The Fresh Perspective

GCBAA’s Justin Apel: “When an individual or a  company makes the decision to join our group, they’ve made the decision that they’re ready to stand up and showcase their craftsmanship against all others in the industry.”

When people talk about the heydays of golf course construction, they’re just campfire stories to Justin Apel, the Golf Course Builders Association of America’s new executive director.

You see, Apel wasn’t part of the industry boom. The 33-year old came on board in 2006, then as the executive assistant to executive director Paul Foley, who retired earlier this year. Before joining the GCBAA, Apel was the information and education director for the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts for four years. He also spent two years from 2000 to 2002 as legislative aide to Nebraska State Sen. Cap Dierks, who chaired the agriculture committee. But by 2006, those halcyon days were but a memory for the industry’s construction segment. The game, along with the entire U.S. economy, was heading toward more challenging times.

“After coming on board, there was no learning curve – it was straight up and down from day one,” Apel says from the group’s Lincoln, Neb., headquarters. “Not only did I have the disadvantage of not being involved in the golf course industry – I had little to no background in the game of golf – but I did have a background in proper land use, which tied directly with what the association represents – best practices when it comes to land use.”

Apel spent the last five years watching and learning as he was being groomed to one day succeed Foley as the leader of the GCBAA and its charitable arm, the GCBAA Foundation. Today, on the eve of the GCBAA’s summer meeting and his first as the association’s leader, Apel sees better times ahead.

“It’s a new era,” he says with youthful optimism. “Anytime there’s a challenge you also have an opportunity. In my career, it seems I’ve always felt like I’ve started at the bottom with groups and the only way I know is to move ahead.”

Anyone who’s attended a GCBAA summer meeting knows how involved you’ve been in those meetings. Will it be any different for you this year as the group’s executive director?

Not really. I’m still very involved in the planning and preparation for this year’s meeting. In a lot of ways, I’m more involved. There’s a lot of excitement around this year’s meeting. We’re seeing registration numbers that are equal to what we saw three years ago. We’re definitely seeing excitement in the industry and that excitement is leading into this year’s meeting. I’m seeing more international members attending this year’s meeting than ever before. And the level of involvement from those companies who are attending this year is making it even more exciting.

During your time with the GCBAA, what did you learn about golf course construction that has surprised you?

My excitement about initially getting involved with this group came from my ag background. It relates to surrounding me with people who have a great respect for the land and the challenges and opportunities that come from that. Coming into this job, I knew every day was going to be a new challenge, and as long as there are people who share your similar passion, then you’re going to experience success.

What surprised me the most, though, was at my first networking event – our opening reception at GIS in Anaheim. At the time, I had the sense that there was fierce competition between our members – contractor vs. contractor and supplier vs. supplier. From fielding phone calls and working with members, I remember thinking to myself, “What kind of ballroom has enough corners to accommodate this group?” I was picturing a cage-match setting. And seeing 600-700 people signing up for this event, I wondered what kind of security were we going to need. Instead, I went to that event and saw the camaraderie and energy that group has when they get together – all of the big-fish stories – I was really humbled. That’s what surprised me the most – everyone set aside that competition to come together and work together.

Another thing that surprised me was the skill and art that the builders and shapers bring to a project and their ability to translate the exact slopes and falls from an architect’s plan into a course… that’s a phenomenal process.

During your time with the GCBAA, you’ve probably heard the perception that association members are more expensive to hire than non-association members. Is that still valid, especially in this economy?

Yes, there still is that perception. But it depends on who you’re asking. When you use a member of the association you’re bringing in someone who is an expert and who can contribute valuable feedback on a project – whether its renovation work or a new build. They’ll have ideas during a project that will bring a direct savings down the road.

Those guys who are focused on a project’s bottom-line costs are not looking at the down-the-road cost savings. Instead, they’re simply looking at the lowest bid. Anyone can cut corners during a project and chip away at the quality. If you’re going to go that route, then you need to keep those companies on speed dial because it’ll only be a few short years later that they’ll need to be called back to correct what are now expensive mistakes.

So, outside of the bottom line, what differentiates a member from a non-member?

Let me answer that question this way. When an individual or a company makes the decision to join our group, they’ve made the decision that they’re ready to stand up and showcase their craftsmanship against all others in the industry.

Contractors typically have completed a successful project and now want to expand their network.

