Loading...
06-03-10 MINUTES OF THE GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2010 AT 4:00 P.M. PRESENT Herb Suss, Chair Dan Hager, Golf Course Manager Susan Indilicato Scott Wahlin, Golf Maintenance Arthur Matthews Manager Corrado Giangreco, City Alternate Frank Scicchitano, City Alternate Ron Levy, County Alternate Kurt Bressner, Non-Voting Member ABSENT Arthur Gabler James Smith I. OPENINGS A. Call to order Chair Suss called the meeting to order at 4:06 p.m. B. Agenda Approval 1. Additions, Deletions, Corrections No additions, deletions or corrections were made to the agenda. 2. Adoption The adoption of the agenda was not addressed. 3. Public Audience None III. REPORT - 5. Restaurant Report (Taken out of order) Terry Foley, the restaurant operator, thanked the Committee for allowing him to report early in the meeting and further thanked the members for allowing him to be part of the Golf Course operation. The restaurant is at the break-even point now and the nighttime activities are making a difference. Staff is phenomenal to work with and the response has been great. More activities will be added soon. A Thursday night league started recently. The American Soccer Organization held their Coaches Appreciation Dinner at the Golf Course. This function introduced the Golf Course to thousands of children. Next fall, there will be efforts to host their banquets. 1 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 The beverage cart is operating on Saturday and Sunday, and on Wednesday and Thursday for the two leagues. C. Announcements II. MINUTES A. Minutes of Golf Course Advisory Committee Meeting of December 10, 2009 Mr. Matthews moved to approve the minutes as presented. Mr. Scicchitano seconded the motion that carried unanimously. III. REPORTS A. Manager of Golf Maintenance Report Mr. Wahlin reported the winter was quite difficult. In October, there were warm, humid conditions which caused a number of issues with various types of diseases that were not normal for that time of year. Many of the courses in the area were affected by the weather. The Links experienced root rot diseases which were not normal for that time of year. Moving into January, there was cold weather at the start of the month and then warmer weather later on. That caused an increase in nematode activity, causing damage to root zones of the greens. The winter was the worst in 20 years and there was no recovery until April. Greens 1, 2, 4 and 8 were affected the worst and some were not affected at all. 1. Championship Greens Resurfacing Project 2. Family Greens Resurfacing Green #7 on the Family Golf Course was displayed in a photo. The greens were done five to six years ago and a lot of the old grass came back leaving them splotchy. A decision was made to re-grass. The Family Course greens were originally push-up greens. Approximately $220,000 was spent on the Championship Greens and the Putting Green. On the Family Greens, it is anticipated the expenditure will be $11,000 from the Capital Budget. The remainder of the money will be absorbed through the maintenance budget. In response to a question from one of the members, Mr. Wahlin explained that a push-up green is native soil. He referred to Green #1 on the Family Course which is very mucky. The root zones are not repaired. The greens have been sprayed with Round-Up and will be sprayed again next week. th These greens are playable and will not be closed until noon on June 15. 2 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 th Verticutting and scalping will begin on June 15 and they will be aerified. Once the sprigs are put down, it will be top dressed. 3. Cart Path Microsurfacing In this year’s budget, $100,000 was budgeted for cart path paving and overlay. Because the Golf Course is 10% below expectations in the revenue budget, a decision was made to do patching for at least the next two to three years. The material to be used is “Easy Street” which is used by many municipalities. This material can be purchased in bulk. This $100,000 project will be cut back to approximately $4,000. 4. Audubon Recertification Mr. Wahlin displayed a photo and reported that there are many Purple Martins living in the birdhouse. It was not anticipated that there would be any the first year. Mr. Wahlin anticipated there would be “scouts” to make sure the house existed and they would return next year to use it. There were probably enough Purple Martins living on the grounds thereby resulting in immediate residents. This birdhouse is behind the #10 tee. Purple Martins like to be near people and that is the reason for putting the birdhouse in this location. A presentation was made in association with Busch Wildlife where 50 people were in attendance. Most attendees were probably not golfers. All of the animals involved in the presentation could not be put out in the wild. There were alligators, snakes and a falcon. The presentation was well-received and positive feedback was received. Additional signage will be added to the Golf Course to discourage people from digging through the naturalized areas looking for golf balls. This will be an effort to make the public aware of the hazards of entering the naturalized areas. There are alligators nesting on the property and there are snakes in the lakes. There are a number of Golf Course goals for this year that are Audubon related. Mr. Wahlin would like to become a certified Golf Irrigation Auditor through the Irrigation Association. It would probably take about a year to obtain his certification. This information will be used to reduce the Course’s water use by 10%. This will also result in a significant reduction in power usage. Mr. Wahlin referred to a punch list published in a book put out by the Florida Golf Course Superintendents’ Association and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He intends to establish all of the best management practices listed. A project to install a water system in the lake on #18 is in the works. Mr. Suss inquired if the Audubon Society has any additional requirements for the Golf Course. Mr. Wahlin said a case study must be done next year. The Links Golf Course was recertified this year and that recertification is good for another two years. 