GMA Journal (Spring 2022)

Golf Management Australia would like to sincerely thank all our valued partners for their ongoing support of GMA and our members.

PARTNER of

From the Chair

CATHY NEAGLE / Chair, Golf Management Australia

A great deal has been achieved in the past year at GMA despite the two big issues - Covid and wet weather - causing interruptions to plans. At the GMA board’s recent meeting in Brisbane, we had a chance to review the year and focus on GMA’s strategy and the year ahead.

The obvious highlight of the year was the GMA/ASTMA conference in Melbourne in June. In bringing GMA delegates, corporate partners and ASTMA together under the one roof, it gained a 97% rating of excellent or good for the overall conference program.

The board had a chance to consider conference possibilities for 2024, including a look at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre which was most impressive.

In reviewing the year, we’ve seen growth in membership of 6.6% with many more provisional members, a range of professional development events at each state and a very successful BMI Food & Beverage Management course.

the benefits of GMA Connect to share ideas or ask questions. One of GMA’s objectives is to be of greater access to regional members and the growth of the online forum is doing just that. Support for GMA members via Acacia Connections and our Honorary Solicitor, Michael Horton, has been greater than ever.

Despite the weather interruption, there are signs that golf is powering along. With the Fortinet PGA Championship in November followed by the ISPS Handa Australian Open in December, there is great excitement from both the formats and the drawcards.

Along with the Australian Golf Strategy, let’s hope the tournaments help stimulate a big summer of interest in golf.

It’s been an absolute pleasure to fulfil the (chair) role and I thank members, fellow board members, our staff and CEO, Paul Vardy, for their friendship and commitment to GMA.

This will be my last time writing as chair of GMA. At the AGM in November, I will step down after seven years

Golf Management Australia (GMA) represents a membership of more than 400 golf club managers across Australia.

GMA, through its state associations, provides a platform of professional and personal development and networking opportunities for General Managers and Assistant Managers/COOs of golf clubs.

GMA also has a focus on member support, club development, and member health and well-being.

Covid lockdowns aside, golf days were held in regularity except in NSW where mother nature closed out what Covid had not. It has been pleasing to see a rush of golf events come back in recent months and we’re hoping the forecast of more La Niña weather will not be as severe as the last ones.

In a period of great upheaval in General Manager/CEO positions, the need for members to stay connected and support each other has been greater than ever. There’s no doubt that the GMA fraternity is very strong, both nationally and at state level. We’re delighted that members are utilising

Golf Management Australia

on the board and three as chair. It’s been an absolute pleasure to fulfil the role and I thank members, fellow board members, our staff and CEO, Paul Vardy, for their friendship and commitment to GMA.

I’d like to acknowledge fellow board member Peter Busch who is also stepping down. Peter was vice-chair for two years with me and has contributed greatly to the workings of GMA over five years and in particular with the 2019 Melbourne conference. Announcements of new board members will be made after the AGM.

GMA is in great shape and I will look forward to it’s continued success in years to come.

Golf Management Australia Ltd. PO Box 859 CROYDON VIC 3136 www.golfmanagement.com.au

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Cathy Neagle (Chair) Elanora CC, NSW

Aaron Muirhead Oxley GC, QLD

Gavin Burt Lake Karrinyup CC, WA

Peter Busch Green Acres GC, VIC

Mathew Loughnane Kew GC, VIC

Kieran Semple The Coast GC, NSW Mark Tan Mount Osmond GC, SA

GMA TEAM

Paul Vardy Chief Executive Officer

Courtney Flores NSW Operations Manager

Mike Orloff QLD Operations Manager

Rod Haines VIC Operations Manager, Finance

Jodie Alaban WA Operations Manager

David Brand SA Operations Manager, Media & Comms.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & MANAGEMENT

Contents may not be reproduced without written permission.

Views expressed in editorial contributions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this publication and it’s management.

From the CEO

PAUL VARDY / CEO, Golf Management Australia

These are indeed very dynamic times in world and national events. Inflation in Australia could hit 7.75% in the December quarter according to RBA expectations. It’s been growing so fast, the ABS is bringing out updates monthly. And we hear there are now more job vacancies than people to fill them compliments of the lowest jobless rate in 48 years at 3.25%. Both issues are being keenly felt by golf clubs and facilities.

Whilst our industry benefited by much of the Covid impacts, we’ve been highly exposed to wild weather events. Insurance claims from floods and storms on golf courses are through the roof. This has been a topic of conversation led by Paul Mullarvey of Victor Insurance as a wake-up call for the industry.

Paul explained to groups of managers recently that golf needs to find ways to reduce risk in order to have sustainable insurance in the industry. Club due diligence has been often limited to getting a second quote, whereas more real due diligence is now needed in doing everything possible to reduce risk of costly claims.

One such risk is in employment related claims. A recent Zoom meeting via Zurich with employment lawyers at Wotton Kearney allowed GMA members to appreciate the obligations on employers to have processes in place to reduce the risk of harassment, bullying and unfair dismissal. A must see.

Meetings have been held with Golf Australia to help educate the industry on the insurance issues. The end goal is to have sustainable insurance cover, lower costs and

various insurance options. In the end, golf facilities are their own entities and so will individually have to take responsibility for their risk.

Data on golf rounds is showing the big impact of weather. What would have been a record year has been watered down. The good news is that when weather is half reasonable, the rounds keep flowing. Hopefully you’re seeing club memberships continue to hold up. We’ll be interested in the Golf Australia and AusPlay reports in coming months. Let’s be positive. And a big summer of golf is ahead of us.

And GMA golf events are running in 5th gear across states. It’s a chance to block some health and well-being time for yourself and to spend some time with colleagues and corporate partners. We encourage you to make the time.

Ahead of us as well are two BMI courses. We have BMI Food & Beverage Management in Sydney in October and a BMI Review Week and CCM exam for those at the end of the course in November. It will be exciting to spend time learning with these groups.

I’d like to especially thank our GMA chair, Cathy Neagle, for her wisdom and support. Cathy will be finishing her chair role in November and stepping off the board after seven years. We should all be grateful for this commitment on top of Cathy running a busy club and family. Thanks also to Peter Busch who has been a great source of knowledge of all things GMA. Peter will be departing after five years of tremendous service.

RECENT INDUSTRY MOVEMENTS

After 21 years, Neil Mitchell has retired from the GM role at Eastwood, in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.

Wyong’s David Lulham has big shoes to fill after being appointed to replace the retiring Trevor Harrison as GM at Nelson Bay.

Hawks Nest’s Greg Acret will retire this month from the GM role after 5 years at the club and a total of 46 years in the clubs and hotels industry.

Barwon Valley’s Elijah Wall has farewelled the club to take up a business development opportunity in the travel industry.

NEW GMA MEMBERS

New South Wales John Turner (Wagga Wagga); Lucas Walker (Rich River); Helen Jackson* (Monash); Leigh Hingston (Wollongong); Queensland Shane Tempest* (Burleigh); Mark Holland* (St Lucia); South Australia

Chris Coulter (Flagstaff Hill); Fraser Durham* (The Stirling); Josh Young* (Kooyonga); Victoria/Tasmania James McCleery* (Riversdale); Brett Campbell (Gisborne) Western Australia Shaun Malone (Rockingham); Ethan Andrews* (Joondalup); Frazer Courts* (Royal Fremantle);

* Provisional members

CLICK HERE FOR MEMBER ONLY GMA RESOURCES & LINKS:

• GMA Connect

• Industry News

• Member Assistance Program

Damon Lonnie catches up with David Allen

We didn’t get to thank David Allen in person at the Conference Gala Dinner in June when announcing his award. But fellow GMA Distinguished Service Award winner, Damon Lonnie, caught up with David at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in late August. David was the Executive Officer of GMA when Damon was President in 2014 and 2015. Damon is one of four past presidents, with Max Mason, David Burton and Stewart Fenton, who speak highly of working closely with David.

On behalf of GMA, thanks David for your significant contribution to GMA and congratulations on your stellar career.

Last chance to book for BMI Food & Beverage

Brought to you by GMA, in partnership with Golf Australia and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), BMI Food & Beverage is a great learning experience with relevant topics and expert trainers.

We have aligned with the internationally renowned NSW TAFE Ryde campus to deliver the key specialist topics.

To be held from Monday, 17th October to Friday, 21st October 2022, BMI Food & Beverage Management will see participants spending time at Ryde and Ultimo campus, the largest hospitality training centre in the Asia-Pacific, with a one-day bus tour of wineries within the Hunter Valley. The program will also include a dinner and tours at golf clubs located around Ryde campus.

Some of the topics covered by the week-long course will include food & sustainability, F&B benchmarking, food trends, menu planning, F&B and labour costings, beverage management, staff management, technology, and innovations in hospitality, among other things.

The cost for GMA members will be $2,550 (+GST) for the week, which includes daytime catering on all five days, dinners on nights Monday to Thursday, and the Hunter Valley bus tour.

Registrations for BMI Food & Beverage Management will close on 10th October or when last places fill.

BMI REVIEW WEEK & EXAM

The first BMI Review Week with Dr Jason Koenigsfeld is scheduled in Sydney for Sunday, 20th November to Thursday, 24th November for those eligible under the CMAA criteria.

The CMAA exam will be held on the morning of Friday, 25th November for those wishing to qualify for the Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation.

To qualify, you will need to have completed four BMI modules and have gained 300 points under the CCM criteria. Please contact Paul Vardy for points confirmation. Cost of the course, which includes the CMAA Exam Registration Fee is $2,300 +GST.

