GCM

AUGUST 2010

The
Business

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 8
MAGAZINE
FOR THE GOLF INDUSTRY
GOLF CLUB MANAGEMENT Visit www.compleatgolfer.co.za for back issues of GCM

A TRIUMPH
FOR SA’S TURF INDUSTRY

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Fair or fowl? How to manage guineafowl
■ Effluent – an alternative water source

■ Turf lessons from the World Cup

■ The secrets of good course design

■ Retail 101: Sale psychology

GCM IS PRINTED ON
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

CONTENTS
BIRDIES AND BOGEYS
News from the last month 4
FAIR OR FOWL
Managing guineafowl 6
FROM
THE BORDER COLLIE SOLUTION
Westlake’s triumph over Egyptian geese 9
HR
13
THE EDITOR
Benefits of the World Cup
FLORA FOR COURSES
Proteas for colour 14
MANAGER OF THE MONTH
Zwartkop’s Brian Hayes 20
HARD-EARNED LESSONS
RETAIL 101 By the time that you read this, the World
Having a sale 28 Cup 2010 would have come and gone, and
although not perfect, hopefully time will
RANDS AND SENSE
When is the price right? 37 prove that we acquitted ourselves well.
The benefits of spending a huge amount
COVER PICTURE of money will, after all, only come later...
A FIFA pitch at the Royal Bafokeng Palace. or so we would like to believe. Besides a
few ticketing glitches, labour disputes and
■ EDITORIAL
somewhat fewer high-spending tourists ar-
JOHN BOTHA riving than we first thought, the report card
Email: bogeyfree@mweb.co.za will probably show a comfortable pass, if not
Cell: 082 498 7380 a distinction. It must be said that our turf in-
■ PUBLISHER dustry proved, albeit after a shaky start, that
CRAIG WILSON we can produce pitches as well as anyone,
Email: craigw@ramsaymedia.co.za and the major contractors certainly pulled
Cell: 083 288 3834 out all the stops and must be congratulated
■ ADVERTISING on the final product. Whether all the plans
JAMES FERRANS (NATIONAL SALES MANAGER) have been put in place by the ‘powers that
Email: jamesf@ramsaymedia.co.za be’ to ensure that the maintenance of all
Cell: 084 252 6373 these magnificent facilities will allow for
NICKY MEARS (ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE) standards to be maintained is another mat-
Email: nickym@ramsaymedia.co.za ter, but again, time will tell.
Cell: 082 927 5408 It is surprising what can be done in a
To request your copy of GCM, subscribe to short space of time when it simply has to be
Compleat Golfer by calling 0860 100 205 done, and we see this on golf courses that
(indicating that you would like to be placed on the are being prepared for a major event, even
GCM mailing list) or go to www.compleatgolfer.co.za
if that ‘major’ happens to be a club cham-
to download your free copy.
pionship. Suddenly those minor jobs that
A monthly business-to-business magazine
brought to you by had been put on the back-burner get done,
unsightly piles of ‘greenkeeper’s rubble’
disappear and general housekeeping is
magically improved. The obvious question is:
why should it take a special event for
everyone to suddenly notice and do some-
thing about things that should be done dur-
ing the normal course of events? Of course,
it is simply impossible to keep a course in
‘tournament ready’ condition all year round,
although certain committees might expect
this. It is also easy to sympathise with course
EDITOR’S LETTER
superintendents who are given shoe-string
budgets and who are expected to work
wonders. It is, however, interesting to note
how certain individuals manage to produce
excellent results with very little, and the same
applies to course managers.
I would like to thank everyone who, after a
bit of prompting, has supplied us with informa-
tion regarding their tree-planting programmes.
It is encouraging to see that most clubs are
taking this initiative seriously, and all power
to them. During the coming months we will
be featuring those clubs that have embarked
on these programmes, and hopefully it will
encourage others to become involved.
GCM’s workshop that was held at Mod-
derfontein Golf Club was well attended and,
by most accounts, it was again considered
to be a worthwhile exercise. A special
thanks must go to host John Boyce and our
speakers that included Pye Bredenkamp,
Jock Tame, John Masson, John Collier
and Hendrik Buhrmann. We are also most
grateful to our sponsors, Stihl, Smith Turf
and Hansgrohe.
Finally, not for the first time, I must com-
pliment everyone who continues to share
their expertise with our readers. Perhaps
more than any other sporting code, people in
the golf industry are a helpful lot. I regularly
receive emails from readers who let me know
that they have benefitted from a specific
article, or from those that seek advice on a
specific topic. I then refer them to experts
in the field, who never fail to be
of assistance. As long as this
attitude prevails, I have no
doubt that the long-term
prognosis for our industry
will remain healthy.
Golf Club Management August 2010 3
birdies and bogeys

in search of the best

19th holes
Beginning in the next issue of GCM, we
will be featuring the best watering holes
at golf clubs. If you believe that your 19th
hole is worthy of inclusion, let us know.

carbon credits
One of the speakers at the GCM
workshop held at Modderfontein was
Hendrik Buhrmann, who can show
golf clubs how they can convert their
carbon credits into cash. Clubs inter-
ested in learning more can contact
him on: 083 262 8998.

singing for their supper

The well-known singing duo Little Sister entertained guests at a golf day recently held at
Zwartkop Country Club. Debbie Lonmon (left) and her sister Jenni (right), were joined
on stage by guest artist Nosipho.

4 august 2010 Golf Club Management

 Birdies and Bogeys

a pair of legends
Sally Little and Dale Hayes are the
best of friends, but by the look on Dale’s
face, he has never forgotten being
beaten by Sally when they were teenag-
ers and playing from the same tees.
Sally was as Zwartkop CC to assist the
club’s ladies section with a charity auc-
Travelling in sTyle tion – SA’s greatest-ever woman golfer
The resident club professional at Glendower, Rudy Whitfield, with his sponsored car – again proved her willingness to make a
Rudy is featured in our new series of pro shop profiles on page 18. difference wherever she goes. ■

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Tindrum 10/051
Guineafowl feature

fair or fowl?
Like the ubiquitous Egyptian Goose, the helmeted guineafowl is much hated by course su-
perintendents, and with good reason. As bird expert Bronwyn Howard points out,
culling these destructive game birds is one option if correctly done at the right time of year,
but careful consideration should also be given to controlling their habitat and managing
flocks rather than declaring an all-out war on this threatened species.
Helmeted guineafowl are an important causing unsightly damage. west African stock has resulted in the oc-
game bird in South Africa. Found in open- Finding a solution to the problem is not currence of a hybrid version that appears to
country areas interspersed with maize and easy, particularly when one considers that have lost certain imperative survival instincts,
wheat crops, these garrulous and somewhat the helmeted guineafowl is facing various particularly with regards to strategies to avoid
comical birds usually occur in groups, difficulties that are threatening the viability of predators and ensure successful breeding
particularly during winter when they are populations of this seemingly abundant bird. (crossbreeds are extremely poor parents
not breeding and tend to gather in large Although it is hard to believe when seeing often leaving chicks to fend for themselves,
numbers with flocks of more than 40 birds big congregations of these birds, especially as a result of which the young often die).
being observed. This happens in virtually any during winter when the birds are not breed- While large numbers of guineafowl can
area of open ground suitable to the helmeted ing and are not inclined to pair off, numbers and do cause damage to golf course greens
guineafowl’s particular habitat requirements, of wild helmeted guineafowl have actually in winter, the need to regulate the birds’
including golf courses – which have just the declined significantly since the 1980s, with needs to be balanced against the obvious
sort of open aspect and access to water that some populations even facing local extinc- need to conserve them, especially when you
the birds require, together with trees the tion. The collapse of local populations has consider that the birds have already largely
birds use as roosting sites at night. While mainly been associated with the destruc- disappeared from regions such as the
synonymous with Africa in much the same tion and fragmentation of the birds’ natural KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. One also needs
way as an African Fish Eagle or a scattering habitat (thorny scrub and open savanna, to consider that the presence of helmeted
of fallen porcupine quills, the birds begin uti- especially along rivers and near wetlands) as guineafowl can also benefit golf courses in a
lizing the greens as a food source when other it is converted to agricultural lands and ur- very tangible way, so getting rid of the birds
areas have gone dormant. The difficulty is banisation. The birds’ difficulties do not end entirely is not necessarily in the course’s
that the birds have a habit of scratching the there. Interbreeding with feral domesticated best interests in the long term, particularly if
ground in their search for subterranean food, guineafowls derived from genetically different the course wishes to go the environmental-
ly-friendly route.

Benefits of helmeted
“havinG Guineafowl
helmeted Having helmeted guineafowl on your course
may actually be extremely beneficial. Per-
Guineafowl on haps their greatest advantage is that they
your course can be used for natural pest control as 80 –
90 percent of their diet in summer consists
will definitely of insects. Prior to and during the breeding

serve to season (November – April coinciding with

the summer rains) these guineafowl have
naturally higher protein requirements to facilitate

decrease successful eggshell formation and repro-

duction and as a result begin to eat more
insect pests...” animal matter.
Food in summer includes an incredible ar-
ray of invertebrates, many of which are agricul-
tural pests. Quantities of arthropods, beetles,

