The Pellucid Perspective - June 2017 - 8

PRIVATE CLUB
OPERATIONS

storage tank! All within 6 months! Whew! Needless to say, it
has been a fulfilling and exciting experience so far. Projects that I
have dreamed about completing for years were finally being done
and I was having a blast doing them.
On the operation side, things are just as gratifying. Buying
fertilizer, chemical and equipment has never been easier. Concert Golf Partners have created national account programs with
a great portfolio of major vendors from the golf industry for Superintendents to take advantage of. I have been able to create an
even better agronomic program for the golf course at a significant
reduction in price. Capital equipment purchases work the same
way, and each Superintendent is given a fixed amount within
their annual budget for constant equipment replacement. This
allows me to create a long-range equipment replacement plan
without having to meet with greens committees or finance committees. Too many times in years past, capital equipment would
take a back seat to other items at the club, making it difficult to
execute a long-range plan. This at times made things difficult in
terms of maintaining the course properly and meeting member
expectations.
We are now into our second season and continue to upgrade
the property. Over the winter were able to remove a few hundred
trees that had been encroaching on the golf course, which is always a touchy subject among member-owned club committees,
and I was also able to put on my design hat again this spring.

We recently completed a fairway expansion and bunker renovation on our 2nd green. The hole was extremely hard for the
members and both green side bunkers were in terrible shape. I
decided to remove one of the bunkers and add a bentgrass approach into the green.
Again, it was as simple as an email to Mr. Nanula about the
project and we were off and running. It's just not usually that easy
at a private club! The project has been received with excitement
from the members and they are continually thrilled to see great
new things happening to the golf course!
Change is not easy, and I think it is human nature to resist it.
Most people tend to flee situations when exposed to something
different or new. However, as a Golf Course Superintendent I
have to deal with change daily. We are always shifting gears to
create the best possible outcome to reach our end goals. I am
very happy that I decided stay at Blue Hill Country Club and see
what Concert Golf Partners had to offer. The opportunity has
revitalized this 19-year Golf Course Superintendent. The handsoff style of the company gives the Superintendent a feeling of
autonomy and we are allowed to run our department, making
good business decisions every day. The influx of capital has given
new life to the club. We have increased our membership counts
significantly and are almost full in just over a year! Blue Hill
Country Club has become a lively, vibrant and healthy club once
n
again for all the members to enjoy.

"Clear Solutions to
Golf 's Business Issues"

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8 The Pellucid PersPecTive

June 2017

http://www.pellucidcorp.com

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