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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGolf Board - Minutes - 02/09/2022 Golf Board TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) February 9, 2022 6:00 PM Zoom Meeting 0 2 /09/22 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER • Kathy Meyer called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM 2. ROLL CALL • Board Members Present o Patrick Dawson o Rory Heath o Melissa King o Ross Liggett o John Litel o Kathy Meyer o Devon Petersen • Board Members Absent o All members were present. • Staff Members Present o Vince Buelk o Rob Dahl o Jordan Diede o Josh Evans o Brent Johnson o Matt Magley o David McCLeave o Kevin Sheesley o Scott Phelps o Dawn Worth 3. AGENDA REVIEW • Kathy mentioned that staff will be presenting before we discuss our unfinished business. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION • No citizen participation BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 2 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Rory thanked Dawn for updating the December minutes to reflect that the meeting link was unavailable to the public, due to technical issues with the Zoom account. On a motion by Ross, seconded by Devon, the Board voted (7:0) to approve the December 13, 2021 Minutes. On a motion by Ross, seconded by Devon, the Board voted (7:0) to approve the January 12, 2022 Minutes. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS • POS/Tee Sheet update Scott mentioned that the credit card issues have been resolved so we hope to go live soon. He will continue to update the Board. • Irrigation Systems Scott informed the Board that we are waiting to assure we are able to bond with the Hughes Stadium purchase before we finalize the contract. • Youth Scholarship Application Scott said that staff is still working with Nina to finalize the application. We are hoping to award scholarship in the spring. • Disability Sub-Committee At the January meeting Rory suggested the Board implement a disability subcommittee. Kathy said she further discussed this with Scott and some other board members and due to a lack of concerns regarding ADA standards, she feels there isn’t a need for a Disability Sub-Committee at this time. Scott explained that the city did an ADA audit of all Parks, including the golf courses. John informed Rory that the city has an Adaptive Recreation program, and he could reach out to them regarding his concerns. Scott stated that he didn’t receive any ADA concerns in the survey responses either. • Quick Golf Scott informed the Board that he met with the owner of Quick Golf. He would like to discuss this with the Golf Professionals to get their opinion as well. Scott mentioned that he would also prefer to do a beta test at one of the courses before making a decision. BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 3 7. NEW BUSINESS • Collindale Pro Shop Vince Buelk, Collindale Golf Professional, reviewed his staff. • 2020 commitments we made for 2021 and were successfully accomplished o Continued to follow multiple COVID protocols o We added the Midday cart positions to enhance customer service o Tournaments were back in 2021 - We had over 32 events and 2,740 rounds! o 10-minute tee times – helped the pace of play and enabled us to squeeze in multiple groups that showed up thinking they booked online but didn’t o Our Pro Shop staff and Volunteers continued to provide great customer service daily o Shop staff, Player Assistants and Starters on the 1st tee informed golfers how to maintain a good pace of play (many new players in 2021, similar to 2020) o Provided 24-hr turn around on regripping and club repair o Multiple new programs offered through the Academy to attract players to Collindale – Camp Collindale, WACK (Weekday Afternoon Club for Kids), FAM Jam, Yoga on the Range o Utilized the course during off hours and brought in revenue for the city by running our 1st Glow Golf event o Supply chain is still broken but we were able to keep the Pro Shop at a decent level. Our biggest challenge of 2021 by far! • 2021 Tournaments and Events. Tournaments were back on for 2021. 