Click here to register for the BMI Review Week & Exam.

ABOUT BMI

The Business Management Institute (BMI) is a program offered by GMA in collaboration with Golf Australia and the Club Management Association of America.

It contains four core units - BMI Club Management, BMI Leadership Principles, BMI GM/CEO, and BMI Food & Beverage Management, as well as a BMI Review.

The importance of live training is clear to see. Participants ask questions of experts, share experiences and form new networks that make for ongoing reference points. Hearing perspectives from other clubs and people in different roles at other clubs allows for a great pollination of ideas.

We now have 106 participants in the program and 177 week-long courses have been delivered to participants who are typically a GM or senior management in their club.

Click here for more information on the BMI Program

$29.95

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

The GMA Green Book:

The Essential Guide to Strategic Planning for Golf Clubs

The GMA Green Book is produced by GMA with corporate specialist Tony Sernack.

Copies of can be obtained for $29.95 each (or $250.00 for a pack of 10).

To order your copy, please contact GMA CEO, Paul Vardy: paul.vardy@golfmanagement.com.au

WE NEED YOUR INPUT!

To assist us in better informing and educating our members, we need your assistance to continue providing relevant, interesting and unique stories from within the golf management industry that we can share in this journal.

If you would like to write a piece for the GMA Journal, we’d certainly love to hear from you.

Please send your material to our Media & Communications manager, David Branddavid.brand@golfmanagement.com.au .

MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT

Access to member only tools and resources, member surveys and salary benchmarking, webinars and GMA Connect. GMA Connect is an amazing member only discussion thread allowing you to stay updated on issues and questions raised by managers for managers. Want to know from your peers about online voting, hole signage, refund policies, lifestyle memberships, house accounts, golf simulators, senior memberships and dozens of other topics? Become a member.

HEALTH, WELLBEING & BENEFITS

and networking with colleagues at golf days and social events is perhaps the biggest benefit of

Member

allows you to know who’s running what clubs and how to connect with them. GMA’s Member Assistance Program offers free phone support for you, your immediate family and your staff.

also have access to phone advice from GMA’s Honorary Solicitor on issues related to your personal circumstances such as employment issues.

STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS & INDUSTRY ADVOCACY

GMA advocates for the betterment of golf club management across the broader industry and golfing landscape. GMA contributes to industry initiatives such as Vision 2025, MyGolf and sits on the Australian Golf Industry Council where research is developed for the industry. GMA maintains close relationships with peak golf bodies, and has a range of corporate partners who are integral to the funding of GMA services..

Has the rain washed away the golf boom?

Paul Vardy CEO, Golf Management Australia

I’ve been reading the GolfLink rounds data lately. The data is in tables, each state’s monthly rounds split into regions and gender, and come through compliments of Golf Australia’s Matt Chesterman.

There’s inevitably an interesting tale to be told in the numbers and their variations from past data which of course has its own set of unique variations from the norm - whatever that is. But with all the crazy weather reducing rounds, the big question remains, is the golf boom still around?

In talking to a Sydney manager recently, he wasn’t so sure. He had no read on it. His course had been closed for four months over winter as it recovered from floods and constant follow up rains on a high-water table. It really has been worse than Covid as a bunch of members didn’t renew their subscription in the depths of the closure.

So, being closed during a mandated Covid lockdown is bad enough, but when the course is closed for a big long wet during a Covid golf boom, it’s worse.

As reported in a recent EDM (25/8), metropolitan NSW was down a staggering 63.5% in July from 2019 levels. Fortunately, in August, these rounds were almost back to pre-Covid levels, but still well below 2020 and 2021 levels.

Many cities have had a harsh winter. Melbourne has been wet, mostly raining at night and out east where it’s been over double the CBD’s rainfall. It’s been a good winter to be a Sandbelt club.

The data suggests that the golf boom is still around - just don’t take too much from the headline data. If you did, you’d read that rounds to the end of August at 880,649 are 1.7% down on 2019’s 896,194.

But if you take into account the impact on rounds from weather just in NSW where we saw significant drops from 2019 levels of 10.2% in March, 17.6% in April, 21.2% in May, 17.1% in June, 20.4% in July, and 18.2% in August - the only conclusion is there has to be a lot of heavy lifting in the other states to have the national figure down by only 1.7%. And you can count Queensland out from the heavy lifting as most of those months they were down by around 10%.

To summarise year to date - NSW down 18.2%, NT up 10.7%, QLD down 7.7%, SA up 13.5%, TAS up 6.7%, VIC up 7.8% and WA up 5.8%.

Metro WA are a hardy lot, with rounds up in August by 7.7% on 2019 levels despite copping 174mm of rain in August. Is there not something better to do than golf?

So, whilst it remains a patchwork quilt of statistics, collated headline data indicators are that the wet weather hasn’t washed away the golf boom.

Bight sized online governance course starting soon

One of our governance panellists at the GMA/ASTMA conference was lawyer, experienced sports leader and golfer, Margot Foster AM.

Margot is running an online governance training program, beginning on 11th October and concluding in early December. It’s well priced and an opportunity for both managers and golf club board members to gain insights into effective board governance.

Sessions are for 90 minutes per week on Tuesdays from 5:30pm AEDT for 8 weeks.

Check out The Boardroom School.

GMA board and staff gather for review and planning

In August, with the settling of the dust from the GMA/ASTMA Conference, the GMA board met in Brisbane for its quarterly meeting.

It was a chance to review the big event, have a look at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and discuss the future direction of the conference and GMA.

For GMA staff, it was a chance to review operations and undertake some rare face to face training.

(l-r) Gavin Burt, Jodie Alaban, David Brand, Peter Busch, Rod Haines, Mike Orloff, Paul Vardy, Cathy Neagle, Courtney Flores, Kieran Semple, Aaron Muirhead (absent - Mat Loughnane, Mark Tan)

GMA Connect: the new GMA member online community

Tell us what you think about golf and the golf management issues that are on your mind.

GMA Connect was launched earlier this year and since then, we have seen new member threads appear every few days. An ideal thread gives some context to a topic and then asks a question to get other’s perspectives or assistance.

There’s so many topics that GMA members might like to raise and all members are invited to comment on threads with the normal decorum expected of a chat between managers.

With more contributions, the more valuable gold nuggets are shared, ideas are formed or problems solved.

We may even start rewarding people with prizes soon for some of the great content. And we regularly run polls on the site’s home page that we encourage you to contribute towards.

GMA members can go to connect.golfmanagement.com.au and use your GMA sign-in and password to join in the conversations.

What’s your association for?

Vardy

All associations bring people together for a purpose such as the exchange of ideas, accreditation and the building of professional reputation, strengthening of relationship bonds, well-being, understanding of research and to recognise outstanding people in the profession.

With society’s lack of faith in public companies, governments and institutions, associations are vitally important in building a reconnected Australia. This was the message by Honourable Dr Andrew Leigh MP - Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasuries, speaking via video. He talked about the need for public trust, friendships, something bigger than oneself and the stuff of a good career. From a GMA response I say, “Here. Here!”

I was gobsmacked to hear that 200,000 associations exist in Australia. How could that be? In sitting next to the CEO of the Concrete Pipe Association of Australasia, the penny dropped that this fact could indeed be true. We agreed that GMA was probably as obscure for her as the CPAA (a 50+ year organisation) was for me.

Another interesting observations was made by the Associations Forum CEO, John Peacock AM. “As someone who has been in the association sector professionally since 1989, I know that things change and improve beyond your greatest estimates. However, it is incremental change with trying to do the best every year that works – and successful years add up.” He went on to say, “Setbacks happen, but it is rare for an association to go out of business.”

It was fascinating to hear the background to specific industries and how their associations work to improve them. Tanya Barder, CEO of the Australian Food & Grocery Council, spoke on the impact of Covid and wet weather on food supply and pricing.

Not only were the supply chain issues already prominent in the food sector, the central Australia floods in February meant road and rail freight was cut-off simultaneously. WA supplies were effectively separated from the rest of the country. A

weakness had been revealed with blocked road and rail networks constructed parallel to each other. She spoke of collaboration and taskforces to deal with events never experienced before.

Just as it is in golf clubs, getting governance right is a big topic of associations. It was the focus of Peter McIntyre, CEO of the Royal Australian College of Physicians. He spoke about how highly intelligent people could in some cases struggle to understand the college wasn’t their own personal guild. Sound just a tad familiar? With 32 committees reporting through to the board, the RACP had inadequate time for strategy and fulfilling its fiduciary duties.

Association conferences are of course central tools. The Power of Conferences, a paper by Edwards, Foley and Malone, identified there are 45 possible benefits of

conferences – too many to reel off here. Research suggests there is a long tail effect of conferences where the benefits are felt for years to come. All sorts of spin offs come from the mere attendance at conferences.

So, this brings us back to GMA and our vision statement which is to Develop professional leaders in golf and club management . What are the opportunities that lie ahead for GMA and how can we keep achieving incremental change, year after year so successful years keep adding up? One answer will be to keep in close touch with members, state executives, corporate partners and golf industry bodies to understand these emerging issues that will arise. I can’t wait until we can get out another members survey to get your insights

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/ Rod Haines,

GMV Life membership honours

At the September GMV Annual General Meeting, two members - Russell West and Gregg Chapple - were honoured with Life membership after long and distinguished careers in golf club management as well as providing a significant contribution to the golf industry through their involvement in past secretaries and golf club manager’s associations.

Russell West was a former president and secretary of the Golf Club Secretary Managers Association of Australia - VIC Division (GMV equivalent).

