Larson’s lessons

With a degree in finance and over two decades of experience in golf course management, White Cliffs (Massachusetts) Country Club superintendent, Lianne Larson, knows a thing or two (or three) on how to budget, and budget well. Having provided other superintendents in the Cape Cod area with quality advice and assistance with their own budgets, she shares some of her tips on how to be successful when creating and pitching your financial needs.  

Prepare 

Larson’s biggest advice to superintendents creating a budget is to be as prepared as possible.  

“You want to make sure that your numbers are accurate and that you can justify any line item in your budget because they will ask a million questions and I try to be as prepared as possible,” she says. “I try to explain that if it’s a ‘no’ on that particular thing, here’s where I could see it being a problem in the future. If it’s a ‘yes,’ what can they expect from that. I think it’s just really being super prepared and trying to answer the question before the question.” 

Preparation can not only help justify the course’s needs, but also help build a reputable relationship with the right people.  

“I may be overprepared, but it has afforded me over the years a great relationship with both my finance committee and my board,” Larson says. “They know what I’m saying is truthful, they know what I’m saying can be supported by information and documentation, and it makes the process a smooth process, an educational process for the board, and sometimes myself.” 

But how early should you begin preparing? This answer may be different for everyone, but for Larson, she starts around mid-September.  

“I usually take my last year’s budget — we track everything in house, all of our expenses and everything — and based on how we came out the previous year, is how I would budget for the new year,” she explains. “I will start my budget mid-September, I’ll make my first presentation to the finance committee, probably middle of October and then I will meet with them every two weeks or so until the actual annual budget meeting with the board of governors towards the first week in December. 

“I think it’s kind of me knowing my current numbers, my future numbers, and trying to come up with something realistic.” 

Get specific, know what to consider 

Did you go over budget last year? Did you overestimate the amount you would need? What about economic factors? The price of gas, inflation, what programs your course is planning, and even the number of golf rounds being played can all play a part in how you create your upcoming budget.  

“I think this year one of the big things we’ll consider is, you know, the cost of fuel has more than doubled from last year’s budget process,” Larson says. “Hiring employees — what used to be a good number, is so far off base — we would have to basically increase our hourly rate on all of our employees.  

“We have to consider fertilizer cost increases, something we are looking at this year. From a capital standpoint, equipment has gone up catastrophically in the last two or three years. So those are the things that we have to look at to make sure that when I present a budget, it’s a realistic budget.” 

With there being so many factors to consider, it’s important to be specific.  

“My budget is very detailed,” Larson says. “I take a line item, let’s say we have one called agriculture, which is basically our pesticides, fertilizer, our seed, wetting agents, then I have a subcategory that breaks down where all that money is being spent. That helps me, and it also helps the finance committee understand the detail behind it.  

“It’s not just, I need $100,000 for fertilizer. Here’s what it is, and we break it down. If there’s an increase because we’ve experienced a pest that we may not have experienced in the past, that will be noted also, so it’s very detailed.” 

Having the research and knowledge to back yourself up is important for when it comes time to advocate for yourself and the course’s needs. 

“In many cases, a lot of superintendents manage bigger budgets than those in corporate America manage, so I think it’s just being as educated on what you’re asking for is really the best tool.” 

Be realistic and accurate 

It’s important to take budgeting seriously for many reasons. The course you invest so much time and energy in is at stake, as well as your relationships with those in charge of making decisions on where and how the money is spent on the course. Because of this, being prepared, detail-oriented and accurate as well as realistic, are all traits one should possess.  

“I think one of the most important things is to be as accurate as you possibly can, I think your credibility will be damaged if I don’t do the necessary work ahead of time to make sure my numbers are good, that they’re solid,” Larson says. “You get to ask once for what you need, and I think we want to ask for a true number and not a number that’s going to look good to somebody 

“It’s learning what it costs to do the job and do it right. It’s not my place to say yes or no, it’s my job to put a number to it and it’s the club’s job to decide if it’s something they want to pursue or not pursue. I have to spend the club’s money like it’s my own money and that means that I have to spend it wisely.” 

Cassidy Gladieux is a Kent State University senior and Golf Course Industry editorial assistant.