Did You Know?? (Business As Usual)

Tee time anyone? As I looked at the Scottsdale country club tee sheet this morning and counted 40 total players for the day, a couple of thoughts came to mind; first, what a difference at the Scottsdale country club between the middle of ‘in-season’ and the middle of the ‘off-season’ and, secondly, what’s the matter with these hardy souls that tee it up in the heat (high today of 110) and the humidity (54%)?!! That said, we’re thankful for the Scottsdale country club Members that do show up day after day during the summer!

As mentioned last month, it is Scottsdale country club ‘business as usual’ here at the Club and the month of June was, much like May, busier than we’ve experienced in the past. Did you know . . . that our Scottsdale country club YTD (October – May) Total Rounds of Golf played is 25,363 – 7.5% higher than budgeted and 5.1% higher than year prior?

• Did you know . . that our Scottsdale country club total Revenue in May 2015 of $915,815 was up by 8% over budget and 19% higher than year prior?
• Did you know . . . that the month of May’s Gross Operating Profit of $34,806 was 196% better than budget and 136% better than year prior?
• Did you know . . . that the Scottsdale golf club’s YTD Net Profit After Other Income of $284,043 is 3.2% better than budget and 160% better than year prior ($109,118)?
Changing the subject. . .
• Did you know . . . that, in our recently completed 2015 Scottsdale golf club Employee Opinion Survey (“EOS”), 96% of our employees indicated that they were very satisfied or satisfied with their job?
• Did you know . . . that in that same survey, 96% of our Scottsdale golf club employees said their work is very meaningful or meaningful? Did you know. . . that 94% of our employees strongly agree/ agree that the Club offers equal opportunities regardless of race, gender, age, ethnicity, religion or marital status?
• Did you know . . . that 94% of our Scottsdale golf club employees strongly agree/ agree that they focus on problem solving instead of fault finding?

Yes, we also learned in the 2015 Scottsdale golf club Employee Opinion Survey that we have some areas for improvement, i.e.: promotions tied to improvement (69%), employee satisfaction with employee benefits (67%), and employee commitment to a career with the Club (72%....down 8% as compared to year prior). All in all though, we are extremely pleased with the survey results as they confirm a very high level of employee satisfaction and the fact that they truly do believe the Scottsdale golf club is a great place to work (92%)!!

Speaking of employees, congratulations are in order for Scottsdale golf club Executive Chef Lenard Rubin as he recently received his Certified Executive Chef certification from the American Culinary Federation. The American Culinary Federation (ACF) was established in 1929 and is the largest professional chefs' organization in North America. ACF, which was the progeny of the combined visions of three chefs' associations in New York, comprises more than 22,000 members in 230 chapters across the United States, and is known as the authority on cooking in America. Its mission is to make a positive difference for culinarians through education, apprenticeship and certification, while creating a fraternal bond of respect and integrity among culinarians everywhere.

Congratulations Chef Lenny on a milestone career accomplishment….and thank you for being on our team

Scottsdale Private Golf Club Field Goals & Objectives

As I sit here writing this article from Scottsdale private golf club, The Country Club at DC Ranch, it is but a few hours before the leaders tee off in the last round of the 115th Men’s US Open Championship at Chambers Bay near Seattle, Washington. When asked what I think about the golf course and set up of it thus far, as well as what the media and players are saying, I see it from both sides and here is why:

1. Having been a part of the teams which set up almost every level of competitions from Junior tournaments to Major Championships, we had to define what the goals and objectives were for the field. Sometimes it was to get players around in a timely manner with easier hole locations or to do what the USGA is attempting to do this week, which is “to determine and define the best player in the field testing all facets of their game, be it physical, mental or emotional”.
2. Many years I was schooled by some of the best course set-up officials from various tours who told me you should have a goal of balancing the requirements.
3. You should have six easy, six medium, and six difficult hole locations each day as well as six left, six center, and six right.
4. Your goal is to reward good shots and penalize the poor ones. Each hole location should be set so a putt to the hole will stop within reason if it goes past the hole, and not run away. The hole should not be cut so close to the edge of the green, on the apex point of a slope so a player can’t get it close with a good shot.

I realize what Jack Nicklaus told me years ago when discussing tournaments, that golf was not meant to be completely fair, and if you complain about the set-up for the competition, over half the field can be eliminated as potential winners. Brian Henning, a long time senior rules official on the PGA Champions Tour, told me that you will never satisfy all players, so do the fairest job possible and that “you set the test and the players take it”, and if they choose not to play, this is their decision. So, back to the US Open, here we go. We all know that despite all the fussing about yardages, green speeds, bumpy greens, par 4s and 5s, and vice versa, Sunday afternoon one player was recognized as the US Open Champion. They withstood all the USGA could test them with during the week. It was interesting to watch it play out.

Well, we said all along that May was a bonus month here at Scottsdale private golf club, The Country Club at DC Ranch from an unseasonably cool standpoint, and here comes June with warmer than usual temperatures.

We sprayed out the rye grass at Scottsdale private golf club, The Country Club at DC Ranch in the rough so the Bermuda grass will have room to grow vigorously when the humidity kicks in each summer, typically after July 4th. What it does tell us is that the more heavily you overseed at Scottsdale private golf club, The Country Club at DC Ranch with rye grass in the fall, the greater the Bermuda decline each summer, to the extent a turf scientist told me to expect a 15% Bermuda decline each year you overseed. That means after only three years, you could see almost 50% of the Bermuda gone at Scottsdale private golf club, The Country Club at DC Ranch in all turf areas. Scottsdale private golf club, The Country Club at DC Ranch does our best to manage the turf transition process each year.

“The Scottsdale country club Inferno”, our Gentlemen’s summer member-guest over the dates of July 24th and 25th, 2015 is fully subscribed once again for the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning Scottsdale country club shotgun starts. This should be a fun Scottsdale country club tournament as always, if only the cool weather stays away for the first time in years.

Sign up opportunities for the November Scottsdale country club Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Rodeo will be forthcoming in the next few months, but it is not too early to find a partner for the competition. The Scottsdale country club ladies play on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10th and 11th, followed by the men on Thursday through Saturday, November 12th, 13th, and 14th.

Please note the Scottsdale country club overseeding dates which will close the course are from Monday, September 21st through Thursday, October 15th. The course will reopen with tee times on Friday, October 16th. In closing, try as best you can to stay cool this summer and remember your sunscreen.