DNGC Golf Course Investment Book

- Tom Fazio

Our Vision

The vision of Dallas National Golf Club is to provide the ultimate golfing experience at a nationally ranked club, creating an environment of camaraderie and fellowship for members and guests while protecting the traditions and values of our Club and the integrity of the game.

Our Mission

The mission of Dallas National Golf Club is to provide a nationally ranked, premier golf club offering a superior experience with best-in-class services from the time members and guests enter the grounds until they leave. This experience will be supported and achieved through the dedicated leadership of the Board, a diverse and active membership, our associates’ passion for service excellence and the Club’s commitment to continuous improvement of the golf course and facilities.

Who We Are

We strive to provide the best possible golf experience to members and guests through:

‹ An elite course and facilities, with a focus on game improvement amenities

‹ A membership of avid golfers who possess a passion for the game

‹ Tournament-quality golf course conditions daily

‹ Expeditious pace of play

‹ Member access with no tee times required

‹ Anticipatory and consistently excellent service

‹ Camaraderie among members and staff

‹ A fiscally conservative approach for operational and long-term capital planning

Over the past two decades, we have had the privilege of calling Dallas National our Club. In that short period of time, we have built a national reputation as an elite, Top 100 course. The course is what first drew all of us to DNGC. We have heard loud and clear from our members that they want to sustain our elite golf experience.

After more than 20 years of play, the time has come to re-invest in our most important asset and take advantage of products and technology that are components of top clubs.

What began as a discussion nearly two years ago with the Golf Course Operations Committee, Management and the board to upgrade our bunkers, expanded into an opportunity, while the course was closed, to consider addressing our greens and collars.

However, as we continued to review and assess our crown jewel, other areas of need became clear - drainage, fairways, sand cap repair and replacement, irrigation and other components of the golf course should be addressed.

As the scope of the work needed on the golf course has grown, the board, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Finance Committee, the Golf Course Operations Committee and Management have determined that now is not the time to address possible Club amenities such as a new comfort station or expansion of the existing one, the refresh of the cabin interiors or certain other enhancements. The focus should be on the golf course.

The result of our efforts is a comprehensive plan, created by and in consultation with Tom Fazio, to update the golf course where needed and to add the products and technology available today that will provide you and your guests with the best possible course conditions, playability and facilities. We believe this project will provide elite conditions for years to come.

The vision of Dallas National is to provide a world-class playing experience on an elite golf course. Our plan extends this vision to the present day and beyond. It also allows us to honor those who prudently prepared the way for our enjoyment and accept our own stewardship duties to provide for the members who will follow us in the future.

We hope you will join us in support of this critical investment in our Club.

A Vision for Excellence

It has become apparent that, at 20 years old, some of the components of the golf course are nearing the end of their useful life and opportunities exist to improve the overall golf experience, including:

‹ Greens and collars are showing their age, and grass varieties have improved significantly in 20 years

‹ New technology is available to enhance the playability and consistency of our greens

‹ Drainage issues have impacted the course and the health of the fairways

‹ Thatch permeates the fairways and areas have settled and need regrading and/or sand capping

‹ Tee boxes should be stripped and re-leveled

‹ Many bunkers have exceeded their useful life and should be reshaped and replaced with a product such as Better Billy Bunker

‹ Problematic or outdated components of the irrigation system are nearing the end of their useful life

‹ Trees that are negatively affecting turf health should be removed

‹ After twenty years, it is time to “re-sharpen the edges” of the course and landscaping

Recognizing that the scope of the work was growing, we engaged the Fazio Group and invited them to provide their expertise and recommendations for the golf course itself, as well as products and technologies to elevate the conditioning, playability, and sustainability.

Mr. Fazio, who called Dallas National a “golfer’s delight,” not only agreed to personally oversee the project, he also sat down with our board chair, Jim Mutrie, to share his thoughts about our Club.

“If Dallas National were the only course I ever designed, I feel I would have had a great career.”

- Tom Fazio

State-of-the-Art Investments For Our World-Class Golf Experience

Our golf course is our most important asset and so our strategy focuses on maintaining our world-class layout, adding the products and technologies that will provide premier conditioning, a better and more consistent playing experience, and more efficient maintenance practices. The recommended investments do not alter the golf course character or design. These investments do include rebuilding bunkers, improving drainage, selectively thinning or removing trees, replacing grass on greens and fairways and, with your approval, adding hydronics technology to our green complexes.

We invite you to take a careful look at the renderings of each of our 18 holes so you can understand the updates recommended by Tom Fazio and his team.

Hole

Hole

USGA Course Consulting Service

To ensure that any changes to our course were based on best choices and practices for our area, we engaged the experts at the USGA. After their visit in April, they provided a report, highlights of which are below. We continue to work with the USGA experts to further review findings from their report, sampling/testing we are doing and agronomic best practices.

