Local Knowledge

October 2021



COMBO TEES – THE EASY WAY TO UPDATE YOUR COURSE

For TGA Member Clubs looking for an inexpensive way to provide fresh and interesting playing opportunities for their golfers, the addition of combination tees might just be the no-hassle solution. The idea of “combo tees” — using two or more sets of tees to add variety to a course’s setup — is probably the easiest way to update a course and to encourage golfers to play from a set of tees best suited to their driving distance. And, best of all, it’s not something that requires investing in new tee boxes or other construction projects, either.

The USGA and PGA of America’s Tee It Forward initiative has shown that when people play from a yardage more suitable to their age or playing ability, they have more fun. In addition to providing more enjoyment for golfers, playing from the correct set of tees also can be one of the most important steps that golfers take in improving pace of play.

There are many ways to choose which combination of teeing areas to use. Some possibilities include switching tees on every other hole, using a different set of tees on short par- 3s, less difficult par- 5s, and/or longer par-4s. Talk to your golfers and find out what they want and how they would like to play the course, and we can help you give them what they are looking for.

Provided a Member Club has up-to-date USGA Course and Slope Ratings for each tee set, the TGA can readily determine and issue combo tee ratings at no cost and without the need for a course to be rerated. (It’s important to note that the request to provide combo tee ratings must come from club management and not individual golfers.)

To contact Zach Madison, the TGA’s Manager of USGA Products, for more information about USGA Course and Slope Ratings for combo tees at your course, click here. For more general information about the Course Rating System, click here.





BENEFITS OF BEING A YOUTH ON COURSE PARTNER CLUB

Encouraged by a successful 2020 introductory campaign in San Antonio, the Texas Golf Association Foundation (TGAF), with the support of local golf clubs, is looking to expand the popular, nationwide Youth on Course (YOC) program throughout the rest of Texas in 2021.

Established in 2006 by the Northern California Golf Association, YOC is a non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the course, including subsidized golf to make the game more appealing, inclusive and accessible to nurture the next generation of lovers of the game.

It’s easy for clubs to join the YOC network, and participating courses have the opportunity to fill unused tee times, drive revenue to their courses and welcome in new and loyal customers – all without sacrificing the bottom line.

To learn more about the benefits of being an official YOC course partner and growing the game of golf in Texas, click here.



FINAL CALL – 2021 TARO ALLIED ASSOCIATION MEETING REGISTRATION

The Texas Alliance of Recreational Organizations (TARO) will be hosting an Allied Association Meeting on Tuesday, October 26 at Lakeside Country Club in Houston.

This event is open to all club industry professionals and allied association members, which includes but is not limited to the Northern and Southern Texas Sections of the PGA, Texas Chapters of the Club Managers, Golf Course Superintendents and United States Tennis Associations of America, Texas Golf Association and Texas Turfgrass Association.

The foremost purpose of TARO is to participate effectively in the state’s legislative and regulatory processes for the benefit of its supporters and their constituents. TARO also serves to educate its supporters on issues affecting them and to foster good will among its supporters by preparation and circulation of periodic publications and sponsorship of educational programs.

This year’s keynote speakers will be Joe Trauger, VP of Government Relations for the National Club Association, and Gib Lewis, TARO Lobbyist and former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

Registration is complimentary; however, attendees are asked to make a voluntary donation to TARO PAC, which supports the campaigns of those committed to maintaining a healthy business environment for Texas clubs. (By law, TARO PAC can only accept personal checks from individuals.)

For more information and to register online, click here.



A SAUCON VALLEY WELCOME [CMAA IDEA FAIR]

Yearlong team effort integrates new members into fabric of club.

For the management team at Saucon Valley Country Club, membership development is a marathon, not a sprint. In fact, it involves a yearlong program dedicated to ensuring that the club is meeting the needs of its newest members.

Saucon Valley’s winning CMAA Idea Fair entry makes it clear that integrating new members into the fabric of the club isn’t a job for just one person or one department. The entire team at the Bethlehem, Pa, club comes together to ensure that new members are welcomed like family.

General Manager Kimberly Warren, CCM, said an assessment of the club’s new-member orientation concluded that the program wasn’t doing enough to help recent joiners assimilate into club life.

Club officials needed an organized way to keep in touch with new members, she concluded.

The solution was a New Member Follow-up Chart, which tracks the member interaction of various departments within the club. The goal is to have each department touch base with new members until they celebrate their one-year anniversary with the club, at which point the general manager sends a personalized letter.

To learn more about Saucon Valley’s membership development program, click here.