Turf Matters

Last Saturday I received a text message from a manager in Bukit Beruntung Golf club (I consult them)  saying that a VIP commented that the greens in Bukit Beruntung are now better than those on a well-known public course in Selangor. This course  used to be the bench-mark for the greens in average-budget  clubs in Malaysia. This would make it the third VIP in three weeks to say so.

This is significant because, there was at one point last year when I despaired and actually considered giving up on Bukit Beruntung. But as usual, it does take a long time for changes to take effect. Not having a real budget (try having money in the mind but cannot spend), enough staff/machinery and being on the ground 6 days a week (I go there and to other clubs I consult only 2 days a month) makes it longer than usual.

I’ll give credit to Mr. Lee the Superintendent who is one very hardworking guy.

By the way, I’ve been to the well-known public club last week and they already have a consultant. He knows what he is doing. He just needs time.

As far as marketing myself goes I am limited by the golf course superintendent’s ethics of GCSAM that prevents me from approaching the GM without the knowledge of the Super. There’s also the  “Do unto others what you want others do unto you” professional courtesy kinda thing. And it is a very rare superintendent that will admit he needs outside help. Not with free ‘advice’ he can get from salespeople anyway. And that’s why I go to some golf course stores I find there are stuff the Super don’t quite know how to use (he bought when he was desperate and wasn’t really listening).

I coincidentally do not have pictures taken from the same angle on the same green like in a previous posting. But I hope you will be satisfied with pictures from late 2010 and early 2011 compared to current.

Oh… before I forget, in Bukit Beruntung now, the West Course still has problems. We concentrate most of our limited resources on East course; its the tournament course. They have around 20 workers, four walk-behinds and about 6 mowers for 36 holes. Fortunately, there are plenty of stuff in the store leftover from the previous management. And yeah, it still is soggy when the rainy season starts; we are working on it. And those pesky lovegrass? They’re still there too. By the millions. Bukit Beruntung recently bought two tractor-mounted rotary mowers that should have taken care of the lovegrass problem. Unfortunately, they were cheap tractors and mowers made in C___a and gave problems from day one. There is a lesson to be learnt here people!

Do you need professional, experienced and independent advice for your course or field? Contact me at O3 5I31 OO66 (and let it ring. Plus be reminded the O=0 and I=1).  or mynormasAtconsultant.com. If you are within reasonable distance from me and you actually do have the authority (I know members are concerned about their club but I’m not going to interfere with management; I’ve been there) I’ll give you one visit for free advice.

Pictures  on the left are taken in January to April 2011. On the right are pictures in March 2012.

That brown spot? Cow dung. And ants are making a trail to it. This is green 4 East Course early 2011. I think this is green 5.	Tremendous improvement, kan? The improvement was so slow and gradual I didn’t even notice.
This should be green 17 East course. I forgot which green this is. Sorry. But it’s East Course.	This is the green before the tunnel. As I said, the staff are inexperienced so the mowing is not perfect.