DEVELOPER’S GUIDE
Five Big Ideas BY HENRY DELOZIER, GLOBAL GOLF ADVISORS
Golf course builders still standing have weathered the storm it seems. The question now is “How will you build a new prosperity model for your company?” Here are five ideas that should help in sorting through your options.
1. Problem-Solving Most developers and operators of existing golf courses – especially private clubs – need informed guidance. There are opinions galore from those who have never built a golf course. To build demand for your golf course construction business, make yourself a problemsolver. GCBAA members have the distinct and favorable position to serve as an independent third-party that can consider multiple options for differing factions and provide solutions where there is confusion. Builders who can draw upon years of experience are credible, reliable and neutral. To make your firm known as a trustworthy problemsolver prepare several case studies or whitepapers in which you tell of past experiences in sorting through complex – to amateurs – options and describe the solutions that you delivered with specific reference to problems solved and the amounts of money that you helped your clients to save.
2. Organizing Many private clubs and some privately owned courses have begun to loosen their purse-strings in anticipation of renovations and new features for their courses. In many cases, the potential client of your firm doesn’t know for sure where or how to begin. GCBAA members can organize the project flow and provide guidance on sequence, capital deployment, and project and budget management. Many clubs – and particularly club committees – require guidance in developing congruent and logical process mapping for how a renovation or reconstruction should be undertaken. All too often, the builder is left out of these discussions until the
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mistakes have been made, approved and memorialized. Then, it is tough to make corrections. Use your organizational skills as a door-opener to provide clubs with a no-strings-attached review and guidance session so that the committee and club leaders can see your experience and expertise in action.
3. Financial Modeling Even experienced club accountants, superintendents and club managers will benefit from a trained expert who can help them to prepare a thorough, sequential and defensible renovation plan and / or capital budget. Golf course builders are fluent in the terminology and process. This fluency makes builders valuable members of the project team. What do you know that club executives, owners and operators need? You know unit costs and standardized units of measure. You can cite construction estimates from one designer to the next based upon prior experience and your understanding of each designer’s preferences and tendencies. Will you be accurate to the last dollar? Of course not! You are helping your potential client to understand the business and showing them that you can look after their interests. Think of the many bid packages you have seen that are inaccurate and incomplete. See that your clients – and prospects – have good information so that they can achieve desired outcomes. They will thank you for your knowledge.
4. Expanding Your Reach In the depths of the recessionary cycle many builders expanded into categories that continued to have funding. Highway landscaping, building sports fields, and executing small local projects. The primary motivations at the time were survival, keeping the lights on and keeping your people working. Those tough times showed the way to new opportunities. As golf course construction work continues to rebound, keep your hand in those