6 august 2010 Golf Club Management


grasshoppers, termites, weevils, snails, small
frogs, nutilids and noctuid larvae are eaten.
Guineafowl are known to consume ticks
and research is being conducted in North
America to determine whether they could
be used to prevent Lyme’s disease, which is
spread by ticks via local deer. Smallholders
with helmeted guineafowl occurring on their
properties – or introducing the birds to their
properties – have recorded a greatly reduced
number of insect pests.
Therefore having helmeted guineafowl on
your course will definitely serve to naturally
decrease insect pests, which will in turn
help to decrease your course’s pesticide
load and impact on the environment.
Guineafowl also eat vegetable matter in
the form of certain weeds and their seeds,
helping to reduce the weeds on your course
over time. This obviously means less man-
power needed to pull out or cut weeds back
and less use of herbicides to control them.
the Problem
In winter the picture changes somewhat.
While the birds will still eat weeds and weed
seeds, their diet switches out of necessity
because of seasonal changes to their habits
and the environment around them. Firstly,
the birds are no longer breeding and there-
fore have reduced protein requirements.
Secondly – and perhaps more important-
ly – the quantity of insects and arthropods
reduce, a natural response to the colder
weather experienced in higher-lying regions
such as the savanna grasslands of the
South African Highveld. While helmeted
guineafowl will still favour arthropod and
insect foods when they are available, the
onset of winter usually triggers a change
in diet as the birds switch to plant foods,
which are then more prevalent, favouring
underground tubers and corms which are
the storage organs of plants and accordingly
have high nutritional value. During a study
conducted in the Riemland area of the Free
State, it was found that the winter diet of
helmeted guineafowl consisted mainly of
corms of the sedge Cyperus, which is also
referred to in Roberts Birds of South Africa,
Ed VII as being a preferred winter food. The
birds were also found to eat grass seeds,
grass leaves and blackjacks in addition to
small amounts of arthropods. Roberts also
records that helmeted guineafowl eat the
seeds of so-called ‘dubbeltjies’ (Tribulus
terrestris). Dubbeltjies and Cyperus are
regarded as herbaceous pests; the birds’
predilection for these items would also help
to reduce the occurrence of these plants on
the golf course and surrounds.
Contrary to popular opinion, the birds do
not scratch the ground as chickens do, but
they do use their feet to dig for underground
food items as well as pecking food from the
ground surface. This causes damage to the
greens and grass, making them unsightly
and causing a maintenance headache. Dur-
ing summer this sort of damage is minimal
as the birds have another food source;
however in winter it can become an issue,
especially if large numbers of the birds are
occurring on the course.
Some form of control measures would
need to be implemented to manage helm-
eted guineafowl on a course, particularly
during winter when actual and potential
damage to greens is most likely to occur.
When considering control measures, it is
important to bear in mind the benefits to your
course as mentioned previously by maintain-
ing a population of helmeted guineafowl on
site. We would not recommend that helmeted
guineafowl be eradicated or relocated due to
the useful ecosystem services they provide.
Control measures
Helmeted guineafowl, like all nature’s
creatures, are subject to natural population
controls. There needs to be sufficient food,
as well as suitable nesting and roosting
sites. The habitat also needs to be of the
right type. Starvation and inclement weather
are the main causes of death among young
Guineafowl feature
guineafowl (keets). The adults’ natural
predators include large raptors such as the
Martial Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle (which was
recently seen in Linden, Johannesburg, a
very unusual occurrence), Bateleur, Tawny
Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Cape Eagle Owl
and Verreaux’ Eagle Owl.
Although helmeted guineafowl have
proved susceptible to agricultural poisons, the
use of poison as a control measure should
never to be considered. Poison inevitably
affects other, non-target species, which you
would actually want on your course. Raptors
(which prey on guineafowl thereby control-
ling them) are very adversely affected by
so-called ‘secondary poisoning’ when they eat
poisoned carcasses or birds and other prey
that have themselves been poisoned.
Culling to reduce numbers is a possibil-
ity (these are game birds after all) and can
in fact be beneficial to the birds as long as
the bag limit is not exceeded. The Riemland
study found that so-called ‘wing-shooting’
does not have a negative effect on breeding
success and populations overall. In fact, it
was found that a certain amount of control-
led hunting reduces populations so that
more resources in terms of food, shelter and
roosting sites were available to the flock dur-
ing winter. A certain percentage of birds will
be removed by natural attrition during au-
tumn anyway as temperatures drop and food
availability decreases. Local immigration into
hunted populations is greater than in non-
hunted populations, promoting more genetic
variation between groups. Flocks should ide-
ally be hunted once a year, early in the non-
breeding season (June is recommended). It
has been found that flocks of birds that were
Golf Club Management august 2010 7
Guineafowl feature
shot regularly – more than once a year – did
contain fewer first-year birds than flocks that
are shot for the first time. If wing-shooting is
adopted as a control measure for helmeted
guineafowl it is important to determine an
ideal bag size (in the Riemland this was
found to be around 30 percent), bearing
in mind that each area of South Africa is
different, subject to a wide range of varied
ecological conditions, and it would be wise
to do a bird count first and then consider
what percentage could be removed without
substantially reducing the viability of the
population. Wing-shooting should at all times
be monitored to ensure that it is being done
on a sustainable basis.
There are other, less drastic measures
which can be used to control helmeted guine-
afowl populations without resorting to extermi-
nating them by hunting, which may negatively
affect other birds and wild creatures that may
be beneficial to the course.
This subject has not been extensively re-
searched, conservation authorities being more
concerned about the declining numbers of
wild birds, and there are no precedents avail-
able. What follows is a suggested method of
dealing with helmeted guineafowl on course;
feedback from courses would be appreciated.
In winter, it makes sense to find a way of
luring helmeted guineafowl away from the
greens. The regular habits of these birds
and their alternative food preferences make
8 august 2010 Golf Club Management
this possible. Helmeted guineafowl like to
descend before dawn from the roost in tall
trees to an open, dusty area in the sun where
they can warm up. They use this area as a
so-called ‘dust patch’ for socialising and dust
bathing. In fact, if a suitable place is not avail-
able, they will create one, which may not be
where you want it! An area like this could be
created in a quiet out-of-play area bordered
by tall veld grasses, trees or some other form
of cover. The birds like to drink regularly; to
avoid them using water bodies near greens
and tees and soiling them or getting in the
way of golfers, a water point could be created
near the dust patch and roosting site/s. It is
important to remember that this should be
shallow and at ground level, so birds can
drink without falling in and drowning.
In the Riemland study and on agricultural
lands generally, helmeted guineafowl have
been found to wander onto cultivated fields
to glean fallen grain. A crop highly favoured
by them and one which is easy to come by is
maize. We recommend using crushed maize.
They also eat sunflower seeds and Lucerne
and will continue to eat weeds in the grass
cover. Foods such as mealworms could also
be fed to them on occasion as a protein sup-
plement, especially if winter conditions prove
very cold and severe frosts are experienced.
Over time, a small area could perhaps be
cultivated with maize plants and/or sunflow-
ers so that the birds could utilise this area for
food in autumn and winter. It would also have
the benefit of keeping the birds away from
‘in-play’ areas on course. The feeding area
would need to have cover available nearby as
these birds like to duck into cover when they
feel threatened. The birds generally spend
most of the day in one area before returning
to the dust patch and then going to roost in
tall trees. (Some flocks drink in the evenings
rather than the morning.) The dust patch,
water point and feeding area should not be
too far apart as the guineafowl need to be able
to walk easily between them as they rarely fly
except when flushed. Creating such an area
would also have the benefit of attracting other
ground birds as long as adjacent habitats are
suitable for them as well. In Gauteng, a feed-
ing area of this nature could attract ground
birds such as Swainsons Spurfowl, Natal
Francolin, Spotted Thick-knee and, if you’re
lucky, even the Northern Black Korhaan or
rare Blue Korhaan (tall veld grass does need
to be available nearby, however). The water
point would also attract additional birds that
would utilise the water for drinking.
Summary
Helmeted guineafowl, while a ‘problem’ bird
on golf courses, are generally only a nui-
sance during winter when they eat primarily
plant matter and when they re-group after
the breeding season into large flocks. Guine-
afowl provide important ecological services
to golf courses in the form of pest control
due to the variety and numbers of insects
and arthropods that are eaten. For courses
wishing to reduce their pesticide usage,
having helmeted guineafowl on the property
is a win. In winter, the guineafowl are also
beneficial as they eat unwanted species such
as dubbeltjies, Cyperus corms and a variety
of weeds. Hunting or culling guineafowl can
be beneficial, but it must be remembered
that hunting should be done early in the non-
breeding season (June is ideal) and that a
sustainable quota should not be exceeded to
ensure that the population remains viable.
When control measures are being con-
sidered, the benefits of helmeted guineafowl
to courses – which could be significant –
should also be borne in mind.
For further information about South Afri-
can birds, birding and bird conservation,
read Bronwyn Howard’s online magazine
The Birder available as a free download on
www.lifers-birding.com/monthly-e-zine/
 Border Collies

The Border
Collie solution
When it comes to chasing unwanted birds from your golf course, there are few better
solutions than employing the help of a well-trained dog, and border collies have proven
themselves to be the best, as Westlake’s Raymond Donaldson has discovered.
Border collies are probably best known Phillip. The first course in the Cape to ac- chase all birds away, specially trained dogs
for their skills at herding sheep, but these quire one of his dogs was Erinvale, followed for golf courses will only chase selected
highly-intelligent canines also excel at keep- by Westlake. Phillip tells GCM that while birds and ignore others.”
ing unwanted birds off golf courses. These these dogs are very successful in keeping Border collies are dream employees,
showing an unusual willingness to please
“...speCiAlly TrAined dogs for golf their masters. They have never been known

Courses will only ChAse seleCTed Birds
And ignore oThers.”
energetic dogs, once trained, will chase birds
Egyptian geese away, they are just as effec-
to go on strike, and requiring only a healthy
diet and some attention, these loyal workers
will give one hundred percent and never
ask for a day off. It sounds almost too good
to be true. ■

such as Egyptian geese or guineafowl, and tive at ridding areas of guineafowl. For more information contact Andrew
leave other desirable birds alone. “Unlike the working dogs at airports that Phillip on 083 448 1739.
Raymond Donaldson, formerly based at
Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf
Club, but now the course superintend-
ent at Westlake, tells GCM that when he
joined the club the Egyptian geese were a
major problem. “The geese were a massive
problem – far worse than at Royal,” he says.
“I got in touch with Andrew Phillip, who
is the ex-chairman of the SA Sheep Dog
Association, and who is recognised as one
of the finest dog trainers in the country.”
The result was that he acquired Max (also
affectionately known as Mad Max), a dog
who now keeps the ubiquitous geese on the
wing. “Max does a great job and although
I also had to undergo training to work with
him, and issue commands such as: chase,
right flank and left flank etc, the effort has
been well worthwhile.”
GCM spoke to Andrew Phillip, something
of a ‘dog whisperer’, who also trains and
supplies these ultra-smart dogs to airports
to keep feathered pests from runways. “The
selection of the right dog is critical to the
success, but also the relationship between Westlake’s Raymond Donaldson with Max – and not a goose in sight.
the dog and his handler is important,” says

Golf Club Management August 2010 9

Talborne organics PromoTion
enVironmenTallY
FrienDlY golF coUrses
the impossible dream?
Talborne Organics’ Pierre Kotze takes a practical look at golf
courses becoming more environmentally friendly.
Watching the 2010 Comrades Marathon
reminded me that a thousand mile journey
begins with one step. I know from experi-
ence that many of those people started
their training ‘journey’ with a 10 minute
walk! Those who never consider doing it do
so because the goal (finishing Comrades)
seems insurmountable. They never think
of breaking it down into smaller, achievable
targets as a means to achieving it.
Based on our interactions with golf clubs,
especially the smaller ones, it is apparent that,
like the prospective Comrades runner, many
clubs believe the implementation of environ-
mental policies beyond their reach. The truth
is that it is neither costly nor difficult to imple-
ment programmes that make an immediate
and noticeable difference to any golf course.
Golf courses impact the environment by
virtue of the water they use; the vegetation
they grow and the poisons and fertilizers
they administer.
WaTer Usage
Many excellent articles on the subject,
written by suitably qualified people, have
appeared in GCM with good advice and fair
warning that these issues are not going to
go away.
Water is the barometer; it is the resource
that shows up the shortcomings in the man-
agement of the other two factors in that it is
easily wasted or polluted and not cheaply
sanitised or created.
Consider this: what does it help recy-
cling or saving water if it is ultimately to be
wasted (by growing the wrong vegetation) or
polluted (through the excessive use of toxic
chemicals and fertilizers)?
10 august 2010 Golf Club Management
VegeTaTion
The experts tell us that the choice of grass-
es, shrubs and trees grown on a golf course
contributes to the amount of on-course
labour and management required and also
determines the total water requirement of
the operation.
Generally speaking, alien tree varieties
are faster growing and picturesque, but
tend to have a high water requirement,
whereas indigenous species are slower
growing, hardier and need less water.
The rule of thumb with grass selection is
that generally the more exotic grasses tend to
need more water, fertilizer and care. The ev-
er-popular kikuyu strain not only has a high
water requirement relative to other grasses,
but can be invasive, meaning it needs more
ongoing management and control.
FerTiliZers anD Poisons
The indiscriminate use of toxic chemicals, be
it by way of poisons or fertilizers, is the big-
gest single factor contributing to the pollution
of ground water and the disturbing of soil pH
levels. Important nutrients become bound to
the soil and are unavailable to the root system
when pH levels are incorrect. The obvious
response to poor growth is to apply more
fertilizer, but this exacerbates the problem.
Chemical fertilizers tend to be water solu-
ble, meaning they are fully dissolved during
irrigation, and if not absorbed whilst in the
root zone, are leached into the ground water
system and lost to the plant.
True organic fertilizers are high feed
value blends (comparable with their chemi-
cal equivalents) made from natural ingredi-
ents and by definition contain no chemical
inputs. Their mode of action differs from
traditional chemical fertilizers in that they
are broken down by microbial activity in the
ground and are not made available by their
solubility. This means that it is not neces-
sary to irrigate immediately after application
(as they do not burn) and their sustained
release profile means they last longer in the
soil after each application.
Biological fertilizers are a combina-
tion of the above two ie can be viewed as
chemically enriched organic fertilizers. They
incorporate the best of both worlds; the
higher feed values of traditional chemical
fertilizers with the environmentally friendly
aspects of the organic. Being the sum of
two parts means they have an immediate
and sustained element to their nutrient-
release profile.
In conclusion, remember that any
change which leads one closer to any goal
is progress, however small and insignificant
it may appear at the time. ■
Tel: 011 954 5763 ■ Fax: 011 954 3216
Email: info@talborne.co.za
Website: www.talborne.co.za
 Profile

At the toP
of his clAss

One of the rising stars in the turf industry is

Neville Wenhold, who is not only the first
South African student to be awarded a
scholarship by the R&A, but he has also been
elected as International Student of the Year.

