Tools for tallying

Golf course architect Steve Forrest says being on-budget on a recent course construction project was partially due to a new tool he used. The tool, the Golf Course Builders Association of America’s 2008 Guide to Estimating Golf Course Construction, gave him realistic expectations that helped him more accurately estimate the final cost.

The cost estimate guide, available on CD, details the costs associated with various aspects of building a course, taking into account the variances in each region of the United States. The guide offers charts, averages, and calculation and conversion guides for projects of all types and sizes. Even though the builders’ association released the guide, it comes in handy for other groups involved with course construction as well, as Forrest can attest.

Superintendents also can benefit from the guide, says Paul Foley, executive director of the GCBAA.

“It can help them decide what they might be able to afford when they have a construction project,” he says. “It can also help to convince their boss of a project, and they can show where they got the cost estimate from.”

“The guide is pretty close to reality,” says Forrest, partner at the Toledo, Ohio-based firm Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates. “It’s right there in terms of accuracy.”

He finished an $8-million project about $100,000 off budget, which is relatively on-target for a project of that size, he says.

Forrest appreciates that the program allows him to go back into the calculations and change unit prices if the need arises. It’s comprehensive in the scope of services it offers too, he adds.

“If you have a water feature or want to add a bridge you can go into the program and add it,” he says.

Without the guide, Forrest has to comb through old files to find information from comparative projects for estimates. The guide is a time-saver in this regard, he says.

An earlier form of the guide has been out for several years, but the new version is updated and contains features the old one didn’t have, Foley says.

“Before, the guide only included estimates for new construction,” Foley says. “Now it includes renovation and reconstruction work as well.”

Costs from builders’ construction and renovation projects were tallied to produce averages of more than 60 common line items. An independent firm compiled the numbers so builders wouldn’t be worried about sharing their prices with other builders.

Those who want to learn more about the cost estimating guide can attend a free tutorial from 1-2 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Golf Industry Show, room 2665 at the convention center.

The guide costs $50 for members and $100 for non-members.  To order, contact the GCBAA at 402-476-4444 or www.gcbaa.org.  Order forms also will be available at GIS.