Building something special

One of the wonderful things about the golf industry is that our business practices often reflect the values of the game itself. We treasure honesty, fair play, camaraderie, friendship and fun...all while attempting to earn a living and do quality work.

Despite the economic ups and downs, the good folks tend to stay around the business and rise to the top. Thankfully, most of the asshats bailed out when the downturn hit but the committed folks stuck around because, despite the economy they love what they do no matter what.

No organization reflects the crazy path of the golf business over the past few decades than the Golf Course Builders Association of America. The group has evolved from a small, loosely knit core of tough-minded dirt movers to a much larger presence during the idiotic boom times of the ’90s to today’s small but passionately dedicated post-recession organization.

Of all the alphabet soup of associations around golf, you would have to think the guys who make a living building courses in an overbuilt market would be the most likely to fail.

Yet, as I attended the 2014 GCBAA summer meeting in Louisville last month, I came away thinking they might be the least likely to ever fail. Why? Let me tell you about the culture of this very special group.

The builder and supplier membership, which had ballooned during the ’90s, has certainly shrunk. But, they have gone from being a big crazy army to being the Marine Corps: small, highly skilled, tightknit and lazer-focused on the task at hand. Sure, we’d all love to see the game grow and demand for courses return, but that ain’t gonna happen. In many ways, the smaller GCBAA is a better organization than before.

Ask any longtime member what still motivates them to work so hard to get remodeling and renovation jobs or the occasional new course and they won’t tell you about a new sailboat they want to buy or some other investment. Instead, they’ll tell you they wake up every day trying to do one thing: keep their people employed. They view their crews – the shapers, site superintendents and others who lovingly create great golf using big angry pieces of iron – as family.

And they are scrambling and changing to achieve that goal. They obviously are fighting for every remodel they can get, and bunker work and greens reconstruction have filled the gap for some. But many are also expanding into sports field construction and overall types of commercial and residential development. One member told me with a straight face that he’d just proudly completed a skateboard park. Not exactly a new Coore/Crenshaw gem but pays the bills.

The GCBAA leadership is remarkable. Over the years, legends like Brent Wadsworth, Bill Kubly, Chip McDonald and our pal Tommy Sasser put blood, sweat and tears into growing and solidifying the group. Now, a newer generation like Rick Boylan, Kurt Huseman, Scott Veazey and Judd Duininck are guiding it through the troubled waters of a deflating market.

They recently created a new membership category for irrigation contractors in recognition of the growing importance of smart water management in our business. This was politically a bit risky since other associations also represent those folks but it’s quite simply the right thing to do considering how largely water will loom in our future.

The GCBAA took another risk a few years back by hiring a “kid” as its executive director. But here’s the thing: Justin Apel is anything but a rookie when it comes to getting things done and keeping GCBAA moving forward based on the board’s strategic priorities. Justin seems to be everywhere and has become a respected part of the Allied Associations leadership group at activities like National Golf Day. He is a talented association executive and a genuinely good guy...thus making him a perfect fit for an organization that is reshaping itself for tomorrow.

Finally – and perhaps most telling in terms of what makes GCBAA special – these guys like to have fun. They may fight against each other tooth-and-nail for projects but when they gather together they are old friends with a common cause: supporting the growth and development of golf. Yes, they have speakers and education at their events, but the real focus is on auctions and raffles to raise tens of thousands of dollars for Sticks for Kids. The bidding is boisterous, loud and fun.

Speaking of which, I am about to fulfill a promise I made during the auction in Louisville. We donated (predictably) a drone to be auctioned off and the bidding stalled at about $500. I opened up my mouth and said if the winning bidder would also get a mention in this column. Our pal Big John McDonald, now a legend in his own right after following in his dad’s substantial boot-prints, jumped in with a very generous bid. He got a drone and he now gets a little well-deserved attention for being one of the people that makes the best little association in golf so cool.