Neville Wenhold was raised on a farm, and
with his parents and brothers all farming for
a living, he decided to do something a little
different. Being a keen golfer, he had heard
about turfgrass management and decided
to make it his career. He immediately ap-
plied to enrol for the advertised course at
TUT in Pretoria in 2008, but unfortunately
“i begAn the course in 2009, And wAs
grass management,” he says. “I began the
course in 2009, and was obviously keen to
do well – this was my future career and the
expense of the course was rather high. So I
put in a lot of hard work in my first year.”
One of his lecturers at Elmwood, Geoff
Brereton, wrote the following in a reference
for Neville: “Neville has shown an enthu-
president in his first year at the college, and
student president for 2010-2011.
The International Student of the Year
award is the highest accolade at Elmwood
College for a foreign student, and he tells us
that hard work and doing a lot of research
helped him attain high marks in tests and
assessments. Practical work was part of
the course, which he did on the Elmwood
golf course, which is equipped with the

obviously keen to do well – this wAs
my future cAreer...”
there was a lack of interest and the course
did not run that year. He continued with
landscape technology and started searching
the web for opportunities abroad.
“I then found Elmwood College in
Scotland which is close to St Andrews. I
had heard that this institution came highly
recommended by the industry and was
ranked the best college in Europe for turf-
siastic and methodical approach to his
studies and his results have been excellent
in every unit. Through his obvious commit-
ment to his studies he has been awarded a
scholarship from the Royal and Ancient Golf
club; a fantastic achievement.”
A long way from home and knowing no-
body in Scotland, he decided to join all student
organisations, and was elected as student vice
latest Toro machinery. He was also part of a
selected group of the 12 top students that
worked on the Kingsbarns course near
St Andrews during the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship. Having also worked on the
Old Course, Neville is fast building an im-
pressive CV, and when he spoke to GCM he
was based at Leopard Creek, adding to his
practical experience working under Derek
Muggeridge. After completing his studies at
Elmwood, Neville intends visiting the USA
to gain more experience before returning to
South Africa to begin his career. ■

Golf Club Management August 2010 11

Turf managemenT

Laduma
for The goLfing indusTry
As World Cup fever gripped South Africa, all eyes were set on
our luminous green pitches. If you’re involved in the golfing industry,
it paid to take a closer look, writes Vic van Eyk, divisional
managing director of Servest Turf, formerly known as Turftek.
The Mbombela Stadium’s pitch with its state-of-
the-art irrigation system received rave reviews.

Over the years, South Africa’s golf courses
have been exposed to numerous interna-
tional tournaments, but the same could not
be said for our football pitches. The 2010
FIFA World Cup has changed this. We now
boast state-of-the-art football fields chris-
tened by the world’s soccer heroes.
On the face of it, these pitches seem
unrelated to our golf courses. However, their
construction and maintenance will have an
impact on the golfing industry. Our leading
sports turf company has been involved in the
construction and maintenance of numer-
ous golf courses throughout the country. It
also boasts an impressive list of World Cup
contracts, including the pitches at Durban’s
Moses Mabhida Stadium, Polokwane’s Peter
Mokaba Stadium and Nelspruit’s Mbombela
Stadium, as well as various official practice
and base camp fields.
The same, buT differenT
There are many similarities between the turf
at golf courses and the FIFA football pitches.
They’re almost the same size (about a hec-
same intensive horticultural practices you’ll
find at golf courses. These include thatch
control, disease management, regular fertilisa-
tion, moisture management, repairing divots
and mowing to the correct height (mowing
machines have to be set correctly). And of
course, whether it is a golf course or pitch,
aesthetics and playability are all-important.
These similarities undoubtedly made it
possible for some of our greenkeepers to
work their magic on the FIFA playing fields.
But they were surprised by the unique
challenges. A pitch, for example, is more
vulnerable to disease than a golf course due
to the enclosed environment, restricted air
movement, shaded areas and longer grass.
Meeting FIFA’s exacting standards – from
ensuring consistent ball roll to creating the
striping effect on the fields – and con-
stantly managing the turf so that it remains
play-ready throughout the World Cup, were
additional challenges.
home ground advanTages
So what are the benefits for the golfing
throughout winter (commonly-used kikuyu
grass yellows in winter). In South Africa you’ll
find rye grass at only four golf courses.
The World Cup fields have raised aware-
ness and dispelled some myths about this
type of grass. There’s a perception that it
is intended for shaded areas, but it grows
perfectly in full sun – if watered frequently.
Going forward, we’ll see more over-seeding
of tee-boxes etc.
In addition, the large amount of special-
ised machinery that has been brought in for
the construction and maintenance of the
World Cup soccer pitches will be increas-
ingly used on golf courses. This will boost
standards in the long-run.
From a labour perspective, the World Cup
has also broadened the specialised turf skills
base. Because there are so many similari-
ties between golf courses and the World Cup
pitches, these specialised skills can now be
applied in the golfing industry. Local and
international doors will open for many people
who have worked on the FIFA fields. After all,
a pitch is basically just a giant golf green. ■

tare) and have similar sub-surface systems. industry? World Cup pitches have used rye Information supplied by Servest Turf.
With World Cup fields, we also follow the grass to ensure luminous green playing fields Visit www.servestturf.co.za for more.

12 august 2010 Golf Club Management


The HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
and the FIFA World Cup
This month we decided to interview hospitality recruiters who are at the
coal-face of staffing and training issues facing South Africa not only in the
run-up to the World Cup, but also the great event itself and beyond.
With the Federated Hospitality Associa-
tion of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) and
the Southern African Tourism Services As-
sociation (SATSA) announcing in early June
that they had over-estimated the number of
rooms required during the World Cup, espe-
cially in the Durban and Cape Town areas,
many people thought that the event would
have no discernible effect on employment.
According to Ilse Phillips of Phoenix HR
Consulting in Cape Town however, the Cape
Town hospitality market has been far more
buoyant than in normal winter months in
the Western Cape.
“The World Cup has definitely created
jobs,” she says, “but not necessarily for the
unemployed masses.” Phillips believes that
World Cup employment has been two-fold.
Firstly, a lot of the contract jobs for skilled
people have been taken up by South Africans
with good international experience who have
returned from overseas, working for example
in Dubai or on the cruise ships. They have re-
turned specifically to take on senior short term
contract jobs, in high-volume venues, where
they can get the most exposure to World Cup
activity. “A lot of these candidates may well
return overseas post World Cup,” she says.
The second area of jobs creation has been
in the lower level jobs. FEDHASA, along with
the tourism boards, has done a lot of training
of young unskilled workers specifically for this
event. It has filled positions such as waiting
HOSPITALITY & LEISURE INDUSTRY
and housekeeping staff. The World Cup has
afforded these youngsters some hands-on
experience in four- and five-star hotels, which
they would not ordinarily have achieved, albeit
only for about a month. According to Phillips,
the really good trainees may be offered per-
manent jobs, however the others will probably
have to wait until October when Cape Town
businesses begin to staff up again for season,
before getting more contract work.
“Many hospitality businesses have clev-
erly offered their key personnel bonuses to
stay on to the end of July,” says Phillips.
In Johannesburg, Neal Smith of Baobab
Hospitality Recruitment believes that there
has been a large calling for lower-level staff
in the Gauteng area, for example contract
waiters, banqueting staff and outside facili-
ties. Baobab has noticed a marked increase
in its business compared to this time last
year, however, Smith acknowledges that it is
difficult to say whether it is all down to the
World Cup, or if their has been a shift in the
global recession.
“The large Johannesburg hotels have been
at 100 percent occupancy,” says Smith, “and
staffed up a good month prior to the event to
ensure adequate training and services can
be provided.” Not all properties have been
filled to capacity, and this has had to do with
poor selling and communication, as well as
overpricing by airlines, which put a lot inter-
national visitors off.
www.hospitalityjobsafrica.co.za
ONLINE RECRUITMENT
FOR THE
HUMAN RESOURCES
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE JOBS
WHEN THE WORLD CUP ENDS?
Smith believes that most of the contractors
employed specifically for the World Cup will
lose their jobs. However, it is not all doom
and gloom. “I am confident that the hospi-
tality industry in South Africa will grow as a
result of the World Cup,” says Smith. “I am
sure that South Africa will get repeat busi-
ness from visitors going home and telling
others about their great experience here.
Local hotels will also have more money to
upgrade and employ as a result of their
World Cup earnings,” he continues. “Finally,
we should see a growth in internal tourism,
post World Cup, from those business people
who have not been travelling within South
Africa as they have been too operationally
involved in recent times,” Smith concludes.
Phillips adds that, for skilled workers in
the hospitality industry, there is still a lot of
opportunity to work internationally despite the
downturn in Dubai and the closure of two year
working visas for the UK. “The Middle East,
and more recently North Africa, provide oppor-
tunities for South Africans to gain international
exposure”, she says.
Phillips and Smith both agree that ideally
going forward, we need the South African
hospitality and tourism industry to grow and
become truly competitive by world class
standards. This can only be achieved if we
try and retain our senior staff. ■
Golf Club Management August 2010 13
FLORA FOR COURSES

Colourful
PROTEAS
Val Thomas, author of the Sappi Tree Spotting series,
recommends using Proteas to add colour to your golf course,
SUGARBUSH PROTEA
and points out that species of these beautiful shrubs can be Protea repens
found that will thrive in summer and winter-rainfall regions.
Last month we looked at general shrubs, Western Cape. A number of summer-rainfall, gardens, as well as for hedges, screens
which provide colour to courses. This month small tree species of Protea do exist, how- and distant eye-catching spots. Proteas are
I am continuing on the same theme, but ever, and they can be used in other areas to a sound investment as many live for close
concentrating on the Sugarbush/ Protea create a wonderful show of colour. An addi- to 40 years, even though they do not start
genus and family. Most people think of this tional bonus is that these trees are interest- flowering until around four years old. This
family as primarily fynbos and therefore ingly shaped, with relatively unusual leaves, month I have featured three winter-rainfall
being winter-rainfall plants confined to the which gives year-round benefit in course and three summer-rainfall species.

SUMMER-RAINFALL PROTEAS
HIGHVELD PROTEA
Protea caffra
This is a very variable species in terms of its
size, flower colour and time of flowering too.
On average flower-heads grow to a width of
80mm. Flowering varies locally, but usually
within the period from October to January,
with a December peak. It is frost-resistant and
can be grown from seed, but is slow-growing.