A long standing member, supporter and contributor of GMV, Russell is very well respected amongst his peers and has been a great voice on behalf of GMV. He was a pioneer in the establishment of the GCSMA being respected as a professional body, particularly through collaboration with the New Zealand golf club managers association.

In 1993, after years of discussion, Russell travelled to New Zealand to formalise the formation of the joint association with Australia.

In accepting the award, Russell spoke about how he started out as a mechanic in the Australian Air Force before settling down to start a family and then working in the hotel industry.

After a while, he was offerred the role of secretary/manager of Riversdale Golf Club where he worked for 15 years, and remains a member there to this day. Yarra Yarra Golf Club secured his services in 1992.

He recalled with fondness the major events he organised and hosted including centenary events and five Australian Women’s Opens at Yarra Yarra.

All in attendance enjoyed listening to Russell recall events throughout his career and it was great to see Russell enjoy being awarded this honour.

Gregg Chapple is a former GMV president (2013-2016), long standing member of GMV and GMAQ, and has been a good friend to many across both

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS & ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES

RUSSELL WEST

Career

1977 - 1992

Secretary Manager, Riversdale Golf Club

1992 - 2000

Secretary Manager, Yarra Yarra Golf Club

Industry Associated Activities

1984 - 1986

GCSMA of Australia - VIC Div (GMV)

Exec Member

1986 - 1990

GCSMA of Australia - VIC Div (GMV)

Secretary 1990 - 1994

GCSMA of Australia - VIC Div (GMV)

President 1989 - 1994

GCSMA of Australia - VIC Div representative (GMA National)

GREGG CHAPPLE

Career 1979 - 1981

Secretary Manager Southern Golf Club (Vic)

organisations. He has also been a great advocate on behalf of GMV.

In the mid-1990s, he was part of a 3-person group that negotiated a significant reduction in electricity costs for 20-plus Victorian clubs, and the establishment of the Schweppes education fund for club managers. Together with brother Guy, and John Stamp, they delivered the 2001 national conference in Melbourne. Gregg also participated in Golf Australia’s review of the player insurance scheme.

On behalf of GMV, Gregg successfully lobbied the Victorian state government to review the classification of golf clubs for the Fire Services Levy and assisted some clubs with discussions with local councils regarding excessive rate charges.

Whilst Gregg sent his apologies for not being able to attend the meeting, Andrew Taylor spoke about Gregg and how there was never a dull moment at Kingston Heath Golf Club if Gregg was around.

We all look forward to celebrating with Gregg upon his return at the next GMV event.

1983 - 1986

Secretary Manager Windaroo Golf Club (Qld)

1986 - 1987

Secretary Manager Carbrook Golf Club (Qld)

1987 - 1996

Secretary Manager Southport Golf Club (Qld)

1996 - 2000

Secretary Manager Green Acres Golf Club (Vic)

2000 - 2008

General Manager Commonwealth Golf Club (Vic)

2008 - 2019

General Manager Kingston Heath Golf Club (Vic)

Industry Associated Activities

Secretary of Gold Coast District Golf Association

GCSMA QLD Executive member

2001 GMA Conference organising committee

2013 - 2016

GMV President

2013 - 2016

GMA Board member

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VICTORIA / Rod Haines, State Operations Manager Poulton claims 2nd Kelvin Quick title

The stage was set.

Chris Poulton - past champion (2019 KQ winner), past winner of the GMV Michael Frank Managers & Assistants trophy, current GMV state team representative and manager of Spring Valley Golf Club versus Tim Hewitt - PGA Professional, current winner of the Les Leunig shield and John Halliwell trophy, and manager of Lang Lang Golf Club.

Metropolitan Golf Club played host for the 2022 KQ Matchplay final on a typical Melbourne winters day. Cool, overcast and with rain on the radar, Kelvin Quick would have been delighted to have seen this contest play out.

The standard of play was high and the match was close all the way to the final hole.

All square with two holes to play and Tim had to give a shot on both holes but, to make things worse, it was raining cats and dogs. Chris won the 17th to go 1-up with one to play.

Both played errant tee shots on the final hole. Chris played safe with a pitch out to the fairway from the bushes. Tim saw his chance.

Despite playing his second shot from the wrong fairway and requiring a precise hook through some tall trees, he hit it perfectly. As the ball sailed on its course with Tim watching gleefully, a high pitched ting was heard above the sound of the driving rain.

Well, if only that metal chair beside the 10th tee hut had been a few centimetres to the left, the end of this story may have been very different. Tim’s ball came to rest where a drop was required, and the rest is history.

Chris pitched his 3rd shot onto the green near the hole and the match was conceded.

Congratulations to Chris Poulton for taking out the 2022 QK final for the second time.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA / Jodie Alaban, State Operations Manager

Managers & supers get together for PD in WA

Members from GMA WA and GCSAWA joined forces recently for a professional development day at Royal Fremantle Golf Club.

The group were fortunate to have Leo Barber, General Manager/ Course Superintendent of Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, travel over from New Zealand to speak about managing the relationship between the GM and course superintendent.

Barber stressed that it’s important to have a mutual understanding for each other and a respect for each other’s role. This can come about by understanding the basics. He suggested that general managers spend a day or two with ground staff to better understand their day-to-day activities and challenges. Set the early morning alarm, go out on course, learn how to cut a green and rake a bunker.

For course superintendents, attend a board meeting to understand the workings of the board and answer any questions. Spend some time with the general manager understanding the P&L, and increase the connection with members by mingling with them in the clubhouse following their round of golf. It's okay so show vulnerability to create an emotional connection.

Following Barber’s presentation, Olivia O’Connor, from Liv by Design, presented to the group on the importance of knowing members’ “WHY” to be able to understand their expectations.

She explained the importance of regularly checking in, asking the right questions, and listening to your members, which will assist in gaining an much better insight into what your members want from their club. A few conversations can start a bigger conversation around pivoting the business.

“If everyone is moving together, success takes care of itself.” Henry Ford

Chequers claim GMs& Supers trophy

The GMA & GCSAWA Management Challenge was held at The Western Australian Golf Club on Monday, 29th August.

We were very fortunate to have a clear sunny day for the 70 golfers who enjoyed the camaraderie and fabulous conditions of the course.

Whilst Kwinana were hoping to take the win, following their success at previous challenges, it was Chequers who managed to take home the trophy. Congratulations to the team from Chequers and all the other winners.

Thank you to general manager, Damien Todorovic, course superintendent, Idris Evans, house manager, Nigel Cameron, golf operations manager, Nicole Martino, and all the team at The Western Australian Golf Club for a fabulous day.

Thank you also to GMA corporate partners, Toro and TaylorMade for their continued support of our events.

GMA & GCSAWA MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE TEAM RESULTS

1st place

Chequers GC 2nd place

Hartfield CC 3rd place

Nedlands GC

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

1st place

Craig Hamilton, Sun City CC

2nd place

Chris Cooper, Lakelands CC 3rd place

Sam Roberts, Bunbury GC

WESTERN AUSTRALIA / Jodie Alaban, State Operations Manager

Carbrook team retains the Toro Cup

The 2022 GMAQ Toro Professional Development Day was held again this year as part of the International “Thank a Superintendent Day” with the main aim to strengthen these important relationships as well as to catch up with industry peers and of course have a fun day out.

Teamwork is always an important element of running any successful golf facility. And with a very challenging couple years behind us, the relationship between a general manager and course superintendent has proven integral to a club's survival.

Managers and superintendents were given a unique chance to spend some quality time together away from their usual club responsibilities and a rare chance to see behind the scenes on all the construction happening at Pelican Waters Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast.

Pelican Waters Education Day

After a networking coffee/muffin breakfast, we all got in carts and were escorted down to the club’s course maintenance building.

GMAQ President, Aaron Muirhead, welcomed the strong 55-person group to the day, including Life member, Don Gregory, and several corporate partners.

Ben Tilley, current ASTMA president and Headland GC superintendent, then discussed how important these days are

and about the industry collaboration between GMA and ASTMA, in reference to the recently held joint conference held in Melbourne.

Toro’s Ben Marshall was on hand to give us an update about their move toward Electric and AI machinery. Still a few years away, but it won’t be long.

Pelican Waters Golf Club head of golf, Dale Williamson, course superintendent, Troy Muir, and Greg Norman Golf Design’s Jim Norfolk walked us through the facility plans and course changes that are well underway. The course is completely closed now as the works will raise the standards of the entire layout, with a few new holes as well.

Palm Lakes Group are building an over 50s retirement estate with a private clubhouse, plus a public access clubhouse, event, short game and mini golf centre.

The featured speaker of the day was epar’s Terry Muir, on the topic Become a Climate Champion - Learn the foundations of climate change and its impacts and opportunities on your golf business.

Terry walked us through some climate change educational items, what we are experiencing and more importantly, what we as a golf course and an industry can do to help. We can also turn these challenges into a positive for clubs and the environment moving forward.

9-hole Ambrose

A fun and relaxing afternoon awaited in the form of a two-person 9-hole Ambrose where we could see all the works being undertaken with new bunker improvements.

Teams were made up of managers and superintendents, some with skill and some with ... perhaps maybe not as much skill!

The 2nd edition of the Toro Cup was taken out by defending champions, Scott Wagstaff (GM) and Brett Thomson (Superintendent) from Carbrook Golf Club.

Thanks again to Toro for their ongoing support to assist us in upholding this much appreciated event.

QUEENSLAND / Mike Orloff, State Operations Manager

Successful Golf Day at Avondale Golf Club

A successful President/Captain/GM golf day was held at Avondale Golf Club on Wednesday, 10th August.

