GCI Exclusive: Final dispatch from the 2011 China Golf Show

Final Report

On my final days in Beijing I visited Darren Moore, golf gourse superintendent, at Shadow Creek Golf Club.  This course was beautiful and just coming out of winter.  Turf covers had just been removed and there is always the danger of desiccation as the wind was blowing and nighttime temperatures were at or near freezing.  The golf course looked just like one in Chicago with many of the same plantings and stellar conditioning.  In a few weeks greening will take effect and I saw trees and shrubs like forsythia and magnolias blooming.  Darren tells me that his ryegrass fairways and rough can suffer some winter damage and also are stressed by warm summer temperatures and either pythium or brown patch.

All of the equipment at Shadow Creek was the same as what you would see in the USA.  The maintenance facility is very similar to those we have here as well.  The course is a Jack Nicklaus design and Darren gets to see our old friend Jon Scott on occasion when he tours the area.  Darren was an excellent host and I thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours he spent with me.

As far as jobs in Asia I spoke to several people regarding what it is like to work over there.  It takes a special person to be adventurous enough to work in Asia.  Many have been successful but some have not found it to be their cup of tea.  Most jobs are referred by the golf course architects and consultants so they are the best bet to make a contact.  Those with international experience and construction background seem to fare the best.  It can be a bit of an isolated experience since most of the locals speak Mandarin and it is not an easy language to pick up.  Superintendents have interpreters to work with their crew and management.  However, the wives and/or children do not have that same support structure.  There is internet, Skype and cable TV there with some American news and shows.  Most of the expatriates send their kids to American or British schools and this is an added expense or must be negotiated with the owners.  Many of the golf courses offer nearby housing and a driver to get around town.  Driving in Beijing is interesting to say the least so a driver would be a blessing.

I asked what the range of pay for superintendents was in Asia and I was told that it would be between $70K and $150K USD.  I am not familiar with the taxation issues but there are some advantages for working overseas.  Most superintendents have contracts that vary from 2-3 years and are renewable.  Generally, there are a lot of superintendents that help to get the courses grown in and set up standard maintenance operations.  After they complete those tasks the courses are many times turned over to a local superintendent and it is time to move on. Typical contracts call for a superintendent to attend the GIS and maybe one other trip back to the USA per year.

Associations and support seem few and far between.  Garry Crothers worked hard to develop an association in Malaysia and was visiting over there at the same time I was in China.  He is the grandfather of golf course construction, grow in and maintenance in Asia.  I would advise anyone considering employment over there to contact Garry.  He hosted me several times in the 1990’s in Singapore and Malaysia.

Here are a final few notes on the city and the people.  Beijing was formerly known as Peking and it is now the capital city of the People’s Republic of China.  The combined population of Beijing is 22 million people with 13 million being permanent residents.  It is by far much larger and developed than NY, LA or Chicago.  The infrastructure is well designed and they have a wonderful roadway system.  Driving is an experience as it seemed as though the lines on the roadways were just “recommendations” for lanes rather than a definition.  Cars sort of move in and out of lanes at high speeds and seem to do it with ease as I saw very few accidents.  Building is going on everywhere and high rises can be right next to beautiful parks or historical temples.

The people of Beijing were very friendly and seemed quite industrious.  They were very business savvy and had great aspirations to manage or run their own businesses.  In some areas there are multi-million dollar homes and a lot of affluence.  Cars are the main mode of transportation and I found it interesting that most of them were the same we would see in the USA.  Buick is the number one seller of US cars and the typical Toyota, Jeep, VW, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, etc.  There are still lots of people on mopeds and bicycles and there is a decent system of busses and subways to get around on.

One must visit the tourist attractions like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.  Time did not permit me to do more than visit the Great Wall.  It is 4000 miles long and took hundreds of years to build.  It is quite an engineering feat and is one of the 7 Wonders of the World. 

A little shopping for some local pearls and it was time to head back to California.  My trip was very successful as I accomplished the goals of lining up potential distributors for Grigg Bros. in China and Taiwan.  Many other contacts were made for new business and I hope to go back a few times a year to consult at various properties.  Hope you have enjoyed my commentary.  It was fun to experience and write!