Peer-to-peer financial chat

After sitting down to work on the maintenance budget for 17 years and running now at Everett Golf and Country Club, a renowned private club north of Seattle, Mike Conklin, CGCS, is comfortable with the process entering year 18.

As we hit the budget season for most superintendents, I thought Mike was a good one to ask for a few pointers and tips on his budgeting process.

Mike considers his budgeting routine and boring, which he viewed as a bad thing. But I’d say that is exactly the feeling we all seek. We all want the process to be routine, boring and smooth. It’s the other end of the spectrum everyone wants to avoid. “After working in my current position for many years, I have become less reliant upon figuring out every last detail and now operate based upon my historical averages,” he says.

Mike emphasizes how past budgets are critical when sitting down each fall to tackle a new budget.

“I used to spend hours working up fertilizer and pesticide plans during budget preparation,” he says. “But now I adjust many line items based upon historic actuals with input from sales reps on expected pricing. I have also been hitting my budget for many years and my membership trusts me to spend their money wisely.”

I asked Mike if he had one tip or suggestion for newer superintendents attempting to establish and approve budgets.

“If there was one tool I would pass along to younger superintendents, it would be to prepare a written document that parallels the budget line item by line item,” he says. “I write in depth about how I developed the numbers included in my proposed budget.

“Every year when I am working on a new budget, I bring up the previous year’s notes and update them with new notes about price increases or changes to our maintenance program. It is also where I record items like when our pumps were refurbished and the number of years until it should be needed again. After 17 years of compiling information, the document provides a good history of what has occurred and what will be needed.”

Although everyone has a budget, no two budgets are going to be quite the same. Mike’s budgeting history is at a private club, which means a chain of command, approving the budget and politics can be involved in the process. Superintendents who work at courses with a single owner might encounter a smoother process compared to those at facilities with multiple layers. Mike, though, doesn’t seem flustered by what he experiences at Everett Golf and Country Club.

“Each year I submit my budget to our finance committee,” he says. “I also submit my budget explanations as well. Because we’ve done so well in the past, I haven’t been asked a question in many years.”

Here’s hoping all of our 2023 budgets go smoothly and are just as boring and routine as Mike’s.

Ron Furlong is the superintendent at Avalon Golf Links in Burlington, Washington, and a frequent Golf Course Industry contributor.