Budget Reductions Cancel The title field is required!

1. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   3/17/2011 9:03 AM

   Having an interesting time as we work on "voluntary" budget reductions. Always interesting when you are asked to come up with a cost saving plan that includes the elimination of your current position (as if it isn't really important) after you leave or retire. Gary

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
2. Jacob Ryan

   

   0 posts
   
   3/17/2011 10:03 AM

   We have reduced our budget once again. Three years in a row now. It makes it more difficult but feel we are capable of putting a good product out if we have a quality staff. Amidst the needs to cut throughout our club, amazingly the golf pro (interim GM) has increased his budget for the year. Apparently he feels that the gifts for our events (member/member, member/guest, invitational) need to be better than in the past to bring in more golf. Rangefinders, golf clubs and golf apparel are not good enough anymore. The golfers have been recieving the same stuff for years now and none of the golfers really care about the gifts. I'm sure they would rather have the price of admission reduced. That will probably bring in more golf.
   
   As for as Gary's comment about eliminating a position. Is it the Supt. position? If so, this is not good.
   
   JR

   
   
   
   
3. Neves Tracy B

   
   3/18/2011 1:03 PM

   gcarls said: Having an interesting time as we work on "voluntary" budget reductions. Always interesting when you are asked to come up with a cost saving plan that includes the elimination of your current position (as if it isn't really important) after you leave or retire. Gary

   
   
   First I was wondering if someone could get a post pulled on this site? Maybe Pete will test the waters.
   
   Gary, You are correct. It can become hard to make cuts. Bottom line is what do the "majority" or the "power that be" want out of the facility? Sad part is many times a superintendent is faced with different BOD every 3 years or so depending on the facility. That means often different directions are expected. That is unless you are lucky to have a private single member running the show. But again you have to know what they want. When I make cut possibilities it seems we often place it back in the budget since my boss (club owner) sees the need when the time comes such as added labor, projects, etc. Basically I'm just agreeing with your post. Good luck! Tracy
   
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4. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   3/21/2011 2:03 PM

   My position is called Golf Operations Supervisor and it is the position that would be eliminated. Basically I deal with all the budget issues, overall budgets and staffing all all the things that need to happen with the folks downtown. This also includes things like long-term project planning and oversight, working with fleet on equipment needs and any reports that need to be made to City Council. We have a superintendent who runs the day-to-day operations for the course but he also has to pitch in and help the crew with whatever we need done when we are short. My real belief is that we should retain a manager on both the maintenance and golf shop sides to really run efficiently. Can't imagine the golf pro running construction projects on the course!!

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
5. Neves Tracy B

   
   3/22/2011 4:03 PM

   gcarls said: My position is called Golf Operations Supervisor and it is the position that would be eliminated. Basically I deal with all the budget issues, overall budgets and staffing all all the things that need to happen with the folks downtown. This also includes things like long-term project planning and oversight, working with fleet on equipment needs and any reports that need to be made to City Council. We have a superintendent who runs the day-to-day operations for the course but he also has to pitch in and help the crew with whatever we need done when we are short. My real belief is that we should retain a manager on both the maintenance and golf shop sides to really run efficiently. Can't imagine the golf pro running construction projects on the course!!

   
   
   
   Having the golf pro running the construction projects on the course is like letting a fat kid put his hands in a cookie jar. To much and they don't need the ability.

   
   
   
   
6. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   6/6/2011 7:06 AM

   Good ole budget cuts, what happens when you do not have a budget due to not enough income for your course? I am at a small private club and have not had a true budget for the last three years. Due to a past president who thought much like our head pro all of the money went into the clubhouse and pro-shop and the labor needed to take care of the members, No need to worry about the golf course since our members only visited for the service and small clubhouse (Really they only care about playing golf and not the other things). I seemed to be the only one who realized that we did not have any money to pay the bills until it was too late. With a new president in place a year and a half ago we slowly started to climb out of the hole we dug ourself and put the emphasis on the golf course but with the long list of vendors needed to be paid from the two previous years we had to basically run off of nothing or donations. Finally this year we are making some progress since I have been able to fertilize my fairways and start some weed control. I still have no budget yet but we have started to move forward instead of backwards. I sure hope next year is even better.

   
   
   
   
7. Campbell David

   
   6/8/2011 7:06 AM

   We are a municipal course in the midst of what is possibly the worst financial position this city has ever been in. I have cut our budget over the past four years as it is. In 2007 our budget was $430,XXX. Last year it was $270,XXX. This current year is the first that I asked for more than the previous year but, we needed a new sprayer. Our current budget is $290,XXX. It has been difficult at best to get to this point. However, all that being said, I am being asked to cut more.