3 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 Mr. Matthews questioned when the butterfly garden would be established. Mr. Wahlin explained the intent was to re-establish it behind the #5 Green. This may be the case study. B. Manager of Golf Operations Report 1. Business Report Mr. Hager reported that The Links at Boynton Beach is still Florida’s #1 Golf Course. On the Champion and Family Courses, a rounds revenue comparison was done of this fiscal year from October 1 through April 30, and the Golf Course is up over last year. The comparison showed the Course was down 5,258 rounds which is a 10% decrease. On the Championship Course, the course was down 2,358 rounds. There are three factors that put the Course in the above stated position. 1. Bad weather days – There were 18 more days of rain than there were last year. A bad weather day is defined as less than 60% of the budgeted revenue. This was the worst winter experienced in this area since 1886. 2. Family Course down 2,900 rounds – These are the best greens that have ever been at the Golf Course. They were over-seeded and spectacular. Mr. Hager guessed that the economy was the second factor involved. The revenue on the Championship and Family Courses was down $115,000 compared to last year, which was an 8.9% decrease. Last summer, a Florida State Municipal Golf Course Association was started. There will be another st meeting on July 1. At Boca Raton Municipal, their rounds were down 14% as were their revenues. Sand Ridge was down 3,340 or 8% with revenue down $154,000 and Savannahs was down only 4%, but the revenue was down 10%. Revenue was hit hardest when the mornings were cold and it started to warm up at 11:00 a.m. That is the time when a discounted rate is offered. Therefore, when the golfers were coming out to play, it was at a lower rate. 3. The demand has far exceeded the supply. Within a 12 mile radius, public courses (West Palm Beach County Club, Lake Worth Municipal Golf Course, Okeeheelee, Park Ridge, Cypress Creek, Villa Delray, Westchester, Lacuna, Winston Trails, and Delray Beach Municipal Golf Course) are everywhere and are vying for the business. Mr. Hager advised that in attending professional meetings, reports say some courses will have to go out of business in order for things to get better. The game of golf is not growing. Every golf course is doing everything possible to help this sport grow. The private sector is feeling this as well. In the United States, there are more golf facilities than McDonald’s restaurants. There are 15,979 golf facilities and as of January 1, 2010, there 4 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 were 12,704 McDonald’s restaurants. There is a battle going on for rounds. While The Links is doing well compared to others, it is a struggle. In working with the budget, there have been major efforts to cut and bring everything into control without giving up any services or the condition of the Golf Course. In response to Chair Suss, Mr. Hager confirmed that there have been no employee cuts; however, there have been a few cuts in the hours of part-time employees. No full-time employees have been laid off. In order to make the budget next year, major capital projects have been delayed. The main capital projects have already been completed. Chair Suss asked if there was any way spending could be cut back in order to save some money. Mr. Hager explained that $220,000 was spent on resurfacing last year, but $11,000 will be spent this year. While this is a good playable product, it will not be up to the standards of the Championship Course. Resurfacing the cart paths was planned; however, a decision was made to cold patch them for a lot less money in order to get by for a few years. Mr. Matthews inquired if there were any projections or attrition rates for golf courses in the area. Mr. Hager advised there has been no official survey. He offered that Lacuna is struggling and in bankruptcy. Mr. Matthews pointed out the golf course had been in decline for many years. Mr. Hager explained that having the frills is unimportant; more important is the condition of the greens and fairways and the treatment of the players. Those are the things that bring players back to the Course. Mr. Scicchitano questioned how The Links was doing in getting tournament outings. Mr. Hager responded that he has been approached by charities for the past 26 years. If you have a charity event, it is necessary to charge $75 to $100 as an entry fee in order to raise money for the charity. People know they can play The Links for $59; therefore, why would they pay $75-$100 for the