32+ Events and 2,740 Rounds o US Kids – 72 Players o JGAC Tour – 130 Players, 96 Players (2 days), 89 Players (2 day) o Ram Strength – 124 o FC Women’s Open – 30 Players o U.S. Open Qualifier – 65 Players o Ram Club – 101 Players o Collindale Invite – 154 Players o City Champ – 113 Players o Poudre Football – 71 Players o CED – (new from Loveland) – 88 Players o Jostens (new from Loveland)- 78 Players o CGA Amateur Qual – 55 Players o Boys High School Regional – 109 o CAM Memorial – 87 Players o CGA Women’s Match Play – 75 o CMA – 11 events x 80+ players each BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 4 o Colorado Open Qualifier - 80 Players o Girls HS – 64 Players o Drive Chip and Putt – 115 Participants o Glow Golf – 64 Players Vince reviewed the 2022 Leagues. He mentioned that they will have 12 leagues, which will generate around 15,324 rounds. • 2020 vs 2021 Numbers 2020 o Green Fees = $1,012,666 o Cart Fees = $282,674 o Range = $210,802 o Total GF, CF, Range = $1,506,142 o + $174,664 over 2019 o Merchandise Sales = $346,309 o Rounds of Golf = 33,374 2021 o Green Fees = $1,017,117 o Cart Fees = $324,852 o Range = $308,496 o Total GF, CF, Range = $1,650,465 o + $144,323 over 2020 o Merchandise Sales = $404,139 o Rounds of Golf = 37,491 Vince reviewed their 2021 Junior clinics. He mentioned that they had a total of 485 participants. Vince stated that they added a Camp Collindale clinic, which included lunch at Potts. • 2022 programs that are attracting golfers o Junior Golf Academy o Camp Collindale o DPC – hosing again this year o WACK – Weekend Afternoon Club for Kids o Fam Jam – parents and kids together o Yoga on the range o Private lessons and group clinics o Ladies only drop-in cases o Custom Club fitting o Demo Days BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 5 • New for 2022 o New POS system (Lightspeed) o Volunteer positions will be paid positions o Single rider cart fees ($15 – 9 holes, $25 – 18 holes) o Our multi-vendor Demo Day will return on May 1, 2022 in addition to multiple “fitting days” where vendors will come out individually throughout the season Vince mentioned that he appreciates the partnerships at Collindale. • Collindale Food and Beverage Concessionaire – CB & Potts Kevin Sheesley informed the Board that they are entering their 13th season at Collindale. He stated that Potts has been a presence in the Fort Collins Community since 1974 and has always held a special place for CSU Alums, Fort Collins Natives, and craft beer lovers. Kevin mentioned that they are known for their great burgers, spacious patio and atmosphere. He said golfers are always their number one priority. • Partnership for Success o CB & Potts is proud to partner with PGA Professional Vince Buelk for a fourth year. Together we enhance the golfers experience at Collindale o We are constantly bringing new ideas to the table to improve the overall guest experience and attract new guests o In 2021 we had a very successful partnership with the city for what we hope to have continue as an annual homecoming event in October o In 2022 we are committed to extending outdoor hours with the addition of patio lighting along with more outdoor events Kevin stated that Potts is continually recognized by NOCO Style for its exceptional staff, space and food. He mentioned that in this business, you get better or worse, but you can not stay the same. They make the necessary upgrades and changes necessary to stay competitive. Kevin said that they are gracious for their professional staff as well as their guests. • How did we grow in 2021 o CB & Potts Collindale continues to grow daily, our social media followers. We are actively engaged with social media initiatives. o Our daily features, along with seasonal/specialty menus are constantly being updated and blasted through our online platforms o We continue to improve our successful operations to enhance our CB & Potts brand and market visibility in various channels o In 2021 we were up over 225% of our previous years sales o Our rewards program is still in place and is growing in membership daily. BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 6 Kevin said they are looking forward to hosting more events in 2022. He mentioned that the Friday Night Lights, celebrating CSU Homecoming and Collindale’s 50th Anniversary was a successful event, that they are hoping to continue. Kevin mentioned that Potts is a proud supporter of many areas of the community. He said they plan to continue to support CSU Sports Watch parties and Coaches Show as well as local school and family fundraisers. • Into 2022 o We are hoping to help organize and sponsor a golf tournament benefiting junior golf and the Tom Ehlers student-athlete advancement endowment o Additions this year will make the patio more welcoming for year-round enjoyment o radiant heaters o lights on the entirety of the patio Kevin said he’s very appreciative of the partnerships at Collindale. He mentioned that their sales increased in 2021, more than double. Kevin mentioned that they were only closed for 2 days last year. He informed the Board that they are still having supply issues though. Kevin stated that they feel making some enhancements to the patio will increase usage even more and allow patrons to stay on the patio later. Brent Johnson, Collindale Superintendent, reviewed his staff. • 2021 Review o We were able to hire a few more hourly staff in 2021 allowing us to up