Suppliers have products that can improve the construction process. A consultant can offer a partnership that betters an overall project.

It’s not so much that there’s a difference between a member and a non-member. Instead, we see those individuals who are providing quality products and quality work inevitably end up as members of our association.

They realize that being part of our organization allies them with other individuals in the industry who want to make the game better, which inevitably supports and betters their companies. What’s it like having access to the meetings of your allied organizations in the industry? That’s pretty cool. Whether they’re players, owners, managers or superintendents, being invited to attend their meetings allows me to walk away with an incredible amount of ideas, knowledge and contacts. They’re also great opportunities to learn how we can all better collaborate on issues in the future. To have an opportunity to listen to the insight of some real legends in the industry… it can be very humbling.

And they really make you feel like a part of the group. I’m told that there was a time in the past when each group operated independently on their own initiatives. I’m fortunate that I’ve been in the industry during a time when there is a lot of collaboration and a lot of general interest to work together.

And I can’t complain about the venues for these meetings, either. (laughs)

What have you been hearing from your membership on how they’ve been keeping busy?

When you look at the number of new courses opening, that number is down and it’s been trending down for the last three years.

But look at the renovation numbers. That’s what’s been important to our members – renovations and more renovations. It’s no surprised that renovation is the trend for clubs and courses to stay competitive in this market. And that’s what we’re hearing from our membership. And in those renovations being done there is a direct need for the services and expertise of our members – everything from poor-draining bunkers to an 18-hole blowup. And this is what’s keeping crews busy.

And we’re seeing projects starting to move… and we’re seeing a lot of projects going out to bid, which is a direct sign of momentum for our industry. Guys are busy and it’s not because of new courses. And renovation work can be just as difficult and time consuming as new builds. There are some incredible projects going on out there.

What have members been saying about foreign opportunities, especially in Asia?

No. 1, for our members and for the entire industry, foreign work isn’t for everyone. Our role, though, is to support the members who are already there and educate those who are interested in those markets. There are a lot of issues and challenges doing business outside the U.S. We’re fortunate as an association to have a number of members working in Asia, especially in China… some for 20 years now. That wealth of knowledge has helped our association decide what we’re going to offer in terms of services and resources.

This fall we’ll be exhibiting at the Asia Golf Show along with our allied partners. Our goal is to be there and share with that market our membership’s resources and extend the networking that we’ve established in the States. We’ve had international members dating back to the 1980s, and we have 50 international members from 15 countries.

So for a number of years, we’ve had a number of members involved in the construction boom in Asia. We’re focused on Asia, but we’re also working with members from Europe and South America and addressing the needs of those markets, as well.

Any talk for establishing a satellite office in Asia?

We don’t, but that’s not to say it’s not needed. For us, it’ll be one small step at a time. As we increase our international presence, we will see what the demand is. If there is a demand, then it could be possible.

What do you want your stamp on the GCBAA to be when your tenure is over?

What I’m carrying through is offering the open door… I’m open to all ideas and I will reinforce the edict that this is a membership-driven association. Everyone’s thoughts can be considered. Everyone’s voices will be heard. No one at any time will think this is a closed group or is an association that’s open to only veteran players in the industry or only the big companies doing business in this industry.

Whether you employ one or 1,000, you will be treated in the exact same way.

Has there been a bias about being a part of the GCBAA?

Every association, no matter the industry, has to battle that good-old-boys bias. There are guys who were the pioneers that started the group and carried the group during its formative years and during the tough times. However, there’s a point in time when you have to be fair to the new members and present them with the same opportunities in case the group finds itself in that situation again… because it may be those new members who will be the pioneers to get the group through the next challenge.

There’s always that perception out there and there always will be, but I want to make sure that I can keep as much transparency as I can and make sure there is fairness all of the way through.

It sounds like this philosophy is establishing a new era for the GCBAA?

Absolutely. It’s not to say any of my predecessors did that. This will be my leadership style – to engage the board more, to make sure committees are active, to filter ideas through due diligence and using special committees, and that any idea is weighed and moves on in the most fair manner. And doing this is to my advantage because I will have issues in front of experts who can point out all of the advantages and conflicts that may be involved with an idea.

And as we make critical decisions for the association moving forward, I believe this is the best process… and the way to run an association regardless of the industry you’re in.

Mike Zawacki is editor of GCI.