event? Mr. Scicchitano felt that having these events exposes new people to the facility and they would want to come back to play at another date. He feels local people will return to play the Course. Chair Suss pointed out that the City’s Fire Department should work with The Links to have their tournament at the City’s Golf Course. Mr. Hager further advised that The Links’ restaurant can only serve 48 people. Tents could be brought in, but that would involve expense. Mr. Hager would be more than happy to find revenue wherever possible as long as it does not infringe upon play of other golfers. Mr. Matthews remarked that being designated as the #1 Golf Course in Florida is very helpful because it brings people from other areas. He attended the Waste 5 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 Management tournament at Park Ridge and they used the cart barn for the banquet. Mr. Giangreco confirmed there was a drop in income of $115,000 this year. He questioned whether all expenses were covered and whether funds were put in reserves. Mr. Hager said if the summer holds as projected, there will be a loss of approximately $45,000 and that number could possibly be as high as $60,000. The reserves were used last year, but there is approximately $395,000 remaining; however, some of that money is allocated toward golf cart replacement which is due in November 2011. Mr. Levy asked what the trend was since 2007-08. Mr. Hager said it was approximately 3% decline per year. He did not have the comparison for 2008-09. Mr. Hager reported that there were 82,000 rounds in 2007-08 and 73,000 in 2008- 09. That figure included the three months when the greens were down. It is anticipated there will be 70,000 rounds this year. Mr. Hager briefly explained an enterprise budget for the members. In response to a question about the Pro Shop, Mr. Hager said the sales are about 92% or 93% of what they were last year. The more traffic you have, the more you sell. The Pro Shop concentrates on shirts, caps, golf balls, and gloves as a service to the players. Chair Suss inquired about the golf carts and when they might be replaced. When the carts are purchased, they are used for six years. The golf carts are due for replacement in November 2011. The cart barn is designed to hold 60 carts. The Links has 90 carts plus five Player Assistant carts and a bag cart. Mr. Hager briefly discussed the cart purchasing policy. Chair Suss asked about maintenance of equipment. Mr. Wahlin explained that purchases have been avoided unless there was no alternative. A sprayer was purchased this year and greens mowers will have to be purchased next year. There is a maintenance crew with no turnover and they treat the equipment well. The mechanics are good at what they do and have made some major repairs on pieces of equipment. Chair Suss asked if the golf budget was going to be contributing any money to the City. Mr. Hager said a contribution of $207,000 is made every year to City services and that includes a $45,000 direct contribution to the General Fund which is warranted. 2. Events held since 12/10/09 Mr. Hager reviewed the remainder of a PowerPoint presentation. The Links held the th 10 Annual Play for Pink event. There were 96 participants and $7,600 was raised for breast cancer awareness. The Women’s Annual Public Links State Qualifier was held with women from England, Malaysia, Stuart, South Carolina, etc., and the 2010 South Florida Senior/Junior Pro Pro Championship was also held. There were 6 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 82 participants and Mr. Hager received 40 e-mail compliments on the Golf Course. A celebration was held for the Autistic unit from Park Vista. There were eight students with their parents and teachers. They received trophies and it was a great day. 3. Junior Program There is one school in the junior program and another school is scheduled to start next week. The current database contains 346 students from age 17 and under. The Junior Golf Academy had its first annual champion, Darren Peyton. 4. Pace of Play Report Mr. Hager reviewed the Pace of Play Report with the members. 5. Restaurant Report This report was presented at the start of the meeting. IV. NEW BUSINESS None V. OLD BUSINESS 1. Report on new front entranceway sign Mr. Hager reported that the work on the new entranceway sign will begin in a week and should be completed within a month. One of the members questioned why the sign will read, “public only”. Mr. Hager responded he feels this says a lot about The Links. Mr. Hager disliked the fact that when “public” is mentioned, most people feel the bar has been lowered. This designation will inspire questions and draw attention. 2. Golf Logix for golf cars There was consideration of putting GPS on golf carts. Although the surveys completed have been positive, the $46,000 expense will delay this project. The Links is advertised on the Golf Channel and pen point is still being used as a basis of the advertising. GolfQ.com does not cost any money; however, it will cost one round of golf not more than once a day and Mr. Hager does not feel that will occur more than 50 times in one year. 7 MEETING MINUTES GOLF COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 3, 2010 VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting properly adjourned at 5:22 p.m. 'm.~ ~prainito, MMC City Clerk Transcribed from One (1) Recording 06/29/10 06/29/10 8