Thank you to Aaron Vatner and Hayley McNeill for hosting the event and looking after all of our GMANSW members and guests.

The event was proudly supported by Club Car and we thank Kevin, Luke and Joel for their continued support.

With 80 players attending the day, it was an incredible chance for GMANSW members to reconnect after such a long time

away from golf. Let’s hope the bad weather stays away for the remainder of the year so we can squeeze in three more golf days! A huge congratulations to Robby from The Links Shell Cove who took home the John Allenson Perpetual Trophy and Mollymook Golf Club who were the proud Team Winners of the day (pictured above). Thank you to Club Car and TaylorMade for the prizes.

/ Courtney Flores, State Operations Manager

/ Cameron Harvey, GMANSW Captain

Mona Vale, Semple winners at Oatlands

Having already been postponed due to the rain event earlier in the year, the GMs, Pros & Supers Golf Day was rescheduled to 20th September at Oatlands Golf Club, in the north-western district of Sydney.

The weather forecast was for possible afternoon rain, but it didn’t stop nearly 20 different clubs, and our valued sponsors, from attending the day.

Oatlands presented very well, with the scores proving that GMs, pros and supers spend a lot of time at their golf course, but not necessarily playing! The rain held out and everyone enjoyed their afternoon on the golf course.

General managers play for the Victoria Cup, which dates back over 80 years, when the states ran their own associations, and the Victorian division presented NSW with the cup. NSW decided to make it an annual event and present it to the best general manager on the day when the three key facets of the club come together.

The 2022 title went to Kieran Semple from The Coast GC, shooting a fine 38 points, with Andy Hugill from Mona Vale GC taking out 2nd place on 36 points.

The Bob Matheson Perpetual Trophy remembers Bob, who was on the committee for a long time - from 1973-75 and again from 1976-94 - including as president prior to his retirement. Bob was made a Life member for his services to our golf industry. As such, we remember Bob with a trophy that brings the key roles of the club together as a team.

The 2022 title, based on the best aggregate score from the GM, professional and superintendent, went to Mona Vale GC with 106 points, from Hawkes Nest GC on 101 points. A fine team effort by Mona Vale, with all players (Andy Hugill, Nick Taplin & Gerard Kelly - main picture above) posting solid scores.

The best sponsor score was from Josh Leggo, from Callaway, while Mario Van Zyl

(Mollymook GC) took out the best professional score and Nick Taplin (Mona Vale GC) won the best superintendent.

At the presentations, GMA NSW chair Kieran Semple, made special mention of Trevor Harrison (Nelson Bay GC) and Greg Acret (Hawkes Nest GC), who were both retiring later in the year. We wish them all the best and thank them for being a part of GMA.

Thanks to Schweppes, De Bortoli and Lion for providing refreshments for the day, and to Callaway for the prizes. Special thanks to Elly Hazel from MiClub and Courtney Flores (GMA NSW) for administering the competition, and to Sam Howe and the Oatlands GC team for hosting the event.

Bidfood opens a new sales and innovation hub.

Bidfood has created a schmick Sales and Innovation Hub recently opened in inner city Collingwood, Melbourne, following a similar opening recently in Brisbane.

Decked with a commercial kitchen that can be used for training and producing innovation food ideas and a wall of liquid fun of their broad liquor range, the Sales and Innovation Hub is an inviting space in which to be.

We’ll be exploring ways to include the Innovation Hub in GMA activities.

Thanks John and Carmen.

Pictured L-R, Rod Haines (GMA), Carmen Garcia (Bidfood), Paul Vardy (GMA) and John Thermos (Bidfood).

Club Car’s Presidents Cup Partnership Continues at Quail Hollow

The long association between GMA Elite Partner, Club Car, and The Presidents Cup was on show again in September at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.

“One of the highlights of the Presidents Cup is invariably the ‘Team Cars’ that carry players, officials and partners around the course to watch matches,” said Club Car’s Kevin Gates. “Plenty of planning goes into the design and manufacture of the International and Team USA cars and they play an important role in making sure the teams never miss any of the action.”

The team cars, however, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Club Car and Presidents Cup – particularly when the event comes to Australia.

In 1998 at Royal Melbourne, 98 cars were shipped from Augusta to facilitate all of the activities that bring the tournament together. From ambulance/emergency through security and course operations to car park transfers and television and media requirements. In 2011 and 2019, a combined 600+ cars were needed to support the event.

“Presidents Cup is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase product on a global stage and to provide a large number of our customers with the opportunity to see some of the best players in the world up close,” according to InGolf & Utility CEO, Joel Monahan. “When you add three Presidents Cups to our support of more than 10 Australian Opens and the 2018 World Cup of Golf, the strength of our commitment becomes pretty clear.”

At Quail Hollow, as a component of the existing partnership with the PGA Tour, the course was home to over 350 Club Car vehicles delivered specifically for the event. The support for Presidents Cup is part of an ongoing partnership between Club Car

and PGA Tour Golf Course Properties (also known as Tournament Players Clubs – or TPC). This exclusive relationship has been in place since the inception of TPC at Sawgrass in Jacksonville Florida back in 1980.

Club Car Director of National Accounts, Chris Sanders, highlighted the importance of these relationships while onsite in North Carolina. “Club Car has always been an organisation focused on far more than selling golf cars. In addition to our long history of supporting the development of golf at a grass roots level, we are very closely connected to the game at an elite Professional level,” he said before adding, “We provide vehicles to PGA Tour events that include The Players Championship, The Fed Ex Cup Playoff Series and the season ending Tour Championship. Most recently, we added The Club Car Championship at The Landings to the PGA Tour schedule – one of the fastest growing events on the Korn Ferry Tour.”

Next stop for Club Car? Around 500 vehicles needed to host the 2023 Ryder Cup Matches in Italy.

Leadership and structural changes announced atToro Australia

The Toro APAC regions of Australia and Asia Pacific have both grown to record levels over the last few years. Both areas now require and deserve an additional focus, with an increased product portfolio, channel portfolio and different go-to-market strategies. As a result, Toro Australia has recently announced some leadership and structural changes at the company.

Richard Walne, Managing Director, APAC, will transition his focus to the Asia Pacific region. The Asian marketplace has had significant growth, particularly in the golf segment, where new construction and renovation activity have reached an all-time high. Walne will lead the Asian team and is looking to increase on Toro’s service levels to customers and further support Toro’s distributor partners in the region. The regional Manufacturing and Engineering functions will continue to be overseen by Walne’s leadership.

Walne has been with The Toro Company since 1979, holding sales and marketing positions in Europe and the United States and, from 1991, within the Asia region. He was based in Singapore for more than 10 years during this time. He has also served as a founding member and, later, President of the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF). Walne has overseen the growth and expansion of Toro Australia since the 1996 acquisition of James Hardie Irrigation. Laurence Bingham, Senior Director, Australia will now assume overall responsibilities for the Australian business. Bingham has been with Toro for 23 years, and has been an integral member of the Executive Management Team in Australia. His tenure has covered vast portfolios within the business, managing marketing, sales, service, logistics and channel strategy for the Australian region. He has done so for numerous customer groups including DIY/homeowners, landscape contractors, construction dealers, professional golf and grounds accounts, agricultural farmers and more.

Laurence Bingham , Senior Director, Australia will now assume overall responsibilities for the Australian business

support investment in their strategic priorities aligned with Toro’s overarching goal of delivering “Exceptional Customer Experiences Always”.

The changes made will consolidate Toro’s business units into three: Garden and Trade Irrigation, Residential Landscape Contractor Equipment and Commercial (Equipment and Irrigation).

Richard Walne, Managing Director, APAC, will transition his focus to the Asia Pacific region

Bingham’s dedication and personable approach have made him a successful leader within the organisation. He has a focus and passion to drive future growth of the company through delivering outstanding customer experiences.

Toro also has recently undertaken a number of changes to its business operations. These will further drive and

The Garden and Trade Irrigation Business Unit , will be led by Luke Ognibene . As the Business Manager he will join the Toro Australia Leadership Team. Since starting at Toro 15 years ago Luke has had the unique opportunity to spend time in all divisions. Starting in the dealer based equipment business he then managed the Bunnings account nationally before spending time managing all of the customer service teams and spare parts. This was followed by time as the National Sales Manager for the Irrigation division. Most recently Luke was Toro’s Aftermarket Services Manager, where he looked after service centres, the technical team, spare parts and pre-owned equipment.

Luke is looking forward to his new role and will be using his experience from the irrigation and retail sections of Toro. He is excited to reconnect with the great people

that he has worked with previously and is looking forward to meeting new faces. Elise Willemsen is promoted to Business Manager, Residential Landscape Contractor Equipment encompassing Consumer, Professional and Construction equipment and will also join the Toro Australia Leadership Team. Equipment Customer Service is also part of her portfolio.

Elise started with Toro in 2010 as a Product Manager for the Pope brand. She took on the role of Senior Marketing Manager for the equipment side of Toro and looked after the golf, consumer, construction, professional and sports fields and grounds equipment markets. She has also assisted the Asian team with event management and digital marketing.

Elise has been a mentor for the “Women in Hire” program through the HRIA and was part of the Women in Turf recently launched with the ASTMA. She is also a board member of Bendigo Bank - East Gosford & Districts and a member of the OPEA.

She is looking forward to focusing on the consumer and landscape contractor customers to drive growth for the Toro brand and is committed to driving diversity and inclusion within the industry.