our maintenance routines more this year. o Golf had a huge surge in 2020 and 2021. You could really see the cart wear areas this year. o The driving range continued to be busy in 2021 as in 2020. o With the added staff we were able to focus on more attention to detail items in 2021 as opposed to 2020. o We were able to complete a few more projects in 2021. • 2021 Completed projects o Bunker rejuvenation o Increased native areas o Use Weather station and soil moisture sensors (on going) o Pump house repairs – replaced our VFD ($8000) o We got a new pull behind top dresser – we were able to put a lot more sand on the driving range tee this past season. o Maintenance shop cleaning and organization o Extensive tree pruning and raising BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 7 o Worked on Audubon Recertification • Brent reviewed some photos. o Bunker rejuvenation o Weather station o Tree raising and ground prep o Snow mitigation o Soil moisture meter o New pull behind Top Dresser • 2022 Projects o More bunker renovation o Cart path additions o Use weather station and soil moisture meters o Recertify for Audubon o Switch the nines o Tree removal and course pruning and raising o Continue to work on #6 fairway after the winter damage in 2020/2021 o Continue selling old hole markers (6 left) o Off season reel and bed knife grinding o Will look in to getting running water installed in main shop • Concerns for Maintenance o Budgetary constraints o Playability o Weather o Cost of goods like Fertilizers and Irrigation parts (huge price hikes) o Adequate equipment replacement o Higher employment costs o Brent said he is thankful for the great staff he has as well as their relationship with the Pro Shop and Potts. Patrick Dawson stated that Collindale is a great facility that has amazing staff members. He asked Vince if he was comfortable with the changes to the Player Assistant program. Vince mentioned that the program has always had it challenges so he understands the city’s concern and desire to update the program. Kathy asked Kevin how much supplies have gone up. Kevin stated that this have gone up around 20% in general. He said there’s always challenges that you just have to adjust to. Rory stated that he is impressed with the way that Collindale handles just a large volume. BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 8 Matt Magley, City Park Nine Food and Beverage Concessionaire introduced his staff. He mentioned that the majority of his staff will be returning this year. Matt stated that he would still like to hire a female teaching professional. He reminded the Board that his presentation will be a little different since he is also the Food & Beverage Concessionaire. • Junior Golf Academy o Program has grown from 60 participants in 2018, to just over 160 in 2021. o Peter did a good job, and there was lots of good feedback from parents, but it was just him and 1 other instructor. o I will bring over the very successful junior golf academy format that I used at Southridge o This means I am going to increase the number of instructors including myself, this will allow for more kids to attend our clinics o My end goal is to have 150 kids per year attend the summer camps Matt mentioned that they were unable to bring PGA Golf to Bauder again last year, due to COVID. • Golf Lessons o In 2019 My focus was on junior golfers o In 2020 & 2021 My focus was on women golfers o Women group lessons o 2nd year of the laid-back lessons (group lessons for women) 2021 Lesson Details o Beginner and intermediate golfers o Must be 21 or older o Drinks are part of the fun o Offered a 10am & 1pm class on Sundays o 5 days in May & 5 days in September o Cost $135 per person including drinks o 24 students was the maximum number for the class (Meaning 48 student per Sunday) • Leagues o Spark League, 20 members, Thursday Evening 540p o Lebowski League, 20 Members, Wednesday at 5p o Laid Back League, 15 members, Mondays 440p, pro shop run league, choose your flight league Matt reviewed their tournaments and events. He mentioned that they raised over $500 for cancer support. Matt said his goal is to have 30 participants in the Men’s City BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 9 Championship. He informed the Board that they had a couple of successful Disc Golf Events at the course, but the spring event was canceled due to mudslides on the western slope, that’s where the equipment was. • Food Service, food truck o Very well received from our customers o I was told many times that the golf course needs food. o Customers began to ask for the food but the times the truck was at the course was limited and so golfers could not depend on it to be open when they were going to golf. o Good Food from Chiefs Chicken Shack o It was did not make