Augusta National’s flawless fairways set an enviable standard, but achieving that perfection comes at a cost most clubs can’t afford. Here’s why realistic expectations and smart planning are the key to a sustainable future for your golf course.
If you’re in the golf club industry, you can practically set your watch by it. Every year, in the first or second week in April, somebody will ask the question: “Why doesn’t our club look like Augusta National?”
It’s the first sure sign that spring is here, and the golfing season is properly underway. Those in the industry understand, of course, why Augusta National can look the way it does on television, and it’s down to two primary factors.
Factor number one, is that it enjoys a near-mythical budget, it’s membership directory a who’s who of the great and powerful, and a private army of top-tier greenkeepers, equipped with the finest in cutting-edge maintenance equipment, with sky-high standards that must be held at all costs.
Factor number two, is not as widely known. And that’s that even Augusta National doesn’t look like the Augusta National you see on your TV screens for 50 weeks of the year. It’s still fabulously green, still immaculately manicured, and still a delight to behold, but it’s missing some of those other bright colours that we’re all familiar with – the flowers.
But like everything else at Augusta National, they have that down to a tee, and their expertise in agronomy means that, weeks in advance, they know the exact date in which the flowers bloom, meaning that when the television cameras arrive, its kaleidoscopic beauty is on full display.
And that’s a roundabout way of explaining why your golf course doesn’t look like Augusta. It’s not that the talent isn’t there – there are incredibly gifted greenkeepers and golf course superintendents in Ireland, and Adare Manor might be the closest thing to Augusta National anywhere in the world – but it’s about means and it’s about priorities.
If you’re a club that can afford to hire the best, equip them with the best, and give them the necessary time, it’s achievable, but it’s not really feasible. That’s because golfers often have champagne taste but only the money for beer. And there’s nothing wrong with that if they’re expecting beer in return, because beer is pretty good!
This means that golfers have to be realistic in their demands, and that golf clubs need to be realistic about what they can offer and not find themselves in a hole where no amount of digging will bring them closer to the surface.
And this is where Club Benchmarking comes in. Club Benchmarking is a leading provider of data-driven analytics and benchmarking services for clubs. They offer tools to measure financial performance, operational efficiency, and member satisfaction, helping clubs make informed strategic decisions through comparison with industry standards and best practices.
“It’s all about having a rounded plan,” says John McCormack, an Irish-based Director of the company. “If you’re a member of a club, you want to walk into a clubhouse that’s clean and fresh. To go out onto a course where the tees are flat, the bunkers are well-maintained, the grass on the fairways and greens are freshly mown, the course is adequately irrigated, and then walk back into a locker room with showers that are properly pumped, to a restaurant serviced by a clean and fully-operational kitchen. A club that’s firing on all cylinders.
“But comparing one club with another isn’t about comparing the price of a green fee, a pint or a club sandwich, it’s about comparing the member/guest experience and condition of the fixed assets, comparing the operational costs and how inflation is going to impact those going forward, and being able to forward plan so that the inevitable depreciation of assets and the inevitable inflation in costs can be planned and budgeted for.”
With a database of over 1,500 clubs worldwide and almost 200 in the UK and Ireland, Club Benchmarking don’t just have the expertise to help clubs to set themselves on a path for future security, they have the evidence to back it up as well.
“It’s something we continue to advocate,” adds James Burns, also a Club Benchmarking Director, “that members need to think like owners because that’s exactly what they are. If you’re projecting a five-and-a-half percent increase in costs like wages, utilities and machinery costs, yet only considering a four-and-a-half percent increase in membership subscriptions, that’s a guaranteed recipe for medium-to-long-term issues.”
Club Benchmarking’s research shows that clubs with engaged, informed members – those who attend meetings or serve on committees – are more likely to accept dues increases. Yet, many members remain disengaged, quick to critique minor imperfections on the course but slow to grasp the financial trade-offs.
Club Benchmarking’s data underscores a sustainable path forward: align expectations with resources, invest in efficient practices, and foster member buy-in through education.
Your course will still never quite resemble Augusta National, but it just might safeguard its future. And in this day and age, that’s the most important thing.
To learn more about Club Benchmarking’s approach to Capital planning, strategic governance and board orientation, contact: John McCormack at jmccormack@clubbenchmarking.eu James Burns at jburns@clubbenchmarking.com Or visit www.clubbenchmarking.eu
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