TORO INTRODUCES NEW PROCORE® 648S

The new model in the popular ProCore aerator lineup takes aeration to the next level

Toro’s ProCore® 648 Aerator has been the industry-leader — and an operator favourite — for years. Now, Toro is building upon the tremendous legacy of that popular model with the new ProCore 648s, introducing even more innovative, patent-pending features and thoughtful enhancements to improve its turf-care capabilities.

“We are keeping everything that people love about the ProCore 648 and improving on it,” says Brian Goodridge, Product Marketing Manager at Toro Australia.

“We’ve listened to our customers, and are confident they’ll find that the features on the new ProCore 648s, which has more than 10 new patents, will help improve productivity, operating consistency, ease of use and, most importantly, its aerating performance.”

turf surface, resulting in a faster return to pre-aeration conditions. In this mode, key operating parameters are continually monitored to ensure max tine depth on the first entries into the soil. In most turf conditions, this feature eliminates labour needed to repair tufted turf. Delayed Mode also allows operators to mark the spot where they want the coring head to drop or raise using the leading edge of the front tyre as their indicator, making starting and ending passes or jumping up and over an in-ground obstacle, like an irrigation head, much easier.

The Garden and Trade Irrigation Business Unit, will be led by Luke Ognibene;

Elise Willemsen is promoted to Business Manager, Residential Landscape Contractor Equipment

One such evolutionary improvement of the ProCore 648s is its new electronic drive control, which can maintain more consistent hole spacing when aerifying sloping terrain. Additionally, this precision control gives operators the ability to easily increase speed on turnarounds while also allowing for a tighter turning radius — with little to no front wheel push during turns.

Operating the ProCore 648s in the Delayed Mode reduces disruption of the

The Toro team took a hard look at how operators use the machine to inform enhancements. Revised positioning of the controls on the console allow singlehand operation from either side of the machine, so operators can easily walk forward, reducing fatigue and allowing them to more easily focus their attention toward the direction of travel. The proven InfoCenterTM technology has also been added to enable precise ‘set and save’ increments for tine depth and hole spacing, giving managers ultimate control. Lastly, a storage box has been added and an accessory LED light kit is available.

For information on Toro’s new ProCore 648s, visit toro.com.au.

by MiClub

Membership Reimagined

From the team that brought you MiClub Golf. MiMembership is cloud-based membership management software designed specifically for golf clubs. Since release in 2020, MiMembership has grown rapidly to service over 100 clubs. Streamline many aspects of member administration with automated renewals, direct debits, dashboard reporting and much more.

MiMembership’s newest feature, ‘Online Membership Application’, digitises the approval and invoicing process by integrating membership application forms directly from your club’s website into MiMembership.

MiClub Integration

Efficient two-way integration with MiClub Golf. Essential fields update the primary database, simplifying the back office data management.

Cloud-Based System

Accessible from anywhere with a web browser. Perfect for working from home which is becoming increasingly common in today’s climate.

Online Membership Administration

Online portal gives members access to update personal details, view invoices and submit payments online with debit or credit card.

Chandler lands top job at Noosa Springs

PETER OWEN Inside Golf

He’s just landed one of the plum jobs in Queensland golf club management but had circumstances been a little different, Dan Chandler may have become a crime fighter, following in the footsteps of his dad Mark, a police sergeant who recently retired after 30 years in the force.

Instead, Dan has just been appointed general manager of Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort – a dream job for a man who has already spent 14 years in a variety of roles at the resort.

After growing up in Victoria, and flirting with that idea of becoming a policeman, Chandler studied at TAFE and university, graduating with tertiary qualifications

in business management and hospitality management.

Then he joined a Hastings St, Noosa, restaurant for a year’s work experience – and his future career was set in stone.

That experience led to a couple of years in Canada, where he worked at the spectacular Fairmont Chateau in the heart of the Banff National Park.

Perched on the shores of Lake Louise, the resort, styled after a Scottish baronial castle, provides exceptional skiing and an awardwinning European-style spa all year round.

When he returned to Noosa, Chandler found work at another Hastings St restaurant, the Flying Fish, where he was later appointed manager.

Chandler joined Noosa Springs 14 years ago, firstly as food and beverage supervisor,

then front of house manager and, most recently, as operations manager before being appointed to the top job.

“I know I have big shoes to fill,” he said.

“It’s gratifying to also know that my work here has been appreciated and I am looking forward to helping take Noosa Springs to a new level.”

Chandler replaces Mark Brady, who retired at the end of June after 23 years at Noosa Springs.

fast growing

the only solution

purpose

offers

all in one system

With over 700,000 social golfers currently teeing it up across the country, the Social Golf market in Australia represents one of the most important demographics for your course or club to target. Not only do social golfers represent the largest “pool” from which to generate future members, they are also a massive potential source of extra revenue; notably from Green Fees, Food & Beverage and Pro Shop sales. So it’s no wonder why more and more private clubs across Australia are rushing to engage with this lucrative and burgeoning target market. In the December issue of Inside Golf, we will highlight the growing number of innovative and forward-thinking clubs and courses who are promoting their facilities in this arena. This feature will surely become a popular reference guide for many social groups and clubs across the country, so be sure to book your spot before the feature fills up.

Northcote GC survives the ‘cut’

MICHAEL DAVIS Inside Golf

One of the main people responsible for saving the Northcote Public Golf Course had no intention of gloating over his rivals.

Spokesman for the Northcote Golf and Community Hub group, Bill Jennings, simply described the compromise voted on by the Darebin City Council as a victory for common sense.

“Common sense has prevailed,” he said.

The Darebin Council’s decision augurs well for council owned and operated public golf courses around the country, many of whom are facing similar threats to their existence.

In Victoria, Elsternwick Park Golf Course is being partially transformed into a nature reserve and the City of Stonnington is investigating requests for community access to Malvern Valley Golf Course.

Golf Australia had taken up the cudgels alongside Northcote golfers and welcomed the council’s decision.

Chief executive James Sutherland said the decision had broader ramifications than one golf course.

“Northcote is a public facility which welcomes anyone to play, and we’ve seen and heard a lot of stories over the journey from people who use a facility that is hugely popular at a time when the game of golf is booming,” said Sutherland.

“We want to see solutions for shared public space, and this is a common sense approach to Northcote. It provides a solution for golfers and for accessible golf, which is what it’s all about. Golf is a fun sport for everyone.

“But it also provides a win for the broader community in the sense that some space is created for parkland.”

Jennings said while he understood others would be disappointed, a huge amount of space was already opened up for the community.

“As part of the decision, nearly six hectares of land would be made available to the community, which was ‘underplayed’,” Jennings said.

But opponents of golfers had pushed on to unlock all the Northcote layout for community use every day after 3pm and all day on Sundays.

In May, the City of Darebin voted to open up 5.72 hectares of the Northcote golf course, with land at the southern and northern ends of the site to be turned into local parks and linked by a shared path. Nine holes of the 12 existing holes would be retained for golf in what was described as a “win-win” situation for golfers and those who had pushed to open up the site for the community.

However, Darebin councillors voted 5-4 to keep the course “golf focused” following lengthy submissions from all parties and after a report predicted rising

costs associated with opening the area to community use. Mayor Lina Messina said after the vote that keeping the course golffocused was a “win for all”.

A document compiled by Darebin Council officers recommended councillors vote to keep the course solely for golfing purposes week round.

Officers noted that there could be a possible 40 per cent financial impact to council if golf was restricted until 3pm only, and a potential 30 per cent increase in clean up expenses to tidy up litter or damage by the public to the greens.

Allowing the public free access to the greens on Sundays was considered to have a possible 17 per cent financial impact and “potential increased course clean-up expenses”.

The report stated that in the 2021-2022 financial year 25,775 rounds of golf were played at Northcote Public Golf Course, up from 24,494 rounds played in 2020-21 and the average of 18,900 rounds per year between 2015-16 to 2019-20.

Northcote is one of two public courses in Darebin council area, with Bundoora Park Public Golf course 10 kilometres to the north-east.

Residents had been campaigning to reclaim the green space since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, when Northcote and many other Melbourne golf courses were opened up for public access.

Why run programs?

Why should we run introductory programs?

You may have asked people at your club this question before, or maybe you’ve even asked yourself. Golf Australia’s Matt Chesterman explains.

It would be easy to answer with a list of tangible items, things we can see or even touch. Too great a focus on those things can be troublesome however, because we must first look to the intangible.

We can see things like more players on the golf course, more money in the till, or more memberships as rewards for introductory programs. All of which are vital to the health of clubs and facilities. The intangible part to this question surrounds satisfying the wants of our customers.

The more we can focus on giving the customer what they have asked for, the better chance we have of keeping them around.

Looking for improvements to become more customer-centric, whether big or small, is a step in the right direction. Even small

shifts in our attention can make big moves towards improved customer satisfaction, and the evidence clearly shows that this is good for business. Businesses with satisfied customers enjoy higher levels of positive word of mouth, customer loyalty, and future revenues.

Better understanding of who the customer is and why they want to start is fundamental. Unlocking this understanding allows golf to meet the unique needs of our new customers and allows us to create truly customer-centric experiences.

So, what do beginners want in an introductory experience?

From research conducted in partnership with Golf Australia in 2017 and further supported by more recent research in 2021 there are some common elements:

• A welcoming and social environment

• A series of lessons in short periods of 45-60 minutes

• To be in a group with other beginners and a supportive coach

• To learn the basic skills to get out and play

• Have all the equipment provided

• To try golf through a single session before full commitment to a program

All these points are the foundation for providing an experience that matches what

our target audience wants. These are the basics we must get right; this is us as a sport being truly customer centric. This slight shift in focus towards the intangible will make great improvements towards the tangible things we need to grow.