financial sense for the food truck to continue. o Food needs to be a long term plan that is has consistent hours at the course Matt explained that it is difficult to get sustainable food service at City Park Nine. He said the estimated investments to put vents into the kitchen is roughly $500,000. Matt informed the Board that he is going to work hard to get his application accepted in 2022, to bring a pizza restaurant to City Park Nine. He believes he can realistically achieve this in fall of 2022. • 2021 Pro Shop Investments o Storage areas 3 high quality store racks ($150 each), clips for hanging golf clubs, o All 3 storage racks ($450) o 6 new rental push carts ($1300) o Refrigerators for drinks behind the counter ($600) o Total Purchases for 2021($2350) • 2022 Pro Shop Investments o All of the necessary pizza making supplies ($500) o Umbrellas and stands for outside tables ($300) o Food application process ($100) o Total Purchases for 2022 ($2580) • Challenges o Opening the restaurant o Pace of Play o The boom in golf has been obvious. With so many new golfers my staff and I need to take extra steps to educate these beginners how to keep up when playing the course. We want to encourage new golfers to come out and play. So, it is important to educate players without making them feel attacked. BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 10 Jordan Diede, Assistant Superintendent at City Park Nine Golf Course, reviewed his staff. He mentioned that they are thankful to have Casey Anderson back on their staff. • Large Projects in 2021 o New agronomics program o Bi weekly verti-cutting, needle-tining, topdressing o #2 Green Expansion o Increase putting surface on #2 o Increased putting surface by 500 sq feet o Disperses damage and wear to other areas o #6 Shrub Bed Renovation o With the help of Horticulture, our team redesigned the shrub thickets between #6 and #7 • Improvements Planned for 2022 o Nursery Green Construction o Located in open space between #1, #2, #3 o Will allow team to harvest sod and repair greens quicker o Previously used chipping green for sod o Expanded practice area • #9 White Tee Box Expansion o Project will happen in conjunction with nursery green o Will use stripped sod and soil from nursery site o White tee box will extend back 50 additional feet • Irrigation Enhancements o Addition of green-side quick couplers o Will allow team to hand water greens quicker/ winterize efficiently o Previously used irrigation heads for this • Netting Repairs o Driving Range lower half netting will be replaced o #9 tee box nets and poles completely replaced o Will take place Spring 2022 • Course Concerns o Irrigation o Pump System deteriorating, no filtration o Lack of uniformity, affecting conditions o Bridges o Crumbling structures BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 11 o Repairs being made, but replacement is inevitable o Uncontrollable – Drought, longer summers, pests o Increase wear on aging irrigation system o Water availability o Insect pests and disease pressure • Needs for Success o Continuity with seasonal staffing o Access to tee sheet at any given point o Infrastructure improvements, redundant Patrick asked Jordan if he felt the budget, they were given, meets their needs. Jordan explained that they continue to have irrigation issues, due to the age of the system. However, we are hoping to get a new system as well in the next few years. Rob Dahl, Southridge Food & Beverage Concessionaire, stated that they have a great team at Southridge. • Review of Goals 2021 o 10% over 2019 Sales o Continue Growing Social Media Presence o Increase Music Schedule o Renew Agreement for 2022-2026 o Remain Flexible to Industry Changes Going Forward • 2022 Goals and Upgrades o Continue to Increase Sales (5-10%) o Additional Music (2-3 times per month) o Cosmetic Remodel o Social Media Presence o Price Increases (has to happen, continue value specials) o Creative Collaboration with Grounds Crew • Potential Challenges o Staffing and Hiring (finding candidates, higher wages) o Remodel Guidance o Remain Fluid to Industry Changes Rob said they’ve had the best sales and have gained new customers. He said they are BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 12 hoping to increase their presence on social media. He is planning to hire a CSU intern to assist him with their Marketing efforts. Rob said the music they have in the summer has been a popular attraction that brings people to the course for a different experience. Josh Evans, Southridge Superintendent, stated that he agrees that they have a great team at Southridge. Dave McCleave, Southridge Golf Professional, mentioned that he is in his 13th year at Southridge & his 18th year with the city. He mentioned that he was able to retain all of his staff during