DEVELOPERS GUIDE
Innovation FROM PURPOSEFUL COLLABORATION BY HENRY DELOZIER
GLOBAL GOLF ADVISORS
I
n a previous edition of Earth Shaping News, the notion of collaboration involving the golf course builder, the designer, and the owner implied the need for intentional congruency. How can an effective and efficient alliance be formed? Contributing to Entrepreneur magazine on the topic of strategic alliances, Kate McKay, a behavioral change expert, suggests seven points that can guide golf course builders in developing and using strategic alliances effectively: 1. See beyond what’s on the table. Understand more than your immediate needs and concerns. 2. Be clear on your ‘why’. Be clear on your value proposition and open about what you hope to achieve. 3. Understand the “why” of your potential partners. A golf course builder can assume the needs of the owner and the designer. It is essential that each party can clearly define their needs and expectations. 4. Seek commonality and shared vision. Understand the vision and values of each party. Enthusiasm comes and goes; values are key to holding the team together. 5. Don’t rush the process. Allow time for all members of the alliance to express themselves and to consider what they have heard from one another. 6. Expect to be uncomfortable. Differences of opinion and methods for execution are certain to arise. Allow
for the differences and determine how the team can disagree in agreeable ways. 7. Write things down. Record your mutual understandings and agree upon what is recorded. Golf Digest architecture editor, Ron Whitten, observes, “Contractors are essential in building within a budget. Mistakes are better made on paper than in the field. Most developers can't fund a course that takes two years to build. Most projects must stick to realistic deadlines.” Although describing the attributes of top builders, Whitten noted one of the most important benefits golf course builders add to the owner – designer – builder alliance. Enabling innovation in golf course construction requires three points of understanding: 1. Golf Course Builders Association Members must educate owners. One of the most valuable benefits that builders bring to a strategic alliance is the practical knowledge and experience of unit measurement and costing. Golf course builders must establish a baseline of accurate and trustworthy facts serving as guidance and assurance for the owner while serving as a supportive enabler for the designer. This bond requires experience, data-supported information, and exemplary reference-points. 2. Designers must be able to trust their builder. Motivated by the desire to create a great course for
golfers to enjoy, designers want to make the land all that they believe it can be. The designer must know that the builder will understand his or her vision and convert the vision into reality. Designers must be able to trust the builder to be a truthful critic in private and a willing cheerleader in public. 3. Owners must understand that the designer and the builder both have a seat at the table. For the strategic alliance to maximize its effectiveness, owners seek reliability in budgeting and timelines. Innovation in golf courses requires a spirited and honor-driven strategic alliance. The future of excellent renovations and new-builds relies upon the necessity of teamwork. John Strawn, golf course design and construction executive with stints at Robert Trent Jones II and Hills & Forrest, summarizes the balance, “Builders need strong relationships with architects, and architects have to trust the builders.” Henry DeLozier is a principal at Global Golf Advisors, the largest international consulting firm that specializes in golf-related businesses. Henry is a friend to GCBAA members and the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Audubon International. Contact Henry at hdelozier@globalgolfadvisors.com.
WE BRING MORE “YES” TO YOUR PROJECT When it comes time to build a new golf course or renovate an existing one, renting equipment is a cost-effective and efficient solution. Sunbelt Rentals has a full line of tools and specialty equipment including Helac PowerTilts, turf tire tractors, and Pronovost hydraulic dump trailers for shaping fairways and bunkers. With 24/7 support, online account management, and over 900 locations in North America, we can arrange what you need, when you need it. Visit sunbeltrentals.com or call 800-667-9328 to bring more “Yes” to your project.
GCBAA Earth Shaping News | Summer Edition 9