SILVER PROTEA
Protea roupelliae
Although it appears to have a widespread
distribution on the map, it actually grows in
extremely localised patches, and it is
classified as endangered in the
Red Data Book. This makes
it an ideal plant to nurture
on your course if it falls AFRICAN PROTEA
within your region. The Protea gaguedi
tree grows to three to eight This is also a widespread Protea. It is usu-
metres high, with flower- ally two to three metres high when mature,
heads of 100mm width. It but can reach as tall as 10m. White flowers,
flowers all year round, but which are 100mm wide, bloom from
mainly from February to April. November to February.

14 August 2010 Golf Club Management


PLANTING AND CARE
For the best results, remember to follow our
Sappi Tree Spotting rule and plant the right
Proteas in the right places. The maps pro-
vided for each species covered here make
it easy to be precise about the area where
each one will grow best.
Sadly, Proteas do not occur naturally in
the more arid parts of South Africa and if by
any chance your golf course is in an area
that I have not included a species, but this
article inspires you to plant one, you can re-
fer to Tony Robelo’s magnificent Field Guide
WINTER-RAINFALL PROTEAS
KING PROTEA
Protea cineroides
This is our national flower. The tree grows to
two metres high and has the largest of all the
Protea flowers (up to 300mm across). It can
flower all year depending on local climate.
SUGARBUSH PROTEA
Protea repens
This Protea grows to four-and-a-half metres
All the art is by Joan van Gogh
and is one of the most widespread, versatile
and resilient of the Cape Proteas. It is by far
the most abundant Protea in the Cape and is
used internationally as a cut flower. Its nectar
is prolific. Its flowers can be red to pink or
pale yellow. In the eastern range of distribu-
tion it flowers from September to March,
while in the west from May to October.
to the Proteas of Southern Africa published
by Fernwood Press.
If possible, rather choose a species that
is right for your conditions.
Proteas are evergreen and do better when
there is fairly steady watering through their
natural rainy season. Despite this, Proteas
do not respond well to having wet feet so the
soil should be well-drained. This, combined
with good mulching, should get the planting
environment just right. Also good to note is
that Proteas thrive in an acid soil.
Normally my advice about pruning
WABOOM PROTEA
Protea nitida
This is one of the longest-living Proteas, with
a lifespan of over 50 years. It regularly grows
to five metres and can reach 10m. Flowers
are 160mm across and can bloom all year
round, usually peaking from May to August.
FLORA FOR COURSES
indigenous woody species on golf courses
is simple: never cut back unless the plant is
interfering with the golf game itself! However,
with the Protea family this is not true. If you
want to make the most of their ability to be
showy, cut off the head of the plant when it
reaches a height of half a metre and regularly
cut all taller or widely shooting branches until
the plant is about five years old. By this time
it should remain bushy, but keep a watch-
ful eye because lanky shoots – rather than
flower-head production – really are a waste of
the plant’s energy from your perspective. ■
Golf Club Management August 2010 15
The environmenT

effluenT As An AlTernATive
wATer source
Rand Water’s Megan Taylor points out that the use of effluent to irrigate golf courses does
not mean that it can be used indiscriminately, and as Gauteng and other areas approach the
dangerous tipping point between supply and demand of potable water, the management of
golf courses should carefully consider the impact of their irrigation practices.
Conventional sources of water for golf the amount of raw water available for Rand age to consider. Imagine a scenario where
courses are boreholes, dams, rivers and Water to purify into potable water, which is households in Gauteng are under water
storm water runoff. In response to water used to supply Gauteng and surrounding restrictions because that is the only way to
shortages around the globe, alternative areas. Stormwater and treated effluent going ensure that there is enough potable water
water sources are being investigated. These back into rivers in the Vaal Dam catchment until 2019, and the golf course next door is
include effluent (also known as reclaimed is also able to supplement Rand Water’s sup- irrigating their turf in a wasteful way. Even
waste water or recycled water) and grey water plies. Once again, if a golf course uses these though the golf course is getting their water
(household waste water). Due to its high cost, alternative water sources, they are reducing from a different source, they will need to
desalinated sea water is not considered here. the amount of raw water available for Rand show that they are being responsible to
Rand Water’s immediate challenge in Gau- Water. This is not to say that golf courses avoid a negative response from the public.
teng is to meet the rising demand for potable should not use these water sources, but that If the acid mine drainage threat on the
water, which threatens to outstrip supply as they should use them frugally, as everyone in West Rand cannot be contained, that could
soon as 2013 if consumers do not change Gauteng is relying on this for their tap water. affect boreholes in the area, and any golf
their water use habits. The next phase of the What about golf courses in the Crocodile courses relying on this water source might
Lesotho Highlands scheme will bring relief catchment? Are they exempt, because they have to find other water sources. This will
by 2019 at the earliest, so other ways of are not directly affecting Rand Water’s raw put them alongside golf courses using efflu-
reducing demand for water need to be found water supply? Aside from the need to be ent and stormwater, which ultimately affects
in the meantime. To this end, Rand Water’s responsible with a resource that is in short how much raw water is available for water
Water Wise campaign aims to reduce water supply nationally, there is also golfing’s im- service providers to use.
wastage by consumers, and to encourage
more efficient use of water, thereby reducing
demand. A golf course may ask how its water
use affects Rand Water, as they generally do
not use potable water for irrigation.
To answer this, we first need to look at
where Rand Water draws its water from.
The map, pictures right, shows the Vaal
Dam catchment and Rand Water draws its
water from the Vaal Dam at the intake right
next to the dam wall. Only rain falling in the
Vaal Dam catchment will augment sup-
plies, so good rains elsewhere in Gauteng
unfortunately do not relieve the pressure on
Rand Water. The water in the Crocodile and
Mokolo catchments does not supplement
Rand Water’s supplies.
Any use of raw water in the Vaal Dam
catchment, such as a farmer or golf course
drawing excessive water from a river, reduces

16 August 2010 Golf Club Management


effluenT And issues
of polluTion
Effluent is partially treated waste water that
can come from a variety of sources:
■ Municipal sewerage (also known as
‘black’ water). It is essential that ‘black
water’ is treated before use.
■ Domestic grey water – waste water from
kitchens, showers and baths, laundry
facilities and other cleaning and rinsing
operations. Both black and grey water
from a golf course estate can be collected
and treated at an on-site water treatment
plant, once permission has been granted
by the necessary authority.
■ Industrial waste water.
Effluent has usually had the major pol-
lutants removed, but still contains trace
amounts of saline (salt), heavy metals (such
as zinc and cadmium) and bacteria. As
such, it is not fit for drinking and cannot be
used to irrigate food crops.
It is standard practice to return efflu-
ent back to rivers and lakes, provided the
minimum standard set by the Department
of Water Affairs is met.
In the USA, irrigating golf courses with
effluent is being viewed as a more environ-
mentally sound way of disposing of effluent.
In the late ‘90s, the city of Prineville in
Oregon, USA, was under threat after dump-
ing inadequately treated waste water in
the local stream. Under pressure from the
Environmental Protection Agency, Prineville
investigated various options for purifying
this waste water to the required standard,
and the least costly was to construct a mu-
nicipal golf course specifically to purify this
waste water. The resulting Meadowlakes
Golf Course has 10 dams and is a lush
oasis in arid Oregon. To mention just a few
examples in South Africa:
■ The Gary Player Golf Course at Sun City
near Rustenburg uses effluent to irrigate
the course. The build-up of salts on the
course can be leached through applica-
tion of calcium, hollow tining twice a year,
and top dressings of sand and gypsum.
■ The golf course at the Oubaai Golf Estate
near George in the Western Cape is irrigated
with effluent from the residential dwellings.
■ At the Devonvale Golf and Wine Estate
near Stellenbosch, an on-site sewerage
treatment plant provides treated waste
water (effluent) for use on the golf course.
■ Blair Atholl Golf and Country Estate is also
irrigated with treated effluent obtained from
waste water treatment on the property.
The Audubon International Institute
recognises the use of turf grass on golf
courses as a means of treating polluted
water. Particulates in the water are trapped
in the layer of thatch, where they degrade
naturally over time. In this way, effluent
that is used on the course for irrigation is
cleaned before it returns to dams, streams
and groundwater supplies.
using effluenT for golf
course irrigATion
When is it feasible to use effluent for golf
course irrigation?
■ economicAlly feAsible Waste water is
often available at a good price or even for
free, plus the source is usually consistent.
Nearby housing developments are good
potential sources of grey water, but costs
for transporting partially treated waste
water onto the golf course property may
be considerable. Consideration must be
given to this during the design, planning
and construction process.
■ neArby And reliAble source With the
increase in golf course estates containing
private residences, using effluent becomes
more viable. During construction, drainage
from houses can be directed so that efflu-
ent is collected for treatment in an on-site
water treatment plant. This water can then
be used for irrigation. The amount of efflu-
ent available from a golf course clubhouse
and runoff from associated car parks is
relatively small, but it can be used as a
supplementary source for small land-
scaped areas around the clubhouse.
■ environmenTAlly And AgronomicAlly
AccepTAble On sites that drain into high
quality wetlands or sensitive surface wa-
ter, eg fish farms, it may not be feasible to
use effluent as even low levels of pollut-
ants would have an unacceptable impact.
■ WATer quAliTy The reclaimed water must
meet applicable health and environmen-
tal standards by the time it is discharged
into the environment (for more informa-
tion, visit www.dwaf.gov.za and www.
doh.gov.za). Using turf grass as a filter
may not be sufficient to treat water that
The environmenT
is badly polluted, in which case a water
treatment plant may be required.
■ sTorAge Golf courses may also have
to accept a minimum daily volume of
effluent, regardless of how much they
actually need, and will therefore require
a place to store it. One option can be a
constructed dam and wetland, designed
to clean the effluent as it passes through.
The design can also allow for recharging
of the groundwater table while the water
is in storage, mitigating down-gradient
withdrawals. It can also assist in attracting
fauna to the site, improving biodiversity.
■ municipAl by-lAWs These must allow
the use of treated effluent for golf course
irrigation. In some cases, the by-laws
require that all waste water be returned
to the system, as a certain amount of
grey water is needed to dilute sewerage
as the sewerage treatment plants are not
designed to treat concentrated sewerage.
■ buffer zones Waterways traversing golf
courses should have buffer zones planted
to further filter runoff water before it en-
ters the waterway. A future article will look
more closely at design considerations
for these buffer zones, including aspects
such as width and plant composition.
■ Other relevant factors for consideration are
soil type, climatic conditions, groundwater
hydrology, vegetative cover and provision of
sufficient storage for treated effluent.
heAlTh concerns
The use of effluent has a negative public
image from the health point of view. The
golf course would need to educate their
members and staff on the benefits of using
effluent for irrigation, the role that a golf
course can play in cleaning this water and
how health concerns will be addressed. For
example, irrigation can also be turned off
when players are on the course to reduce
fears of inhaling airborne particles, although
apart from brief periods of syringing when
temperatures are high, courses should not
be irrigating when golfers are on the course
and evaporation rates are at their highest. ■
Golf Club Management August 2010 17
Pro ShoP Profile

