Golf Committee minutes
(The golf committee deals with golf operations and course conditions)
Nov. 25th, 2009
In attendance – Brian Dyer (Chair) Ronda Manspeaker, Donna Wyatt, Andy Zamiara, Phyllis Coosaia, Al Egge, Annika Wilkes, Tim Skogen, Jennifer Dammeyer and Tom Shephard. Regrets Bobbie McAlpine, John Hubbuch.

Report from Tom Shephard, Course Superintendent.
 Overall, Tom was pleased with the condition of the course, and there was general agreement on this matter;
 Tom noted it was too early to assess the effects of the recently installed ‘Gates’. He noted that certain areas will still be roped, where damage was likely;
 We were advised that the current heights of grass on fairways and rough will be kept until the first frost occurs. Right now, the fairways are a bit ‘hairy’ and the rough a bit short. The Greens are running at 9 on the stimp;
 The fire ants issue seems to be under control;
 Bunkers. Discussion ensured regarding the inadequacy of the condition of the bunkers. We were advised that funds for re-sanding the bunkers has been, and is, the #1 priority on the ‘Capital Expenditures Budget’ in recent years but has not been approved by H. O. Tim Skogen advised that the cost of replacing sand in the bunkers (greenside and fairway) is in excess of $100,000. He noted there are over 3 ½ acres of sand on the course. (Clearly, the sand is now a mixture of sand and contaminants which makes bunker shots quite difficult) Tom advised that the bunkers are raked each day, unless one of his crew is off work, in which case the traps might not get fully raked. (This is a budgetary item which is therefore a management issue)

Report by General Manager, Tim Skogen.
Tim noted that high energy and activity levels were very evident during the month of November. In general terms, morale is high and the pro shop staff is excellent. He advised that one more computer terminal is being added to facilitate inputting of handicaps etc. In response to a question, Tim advised that each year a capital expenditure budget was prepared, but he noted there was no architectural ‘long term plan’ for the golf course. This question stemmed from the high cost of replacing sand in the traps. Tim suggested that fewer and smaller traps would not only reduce costs, but would add to the general enjoyment for the average golfer. Also in response to another question about ‘Signature Gold’, we were advised that 2 spots were allocated in the morning and 2 in the afternoon for these categories of members. We were also advised that ‘Trophy Members’ from Mission Hills and Indian Wells had not made an impact on our tee times, as there had been no demand, at least up to now.

Report from Head Pro – Jennifer Dammeyer.  Jennifer advised that November was a very busy month with a lot of events, which was testing for the staff, many of whom were new;
 Training new staff is a time consuming, but necessary activity. Mistakes have been made in a few areas, but it is part of the learning curve.
 We discussed the recent issues regarding online booking of tee times. Tim and Jennifer are going to review this, as the present system has some cumbersome glitches, as highlighted by some committee members;
 In response to the question as to why the number of driving range spots has been reduced, we were advised they are trying to better conserve the condition of the grass. However, the pro-shop realizes that problems exist when there are shotguns and they will deal with this;
 Staff uniforms have been ordered – some have arrived and more are on the way - should all be here by mid December;
 There will be ‘big sale’ on Black Friday, which is being separately advertised;
 Robert Delgado and Jennifer will have a tournament on December 18th - ‘Beat the Pro’
 Discussion ensured as to why the Charity Auction was not well supported. There was a lack of successful promotion and it occurred at a busy time, with 4 events just beforehand.

General discussion – Pace of Play
Several causes of slow play were noted (4 hours is deemed to be the appropriate time at DFCC)
 Individually, some players are just pedantic - not embracing the concept of ‘ready’ golf. It is the responsibility of their fellow players to encourage such players to ‘step it up’ – and so the MGA and WGA are dealing with this on an ongoing basis.
 The number of ‘outside players’ is also a factor. For the most part, outside players are more likely to get ‘out of position’- for a variety of reasons.
 The length of the rough can be a factor – though not at present.
 Overloaded shotguns will slow play down. 120 golfers is a comfortable number and it can go higher with proper marshaling
 Ropes – a necessity for the first few weeks of the season, but there is no real alternative to this. Fortunately, we are now past this for the 2009/2010 season.
 Poor or inadequate marshaling will also result in slow play.
 Hole #14 is a big problem, as carts are required to stay on the path and there is a long hike to far side bunkers. In addition, there are quite a number of traps on this hole. Without the input of an architect, this is difficult to deal with.
 Building in ‘starters times’ can relieve pressure on the course, but will create a problem in terms of providing enough starting times at in peak periods.
We discussed these items and the General Manager has agreed to look into the hole # 14 situation. Tim mentioned that this is a Signature Hole and inherently there is a reluctance to make any changes. Tim will report back to the committee on his findings. Regarding marshals, it was noted that we are likely understaffed and this issue would also be looked into. The members on our committee reinforced the need for marshals to patrol the course. Another method of speeding up play is to reduce the number of golfers on the course by having tee off’s at 10-minute intervals. However, this creates an ‘access to the tee’ problem and so is not really a good solution.

Miscellaneous. 1. The topic of divot and green repair by the club members was discussed and the following options noted. Tom Shephard noted that most people put too much sand in the divot holes. Sand should be slightly below surface level – ¼ to ½ inch
 Having regular ‘divots parties’
 Encouraging homeowners who live on the course ‘adopt’ a hole near their home
 Allocating holes to members on an alphabetical basis.

Andy Zamiara agreed to bring a recommendation to the Golf Committee at the next meeting to be effective on January 1st 2010.
2. The course, from the red and gold tees will soon be re-rated by the WSCGA.

Next meeting – Dec 30th at 2 PM.