Golfdom, November 2017

Starter EMAILS @ TEXTS TWEETS Continued from page 9 Seth I finally was able to sit down and read your latest column in the September issue of Golfdom Disparate Golf Destinations Being from rural Nebraska Ive had similar weekends from playing on exclusive courses to low budget and sand green facilities But my real take from your story is the illustration of what and where golf is today in America Everybody whether they play golf or not can relate to the picture perfect Tour courses they see on TV every week They are in perfect condition and they have unlimited budgets to achieve that perfection These superintendents are under an enormous amount of pressure to deliver an unflawed product Unfortunately many of the masses who watch Follow us @ Golfdom TV and do not play golf assume these courses are the norm of the industry and are the playgrounds for the wealthy Your example of the other extreme is a 9 hole sand greens course low budget low maintenance and maybe a staff made up of one part timer who might even donate his time When I moved to McCook Neb 37 years ago to build and manage our 18 hole facility there were five sand green courses in the smaller communities surrounding McCook Now there are one and a half sand courses The others have converted to grass greens You might be wondering about the half course It is a community that is converting to grass greens at a rate of two per year they currently have four grass and five sand This too is also representative of golf in America Your third example Topgolf can be representative of golfs future and our ability to evolve and be innovative in todays changing business environment To me the real message of your column is the importance of those courses in the middle These courses are operating as a small business model and are striving to produce the best quality product possible with the resources they have Your examples illustrate the diversity of golf and they all play a pivotal role in our industry Bill Bieck CGCS Course Operations Manager Heritage Hills GC McCook Neb The Best Equipment On Earth Introducing The NEW F 15 from Air Force 2 stroke Engine 60cc for All Angle Mowing 15 cut and weighs less than 25 lbs www seagousa com 800 780 9889 Seago scours the globe to bring the finest specialized turf care equipment to golf courses everywhere Look to Seago for Mowers Edgers Water Removal 12 Golfdom November 2017 Golfdom com