like fAther, like Son

In the first of a series, GCM looks at the best on-course professionals’
shops. The first shop featured belongs to Rudy Whitfield at Glendower.
Before deciding to give up his career as a “And importantly, he gives a hundred and gloves, balls etc,” says Rudy.
tour player and to take up the position at twenty percent in everything he does.” The Glendower shop also offers a full repair
Glendower, Rudy Whitfield could have had The shop may not the biggest – the total service and has a workshop, but Rudy tells
no better mentor for this business than his area is about 60 square metres – but it is GCM that he mostly takes re-shafts and
father, the head professional at Glenvista. well stocked with attractive displays. other jobs home to do after hours. Like his
Dave Whitfield has been at Glenvista for “There is about R300 000 worth of stock father says, his heart is in the game. We
31 years, and is considered to be one of the in the shop, the merchandise mostly made hope that the Glendower members appreci-
‘elder statesmen’ among club pros. “Rudy up of clothing and consumables such as ate their hard-working pro. ■

began working in my shop when he was

14 years old, and his heart is certainly in
the game. He might have been expected to
continue playing on the tour, and he defi-
nitely had the ability, but when he became a
family man he decided to take up the offer
at Glendower, and I’m sure he will be able
to grow his business,” says Whitfield senior.
The pro shop at the recently-revamped
Glendower Golf Club is bright, airy and a
place where members and visitors to this
famous course can expect friendly, helpful
service with a smile. Assisting Rudy in the
shop is his sister Vivian, who has certainly
had a taste of some interesting careers,
including a spell as a game ranger and
also as an interior designer. “I qualified
as a game ranger and wanted to become
involved in conservation, but I realised that Above: Although a small shop, the layout has a clean, modern feel and carries a comprehensive inventory.
below: Rudy with sister Vivian – a team that supplies friendly, helpful service.
this was difficult to get into, and because
my other interest is interior design, I
pursued this, but didn’t really enjoy it,”
says Vivian, who also had the experience of
working in her father’s shop before helping
her brother with his new venture.
Glendower, with its revamped course
and remodelled clubhouse, became one of
Compleat Golfer’s 5-Star Golf Experiences
this year, and this pro shop certainly does
the club justice. The man at the helm can
definitely claim to know a thing or two about
the game – an excellent amateur career
included provincial and national colours,
and although he cut short his pro playing
career, he has the personality and the will
to succeed as a club pro. “Rudy has the
patience needed to be good teacher, and he
is definitely a people’s person,” says Vivian.

18 August 2010 Golf Club Management


For the birds
In order to attract interesting birdlife to our golf courses, we
must obviously plant the correct flora. Now is a good time
to consider a planting programme of species that will
attract birds once spring arrives.
The plants your greens committee might
like for their aesthetic appeal and those that
birds need may differ, but with a little com-
promise both can derive immense benefit.
Apart from a food source, flowers, shrubs
and trees offer a number of things necessary
in a bird’s life, such as a secluded nesting
site or a perch for calling and display. Bird
feeders do work, but they cannot meet the
requirements of all species at all times.
While there are some exotic plants that
provide meals for birds, our indigenous
treasure trove of flora is obviously much
more suited to their taste.
Flowering shrubs are an integral part of
attracting birds – the bright colours of the
blooms attract many insects, which in turn
feed birds such as flycatchers and shrikes,
while plants like the Tree Fuchsia (Halleria
lucida), ericas, and even the exotic Bot-
tlebrush (Callistemon species) and Russelia
species are a rich source of nectar and
attract a host of sunbird species.
Planting time
In summer-rainfall areas, the best time to
plant frost-sensitive, new additions to your
course is at the start of spring.
This will allow the plants to enjoy a long
growing period before the harsh, dry, winter
conditions set in.
Even hardy varieties may be frosted in
a severe winter if they have not had the
benefit of a reasonable period of growth.
A long growing season allows a plant to
‘harden’ and gives the root system a chance
to develop.
In the winter-rainfall regions species
Fauna and Flora
indigenous to these areas should ideally be
planted in autumn or at the start of winter so
that they can benefit from the many months
of steady rain.
Although plants may not show a great
deal of growth in this season, their root
systems become well established during the
winter months because of the soaking rains.
When spring arrives they will flourish from
this solid foundation.
Plant list
The shiny-leafed shrub Rhamnus prinoides,
or Blinkblaar, is a frost-resistant evergreen
that produces berries almost continuously.
Not only is it a food supplier from an
early age, but it also seems to maintain an
immaculate look throughout the winter. It
will grow almost anywhere if well watered.
The orange or white flowered, non-nar-
cotic Leonotus leonuris or Wild Dagga is a
very undemanding plant and thrives in most
parts of the country.
It is water-wise and prefers a sunny
position. Sunbirds find the spiky bunches of
flowers in autumn irresistible.
The sharp spines of the Natal Plum (Car-
issa macrocarpa) provide protection for nest-
ing and roosting birds and the large fruit it
produces in summer is an irresistible bonus.
We are blessed with a wide range of aloe
varieties, so no matter where you live there
will be local varieties suited to your grow-
ing conditions. Their flowers, which appear
mainly in winter when there is little other
colour, are frequented by sunbirds.
The Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma cap-
ensis) is another sunbird-attracting shrub.
There are a wide variety of colours avail-
able, from reds to pastels. They will flower
throughout the warmer months.
Red-hot pokers (Kniphofia spp) make
bold statements when planted in clumps.
They are at home in a mixed border or
around ponds where their strap-like leaves
lend a pleasing effect.
Their tall blooms attract sunbirds. Dif-
ferent varieties flower at different times so
check on their flowering before purchase.
The Tree Fuchsia (Halleria lucida) pro-
vides both nectar-rich flowers and attractive
berries. It does well in most parts of the
country, being frost- and drought-resistant
and growing in most soil types. They flower
and fruit in the warmer months. ■
Golf Club Management august 2010 19
 EXTRA SPECIAL mAnAgER of ThE monTh

A fAmILy AffAIR
The history of Zwartkop Country Club has been closely linked to the famous Hayes family, and it
is fitting that Brian hayes today runs what it is one of South Africa’s most successful golf clubs.
It was natural that Brian Hayes, growing up first time Locke had been beaten on home and was always considered to be one of
as the son of Otway, should have followed a soil for 16 years. Before turning profes- the great gentlemen of the game, and his
career in golf. “It seemed that golf was the sional, Otway had enjoyed an exceptional contribution to not only this club but to the
only topic that was discussed in our home,” amateur career, which included becoming positive image of the PGA was invaluable.
he says, and although he played many the SA Amateur champion in 1939. He Brian Hayes joined his father as the
other sports, like his famous father and also, together with Locke, Frank Agg and assistant professional at Zwartkop in 1969.
brothers he developed a love of golf which Clarence Olander, represented South Africa Brian, after attending UCT for two years,
has endured. in golf’s first Springbok team, which toured had decided to move back to Pretoria and
The much-respected Otway Hayes was the United Kingdom. Otway, whose father took a job working for an estate agent, but
a contemporary of Bobby Locke, and it was had been one of the founders of Westlake when his father offered him the opportunity
Otway who in fact broke Locke’s stran- Golf Club, was appointed as club profes- of joining him in running the golf opera-
glehold on the South African professional sional to Zwartkop Country Club in 1940, tions he accepted. At this time his younger
scene when he triumphed in the Mills where he remained until his retirement brother Dale had emerged as a golfing
Matchplay tournament at Kensington GC, in 1996. During this amazing span of 56 prodigy, and that year won the World Junior
beating Locke in the semi-final. It was the years, Otway faithfully served the club Championship held in San Diego.

Extra SpEcial tiMES, Extra SpEcial ScOtcH

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18

20 August 2010 Golf Club Management

 Zwartkop’s layout on the Hennops River is a
classic Grimsdell design, and the only Pretoria from top: The philosophy of ‘giving golfers what they want at reasonable prices’ keeps the car park full;
course to host the SA Open. The area overlooking the putting green – a popular spot where freshly made pizzas can be ordered; Brian
Hayes has called Zwartkop home all his life, and has worked at the club since 1969.

Brian is quick to point out that he was
never interested in pursuing a career as
a tour pro, despite having strong golf-
ing genes. (His other brother John had
also been an exceptional amateur, whose
achievements included winning the SA
Amateur Championship, as well as the
Rhodesian and Australian Amateurs during
a spell of 12 months.)
It is obvious that with a working lifetime
in golf, Brian’s experience has had a strong
influence on this club, and Zwartkop is
certainly one of South Africa’s great tradi-
tional golfing facilities. Particularly since the
Hayes family took over the ownership of the
club in 2001, it has gone from strength to
strength. Brian’s rather modest assessment
as to what it takes to run a successful op-
eration is simply: “Understand what golfers
want, and keep control of the finances.” It
is clear that no matter how simplistic this
philosophy may seem, it works well, and it
is easy to see why this club is so popular.
Of course it is ideally situated, it has an
excellent classic parkland layout, and the
staff members are friendly and efficient,
but there is a lot more to this club. It has
a wonderful feel to it; the feel of a proper
golf club. The display of club memorabilia
includes photographs and newspaper clip-
pings, and even a foreign visitor to Zwartkop
who might know nothing of the game’s
history in South Africa would immediately
understand that this is a special club. The
names of the great players that have been
here would fill a volume, and the club has
hosted many great events over the years,
including the SA Open – the only time it was
played in Pretoria. But for all its rich history,
this is a place where everyone is made to
feel welcome.
The Hayes dynasty is set to continue
at Zwartkop – Brian’s son Ian, who did
his club professional’s apprenticeship at
the club, now runs a well-designed and
well-stocked shop. It has been the policy of
the Hayes family to offer a friendly golfing
experience at reasonable rates, and in that
they have succeeded. Every year specific
areas are earmarked for improvement, but
right now it is difficult to find fault in any
area. “It has always been my aim for the
club to have a homely feel,” says Brian, and
he has certainly managed that. ■

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18

Golf Club Management August 2010 21

Turf managemenT
a quantum LeaP
The work done by South African companies in preparing the soccer pitches for the 2010 Soccer
World Cup has been outstanding, but not before everyone involved underwent a steep learning
curve, says Topturf’s Dave Kirkby.
Dave Kirkby and his team of turf profes-
sionals at Topturf know a thing or two about
working to exacting standards. It was his
company that constructed the Gary Player
Country Club’s golf course more than 30
years ago – the first layout in South Africa
to conform to USGA specifications. Topturf
has maintained South Africa’s No 1-ranked
golf course since it was first unveiled, and
it is generally accepted that standard of the
conditioning of Sun City’s famous course is
the yardstick by which others are measured.
But nothing prepared anyone for the attention
to the most minute details that were required
for our pitches to pass FIFA’s muster.
“In terms of turf grass management, the
22 august 2010 Golf Club Management
construction, renovation, maintenance and
preparation of the more than 80 soccer
pitches prior to our hosting of the World
Cup would be difficult to eclipse,” says
Kirkby. “I’m sure that most turf contractors
and turf consultants were under the illusion
that presenting a little better surface than
that for a Super 14 rugby game was all that
was required.” Anyone not familiar with
the stringent specifications placed by FIFA
on pitches could have been forgiven for
believing this, considering that our premier
rugby venues are not exactly shabby. “The
2009 Confed Cup turned that idea right
on its head,” he says, explaining that three
rugby stadia pitches – Ellis Park, Loftus and
State-of-the-art irrigation allows for brief
syringes of the playing surfaces before
and during practices and matches.
Bloemfontein, were condemned as being
unacceptable for international competi-
tion. “Only the Royal Bafokeng Soccer
Palace came anywhere near the standards
required,” he adds.
What needed to be improved?
PITCH LeVeLS
The playing surface has to be laser level
smooth for the World Cup match pitches.
The tolerance needs to be six millimetres
over a three metre straight edge. That is
more stringent than a tar road surface.
PITCH generaL SHaPe
Pitches must have a domed shape with