3 things you can do today to make programs more customercentric

1. Add a come and try session . This makes it easier for participants to give golf a go before committing to a full program. It can be used as a recruitment tool and a gentler step into golf.

2. Give customers more flexible options. Consider offering a variety of activities at different times (after work and weekends especially). Activities that run for short periods of time might also make it easier for people to attend.

3. Show and tell the experience . We can’t assume that people know what an introductory golf program is, there are still plenty of misperceptions on what golf is. Using the right words and even imagery to promote programs is critical. Tell them you will be supplying equipment and what activities you will be doing during the session. These might seem like insignificant details, but they are big.

Let MyGolf & Get Into Golf support you

These two national participation brands – MyGolf (for kids) and Get Into Golf (for adults) are here to support clubs, facilities, and deliverers by putting your programs in the spotlight. The enormous growth potential for golf has never been clearer, and through the new Australian Golf strategy we want to use these participation programs to give the people what they want.

MyGolf and Get Into Golf are the connection between interested participants and their nearest golf programs. Customers can do a simple postcode search on the homepages, find their nearest program, and complete registration all in a few clicks. The single login admin portal will also help centres manage their sessions, upload programs, and take online payments with ease. And it’s all completely FREE.

MyGolf and Get Into Golf is available to all golf facilities and can adapt to any current program(s) being delivered. After registration you will get access to all the support tools and resources, including use of the administration portal and automatic inclusion in our national marketing campaigns.

You can find a list of state/territory contacts and full program details on the webpages listed below.

If you need further assistance, reach out to golfparticipation@golf.org.au or call us on (03) 9626 5050. www.golf.org.au/mygolf www.golf.org.au/getintogolf

Applications still open for 2023 AGF Junior Girls’ Scholarship Program funding

Clubs and PGA Professionals across Australia still have the opportunity to apply for funding to run a junior girls’ golf scholarship program in 2023.

The Australian Golf Foundation, in association with Golf Australia, is delighted to present the Australian Golf Foundation (AGF) Junior Girls Scholarship program for a third year.

Selected clubs and facilities across Australia will receive $2,000 in funding to offset the cost of group tuition for the year.

Mt Derrimut Golf Club, 30 minutes west of Melbourne’s CBD has enjoyed funding in 2022.

“The program has enabled our club to bring daughters of parents who were already members into the fold. This is helping us achieve our goal of being a welcoming and family friendly club,” said Brian Hardie, Mt Derrimut’s General Manager.

Windaroo Lakes Golf Club in QLD has seen the benefits the program brings….

“It has been good for our club and great for the girls,” said Daniel Bird, Head PGA

Professional at the club half an hour south of Brisbane’s CBD. “The program has tied in beautifully with our MyGolf program, enabling a smooth transition for girls.”

Bird has many girls scattered throughout his various MyGolf clinics throughout the week, but the scholarship program has enabled him to bring the girls together.

“It has been good to see the girls improve their golf, but there has been nothing better than seeing these girls have so much fun together,” he said. “It is just a fantastic opportunity for girls to spend time with like-minded girls without the pressure of having boys around. These girls are not only connecting through golf, but I know they are spending time together outside of golf too.”

Scholarship recipients at each club will receive group tuition and membership for the year, along with a branded shirt and cap to wear with pride.

Applications are now open for 2023 (close 25 October 2022). The Australian golf industry invites all clubs across Australia to apply.

Click here for further information and to apply Vision 2025 | Australian Golf Foundation and don't hesitate to get in contact if you have any questions at scholarship@golf.org.au.

WHAT IS THE AUSTRALIAN GOLF FOUNDATION?

Australian Golf Foundation is the national foundation for golf in Australia. The AGF supports Golf Australia’s vision to grow golf by investing in targeted initiatives to inspire all Australians to enjoy and play the game. Visit australiangolffoundation.org.au for further information.

Australian Golf Foundation is thrilled to partner with NEXTGEN Group as the principal partner of the AGF Scholarship Program, with significant further support provided by Golf Australia, Golf Victoria, Victorian Golf Foundation, Golf Queensland, Golf South Australia, Golf Tasmania, Golf Western Australia, Western Australian Golf Foundation, Golf Northern Territory, Jack Newton Junior Golf, Golf New South Wales, Golf Management Australia, WPGA Tour of Australasia and PGA of Australia, as well as a number of additional generous private benefactors. The scholarship program has come to fruition thanks to the foresight and generosity of Bonnie Boezeman AO, Director of the Australian Golf Foundation, who originally established the program at Killara Golf Club, NSW.

Australian Golf Foundation appoints Executive Director

Golf Australia would like to congratulate Cameron Wade on his appointment as Executive Director of the Australian Golf Foundation.

Wade joins the Foundation after 13 years with Golf Australia in game development and participation and a broader career in golf spanning 30 years across the sport.

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland highlighted the promising engagement already seen with the Australian Golf Foundation.

“Since establishing the Foundation in 2018, we have seen there is an appetite to support the longevity and diversity of golf through the Junior Girls Scholarship and Give Back programs,” said Sutherland.

“The Australian Golf Strategy sets a really

clear path forward for our game and the Australian Golf Foundation is a key part of that future. It’s fantastic to see someone of Cameron’s calibre appointed to the role of Executive Director of the Australian Golf Foundation.”

Australian Golf Foundation Chairman Stephen Spargo AM said the appointment was a very important step for the future.

“As a national sports foundation raising philanthropic funds to support the game in Australia in alignment with the recently announced Australian Golf Strategy, Cameron's new role evidences the Foundation's commitment to continue to raise funds for the game's benefit. Cameron’s extensive experience and great relationships in golf, coupled with his passion for the game, made this

appointment an easy and logical decision,” said Spargo.

Wade has worked closely with Australian Golf Foundation since its formation by Golf Australia in 2018 and highlighted the meaningful impact the Foundation can have on the community and golf’s longevity.

“I am extremely grateful to be appointed to this exciting role with the enormous potential that golf has to drive philanthropic investment into the game that will ultimately lead to more Australians playing more golf,” said Wade.

Australian Golf Foundation currently provides funding for the highly successful Junior Girls Scholarship Program and Golf Australia’s Give Back Program.

Avoiding Planning Fallacyin clubs

Planning Fallacy describes a belief that our own estimations and projects will

proceed as planned. The reality suggests that the vast majority will not.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky in 1979, researched people on how long they estimated it would take to complete tasks. They found people were very dumb when estimating their time. They didn’t have the ability to account for the real time things would take. It was 1979 and they coined the term, Planning Fallacy.

The term applies in estimates of patronage too. A study in 2005 looked at worldwide rail projects that had taken place between 1969 and 1998. Each project was assessed on how many passengers the project’s planners had estimated would use the new train lines. It then compared the estimate with how many passengers actually did use it. In more than 90% of cases, the number of passengers using the rail projects was overestimated.

On average, project planners overestimated not by 20%, or 50% but by over 100%! This was despite access to updated data on population and commuters. Not only were they bad at predicting, but they also failed to learn from their mistakes or adequately apply new information as it became available. And these were the professionals!

In an infamous local case, BrisConnections, which built Brisbane’s $4.8 billion AirportLink tunnel, completely over estimated vehicle demand. When it opened in 2012 it had estimated 170,000 vehicles per day within months, but it was still less than 50,000 per day by the following year. It went into receivership and in 2015 was sold for $2 billion, 60% less than construction costs 2015.

We should be conscious of underestimating the bad things, some of which are all but inevitable.

Operating in the golf facilities space is more fraught with variables than normal. Planning annual clubhouse events when key staff have left or are unavailable or when access to casual staff is low means lots of work for others and realistically things will be missed.

Weather is a major factor with low pressure troughs bringing seemingly endless rains and wind. Typically, simple projects such as rebuilding a tee are all of a sudden likely to encounter delays due to weather.

Replacing equipment when the supply chain has stalled may mean extra maintenance costs to keep old equipment going.

Inflationary pressures are a new phenomenon and a phenomenon they are indeed. Going up, up and away are the costs of fuel, chemicals, fertilizers, turf, food, labour, insurance, etc., you name it.

Then there is club leadership. Covid pressures seem to have things unsettled in the relationship between the boards and members, boards and managers, amongst board members themselves and sometimes by management and staff. Throw in an AGM and a change in directors may mean it’s back to the drawing board for that carefully planned project.

Time to build in some serious contingencies.

People don’t do what they say they’re going to do.

Planning Fallacy is on full display when customers get to self-project how much or how often they’ll use a product or service. Whether it’s gym classes, car washes or a thousand other things, research suggest their aspirations will be far greater than their reality.

A good example of this comes to mind with twilight nine-hole golf. Back in 2004 with nearby clubs starting the season six weeks before Christmas, one or two members of the club suggested this early season be applied to our club. We surveyed members and the vast majority of respondents said they’d be part of an earlier season before Christmas. Yet, after much fanfare and promotion, when the new season started almost no-one showed up. It was like trying to start up a lawnmower and no matter how many pulls of the cord, it just wasn’t going to kick over. Whilst members aspired to play, they’d overestimated their ability fit it into their busy lives prior to Christmas.

The lesson - beware of planning fallacy and become a better project manager.

So how may we consider planning fallacy in our own club’s planning?

Load Profile: When you consume electricity is a big factor in determining savings

The Sun is Shining onGolf - a business case for solar!