PUTTING GREENS

Observations

The putting surfaces, TI greens established with a blend of L-93 and Crenshaw creeping bent grass, are part of the original construction from 2002. The greens were smooth, healthy, and dense with roots extended 4-5 inches into the profile and good density indicating they are healthy heading into the stressful summer season.

A SubAir vacuum system and fans (installed in 2016) are utilized when necessary to promote TI health on the greens.

The collars are primarily ‘Cavalier’ zoysiagrass but were contaminated with bermuda grass and ‘Palisade’ zoysiagrass from the rough, a condition inevitable in the Dallas area.

Recommendations

Rebuild the putting greens and install hydronics. Implementing a well-engineered root zone mix, modern grass technology and hydronics will provide the best playing conditions for the greatest number of days.

Maintain the infrastructure for turf fan installations as another tool to alleviate putting green stress.

Do not select ultradwarf bermuda grass. If the goal is to provide the best putting surface conditions for the greatest number of days throughout the season, creeping bent grass with modern infrastructure is the best option.

Allow USGA experts to provide recommendations related to decisions regarding a bent grass variety and root zone mix for the greens.

FAIRWAYS

Observations

The fairways are primarily Cavalier zoysiagrass and were originally sand capped during construction. There is an approximate 4” deep layer of organic matter layer above the original sand capping material. There is also a sod layer between the organic matter layer and original sand capping material.

Cavalier zoysiagrass is not readily available. The most reliable source of this variety is grown on heavy clay soil. Installing heavy clay soil on top of a sand capped fairways is not recommended as it will result in shallow rooting and poor drainage.

The bermuda grass has contaminated the zoysiagrass fairways on several holes and will need to be addressed during the renovation.

Recommendations

Address the sod and organic layers that have accumulated in the fairways to provide a well-drained soil resulting in firm conditions and healthy turf.

Install internal drainage in low-lying and habitually wet areas.

Stripping the fairways and re-grassing will provide the best opportunity to eradicate the bermuda grass contamination.

Hollow core aeration, aggressive verticutting and other aggressive cultural practices should only be performed on zoysiagrass during the summer active growing months.

TEEING GROUND

Observations

Tees are Diamond zoysiagrass that were originally constructed out of a sand-based root zone mix.

While performing well from an agronomic standpoint, many of them have become unlevel and the edges have sloughed off over time due to settling and the age of the tees.

Recommendations

Strip and re-level all tees during the renovation while the course is closed. Consider re-sodding the tees with Zeon or Stadium zoysiagrass, similar to what is used on the fairways.

Both Zeon and Stadium zoysiagrass perform very well at teeing ground height cuts, better tolerate environmental stresses and higher traffic area levels.

BUNKERS & TREES

Bunker Observation

The bunkers were last renovated in 2014 and are nearing the end of their useful life.

Bunker Recommendations

The Club plans to utilize the Better Billy Bunker™ liner system which has been used by courses throughout the country with great success.

Tree Maintenance Observation

There are a select number of trees on the course that are negatively affecting turf health and playability.

Tree Maintenance Recommendation

During the course closure, remove trees that are negatively affecting turf health and playability throughout the course to expand playing corridors, traffic flow and course conditions.

IRRIGATION

Observations

The irrigation system is approximately 22-23 years old. The pump station is wellmaintained with upgrades installed as needed.

The piping network is PVC with a typical life expectancy of 25-35 years.

Recommendation

The piping network is nearing its useful life requiring a decision by the Club whether to replace it during the course renovation.

The course closure presents an opportunity to conduct the work despite no pressing need to completely replace all pipes at this time.

While it is difficult to predict how rapidly the pipe network will deteriorate over the next 5-10 years, the Club should anticipate and plan for a complete replacement within the next 10 years.

About the USGA Course Consulting Service

As a not-for-profit agency that is free from commercial connections, the USGA Course Consulting Service is dedicated to providing impartial, expert guidance on decisions that can affect the playing quality, operational efficiency, and sustainability of your course.

First started in 1953, the USGA Course Consulting Service permits individual facilities to reap the benefits of on-site visits by highly skilled USGA agronomists located in Green Section offices throughout the country.

SubAir Hydronics System

Hydronics Temperature Control System Will Improve Our Playing Surfaces

Our grass plants require the proper amount of sun, air/water ratios and the appropriate soil temperatures to thrive. Soil too hot, as is often found in the Dallas area, does not provide ideal growing conditions.

The introduction of Hydronics Temperature Control system, a proven technology employed by elite clubs across the country, helps golf course superintendents maintain ideal root zone temperatures during some of the most severe times of the year.

How The Technology Works

‹ Hydronics technology maintains ideal root zone temperatures during warmer times of year by pumping cool fluid into the soil beneath the greens.

‹ The fluid travels from a holding tank to the putting green via a supply pipe.

