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Minutes 11-20-03~,-~ Minutes of the Golf Course Advisory Board Meeting Held Thursday, November 20, 2003 .... on the deck of The Links' clubhouse. Present: Art Mathews, Chairman, City Member -~, 2-< Jim Smith, Vice Chairman, County Member Herb Suss, City Member c-~ Connie Giangreco, City Alternate Bill McCarty, City Member Joe Sciortino, Golf Director Dan Hager, Head Professional Absent: Diana Johnson, City Member (Called Joe prior to meeting) -'~ Dan Winters, County Member (No notification) Robert Lee, City Alternate (No notification) Kurt Bressner, Ex-officio Member Chairman Mathews called the meeting to order at 3:02 pm. With the assistance of the Golf Director Mr. Mathews called the roll. Mr. Sciortino noted that Ms. Johnson had called to let him know that she could not make the meeting, but that she was available by phone if needed. Mr. Sciortino suggested that Chairman Mathews appoint Mr. Giangreco to sit in as a voting City Member in place of the absent Ms. Johnson, which Mr. Mathews did. Mr. Suss moved to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by Mr. Smith and passed 4-0 (Mr. McCarty had not arrived yet). There were no announcements. Mr. Giangreco moved to accept the minutes of the last meeting held August 12th, seconded by Mr. Suss, and passed 4-0. Under the Golf Director's report Mr. Sciortino reviewed several previously mailed reports with the Board. He noted that the activity levels for last year were fiat with the previous year, which made it a good year since most courses in Florida were down. Revenues exceeded budgeted amounts, largely due to not doing the Family Course renovation as planned, so summer revenues not budgeted were realized. He did note, however, that there was an operating surplus of $244,000 due to diligence in cutting costs, and although over $400,000 in retained cash had been budgeted to balance the budget NO retained cash had been used. The Golf Course fund paid off the remaining $900,000 balance on the bond and ended up the year with a fund balance in excess of $700,000. He reviewed the October monthly report, noting that "starts" were off only 529 compared to last October, or only 7%. In light of the heavy rains this October and severe cost cuffing at area golf courses this was a very encouraging start to the year. In fact the course realized $4,192.07 in revenues over those budgeted for cart and green fees because daily fee play was up while annual permit play was down. He also noted that the restaurant only lost $5.000 for the year, largely in part to not replacing the terminated manager, taking over the supervision of the operation himself, and the great work of the employees who took full "ownership" without a resident manager. Mr. Giangreco asked Mr. Sciortino to explain what a "GAP" survey was before reviewing the results that were reported. Mr. Sciortino noted that GAP surveyed differed from CSI surveys (Customer Satisfaction Surveys) by first asking customers to rate the importance of each area covered to them at any golf course, and then to rate The Links. In that way resources were not wasted addressing Iow ratings when the importance to the customers was also Iow. He gave several examples. Mr. Sciortino then noted that The Links did an "Internal GAP" survey for the first time to find out if all of its employees fully understood team based management, as well as to find out how The Links was perceived in utilizing it. The survey revealed that the employees did, in fact, "get it" and, in discussions with the operating teams, it was discovered that most gaps occurred due to misunderstanding the question more than poor performance. This gave everyone a better feel for the confusion that some of our customers were experiencing in filling out our External Surveys, and why it was so important to increase the number of responses to make sure that the results were statistically valid. Mr. Sciortino then reviewed the tabulation of the External Customer Survey for the summer season. He noted that The Links does three surveys a year to coincide with the three dates of price changes so that at the end of one season those who played at that time could reflect on what they had experienced and give The Links that feedback. Mr. Smith asked what the size of the gaps indicated. Mr. Sciortino responded that if the gap was less than 1 respondents were generally satisfied with performance; if the gap was between 1 and 2, there was reason to be concerned and to look at how to improve those areas; and if the gap was greater than 2 immediate action was required to prevent losing unhappy customers. And that, Mr. Sciortino noted, was just what The Links' staff did in analyzing these tabulations. Mr. Mathews asked if other City departments used this same format, or just the golf course. Mr. Sciortino was not aware of any other departments that utilized GAP surveys in other City departments, but noted that all high performance organizations in the business world did. Mr. Suss noted that a large gap seemed to be in the tee time reservation system. Mr. Sciortino pointed out that the gap was only 0.66 as rated by the 500 plus Links Club Card purchasers, but 1.65 by the 300 annual permit holders. He told the Board that this was typical of annual permit holders refusing to acknowledge even in the summer when they always got the times that they wanted that it was not perfect - mostly in anticipation of the coming winter months when they would not always be able to get the time they wanted. Nonetheless The Links' golf operation team, the Golf Directors, was still discussing ways to improve. The Golf Director asked Mr. Hager to