Letters to the editor

Course design
I read the November issue cover to cover – great issue. It was as if the issue was written for our little “country” country club. Although at times I had to use “downsizing interpretation” because of our physical size and the size of our pocket book, the meat of the issue related to us, from the customer satisfaction article by Jack Brennan (page 23) to the maintenance program article by David Wolff (page 50).
The article about the future course (page 30) provided me with insight as to how we should address our course design to make it more challenging. Because we have stretched our length to the max, we need to consider narrowing our fairways to tighten them up and to reduce maintenance expenses. Because of our limited distance (6,200 yards) and our open fairways (many are more than 60-yards wide), we need to narrow the fairways to restrict the opportunity for the “hit-it-hard-and-spray-it golf,” yet provide the proper landing area and opportunity for the accurate golfer. We have limited acreage (less than 100 acres of course) and would like to go from fairway-length turfgrass directly to a rough that requires considerably less maintenance.
We’re a poor, small country club, but with the help of your publication, we’re continuing to move forward.
Loren E. Williams
Board of directors
Bayou Oaks Country Club
Sulphur, La.

Redefining a purpose
Well done on covering the need for shorter courses (“Get shorty,” page 8, October issue) ... shorter in length … shorter in time … shorter in par. As an industry, we need to redefine our purpose so survival of this great game is assured. In short, it has to be fun, enjoyable, purposeful and timely. This has to be the center of our game development, and that development has to be carried out by more than daily-fee facilities. Country clubs need to participate in player development – at the junior levels at the very least ... and then there’s the women. The national programs are great for awareness, but local initiatives need to drive player development.
We’re in the recreation business, helping people have fun and recreate through golf.
As an aside, we have 18 regulation holes, a driving range, a nine-hole executive course and a nine-hole, par-3 course. With four different products, the recognition of our market demands become clearer each year.
Ric Jeffries
Co-owner and director of golf
RiverRidge Golf Complex
Eugene, Ore.

Future course dialogue
I am glad to see Golf Course News back up and running. I’m not sure the magazine knows how important it is to this business.
I’ve been in golf for more than 50 years and enjoyed participating in a few articles in the original GCN before it closed. “The future course” article (page 30 of the November issue) is excellent dialogue. However, there’s a component that’s still missing in dialogue about the future of the industry. I hope readers will take a few moments to read an article on the Web at www.golfmak.com/1000-more-golf-courses.htm.
Keep GCN healthy. I recommend it to all interests in the golf business.
Michael A. Kahn
President
Golfmak
Bradenton, Fla.

Responding to McLoughlin
Thanks for the article about winning in a tight job market (page 29 of the September issue) by Jim McLoughlin. It has given me new insights as to what I might be doing wrong. I’ve had Mel Lucas (past president of the GCSAA) look at my resume several times, and he likes it, but after reading McLoughlin’s article, I know it’s lacking. I thank him for bringing my shortcomings to light. I will try some of his suggestions, especially the career Web site.
Louis P. Bettencourt, CGCS
Rolling Road Golf Club
Catonsville, Md.

I enjoy reading Jim McLoughlin’s articles in Golf Course News. I’m interested in taking the PGA/USGA Rules test as he advised, but I’m having trouble finding out how to go about doing it. Can you point me in the right direction?
Jim Curlee, CGCS
Corpus Christi (Texas) Country Club

Editor’s note: McLoughlin’s response is
below:
Before you take the Rules test, you’ll want/have to attend a PGA/USGA Rules workshop. There’s no option if you want to pass the test. Call the PGA or USGA (or check their Web sites) and ask for the Rules workshop schedule for 2005. These workshops are scheduled all throughout the country. Good luck.