‹ The fluid then circulates through a network of flexible tubing under the root zone before it is returned to the holding tank to ensure ongoing efficacy.

The hydronics system consists of the following equipment: chiller, chiller pump, green pump, holding tank, temperature/pressure instrumentation and control enclosure. Each system is skid-mounted and installed away from the green to maintain the aesthetics of the surroundings and maximizing the efficiency of the technology.

The Benefits of Hydronics Technology Hydronics technology was not available when Dallas National was built more than twenty years ago.

As we continue to experience changes in our climate, the ability to control the temperature of our soil will provide many benefits, including:

‹ Firmer and more consistent greens

‹ Reduced heat stress during summer months

‹ Longer-lasting greens

‹ Simplified water management

‹ Reducing potential for turf-threatening diseases

Elite Clubs Using Hydronics Technology, among others

‹ Augusta National Golf Club

‹ Southern Hills

‹ Payne’s Valley

‹ Alotian Golf Club

‹ Shadow Creek

‹ Nine Bridges

‹ Brook Hollow Golf Club

‹ Vaquero Club (in process)

Short Game Area

While the golf course remains our priority, our practice areas are a key component of our game-improvement experience. Similar to the golf course, the Short Game Area and its infrastructure are 20 years old and in need of restoration to return to a premier condition. While the focus stays solidly on the main course, this would be an ideal time to address areas of the Short Game facility. The work would be executed prior to the closing of the main course and would be available with the practice range during the closure.

The Short Game Area plan would include:

‹ Complete re-grassing of existing greens and fairways

‹ Possible expansion of the Short Game complex to increase footprint and encompass more holes

‹ Expansion of the “Cabin Green” to accommodate a large “Putting Course”

‹ Restoration to the teeing areas

‹ Adjusting contours throughout to provide improved practice options, recreating conditions found on the main course for focused practice

‹ Renovation of all bunkers and installation of drainage throughout

‹ The addition of lighting for evening use

Maintenance Facility

Maintaining our course at a Top 100 level is a significant part of upholding our mission, and commensurate with this commitment, is one of our largest budget line items as a club.

Our golf course maintenance personnel, equipment and supplies all play critical roles in providing the best possible daily conditions and playability. Recruiting and retaining the most talented personnel, and equipping them to succeed, is vital.

Our existing golf course maintenance building houses our equipment fleet as well as offices and a breakroom that accommodates only a handful of employees at a time.

‹ The current golf course maintenance building is a metal shell structure.

‹ Additional space is required to house our golf maintenance equipment.

‹ The employee breakroom is so small that most employees eat their lunches sitting on their equipment.

Our plan is to expand the existing metal structure and to construct a simple building adjacent to the existing golf course maintenance building to accommodate office space, a modest number of lockers and a larger breakroom to achieve the following goals:

‹ Protection of our golf equipment investment by housing all within a covered building away from the Dallas temperature variations.

‹ Provide a safer, more appealing space for our golf course maintenance team to take a break, enjoy lunch and store their belongings in a secure manner.

Cost Estimates, Funding & Construction Schedule

Please make sure to attend the Town Hall Meeting on May 13, 2023 at 3:30 CT in the clubhouse and online (a link will be provided prior to the meeting). At the meeting, among other matters, we will review the anticipated costs associated with the work, the Club’s plan to pay for the work and implications to members. We will also review the proposed construction schedule which, as has been shared previously, targets beginning June 2024 and completion in June 2025.

Thank You

This plan would not be possible without the dedication, determination and drive of the Dallas National management team and those who choose to volunteer their time to serve our Club. We extend our sincere gratitude to the members listed below for their efforts.

Strategic Planning Committee

Manny Fernandez, Co-Chair

Mark Griege, Co-Chair

Ted Bradford

John Brellenthin

Paul Buxbaum

Dan Decker

Bernie DiFiore

In Closing

Jim Hinckley

Peter Kraus

Tom Leppert

Mark Lindberg

Finance Committee

Craig Glick, Chair

Ed Beanland

John Buser

Pete Cantrell

Chris Grasher

Randy Hall

Waymon Levell

Richard Lipton

Barry Randle

Rick Szelc

Golf Course Operations Committee

Vin Perella, Chair

Greg Dvorocsik

John Brellenthin

Mike Glazer

Richard Greth

Bruce Hollingsworth

David Kelton

Neel Tanna

What began nearly two years ago as a decision to upgrade our bunkers has become an opportunity to undertake an investment plan to ensure we maintain our reputation as an elite golf club, and more importantly, to elevate your playing experience.

We hope you will join us in our enthusiasm and support to bring this plan to fruition.

Sincerely,

Board of Directors of Dallas National Golf Club

Jim Mutrie, Chairman

Shawn Cantrell

Manny Fernandez Craig Glick

Mark Griege

Jim Griffin

Vin Perella Rich Ruggeri