Continuing our 3-part educational series from GMA partner, Enervest, on energy management and solutions, Jason Downes outlines a business case for the use of solar batteries.

Over the last 12 months I’ve had the good fortune to meet with many golf club managers around the country and I’m asked a variety of questions, including how many clubs actually have solar installed? Unsure of the exact number, I set about conducting an aerial survey to see just how many clubs have invested in generating their own electricity.

Before revealing how many golf clubs have invested in solar, here’s some of the other key questions I’m asked by golf club General Managers and their boards.

How much will I save?

It’s a great question and the number one reason golf clubs are adopting solar panel systems – to save money. Here’s what you need to consider:

1. How much electricity do you consume and when?

2. How much do you pay annually for electricity and which parts of this bill can solar reduce?

Most golf clubs are able to reduce their electricity bill by 25-40% by installing the right-sized solar system. Enervest are able to accurately model your energy usage and predicted savings against your electricity tariffs.

Roof, carpark and floating solar on golf clubs around Australia

Can I get a solar system with no upfront cost?

Yes, via a PPA.

A PPA (power purchase agreement) means you only buy the electricity the solar system produces – not the system itself. Your bill reduction will still be in the range of 10-20% and the system is owned by a third-party responsible for all system maintenance and performance.

Can I get credits for the carbon reduction?

You will receive an upfront STC (smallscale technology certificate) rebate from the federal government up to 100kW. These are reducing in value every year until the scheme is phased out in 2030. In Brisbane in 2022, the STC rebate on a 100kW system is approx. $45,000. The same system installed in 2030 will receive an STC rebate of only $5,000.

In addition to STCs, your system will contribute to your net-zero reporting – a requirement that is likely to be introduced to all businesses in coming years.

How long will a solar system last?

30 years plus!

Enervest’s solar photovoltaic manufacturing partners offer a performance warranty stating that their panels will be producing a minimum power output of 84% after 30 years. This means that a 100kW system installed in 2022 will still be producing a minimum of 84kW in 2052!

How many golf clubs have installed solar?

After spending many hours on Google Earth scanning the East Coast (sorry to the other States) and phoning many clubs for verification, we can see the golf industry is well-on track with installing solar panel systems. The percentage of clubs with solar:

• VIC – 31% (110 of 355)

• NSW – 39% (142 of 368)

• SE QLD >50% (only GC, Bris & SC)

We expect this number to grow steadily during 2022 particularly due to rising electricity prices. With the recent change in federal government, we expect future policies targeting net zero and clean energy to create many ‘carrot and stick’ policies. These incentives and penalties will benefit those who are edging closer to full energy independence.

Clearly the sun is shining on the golf industry! For those who haven’t started their journey of energy independence, there’s never been a better time to invest in renewable energy at a club level.

If you’re considering solar, battery and EV charging solutions for your club, please contact Jason Downes.

For further information please contact: Jason Downes - 0499 198 320 jason.downes@enervest.com.au www.enervest.com.au

Your electricity bill can be quite complex. Solar can tackle some, but not all of it.

Clubs want in on Cusick’s vision

Golfers nationwide are discussing the possibility of their clubs housing goats and sheep, composting and implementing other environmentally-friendly measures since discovering Eastern Sward Golf Club’s ecological experiment.

The story on the south-east Melbourne based club’s biodiversity journey was published by Melbourne newspaper The Age late last month and other clubs want to know how they can follow Eastern Sward’s lead.

PGA Professional at the club Garth Cusick, who is driving the project where former farm animals roam the non-playing areas and composting bins surround the car park alongside superintendent Shaun Lehane, has been bombarded with expressions of interest from across the country.

“People have asked about lots of things,” Cusick said. “Whether it be using the animals to reduce the costs of managing their sites. Or we like the idea of reducing the chemical use or it’s been ‘it’s simply a feel good story, how do we get animals on our site?’.

“The interest has been humbling. People

have also asked ‘do you need more money to continue?’ and ‘we like what you’re doing, how do you do it? Could you do it for us?’.”

The positive responses come while the experiment is still in its early days.

He is happy to share his ever-growing knowledge as he is fully aware of the amazing possibilities the project may create.

“What we’re doing is looking at expenditure, longevity of the practices and managing the asset which is the golf course,” Cusick said.

“It is of no use keeping that information to ourselves.

“This work can save clubs money, improve their practice and most importantly bring more people to golf courses because they are not just playing golf, and that’s good for the game.”

Attracting and retaining more people to golf has long been Cusick’s passion.

After working in the industry for three

decades, he won Golf Australia’s Visionary of the Year for the month of July for his work bringing Chinese-Australian women into golf through his business The International Golf Academy Australia, which is based at Eastern Sward.

His desire to keep growing the sport led him down the microbiological path.

Following a chat with Lehane on how they could decrease the club’s expenses and increase cash flow, Cusick decided to study to explore various methods of soil management.

He commenced an online microbiology course with soil biologist Dr Elaine Ingham’s US-based Soil Food Web and has been studying 15 to 20 hours per week for the two years since.

“I wanted to contribute. I’ve been coaching the game for 30 years, but I didn’t think it was enough,” Cusick said.

“For the overall longevity of the game, I

believe we need to protect the boundaries we play on. We have some ultra clever people building some impressive structures with amazing functionality.

“Can we focus it so that it is more natural, politically correct and cheaper? Yes. Hence, the study and luckily what I’m studying is 20 years of knowledge already in the agriculture sector. I’m bringing that knowledge to this site. I didn’t invent it, I’m just copying what others have told me.”

His research brought him to the idea of introducing animals to the non-playing areas.

Passersby on neighbouring Thompson Road are often perplexed to see sheep and goats gathered around the Eastern Sward Golf Club sign, but they have proven to be a game-changer.

Before the 160 animals - who either come from the Strong Hearts Animal Sanctuary, which rehomes animals surrendered by farms, or the RSPCA rehabilitation program - were introduced to the course, the grass in the non-playing areas was nearly head high and a fire hazard.

Now, it is kept short at no cost.

“Originally the staff managed 23 hectares and by using the animals, we have fenced off ten hectares,” Cusick said.

“The animals manage those ten hectares and the same budget is now used on 13 hectares. We’ve intensified the energy rather than spreading out. Consequently, we’ve had significant change and we think between $10,000 and $12,000 we would spend on those ten hectares on staff, machines, maintenance and fuel.

“So we’re not having that as excess, we choose to improve our playing surface. Our course is not at 100% capacity and we want more people to come and play.

“We are not having six levels of cut, we’re down to three. We have green, fairway and tee, and rough. That means less machines required, less on and off machines.

“Our golf course now is 75% fairway, 25% rough and we are aiming to have a 90/10 split this summer. That’s a big change that the members can see. It plays faster. They are enjoying the round and we’ve used that energy and money to focus more on our greens and green surroundings.

“Our course is easy off the tee and the closer you get to the hole the more difficult it is. We’re entry level. People come here to learn the game.”

If a golfer hits their ball over the fence into where the animals roam, there is a simple local rule of taking a free drop inside the playing area.

Cusick gathers the balls, and returns them to the clubhouse, when he visits the animals to either check on them or gather microberich manure for composting.

The animal manure has not had any artificial inputs and is perfect to add to his composting systems.

By extracting the microbes from the compost using an ‘aerated tea’ method to transfer it in water to the chosen. The local microbes support natural plant growth and are the key to the reduction of chemical use.

The club is conducting this experiment in conjunction with Dr Mary Cole, a wellknown academic, plant pathologist and soil

microbiologist, to provide peer reviewed data on process, methods, cost and outcome.

Cusick’s long-term vision is to use compost on the golf course instead of pesticides and fertiliser, and while working towards that goal, he has built an incredible rapport with the animals.

He knows them all by name, but he has a special bond with the ‘Little Boys’ in particular.

They are four goats - who are not so little anymore but the name stuck - who were the first to arrive to Eastern Sward and have called the club home since they were six weeks old.

Some of the members have a similar connection with the animals and community involvement is a huge factor in the project.

When they shear the sheep at Eastern Sward, they donate the wool to the Tooradin Knitting Club - in the town on Western Port Bay - and educating people on what can be done with their natural resources is a massive part of the club culture.

“This golf club is more than just people walking on the course to play,” Cusick said. “We can teach them how the life cycle of plants works, why plants grow, why trees grow, how compost is used, what is compost.

“Having alternate interests is also important for club members.”

For now, Cusick’s focus remains squarely with continuing to evolve the project at Eastern Sward. Although, he cannot help but be excited by the prospect of his visions coming to life elsewhere.

“We are lucky to sit here in a live experiment where Eastern Sward Golf Club have given us their course to test these theories,” he said. “We are not inventing processes, we are modifying existing processes to suit the site.

“The model we have here can be picked up and taken to any other golf club. That’s the dream, but right now I’m focused on this club.”

Garth Cusick with two of the 'Little Boys', the goats who were the first to arrive on site at Eastern Sward.

Cusick holds the compost which he isgathering to reduce chemical usage onthe golf course.

CARBROOK’S COLOSSAL RECOVERY EFFORT

Not once, but twice this year, course superintendent Brett Thomson and his team at Carbrook Golf Club in Queensland have salvaged their course. Golf Australia’s Dane Heverin explains.

Ravaged by flood waters in late February and then again in May, a herculean effort was required to have golfers back out on course after it was closed for 55 days.

The club, which is well-known for housing bull sharks after they became trapped in the course’s lake during the flood of 1996, appeared as if it would be out of action for a very long time when the banks of the Logan and Albert Rivers burst, but their team was not going to allow that to happen.

