Tom Marzolf, ASGCA

Any homeowner knows the international economic woes of recent years have placed premiums on basic property upkeep. Paint jobs, siding, landscaping and basic maintenance have all taken a backseat.

The same can happen at golf courses. But everything has a lifespan, from the greens and bunkers to irrigation systems and drainage. It is prudent to plan for maintenance and upkeep in advance to avoid more immediate and expensive replacements in the future.

Golf courses evolve, in a sense live and breathe, so club leaders are wise to consider the ‘life cycle’ of their golf course’s components.

Several years ago ASGCA, along with input from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America—created a Life Cycle chart for golf courses to use as a guide in scheduling replacements to key course elements. The guide included input from other allied golf associations, as well. In the next issue of By Design, you will read about an updated Life Cycle chart, helping courses as they move into 2012 and beyond.

James Dodson

Whenever I'm asked to speak to a group of golf-minded folks, particularly newcomers to the game, I like to point out why golf is demonstrably the most social game on earth.

If an average golf swing takes roughly two seconds of time to occur, and the average player shoots 90, that amounts to roughly only 180 seconds - or three minutes - of actual physical playing time during an average four-hour round of golf. The rest of that three hours and fifty-seven minutes of a golf round is spent walking, talking, observing nature, revising your grocery list, dreaming up a novel, getting to know someone you just met on the first tee, telling jokes, cursing your luck, meditating - in short, doing a variety of things you could never do in any other sport. 

I've long maintained there is no game better suited for making a friend or acquaintance that lasts anywhere from a few hours to a lifetime. Moreover, the friendships you make in golf often endure for decades, and there is no greater connective social tissue between the generations - fathers and sons, sons and mothers, fathers and daughters, even husbands and wives -- than time spent chasing Old Man Par in another family member's company.

Gary Linn, ASGCA

Alister Mackenzie once said, “The value of a golf course is measured by the mental labor put into it, and not by the manual labor and materials.” This idea is especially true in regards to the construction portion of a course remodel. Indeed, much thought is required as the planning, undertaking, and reviewing of construction occur in a course remodel.

When considering course construction, some may wish to do the work “in-house.” This option can certainly save money, but you should consider that all superintendents and crews will be involved in the process, regardless of whether the work is done in-house or not. The challenge, at the start, is to determine the degree to which the superintendent and crew are engaged in the project. Alternately, hiring a contractor provides a level of insulation and accountability, and relieves pressure from the course superintendent.

When selecting a contractor, the type you choose is relative to the scope of work and the level of golf course architectural services required. I recommend finding a contractor that has worked locally, is familiar with area suppliers, and has a background in renovation work. When deciding on an option, the contractor with the lowest price should not necessarily be your choice; there are other factors to consider, including past experience, reputation, ability to work within a budget, and ability to complete projects on schedule.

A. John Harvey, ASGCA

What makes the game of golf great? One could argue the merits of individual traits and characteristics of personal honor, historical richness, social intercourse, camaraderie, competition, design vernacular, physical characteristic of the property and surroundings, communing with nature, or environmental/community benefits, and write numerous well-conceived volumes on any one of these single topics alone.

From the course and operational standpoint, especially in today’s competitive market with disposable income and personal demands on recreation time, courses that provide their market segment with a desirable experience tend to stay above the watermark. Some say there are plenty, if not too many, courses available to public and private golfers, virtually in every corner of the globe. However, one of the biggest challenges for operators, developers, owners, and memberships is to understand who they are: concentrate on who their customers are, what their particular needs are, and what makes them keep coming back.

The uniqueness of each golf course can’t be underestimated. There’s a style of golf course for every golfer, no matter how expensive or affordable for a round of 18 holes. Certainly as roadways and infrastructure age and periodically need rehabilitation and renovation, so do golf courses throughout their lifetime. Unlike any sport, the course itself is a living, breathing playing field of the game composed of varying and seemingly indefinite dimensions.

Brian Curley, ASGCA

I've been designing golf courses in China for 14 years, and have formed observations on golf as I've watched the game grow in this vast land. I firmly believe that what makes golf great-its traditions-is what could ultimately cause its slow decline. Golf is resistant to change, but we are now in a technology-based world in which change occurs at a swift pace and is often quite contradictory to golf's institutions.

China is different, however, because it is new to the game. It never witnessed traditions firsthand and so has taken the game and folded it into its culture, incorporating its own take on certain behaviors. For example, it has long been accepting of the immersion of business, and Chinese golfers are not the least bit embarrassed to incorporate behavior seen as unacceptable to the western world, like the use of cell phones on the course.

Many Chinese clubs are made up of a membership of foreigners who are living away from home. Rather than worry about getting home to the family, on weekends, players migrate to the clubs to continue the 24/7 business mentality that pervades the country.

John LaFoy, ASGCA

We begin every round of golf from the teeing ground or tee. Evolving from a square box containing sand, tees have become a golf feature and can have a dramatic impact on a round of golf-whether good or bad.

One of the biggest complaints heard at country clubs and public courses alike is poor alignment of the tees. Certainly misalignment can be a distraction, even if golfers are capable enough of lining up a shot without the aid of the tee alignment.

Courses also frequently run into problems with their teeing surfaces due to excessive shade caused by overhanging or nearby trees. All varieties of grasses require ample sun, and so to have viable turf on tees, club members may have to consider some tree removal and pruning of the offending trees. My vote is usually for removal!