slopes in four directions of between 0.6
percent and 0.7 percent. This assists in
surface drainage.
SurfaCe STabIlITY
With most pitches being sand-based, they
require the top 100mm to be reinforced by
some artificial fibre.
Local stadia have been reinforced with
Netlon, StaLock or Desso.
graSS SpeCIeS
Northern hemisphere players hate kikuyu
(cow grass) pitches. All pitches had to be
95 percent rye grass. This required convert-
ing all the warm season pitches to rye grass
and seeding pure rye grass in Cape Town.
IrrIgaTIon
The irrigation system needs to be infield
pop-ups as opposed to external big guns. This
allows the pitch to be syringed for two to four
minutes prior to and during practices and
matches.
renoVaTIon
Just when all the pitches were looking at
their best in February/March, they all had to
receive a major renovation make-over.
This involved:
■ Removing the surface by fraise mowing to
minus 10mm.
■ Hollowtyning or vertidraining.
■ Sand topdressing and dragging.
■ Seeding with rye grass.
All of this, 90 days or less before the teams
arrived.
maCHInerY
All the mowing was to be done by walk-behind
reel mowers and walk-behind roller rotary
mowers. No Triplex mowers or any heavy
equipment was to be used. The latter cause
minor indentations that could exceed the sur-
face tolerances and cause the ball to bounce.
CuTTIng HeIgHT
This has to be exactly 28mm – leaf height.
It is not a setting on a machine. It is the
exact measurement of the leaf blade.
mowIng paTTernS
These are predetermined to the exact centi-
metre to coincide with the halfway line, centre
circle, penalty area, 16m goal post area, etc.
Turf managemenT
Permanently installed ‘carrots’ ensure that
the exact pattern is maintained.
STrIngIng all lIneS
No mowing or marking is done without first
stringing a line. Because mowing is done in
four directions all the ‘blocks’ must be strung
at every mowing.
lIne marKIng
This has to be crisp, bright and perfectly
straight or round. It takes months to perfect
this to the standard required.
meaSuremenTS
The Sports Turf Institute of Bingley in the
UK is the official FIFA Turf consultant.
It physically measures, with specialised
equipment, ball bounce, traction, sheer
strength, leaf strength, soil moisture and soil
temperature against a set of FIFA norms.
raTIngS
Based on all the above, all the pitches are from Top: The walk-behind mowers follow a string
rated for level, drainage and surface and that is set to tolerances of less than a centimetre;
Lasers were used to set levels of the pitches which
are given a rating from one to four, with one include a slope of between 0.07 and 0.60 in four
being ready for a World Cup game. directions.
below: A Clegg hammer being used to measure a
pitch; The term ‘immaculately groomed’ is often
Not even the most ardent soccer fan could used in relation to golf courses, but even the prac-
possibly be aware of care and attention given tice soccer pitches prepared for the World Cup
gave this expression a whole new meaning.
to the construction and maintenance of these
pitches and South Africa’s top companies
that were involved in this project certainly
acquitted themselves well, but not before
realising that they had a lot to learn.
“Besides the unbelievable attention to
detail, what we can all learn is to embrace
the latest technology in producing the best
possible turf, and this obviously applies to
golf courses and any other sports facilities,”
says Kirkby. “Also, certain individuals who are
considered to be experts in the turf industry,
might have been accused of adopting a ‘know-
it-all-attitude’ and believed that we have all the
answers. As was proved during the build-up
to us hosting the biggest sporting event in the
world, we can learn a lot from the best in the
world, and I for one was paying attention.” ■
Dave Kirkby and Topturf were contracted
to design and construct the pitches at Port
Elizabeth and Cape Town and constructed a
total of seven pitches from scratch. A further
14 pitches, including the match venue at
the Royal Bafokeng Palace, were renovated
and are being maintained by Topturf.
Golf Club Management august 2010 23

SIMPLy the beSt
in the business
GCM makes the process of choosing a reputable supplier easy through
an instant referral system – the GCM Preferred Supplier Programme.
There has been a positive response to
GCM’s initiative to name suppliers that have
developed a reputation for not only being
reliable, but who consistently deliver quality
goods or services. All the companies on
our list have supplied us with references
from their existing clients that have been
checked. GCM is thus comfortable recom-
mending these companies to anyone in the
golf business.
GCM
GOLF CLUb MAnAGeMent
PReFeRReD
S U P
P L I e R
LIStInG
SMIth tURF eqUIPMent
Started in 1991, Smith Turf is the sole distrib-
utor in Southern Africa for Toro equipment.
■ 011 284 2000 ■ www.smithturf.co.za
On COURSe GOLFInG SOLUtIOnS
Suppliers of GPS Management Systems.  ■ Toll Free: 0800 336 996
■ 082 901 6184 ■ andrew@oncoursegps.co.za
PReFeRReD SUPPLIeR PROGRAMMe
The majority of our friends in the golf
industry have excellent reputations and
many players in the industry subscribe to
the philosophy of under-promising and
over-delivering, rather than the other
way around.
Of course, there are occasions where
we have received complaints from readers
about goods or services which have failed to
live up to expectations. No system is perfect
MAyFORD
MayFord is a premier supplier of
specialised lawn seed products tested
for local conditions.
■ 011 548 2800
■ www.sakata.co.za
GOLFtIMeSA
GolfTimeSA delivers online tee-time
reservations and golf club IT.
■ 082 904 3285 ■ www.golftimesa.co.za
StIhL
The world’s number one manufacturer
of chainsaws famed for their legendary
German engineering.
■ www.stihl.co.za
and we cannot possibly test every product
that appears in our publication. We do,
however, trust that the thorough checking
of references indicates that these instances
are few and far between. Clients tend to
be less likely to praise good service and we
urge golf clubs who have received excellent
service to let us know, as it is the opinions
of these clients on which the Preferred Sup-
plier Programme is based. ■
StAyPRIMe GOLF
With over 250 course installations, StayPrime
Golf provides the latest cutting-edge GPS
systems and continues building
golfing relationships.
■ 086 166 7466 ■ www.stayprime.com
GReen’S SAnD
Green’s Sand is the preferred USGA Silica
Sand Supplier to the golf industry since
1979 as well as being the proud supplier of
the FIFA 2010 World Cup Stadiums.
■ 011 964 3236/2997 ■ www.greensand.co.za
For further information contact Natalie
Shekleton on 011 301 4448, email
her at natalies@ramsaymedia.co.za or
log on to www.compleatgolfer.co.za and
follow the link to PSL via GCM.
Golf Club Management August 2010 25
GOLF COURSE DESIGN

Strategic DESIGN
A feature of Peter Matkovich’s design philosophy is to offer the golfer
playing certain holes some interesting choices, and as part of a regular
series, GCM looks at a few examples of this course architect’s work.
The so-called ‘golden age’ of golf course SILVER LAKES 8TH HOLE guarding the green. The right side, although
architecture featured the work of the likes 399 METRES, PAR FOUR, STROKE TWO tighter, does offer a much easier approach.
of Willie Park Jr, HS Colt, Charles Blair This is a strong, interesting par four that of- “Depending on which tee is used, the
Macdonald and AW Tillinghast. These gifted fers a choice of direction from the tee. strategy for playing this hole will change, but
individuals and others tended to use the The fairway is split by a stream, and the it certainly has all the attributes of a good
great old linksland courses as a template player can either elect to play to the left side, risk-and-reward hole,” says van der Walt.
for much of their work, but also introduced which offers the wider landing area, or to “For the higher handicap players, the
some interesting ideas of their own. It was the right. While the left side may offer a wide option of playing to the right side of the
during this period, from the late 19th century margin for error, from there the approach to fairway is probably best. As a stroke two,
and into the earlier part of the 1900s, that the green must carry an expanse of water many will elect to lay-up short of the green,
two divergent schools of thought in course
architecture emerged – the penal and stra-
tegic. A penal hole dictated the way in which
a hole had to played, and any player that
strayed from the way in which the designer
meant it to be played was punished. In some
cases, the degree of punishment was hardly
proportionate to the degree of error. The
other, more interesting philosophy was to
give the player choices; a number of routes
that could be taken, each with degrees of
difficulty. The idea was to simply balance the
scales in terms of risk and reward.
Peter Matkovich has developed a fine
reputation for not only blending his designs
into the landscape, but to giving careful
thought to ways golfers of different skill
levels can play a hole, and to introduce the
need to think rather than simply pulling out
the driver and blazing way. “It is perhaps
a fault of a few modern designers to insist
on forcing the player to hit driver on most
holes, and to ignore the more subtle skill of
course management and finesse,” he says.
GCM met with Louis van der Walt, who
has worked with Matkovich and Hayes
since 1998, and he pointed out some of the
fundamentals which allow for interesting
holes that make players of all abilities think
about their strategy on the tee. The two
An important feature of this hole is the
holes that were chosen are at Silver Lakes, stand of trees to the right of the fairway,
one an interesting par four, the other the which can obscure the approach shot.
finishing hole, a truly excellent par five.