describe to the Board options being considered and changes already instituted. Mr. Suss said he and his group were OK with the current system now that he had convinced his group of six to consider playing after 11 am instead of always trying to get a time between 8 and 9:30. Mr. Sciortino joked that he would make a note that six players were happy with things as they were and not in favor of the changes being considered. Mr. Sciortino then spoke about the "Burma Shave" signs that the leadership team had put up on the access road. Mr. Mathews commented that he thought they were a just great and remarked that he had first whizzed by them, but on a return trip had slowed down to read them and found them very entertaining. He agreed that "He needed a lesson" as the last sign on the way in suggested. Mr. Sciortino noted that the second series of signs had already been ordered from the sign shop and that they would be changed frequently to keep them fresh. The Golf Director then reviewed Links Club Card sales (517 valid as of today), and annual permit sales (99 City, 192 County, down from last years 114 and 220 respectively). He told the Board that the attrition was typical compared to previous years'. Mr. Giangreco noted that it was Mr. Sciortino's aim to eliminate annual permits. Mr. Sciortino asked Mr. Giangreco to explain. He replied that the permit holders get very little for their $600 up front money and year round support of the course. He said that annual permit holders pay "about the same" as daily fee players to play the course. Mr. Suss disagreed. He said he appreciates that for his $600 he gets to play for $18 in the winter and $14 in the summer, and considers each day at The Links a "mini-vacation". Mr. Sciortino said that he had not raised the annual permit fee in over ten years, and that at today's interest rates the $600 "up front" money yielded about $3 in interest for the year. He also challenged Mr. Giangreco's conclusion that annual permit holders "pay about the same" as daily fee players. Mr. Giangreco said that "Well, maybe we say a couple of hundred dollars". Mr. Sciortino said he felt that was significant savings. Mr. Sciortino reviewed restaurant operations and noted that the restaurant had realized record revenues last year and that more and more people were eating there before and after their rounds, as well as non-golfers from the community on weekends. He told that the Board that The Links had entered into an exclusive agreement with Pepsi that paid the course $2000 a year for five years, and that that would pay for the new beverage cart that had just been purchased for $9500. He also told the Board that the kitchen expansion project would start in January and that a grill would be put up on the deck to service customers during the construction. He said they chose to do this work in the winter because that was the only time that people would willingly eat outside on the deck, and that he felt that with some pre-made sandwiches available in the cooler as well that business would not suffer. Mr. Sciortino closed his report. Under New Business Mr. Suss asked about lightning warning systems. Mr. Sciortino explained that they are neither reliable nor safe, and that having one would put the City in more of a liability situation than not having one. Mr. Smith commented that the bottom line is "They don't workl" Under Old Business, Mr. McCarty wanted to remark how nice the plaque presentation to Mr. Barrett had gone at the City Commission meeting. Mr. Sciortino told the Board where the permanent plaque was mounted and said Mr. Barrett deserved more, but that his modesty would accept no more. Continuing under Old Business, Mr. Suss went over the comments written on the last GAP survey. He asked about making the clubhouse more attractive, drainage areas that needed addressing on the course, lack of sand in the sand bunkers, the attitude of one Ranger in particular, and the need for a better way to make tee times. Mr. Sciortino and Mr. Hager responded to each item. Mr. Suss was satisfied that The Links' Staff was addressing the comments. Mr. Suss asked why the tee rebuilding projects were being done in October when they could have been built over the summer when play was slow. Mr. Sciortino responded that he had wanted to do this work in the summer with a contractor, but the City Manager had not allowed it since the work was not listed on the City's Capital Improvement Schedule. Mr. Mathews asked why that mattered. Mr. Sciortino said that much of the tee work was on the Master Plan for the Family Course renovation, but that when that project was cancelled due to a lack of resources to do it without borrowing money, no work was allowed to be done. In fact, he pointed out, the tee work that had been done in October was done "in-house" by Maintenance Staff in order to honor the commitments made by The Links to several golfers, including the Men's and Ladies Golf Associations, that those particular tees would be completed before next season. Mr. Suss asked why, if the resources were available to satisfy the golfers' desires, the work had to be scheduled on a City-wide capital improvement schedule when no money from the General Fund was being used to do the tee work? Mr. Sciortino said Mr. Suss would have to ask the City Manager the answer to that question. He reminded the Board that the course is a City department that had to follow all City procedures as required by the City Commission and City Manager. Mr. Smith moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Mr. Giangreco and passed 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 pm. Respecff~ly s u ,b/~ni~ Joe sc'~t'tind, Golf Director