cart paths

[Garland Bayley]

Every time I have this conversation with people in the construction or maintenance side of golf, they point to the clubhouse - and they're not wrong.


However sometimes it seems more like an excuse not to do better on your own end of things.

The highly social members run for, and get elected to the board. Once there they throw money down the clubhouse rat hole while ignoring the bunkers that sit full of water much of the time even though the green committee is asking for money to rebuild them.

The board would rather put skylights in the on course restrooms, recarpet and repaint the clubhouse (again and again), and build a roof to protect the outside deck from the elements than spend any money on the course.

[Kalen Braley]

Complete guess in terms of how much money it costs....

But overwatering both in terms of putting too much water on the course, and watering roughs/sections off the fairways/tees/greens...

[Tommy Williamsen]

I think it changes from course to course and who the club wants to be. How big do greens need to be? I think some are too large. They are very expensive to maintain. Maybe more money should be expended on the size of teeing grounds on par threes. We like shorter grass around the greens rather than greens that are ringed with rough, but they are more costly to maintain. Clubhouse additions seem to be a problem, especially those built just prior to 2008. Some that were overbuilt early like Olympia Fields are super costly. What do they do? Some have a great balance like Hidden Creek or Ocean Forest. Some small clubhouses like Nanea are perfect for the little use they get.

[Terry Lavin]

Anything related to Board activities. I’ll add minimum F&B dues. If they don’t want to eat or drink $150 a month then a club can staff it’s operations appropriately.


John Emerson suggested GMs as a waste of money. I’ll politely disagree because they tend to rein in spendthrift Boards. I truly believe that most private clubs would benefit from having a business like KemperLesnik run their operations. Leave it to professional management and just use member committees to help conceive and organize golf and social events.

[John Crowley]

Big clubhouses!


 “Not smart to build a church for Easter Sunday”

[Mike_Trenham]

Every time I have this conversation with people in the construction or maintenance side of golf, they point to the clubhouse - and they're not wrong.


However sometimes it seems more like an excuse not to do better on your own end of things.

Clubhouse all too frequently-become slaves to their enormity and end up hosting large nonmember functions to feed the beast
Pro shop/bag drop Do you really need an onsite department store and valet service to go for a walk?
Cement Bunker liners and crushed quartz sand(are they designed to have the sand be permanantly wet?)

It will be interesting to see the 990s for 2020 when they are public. 


What I hear is clubs that are focused on golf and local members are doing well with modest operating adjustments, while those that live off of green fees and outside revenue have had to make drastic adjustments.

[JMEvensky]

Clubhouse all too frequently-become slaves to their enormity and end up hosting large nonmember functions to feed the beast

Agreed on everything else as well but this part hit home. After a while, every Club decision starts being see through the prism of justifying the clubhouse. Absolutely a "through the looking glass" situation. A big expensive clubhouse is bad enough--but when it becomes the tail wagging the dog, really bad things start happening.

[Scott Weersing]

Overseeding.


Not sure it is really worth it. Also not sure how much it costs. I guess it is a must have in competitive areas like Phoenix.

[Tim_Weiman]

Every time I have this conversation with people in the construction or maintenance side of golf, they point to the clubhouse - and they're not wrong.


However sometimes it seems more like an excuse not to do better on your own end of things.

Tom,


According to legend, John Arthur Brown terminated the membership of a steel company CEO just because the guy suggested Pine Valley needed a new clubhouse.


Don’t know whether this story is true, but if so, it is pretty cool.

[ChipRoyce]

Biggest? Well, clubhouse has already been mentioned, but just to throw a grenade into the mix, I'll say required caddies.
Caddies are great, don't get me wrong in the right circumstances.

I just couldn't imagine being a member of a NY or Philly area club, required to take one every time I play before 1pm. I know my game better that some guy I just met, play poorly if I don't stay focused and think through shots (vs. some guy telling me to club up).

In addition, I couldn't imagine having to peel off $75-100 per round on top of $10K/year in dues, but that's just me since I'm not a hodl'r of either TSLA or BTC.

[Paul Rudovsky]

If it is a member owned club, IMO it is totally up to the members.  If the club is not owned by the members, the owners should decide how to spend $$$.

[Steve Lang]

   ... folks trying to buy game (drivers, wedges, & putters) when a couple lessons from a pro would be more cost effective means for improvement 

[John Emerson]

Anything related to Board activities. I’ll add minimum F&B dues. If they don’t want to eat or drink $150 a month then a club can staff it’s operations appropriately.


John Emerson suggested GMs as a waste of money. I’ll politely disagree because they tend to rein in spendthrift Boards. I truly believe that most private clubs would benefit from having a business like KemperLesnik run their operations. Leave it to professional management and just use member committees to help conceive and organize golf and social events.

If the boards knew who and how to search for a business savvy superintendent they could completely forget about a GM. I’ve ranted on here about this several times before that I have seen many many cases  where the position is superintendent/GM and those cases are knocking it out of the park with both the members and on course items(agronomy). Many situations it’s an utter waste of money to have a GM. Does it make sense everywhere?  Maybe not... The struggling clubs should take note.

[Don Mahaffey]

The horse is long out of the barn but my belief is fidelity to "standards" is the biggest waste on the golf course. Whether its par, distance, acceptable slope, materials, methods and process, the following of industry standards wastes more money on the golf course than anything else.

[Terry Lavin]

Anything related to Board activities. I’ll add minimum F&B dues. If they don’t want to eat or drink $150 a month then a club can staff it’s operations appropriately.


John Emerson suggested GMs as a waste of money. I’ll politely disagree because they tend to rein in spendthrift Boards. I truly believe that most private clubs would benefit from having a business like KemperLesnik run their operations. Leave it to professional management and just use member committees to help conceive and organize golf and social events.

If the boards knew who and how to search for a business savvy superintendent they could completely forget about a GM. I’ve ranted on here about this several times before that I have seen many many cases  where the position is superintendent/GM and those cases are knocking it out of the park with both the members and on course items(agronomy). Many situations it’s an utter waste of money to have a GM. Does it make sense everywhere?  Maybe not... The struggling clubs should take note.

Well stated. I guess I’m just thinking what a difference our GM’s have made at Beverly one the past 34 years that I’ve been a member. The same isn’t true at other clubs that I’ve been a member, so I get your point.

[Mike_Young]

The hiring of national club consulting firms that are pros at feeding frat boy boards the hype of F&B clubhouse renovations and locking on like a leech...