“There’s nothing really to be complaining about now,” Thomson said with a laugh.

“In my eyes everyone’s lucky to be playing on a golf course that’s come up way above expectations.”

Thomson began his journey at Carbrook

in July 2005 as assistant superintendent before stepping up to the superintendent role only six months later, and his experience held him in good stead when disaster struck.

Facing floods in 2013 and 2017 meant he knew exactly what was required, although he did not anticipate how quickly his crew could turn the course around.

“I probably exceeded my own expectations,” he said.

“Four months down the track I wouldn’t have thought that we would get to this point we’re at now. It’s hard to imagine that we got there so fast. Having a really good plan and having the volunteers to help out helped pick things off day by day and week by week.”

The planning process kicked into gear immediately with Thomson wasting no time in wrapping his head around the work that needed to be done.

“When I first saw it I thought ‘okay, what am I going to do first? Wait for the water to recede so we can assess the situation’,” he recalled.

“I was already planning before the water

receded. I was like ‘we’re going to get out to the shed at the highest greens because that is going to be the most accessible area for us’. The further you went out, the worse it got.

“A lot of people got really overwhelmed by it. A few of them had never experienced it before. I’ve been through flooding and that experience was better for my leadership.

“A couple of other guys had been through that with me and knew there was going to be light at the end of the tunnel whether it was a month or two or three or however long.”

Thomson’s guidance of his team was a defining feature of the recovery effort with Carbrook’s general manager Scott Wagstaff full of praise for his colleague of more than a decade.

“Watching him maintain a positive attitude was unbelievable,” Wagstaff said.

“He got himself through it by seeing the golf course as if it was in construction. He treated it as we were in a construction phase and we were getting the place together. He was the one that kept everyone up beat and going.

“It was impressive that he was able to take himself out of it and have that different

perspective, and also to get into a mindset where he could function and lead.”

In addition to his usual crew, Thomson took charge of a legion of volunteers.

The staff utilised their regular time sheets to lock in volunteers to four hours shifts to assist the turf management team, while some members found other ways to lend a hand.

“The members knew we were putting in and that’s what helped them turn up every day too,” Thomson said.

“They really gave a great appreciation for what we did. There were some people who would turn up with a high pressure cleaner and wash down all the buggies and the shed. We didn’t have to focus on cleaning up that part of it which was great.

“They had to clean the driveway of the silt and they got a firetruck down to blast it off so you didn’t get it all over the wheels when you drove backwards and forwards. Scott knew someone that knew someone and they offered to bring a fire hose down to blast it and we were like ‘yeah okay, bring it down’.

“We didn’t knock anyone back, if they had an idea we were happy to try it.”

Another member handed them a truck

for a week as they were struggling to hire vehicles due to the region being swept with recovery works and soon enough they saw the fruits of their labour.

One green came up, then another and another, and within a few weeks Carbrook was resembling a golf course again.

Now, golfers are back playing, but the silt that still lies on parts of the course serves as a reminder that the flooding occurred not too long ago.

There are more challenges ahead with a La Niña event expected to bring large rainfall for a third straight summer, although Wagstaff could not be prouder of the way the team manages adversity.

“We’ve got a pretty awesome team,” he said. “You get through a crisis together and you’re a lot stronger. We had each other’s back at a pretty difficult time.”

Thomson, meanwhile, loves the fact that they never stopped believing.

“The whole team didn't waver or go into a lull,” he said.

“That was probably the most pleasing thing because we saw the light at the end of the tunnel and said ‘we’re going to get there’.”

60TH ANNIVERSARY: ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB

Rosebud Country Club is turning 60. And the club’s chief executive officer and GMA member, Danny McGrath, tells Inside Golf’s Michael Davis that it’s about time for this unsung hero on the Mornington Peninsula to take its place back in the top handful of courses in the country.

The 36-hole parklands layout has always been very good. But McGrath has well and truly raised the stakes since he took over six short years ago.

One of the first things he did was to lure renowned course superintendent, Ian Todd, from elite sandbelt club, Victoria. Todd has really put his stamp on the golf course.

It is now genuinely not drawing too long a bow to say that the back nine of the North Course at Rosebud Country Club (RCC) has shades of Augusta National about it, although many believe this was always the case.

And if you think we are gilding the lily here, take the hour or so drive from Melbourne to experience RCC firsthand.

“It is one of the best nines on the Mornington Peninsula because it just highlights the beautiful undulations of the property,” McGrath says.

The club is thrilled with the work of Todd and his assistant, Damien Winsor. Todd moved to Rosebud Country Club in August 2017.

“It was the best thing that ever happened to the club getting him on board,” McGrath says of Todd’s appointment. “He’s had a blank canvas to work with and the results have been outstanding.”

And rest assured both 18-hole courses at Rosebud CC will be even better once the top golf course design firm – Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead – finish the planned renovations.

The club is hastening slowly with the architectural work. It first engaged OCM in October last year and will get them back each year around the same time.

“We would love to do it all at once but it’s important to keep an eye on the cost and that the course remains open to members,” McGrath says.

Hosting two recent tour events for men and women, and the accompanying international television coverage they received, has further enhanced the reputation of Rosebud Country Club (RCC)

McGrath believes RCC lost its way a little during its 60-year journey when so many new courses were built on the Mornington

Peninsula in the 1970s and 80s.

They included big links-style ‘beasts’ like The National, Moonah and St Andrews Beach. Prior to this, the main courses on the radar were Rosebud Country Club, Portsea, Sorrento, Flinders and Mornington.

“So many great golf courses had been built over the years that the focus went off us,” McGrath said. “But now we’re starting to get back in the conversation.

“Our aim is to become the leading golf and entertainment destination on the Peninsula.”

The club must be doing something right. In 2015, RCC had less than 900 members. Today, it boasts close to 1500.

Before Covid, Rosebud Country Club was running four or five major functions a year which were sold out on Friday and Saturday nights.

Next month it will host the first big social event at the golf club since the pandemic struck. It will feature a Queen Tribute Band.

“You can’t buy the atmosphere this club has through its membership. You know

when you walk into a clubhouse whether the membership is stale or not. But this place really has a vibrant atmosphere to it,” McGrath says.

It is something of which the CEO is rightfully proud.

You cannot do it without first and foremost offering a good golf course. But the pre-golf and post golf experience are an important part of the package. And we reckon RCC has got it right. Green fee players often remark how well they are treated when they play RCC – especially in the clubhouse.

At Rosebud, its size lends itself to this. But plenty of higher profile neighbours with similar facilities lack the soul evident here.

Apart from the clubhouse, the pro shop run by the club and the separate on-site club fitting and coaching business offered by PGA professional, Matt Bolton, complement the whole golf experience. And as an added bonus, there are also three bowling greens and on-site accommodation – the 39-room Fairways Resort. The food and drink offering at RCC is better than pub food but not Michelin Hat in quality or price – perfect to be honest.

The blue collar heritage of Rosebud has spawned a generous membership of both men and women when it comes to charity days.

The women’s charity Golden Putter Day is

legendary and recently featured players from 32 different clubs. RCC also runs a Cancer Charity Day and supports the Fight MND Campaign. It has also raised funds for many local hospitals, schools and charities over the journey. It says a lot about the generous spirit of the membership.

Women have always been a strong part of Rosebud Country Club. It’s nothing to have 70 of them stay for a ‘cuppa’ and a chin wag after the weekly comp. The same can be said for the men. It helps create a real buzz on a daily basis in the clubhouse.

McGrath is quick to point out none of this would be possible without the support of the board and his team.

But he’s not getting carried away with the success.

“The most important thing is that we do not lose momentum. Golf everywhere received a huge surge in participation during Covid. We have to make sure we continue the upward journey we’re on.”

RCC appears to be in the hands of a very capable team.

National Facilities Management: First Choice Services, is becoming known as the one provider for all facility needs

Since launching their partnership in May this year, First Choice Services are establishing themselves within the GMA network and have connected with a range of members.

National Sales Manager, David High, has been working with a number of GMs from the south-east Queensland network who attended the GMA Managers & Superintendents Golf Day on 13th September at Pelican Waters Golf Club along with 40 or so other members.

“Our partnership with GMA has allowed First Choice to discuss the range of our services”, said David. “We offer a streamlined service that provides clients with the convenience of having all their requirements met by one company.”

Oxley Golf Club’s General Manager and President of GMA Queensland, Aaron Muirhead said, “First Choice Services have delivered exceeding expectations on the various services that we have engaged them for at the club. Their range of services has reduced the time and resources I have needed to spend finding suitable trades to undertake the various jobs. Having First Choice Services partner with GMA, it fills an important gap from a partnership outlook.”

Operating Australia wide, the First Choice team are looking forward to a positive future ahead and helping ease the load of their clients’ needs.

For more information on the products and services provided by First Choice Services:

P: 1300 544 166

E: support@firstchoiceservices.com.au

W: www.firstchoiceservices.com.au

Experience vs Expertise

Years of experience certainly contribute to expertise.

But it isn’t the same thing, because there are people who just don’t reflect on what happened. They don’t learn about what happened.

One of the other criteria I use, if I’m going to gauge somebody’s expertise, is I’ll ask them, “Tell me the last mistake you made. Let’s talk about that.”

If the person says, “I can’t think of any mistakes,” to me, that means this person may be competent, but certainly is not an expert.

Experts are well aware of their mistakes, and their mistakes eat at them until they can sort of imagine, “What I should have done is this,” and figure out a way around it.

Experts are highly aware of mistakes.

Gary Klein: Insights For Making Better Decisions