COVID. Dave provided a recap of 2020. o Tournaments o No Shotgun o Big & Small events were unable to start in April. o Invite was cancelled. o Northern Colorado Women’s Open was cancelled. o GLOW golf was at 50% capacity. o Men’s City Championship took place in July. o Had a good turnout. o Volunteer/Staff major stresses o Leagues, impact by league losses o Start dates pushed into June. o Around 4,500 rounds lost. o Only a few played longer into the fall. o Tee Times were full, open to close. o Junior Golf o Youth on Course o Junior Golf Academy o PGA Junior League o USGA Junior Girls Site Dave mentioned that they will continue to focus on Junior Golf. He mentioned that Kathy is a great asset to the course. • Teaching Academy o Junior Camps hosted 178 for 3-4 75-minute sessions. o Fall PGA Junior League, 6 1-hour sessions & 6 9-hole matches. o USGA Junior Girls, 72 participants, (7)1-hour sessions from June to August. Dave reviewed their 2021 goals. • Continue great customer service. BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 13 • Host Shotgun Tournaments • Staff Training on use of new POS. • Expand marketing using new POS and Social Medias • Survive new irrigation system install. Josh mentioned that Dave & his staff did a great job supporting their projects. He said it’s great working with such a great team. Kathy said it is nice to see good teamwork. The Board thanked the Southridge staff for their efforts & hard work during this challenging year. • 2021 Review o Green Rollers o Fairway Mowers o Golf Carts o Driving Range o 9 Pond Renovation o Irrigation o Cart Barn Improvements • 2022 Plans o Utility Vehicle o Bedknife Grinder o 9 Greenside Bunker o Clubhouse Details o Driving Range o Irrigation Installation • Concerns o Recovering from Winter Desiccation o Single Rider Carts/Cart Traffic o Labor • Needs for Success o Cart Paths o Permenant on course restrooms o Advocacy for the course David McCleave, Southridge Golf Professional, stated that he is fortunate to work with such great staff at Southridge. BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 14 • 2021 Recap o Able to host shotgun tournaments o POS moved to 2022 o Irrigation moved to 2022 o Stops and starts with mask mandates o Continued tee times filled • 2022 Programs o Continue Junior Golf commitments o League growth o Southridge Tournament Schedule o Couples Events o Lightspeed use with marketing course • Leagues o Leagues are huge o 2021 Approximations o 14000 rounds o Monday Mongrels and Thursday Seniors • Instruction o Kathy Knadler o Austin Umland o 5 Camps with 258 kids aged 5-16 o USGA Junior Girls 72 kids o PGA Junior League 24 kids o Kathy 375 lessons for season • Challenges o Staffing inside and outside o Limited practice facility o Fall Irrigation Install (good) Kathy asked Dave if he was having issues getting merchandise. Dave said he has been having some issues with orders. Kathy asked Rob what he anticipated his return on investment would be with remodeling. Rob said he’s not sure what the return will be, but it’s been quite a while since it was updated, and he want to make it more inviting. • Rate Review 2023/2024 Scott reminded the Board that we are back to our two-year budget cycle, so we have to submit the 2023/2024 rates. He mentioned that Dawn prepared a rate comparison BOARD NAME TYPE OF MEETING – (REGULAR) 02/09/22 – MINUTES Page 15 spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is a comparison of other course in the Front Range. We use this to assure that we are inline with our rates. The Board reviewed the proposed 2023/2024 rates. Ross expressed his concerns that these increases won’t be enough to allow the Enterprise fund to continue to sustain. Scott said we want to make sure our rates are still competitive with the other courses, without being overpriced. Rory stated his concerns that further increases might make golf not accessible to everyone. Scott he would discuss this with Victoria, but the deadline to submit these is next week. 8. ROUNDS REPORT/FINANCIAL UPDATE Scott mentioned that we didn’t have any rounds for January. He is hoping to have some financials to report on in March however, Victoria mentioned that we may not have final numbers until April 9. OTHER BUSINESS Rory stated that he would like to revisit the Player Assistant program. Kathy explained that board members need to add an item for discussion at the beginning of the meeting. She mentioned that this policy is already in place and the Board has discussed this item during their last two meetings. Rory expressed his concerns that the update to this policy could result in a civil suit. Kathy elected to adjourn the meeting due to the length of the meeting. 10. ADJOURNMENT On a motion by Kathy Meyer, seconded by Ross Liggett, the Board adjourned at 9:40.