26 August 2010 Golf Club Management


Although a generous target, the 18th green is
not only almost surrounded by water, but the
two-tiered green does not guarantee two putts.
With water on the right and a well-placed bun-
ker to the left, an accurate tee shot is needed
to set up a shot at the green with the second.
Golf course desiGn
and from the right side a fair margin of error
is allowed. But any player wishing to take
this route will have to hit an accurate shot –
a tee shot left of the target could end up in
the hazard, whereas the shot pushed right
will find the stand of trees obscuring their
approach. The longer hitters will probably
mostly play to the left portion of the fairway,
but a miss-hit or a shot landing left of the
target will leave a tough shot that has to
carry the water in front of the green.
silver lAkes 18th hole
478 metres, pAr five, stroke 13
The finishing hole at Silver Lakes is a
magnificent par five that can be reached by
the longer hitter, but two accurate shots are
required. Most players would play the hole as
a three-shotter, but even the more conserva-
tive approach does not guarantee success.
“This hole presents quite a challenge
from the tee,” says van der Walt. “There is
water to the right, and a well-placed bunker
to the left which can catch the shots of play-
ers who hit their drivers in the hope of get-
ting home in two. The stronger player might
consider hitting a 3-wood or less from the
tee to avoid the bunker, but then obviously
a longer shot to the green will be needed.”
The green seems a very small target
fronted by water, and the player who hits their
approach a little too long will find that the two-
tiered green presents problems of its own.
The hole also features a bunker that
is placed to catch the less-than-accurate
lay-up shot, so the player is forced to think
carefully before ‘bailing out.’ ■
Before joining Matkovich and Hayes, Louis
van der Walt studied Landscape Archi-
tecture at TUKS, and worked on projects
such as Zebula, Elements, Ebotse and
Pinnacle Point.
GUSTAv PUTTEr
Tel: 011 321 7360
Website: www.matko.co.za
Golf Club Management August 2010 27
retail 101
We’re having a
Sale!
Kymi Bodenberger offers more sound advice on managing
a successful pro shop and explains the psychology behind
‘training’ your customers.
Turn and burn. Have you ever heard that
phrase in reference to retail? Some of the
larger chain retailers know it well. It refers to
the logic that it is more financially sound to
sell the stock through (turn) by discounting
old merchandise (burn) so that you create
financial capacity (and physical space) to
bring in the newest items. Sell it through to
bring in the new.
Many of us have surely noticed this trend
applied at many of the larger retail chain
stores. Just as the new winter stock arrives
for winter or the new summer stock has
arrived for summer, the previous season’s
clothing prices are ‘slashed’ and signs are
hung everywhere promoting 50 percent off,
75 percent off and so on.
These retailers understand that they
will make more money by discounting the
older stock and taking a lesser profit or
sometimes even a small loss, because they
replace it with new product at full margins
that are likely to sell at a higher rate than
the older, less fashionable stock.
If they were to sit on the older product
hoping it would eventually sell at its original
price, they could be waiting a long time and
would lose the opportunity to continually
turn their selections and bring in new, full-
margined products. In addition, the shop
can end up looking like a haberdashery with
many incomplete fashion lines cluttering
the place.
The above concept leads us to the objec-
tive of this month’s article. Specifically with
28 august 2010 Golf Club Management
soft goods (clothing), there are two types –
and only two types – of sales in a retail store.
The first type of sale is your on-going,
every single day, end-of-range sale, also
referred to as the ‘last-of-the-best-sellers’
sale. Any style that has sold through to the
final one or two units is discounted and
relocated to this sale rail. By removing these
broken size runs to a different location, you
maintain a greater perceived value in the
balance of your stock as the presentation
and size offerings are complete.
The last-of-the-best-sellers rail should
be kept in a standard location near the
back of the shop, away from your primary
collections. You want your customers to first
notice the new stock, in a complete size
run, selling at full margin. As I am sure we
have all seen, customers looking for a bit
of a deal will always be able to sniff out the
sale rail in the back of your store.
The second type of sale is your annual
or semi-annual end of season sale. This
is your opportunity to create a big promo-
tion and build up excitement to encourage
customer attendance for this ‘everything
must go’ sale.
This is when you turn and burn to clear
out winter stock and make room for new
summer selections. As I mentioned above,
you will make greater profit in the long run
by discounting and selling older stock to
create space and finances to bring in the
season’s newest collections.
There is one extremely important ele-
ment to the annual end of season sale: It
must always be a limited time offer. This
sale should run approximately two weeks
and no longer. If the sale carries on longer,
you run the risk of training your custom-
ers incorrectly. Sounds rather odd, don’t
you think? How can you possibly train your
customers incorrectly?
I read an article a while back about a
bookstore that set a table outside the front
entrance to fill with discounted books they
were trying to sell through. In the beginning,
the owners were thrilled with the number
of books being purchased off this sale table
and continued to stock the table with older
publications.
After some time had passed, they
realised that they were selling a great
quantity of books however, their profits were
dropping at a steady rate. They eventually
realised that they had actually ‘trained’ their
customer base to only shop off the sale
table and customers were rarely venturing
through the full price selections within the
store for purchases.
I was consulting with a number of golf
shops in China last year. As I walked into
one of the shops I noticed that every single
rail in the store had one of those rather
garish neon starburst signs screaming out
 RETAIL 101

ABOVE LEFT: Merchandise should be neatly displayed even when on sale. Sloppy displays reduce
perceived value.
ABOVE: The general rule is for sale items to be hung on a rail rather than folded on a table – this keeps
the highly-browsed stock neatly displayed.
BELOW: This is a good example of a sale display being neatly presented.

the price of the items on each rail. They had
categorised the entire store by price rather
than by collections or brands. The problem
this creates is that you train your customers
to shop primarily by price.
A customer will walk up to the rail that in-
dicates the price he/she is willing to spend,
rather than the customer falling in love with
an item that may be a bit more expensive
than originally planned, but too irresistible
to pass up.
Another small but crucially important fac-
tor in dealing with sales is how to price the
sale items. Studies have proven that in order
to trigger customer impulse to make a sale
purchase, a discount of at least 25 percent
should be applied. That being said, many
shops present a sale area by simply display-
ing a sign stating ‘25 percent off’ but the in-
dividual tags are not marked. This will have
a negative effect on the success of your sale
as it irritates and confuses potential custom-
ers – not knowing if the sticker price already
has the discount applied or not.
Shopping is meant to be a pleasure, so
why would we want to make our customers
figure out the math to determine their price?
Instead, any time you mark an item on sale,
draw a line through the original price and
write in the new discounted price. This will
preserve customer relations as the final
price is known, without any miscalculation
on behalf of the customer.
Sales are an essential part of retail.
Whether you’re planning to turn old stock into
cash for new stock, make room in your shop
for new items, or simply sell off slow-moving
products, a sale is your best option. But as
we have now seen, how you conduct the sale
will determine your success. ■

ACUSHNET SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD

TEL: 011 462 9165

Golf Club Management August 2010 29

silica quartz promotion
chipping
away at costs
Not new to the golf course industry, Neil Reid and Greg Phyffer
of Silica Leisure have decided to merge their leisure company
with their silica sand source, Silica Quartz, based in Delmas.
Cutting out the middleman is becoming a
more common practice. “A market leader has
to adapt to the needs of its clients,” explains
Neil Reid, who now services well over 100
courses in the Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and
Pretoria. Golf, being a leisure pastime for
most households, is often the first luxury to be
driven into the rough. Most golf courses have
been affected by the recession and as a result
have had to rethink their expenditure and
what costs are the most important in keeping
the facilities attractive to their members.
Greg Phyffer, MD of Silica Quartz,
remarks: “Producing enough USGA sand
at Bronx Silica Mine five years ago was
a challenge; we were under pressure to
supply over 5 000 tons per month to our
contracted distributor. Today I doubt the
entire market has capacity for 5 000 tons
per month as silica sand is now seen as a
luxury for courses unless they are keeping
up with mandatory maintenance practices.”
30 august 2010 Golf Club Management
“Most construction now becomes a ten-
der process and is planned well in advance
so the course can gear up for the outlay,”
adds Reid.
Silica Quartz came into being with the split-
ting of B&E Silica’s two silica mine operations
in 2006. Silica Quartz is an opencast mine,
historically supplying high grade silica sand
and grit to the glass, industrial, mining, filtra-
tion and leisure industries from their operation
between Delmas and Bronkhorstspruit. Its
products are sized and/or dried to meet the
specific needs of its valued customers.
An impressive new washplant was
custom-built to produce USGA sand for
the leisure market. “Our product is always
carefully recovered with the awareness to
what we do and how we do it, ensuring not
to affect our surroundings,” explains Phyffer.
“At Silica Quartz, we know the Earth holds us
accountable for our actions and we are com-
mitted to responsible mining practices that
minimise our impact on the environment.”
Silica Quartz’s ISO 9001 accreditation en-
sures not only the highest quality product, but
further guarantees strict standards in regards
to plant maintenance and service quality. Its
USGA silica sand is also tested by Thomas
Turf, ETL and Civilab to ensure compliance.
Reid explains, “We feel we should be
doing more to assist the courses and
construction companies than just supplying
material. We offer a more personal service
than our competitors by regularly visiting
our clients. Seeing our product at point of
production and how it actually ‘plays’ on the
course are two different perspectives and
clients benefit from the ongoing interaction.
We simply need to do more than just take
orders; ensuring the clubs save money and
get longer use of our products is imperative
to building lasting relationships.”
So the reason for the Silica Leisure and
Silica Quartz merge? “Taking Silica Leisure
in-house allows for the costs incurred in
duplication to be eradicated. As a supplier
to this industry, we have to ensure dynamic
service, quality product and most impor-
tantly in our current economic climate,
affordable pricing!” ■
For more information contact Neil Reid
on 082 385 2255, fax him on 086 605
6915 or email him at neil@silq.co.za.
The environmenT

moving from man-made

destruction to eco-development

Signs of the original quarry are still visible at Eagle Canyon, but
indigenous vegetation will eventually cover the steep slopes.

We talk about moving golf from the ‘spotlight’ into the ‘limelight’. Rarely have I come across a case
study that provides us with the wherewithall to do just this, proving that the golfing community has
made major strides in contributing to the environment, restoring what was at one time ‘a blot on
the landscape’ to a place of nature to escape from the urban hurly-burly that is Johannesburg.
What was once a grey, disused quarry has been transformed into an attractive golfing estate –
probably one of the most financially successful while, at the same time, eco-sensitive; allowing for
a potential local biodiversity model to be put in place, writes John Masson.
FirsT impressions The contrast between the natural veld grass and
When I first arrived at Eagle Canyon – the manicured turf adds to aesthetics of this layout.
standing at the edge of the clubhouse
veranda – I was confronted with almost
wilderness within an urban amphitheatre –
a distant rugged ridge protecting what one
might describe as the estate micro-climate.
The Japanese would call this ridge ‘bor-
rowed interest’ – they have for hundreds of
years been able to take ownership of the
surrounding natural settings in which they
have placed their formal landscapes.
Here the developers maintained the
naturalness as if not to break the link and
connectedness with nature – so clever in
adding real value, both visual and financial,

32 August 2010 Golf Club Management


to those investing and participating in the
game. This was the site of a highly-impact-
ed environment – a quarry! This is the very
essence and importance of the case study.
A river runs Through iT
Eagle Canyon offers an integration of resi-
dence and recreation, standing apart from
many other golfing estates as a result of it
not feeling overly man-made. Its wetlands
and grasslands create a ruggedness to
match the ridge.
It is geared to achieving ‘ecological
succession’ – the process of moving from
a pioneer state (where it is in reality at
present), upgrading to maturity with a
variety of species, a richness of plant and
animal life that are natural to this very spot.
Its wetland systems have an authentic
wilderness element about them, despite the
fact that there is an over-dominance of reed
colonisation. This can be easily remedied by
removing a portion of reeds and bringing in
local wetland plants.
This riverine development also serves as
an important storm water management sys-
tem; its connectivity with an upland water
source to the east of the property and outlet
to the west connects every aspect of the es-
tate with surrounding lands – an important
ecological corridor of habitat species and a
design feature that can assist in improving
the reduction of hydro pollution and silta-
tion. What a difference from the traditional
randomly placed sterile water hazards!
The eArTh didn’T
move for Them
Unlike so many other developments that
have moved tonnes of earth and topsoil to
The imposing clubhouse at Eagle Canyon – the club was again
the recipient of Compleat Golfer’s 5-Star Golf Experience award.
the site, here very little, if any, topsoil was
transplanted. The designers made good
with what little soil was available.
This decision did much for conservation.
Although it can be perceived as almost a
stinginess on the part of the developer, it
was cleverness whether they knew it or
not. Money, transport and emissions costs
and resources were saved and could be
used more profitably elsewhere. The course
designers can now address their limitations
with ecological solutions.
With the introduction of local species
that are tolerant to this harsh condition,
fertility will be created naturally. Pioneer-
ing plants start a process of creating soil
humous in tandem with naturally occurring
micro-organisms – thus creating a seedbed
for more sensitive species. If this process
is sensitively introduced, the estate can
achieve full ecological climax status.
if you go down To
The woods Tomorrow
A final point is that this estate hasn’t in-
vested huge sums of money overpopulating
the landscape with exotic and inappropriate
beautiful feature and add shot values to the layout.
The environmenT
species, as we often see in so many other
examples around the world. What a breath
of fresh air!
The estate can now, without destroying
what should never have been there, con-
sider a plan of action – not to remedy – but
to introduce most cost-effectively the cor-
rect plant species to create local biodiversity
woodland ‘communities’ and reinstate
ecosystems that would have occurred here.
These can be appropriately placed, with the
involvement of the club and residents, to
avoid any viewsite or ‘in play’ obstructions.
Of course this existing palette makes it
so much easier to maintain what has been
done right and create what can only be a
role model for existing and golf courses of
the future.
In my next article, I hope to introduce you
to some very exciting, relevant and construc-
tive ideas that will help guide and reward
the industry in making intelligent and cost
saving development and management deci-
sions on golf courses around the country. ■
If you would like to get in touch with John,
please contact him on 082 892 8890 or
john@localbiodiversity.com.
The lakes and wetlands at Eagle Canyon are a
Golf Club Management August 2010 33
TURFGRASS

Cultivars that heal quickly offer advan-

tages for a golf superintendent. Cultivars
capable of quickly filling in voids would
maintain playability and reduce the poten-
tial for weed invasion compared to other
creeping bentgrass cultivars.
Previous university studies have com-
pared the performance of bentgrass culti-
vars. There are numerous studies on L-93
and how well it has performed. However,
little published research exists regarding
the performance of the next generation of
bentgrasses, T-1.