   
   
   
   
8. Homme David R

   
   6/13/2011 9:06 PM

   Budget cuts are fine, if there is an adjustment to the expectations going with it. Nothing more frustrating than the "do more with less" mandate. We all smile, get creative and work hard at it, but at the end of the day you can't actually do more with less. You can do less with less.
   
   I've always run with a "buy what we can, when we can afford it" budget, effectively not a budget at all and the last 3 years have been pure hell. I'm not saying don't do your job, but don't say you can make a million dollar looking course on half that money. You can't.
   
   Dave Homme
   The Falls Resort

   
   
   
   
9. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   6/21/2011 11:06 AM

   The biggest issue with budget cuts from my experience is getting into the rut, so to say. By this I mean you are forced to do less due to no operating funds and while that may be fine and dandy for one year, but when you get put into it for multiple years in a row you find it harder and harder to get back into the tried and true programs you had work for so long to build up. I find myself many times writing reports on what we should be doing within the next few months and sending them to my President just so he will know what we are missing and so I can keep in the mode of managing a golf course. If I did not do these reports I feel I could get complacient and in the long run forget what is supposed to be done when it is supposed to be done. It is really easy to say, well we cannot afford to do that so why even think about it.

   
   
   
   
10. Gary Carls

    

    19 posts
    
    6/22/2011 8:06 AM

    Randini,
    
    One of my biggest concerns is the staff burning themselves out. I have a great crew and they always go that extra mile to keep things running smoothly whenever times get tough. If someone is off for whatever reason they pick up the pace to make sure everything gets done. This is great for a short time but over the long haul it's tough to keep the pace going.
    
    As has been said in the past, in many ways we become our own worst enemies because we don't let things slide when we are short. At some point it will come back to bite you. In the current economy as soon as conditions suffer the customers are going to consider other options.
    
    My staff takes great pride in their work everyday and it's not fair to have unrealistic expectations for how much extra work they can take on in the coming year. The problem is that in many cases those that make the ultimate decisions on what resources we get really have very little idea of what goes on in our day to day operations and don't really want to know. Right now the attitude is "if course conditions start to decline and revenues drop, we'll start adding resources back in". At that point it may be too late.

    
    Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
    
    
11. Satterwhite Kerry

    
    6/22/2011 9:06 AM

    Gary
    
    I have been there. Before I was hired as the Director of Golf Course Maintenance for the City of Bloomnigton in 1997, there was one individual that managed the proshops and the golf course. When they added the Palmer Signature Course and hired me, the split the position. I managed the three 18 hole courses and we had a Pro Shop Manager that managed the inside operations.
    
    There was a mass exodus of employees in 2006 when the city was experienceing serious financial problems. In the fall of 2007 I was informed by what ended up being an interim director of parks and rec that my position was not being included in the fiscal 2009 budget which started May 1 2008. I resigned and left the industry in April of 2008. They reverted to the old structure of the golf pro manging the courses and the pro shops. Course conditions have declined but I don't think anyone in management cares. It's all about dollars spent and revenue generated. The golf operation has been operating without a qualfied Superintendent since I left and they eliminated two of the Greenkeeper positions.

    
    
    
    
12. David Schwarz

    

    0 posts
    
    1/15/2012 10:01 PM

    We have had 3 different managers that oversee Golf operations and several other services that the city provides in the past 5 years. Only one of those "understands" the maintenance requirements of the golf course, and he has since been moved to a different dept. Our "budget" is very similar to others I've read. We just maintain the course.You feel like your living paycheck to paycheck. There has not been any improvements made to the course in years. We spray only if conditions deem it necessary and we only top dress during aerification and when we put the course to bed. We operate with a crew of 10, which includes the Assistant and Superintendent. We provide conditions that I feel are some of the best around. That is our number one goal. Exceed expectations despite the budget and staff challenges. We have had members/regulars send positive feed-back downtown which is only ammo in keeping golf as a integral part of Parks and Recreation. This should be the main argument when talking to City Counsel. Golf is up against every other recreation service not just other golf courses. When other Services seem to get the attention(dollars) we have to stand out anyway we can. It has not been easy. My Super says," Managing turf is the easy part, managing people above and below us is the heart of the job."
    
    Dave Schwarz
    Assistant Superintendent
    Phalen Park Golf Course
    Saint Paul, MN