Rising tide

In the alphabet soup of golf associations that includes the USGA, PGA of America, CMAA and GCSAA, there are two more that sometimes get left off: GCBAA and ASGCA. Though smaller, these two groups should stand out for some interesting reasons.

First, they are essentially “guilds” as opposed to professional associations that support individual needs or trade associations that promote sales of products. Back in the day, guilds were confederations of craftsmen or specialists. The earliest guilds were stone masons, barbers, blacksmiths and other groups where expertise, business practices and culture were shared by members. They set standards, promoted and preserved good practices, and tried their best to drum up business for everyone.

Our modern-day guilds, represented by the golf course builders and architects groups, perform something of the same function today. Though their members essentially compete against each other for jobs, they recognize they have common needs and goals and that (to borrow one of Steve Mona’s favorite sayings) a rising tide lifts all boats.

Thus, the ASGCA and GCBAA try like hell to make the tide rise.

And, it’s starting to work.

The old golf market, where we insanely built 300-400 courses a year for a while, is dead and nothing is likely to ever revive it. The new golf market, where smart facilities recognize the need to improve their courses to attract a smaller and choosier group of avid players, is emerging nicely. So, today’s rising tide is remodeling, renovation and enhancement.

Our new research in this issue makes it clear that among our core readers, renovation is booming. Half of you told us you were remodeling bunkers or planning to redo them soon. Irrigation upgrades and other infrastructure are also humming along. One final highlight: practice facilities are a hot spot for design and construction as clubs recognize that members want first-class amenities in addition to a first-class course.

Today, both associations are benefitting from grinding years of promoting the value of working with certified professionals. The days when hiring a GCBAA certified builder or an ASGCA member architect were cost-prohibitive are largely over. In a post-recession world, why wouldn’t you spend about the same amount of money to have your master-planning and renovation work done by the best, most experienced professionals you can find?

There’s one final similarity between the GCBAA and ASGCA that’s noteworthy. Both are overseen by younger, energetic people who have embraced new ways to achieve old goals. I’m proud to call both Justin Apel of GCBAA and Chad Ritterbusch of ASGCA friends… and I’m even prouder to have them in important leadership positions as our industry rebounds and evolves. Their hard work combined with the wisdom and vision of their boards is a powerful combination at just the right time.
 

Speaking of the right time, we feel that 2016 is the year to celebrate the renewal of our market by bringing back by our builders awards program. And, we hope to make it a little broader to include not just projects driven by GCBAA members but also designs done by those guys in the red tartan jackets. Stay tuned for details on how you’ll be able to nominate your facility’s recent project soon.

Finally, a quick thank you to three supporters of GCBAA who underwrote our special report on construction and remodeling this month: Rain Bird Golf, Better Billy Bunker and Best Sand. As always, great companies have a vision to support good ideas. And right now, there’s no better idea than improving your course for the next generation of customers.