The next generation

Independent studies were conducted
on 17 new generation cultivars, including

MAYFORD’S
MayFord’s T-1. Several parameters were
measured. With lateral regrowth, T-1 came
out tops!
Numerous factors indicate that T-1 is the

BENTGRASS T-1
obvious candidate for interseeding practices
on golf course greens. Whether one wants
to improve bentgrass stand or compete
against poa annua, T-1 is the answer, as
shown in the above picture. T-1 was sown
directly into a 100 percent poa stand. Seeds
After the extensive research that has been done on creeping were left to grow to mowing height of 12mm
and T-1 totally dominated stand.
bentgrass cultivars, the T-1 variety has proven to be the best, T-1 is busy proving itself as one of
writes Johann Delport. the most competitive bentgrass cultivars
around and is now proven to be the ideal
On a golf course putting green, surface as poa annua can quickly invade an area choice for quickly filling in voids and divots
disruptions such as ball marks, foot traffic, and become problematic, contributing to a as well as being highly competitive against
cultivation practices and equipment traffic non-uniform playing surface and increasing poa annua. ■

are unsightly and negatively impact play- maintenance inputs for weed control. This For more information on T-1, contact
ability. Secondly, when an opening exists also contributes to increasing chemical us- Johann Delport on the MayFord Profes-
in the canopy, opportunistic weeds such age with a negative environmental impact. sional Turf Helpline: 0861 100 458.

Sakata Seed Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd

Reg. No. 1950/039800/07

Tel: +27 11 548 2800 • Fax: +27 11 548 2820

Email: mayford@sakata-eu.com • Website: www.sakata.co.za
Postal address: PO Box 160, Lanseria, 1748

34 August 2010 Golf Club Management

Green’s sand Promotion

Green’s sand
suPPlyinG the best Product
to the best Golf courses
Green’s Sand has a proven track record for supplying a quality product. The latest
ceramic greens mix used in the construction of Eye of Africa’s greens has proven to be
yet another triumph for Green’s Sand, which can now boast another satisfied customer.
Green’s Sand has established itself as a for the putting surfaces, which has proven
company that dominates the turf industry to be a huge success. “The special mix of
when it come to specialised sand and its list of silica and ceramics allows for better reten-
premium courses certainly reads like the who’s tion of nutrients, and particularly during the
who among golfing facilities – not to mention growing-in period, there was a noticeable
the majority of soccer World Cup stadiums. difference in the quality of the putting surfaces
The importance of using the correct at Eye of Africa,” says Vic van Eyk of Servest
greens mix cannot be overstated, and while Turf, the company contracted to construct this
certain suppliers may claim to offer suitable spectacular course. “Green’s Sand mixed the
or ‘replacement’ sand, there is no substitute ceramics, which was specially imported, with
for the material specified by the architect or their silica on site, and the end result speaks
the USGA. for itself,” he says. “Green’s Sand certainly has
At the recently-opened Eye of Africa an excellent reputation in the business, and
course, a Greg Norman design, the architect as everyone knows, the company reliably sup- Website: www.greensand.co.za
stipulated that a special ceramic mix be used plies a quality product.” ■ Tel: 011 964 3236/2997

36 august 2010 Golf Club Management


When is the
price right?
In past issues of GCM the question of the pricing of greenfees has been looked at in some
detail. Gardener Ross’ desiree stone offers some lateral thinking as well as advice on this topic.
When are greenfees too expensive, or for
that matter, too cheap? Should – or could –
clubs be lowering their fees to attract more
rounds, or has golf already priced itself
beyond the means of most aspirant golfers?
These and other prickly issues have been
discussed at great length, and the truth is
that there are no clear-cut answers for what
is definitely not an exact science.
Common sense would suggest that if
a club is charging too much, golfers will
simply stay away, and if insufficient revenue
is being generated by visitor and member
rounds, a long, hard look at maintenance
and other costs will have to be taken.
In the ‘good old days’ prior to the estate
boom, certain clubs may have taken a
somewhat arrogant look at their pricing, and
adopted a take-it-or-leave-it attitude; there
were sufficient rounds being played, and if
a few golfers found the price too high, they
simply had to make way for those who were
prepared to pay the asking price.
During these times, membership reten-
tion was high, bookings for corporate days
were plentiful, and balancing the books was
not difficult. Things have certainly changed.
“We charge R275 per affiliated golfer
at Gardener Ross on week-day mornings,”
says the estate’s co-manager, Desiree
Stone.
“This includes greenfees, warm-up balls
on the range and golf cart rental. In winter
this fee even includes a cup of homemade
soup!” When comparing prices at most
other premier facilities (and Gardener Ross
definitely has a golf course that must be
considered to be in the upper echelon), this
certainly represents great value.
But has this strategy worked?
“Offering this special has definitely in-
creased our morning fields, but we are still
not fully booked,” says Stone.
“We are also running an SMS campaign
through GolfTimeSA to 3 500 affiliated golf-
ers in the Gauteng area for the duration of
the World Cup.
“This promotion includes: our usual
weekday mornings rate of R275, weekday
afternoon rounds for R300 (the normal rate
is R350), and weekend rates of R350 (the
normal rate is R410).
“These rates include greenfees, cart
hire and warm-up range balls. We are also
allowing members and guests to book one
“i also don’t believe that We must be
too cheap! let’s rather learn hoW to
give the golfer some ‘added value’.”
month in advance. I would like to see if this
also has an impact on the rounds if people
are allowed to book more in advance.
“From previous experience I strongly
believe that price definitely has an impact
on the number of rounds.
“I also don’t believe that we must be
too cheap! Let’s rather learn how to give
the golfer some ‘added value’. We have
included warm-up balls on the driving
range, a cup of homemade soup for the
morning rounds and a coffee/tea station on
week-ends.
“Golfers love receiving things for ‘free’!”
The disparity between rates that golfers
that are affiliated to a golf union pay, com-
pared to those that are not, is another issue
rands and sense
that has been discussed at length.
“We like to give the full members at golf
clubs the benefit of the affiliated rate. This
opens another can of worms, but if a mem-
ber is not a full member at a club we charge
them non-affiliated rates.
Clubs need to ensure that when they
reduce their greenfees that they can still
cover their monthly expenses!
It is no use not charging greenfees or
having a ridiculous rate and then you can’t
pay your expenses.
So many times you hear a club manager
saying that they have 5 000 rounds of golf,
but they are not too enthusiastic when you
ask them if they made money that month.”
Of course what exactly the term ‘full
member’ means can also be debated, and
most golfers who have bought discounted
membership, albeit effectively ‘country’
membership, believe that they are entitled
to the affiliated rate, but the individual clubs
can obviously decide what to charge, and
there is no hard and fast rule that clubs
must adhere to.
“Yes, price definitely has an impact on
the number of rounds but we need to have
a balance between price and being able
to cover your costs. Rather look at adding
value as opposed to cutting the greenfees
dramatically. Once your fees are very low it
is always difficult to increase them again to
the original fee,” warns Stone. ■
Golf Club Management august 2010 37
last word
lies, damned lies
and statistics
GCM looks at the latest report on golf salaries and benefits, but
quite honestly does not know what to make of make it.
KPMG decided some time ago that in addi-
tion to its business of auditing and offering
tax advice, it would also take on the role as
an advisor to the golf industry.
Its website, Golf Business Community,
churns out various snippets; some of which
are interesting, but to the more cynical
among us it seems that it is more focused on
luring delegates to its golf business forums,
the last of which was held in Belek, Turkey.
At this forum KPMG awarded Greg Nor-
man with a lifetime achievement award, and
when Norman graciously accepted his award,
he made the point that “golf is all about net-
working, we all move in the same circles and
you have got to keep up those contacts.”
Well not everybody moves in the same
circles as Greg Norman, and going to
Turkey for a spot of networking is a bit of a
stretch, but for those of you who might be
interested, the next venue will be Dubai.
One of the items on the KPMG website
is a wordy report about a report – it would
seem that the Club Managers Association
of Europe and the executive recruitment
specialist, Colt Mackenzie McNair (sounds
more like a firm of golf course architects),
announced their “important” findings
gleaned from a report titled Golf Salary &
Benefits Study 2010.
The report was compiled by IFM Sports
Marketing surveys, which was presumably
commissioned by the Club Managers As-
sociation and the recruitment specialists.
So effectively the club managers got
someone else to ask them questions and
then to compile the report. One of findings
of the report, not surprisingly, was that 60
percent of the respondents now outsource
jobs to create a “more flexible cost base”.
We are told that functions such as food
and beverage and golf coaching roles are
38 august 2010 Golf Club Management
being outsourced, just as presumably the
managers also outsource the gathering of
data which they themselves generate.
Jerry Kirby, who is the CEO of the man-
agers’ association, said this: “There is a
wealth of information contained in this study
and we would encourage club managers,
owners and committees across the EMEA
region to use these reliable and up-to-the-
minute results to help make sound business
decisions going forward.”
Dare we suggest that the first sound
business decision might be to do whatever
surveys of their own members themselves,
which would save a considerable amount of
time and money?
Anyway, the report tells us that 40
percent of respondents earned in excess
of €60 000 a year, and that nearly three
“...we are not told that to make any
sense of the statistics an actuarial
degree is needed.”
quarters of the clubs surveyed had gross
incomes of less than two million euros.
One in 10 clubs in the UK and Ireland
boasted revenues of over five million euros
per annum, which is important to know.
Another ‘important’ statistic shown was that
25 percent of respondents would consider
working away from their country of birth,
and 12 percent were already working away
from their country of birth.
Other fascinating bits of information in-
cluded the fact that managers in the UK and
Ireland receive less annual leave than their
counterparts in other markets, that managers
in Germany and Scandinavia are rewarded
with at least 30 days leave a year, and that it
is not unusual for manages to given bonuses
in excess of €10 000 a month.
Somehow this might be tied up with
how much money the clubs make, but the
report does not tell us that, nor does it offer
any clues as to how a club becomes one of
the ‘one in ten’ that makes serious money.
We are told that neither a degree-level
education nor a professional qualification
is a prerequisite for a senior position at a
golf club, and that only 50 percent of the
respondents have either. We are not told
that to make any sense of the statistics an
actuarial degree is needed.
Tony Scott, who is the head of golf
research at IFM Sports Marketing, says that
the document his company produced “con-
tains important information about the cur-
rent marketplace with valuable intelligence
on salaries and other benefits received by
staff in each region,” which we suppose is
important if you are one of the 25 percent
who is considering finding a job away from
the country of your birth. Scott adds that: “It
will undoubtedly help employers under-
stand what they need to offer to ensure that
they employ the best people, retain them
and give their businesses a head-start in the
midst of this economic crisis.”
Presumably without this report, golf clubs
have no idea how to go about this – he
might just have a point. ■
If anybody is interested, a full copy of the
Golf Salary and Benefits Study 2010 can
be downloaded from the CMAE website
www.cmaeurope.org and GCM would love
to hear what you make of it.