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We continue our discussion with Fancourt’s, Gerhard Van Rooyen, Head Golf Course Superintendent, and Ryan Reid, Director of Sports and Recreation, who now joins the discussion.
JC: You are a specialist member of the management team at Fancourt, but given the nature of the role of a modern turf manager, keeping in touch with members is not always possible or practical, so how do you manage these communications?
GVR: First, I absolutely agree with all of your previous comments about communication, and it is plain common sense to admit that keeping any club’s membership informed, and up to date with any planned changes and challenges, will be to everybody’s benefit.
For example, and in terms of structure here, we have our Members Committee with whom we hold our monthly formal meeting to which I submit a course maintenance report, detailing what we are doing on the courses and this includes a forecast.
We also have a greens’ subcommittee, with which I meet monthly to discuss any course-related issues, concerns, and or constructive feedback.
Nowadays, and as social media communications have become so much easier, we also use WhatsApp groups as a platform through which to communicate course maintenance updates and or projects
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Golf estates might have a higher percentage of non-golfers versus golfers, but given that property values are linked to the performance of the estate as a whole, including the golf courses, they have a keen interest in how good the courses look!
I would also add that here at Fancourt, not only do the aesthetics of the golf course, and how good the courses look, contribute positively to the properties, but the reverse is also true, where the properties, along with the properties’ landscaping, contribute greatly to the look and feel of the golf courses.
If we go back to your references in previous discussions about the ‘Augusta Effect’, overall, many of the ‘expectations’, even for non-golfers, will be based on what can be seen on the TV – even though many viewers will forget, or not even know, that these courses take months to prepare, and are only in this type of shape for a week each year!
JC: The travel trends show that vacationers are becoming more sophisticated and ‘green’ each year
As expectations of the resort accommodation, support facilities, and the qualities in terms of the F&B offering increase, I also get the sense that people, especially in Europe, are also now far more environmentally ‘aware’ than in the past, which is not really surprising given the column inches and coverage devoted to climate change.
The pressure to deliver a high-quality product consistently, and one which is also environmentally friendly and sustainable – presents a real challenge, especially as we are not dealing with a mass production process, which makes the delivery of a quality and personalised product so much more difficult.
I relate any job in the golf operations’ vertical, as being like a swan crossing a still lake – all serene and calm on the surface, but with the legs churning away out of sight below the water level.
Leroy Ferreira – Director of Sales and Marketing, wanted me to bring across this aspect about Fancourt, and how challenging it can be to keep up the high standards that are required.
In doing this, he wanted us to get away from the ho-hum, ‘easy-peasy’ impression that many people have of the task of keeping a facility in top shape.
In other words, we are looking under the bonnet – or in this case, and back to our swan analogy – under the water!
At Fancourt, your mandate is broader than usual, in that you manage the sports and recreation elements as a whole, so what does this entail, what are the challenges specific to Fancourt?
RR: My responsibilities include the general management of The Links and Fancourt Country Club, from golf course maintenance, course conditioning, presentation and garden landscaping, through to golf operations, and most importantly member relations.
The leisure, or lifestyle element includes tennis, MTB, Hiking, and all the gym-related activities i.e., yoga, Pilates, fitness training etc.
The main challenge in this role is to find the sweet spot that delivers on the expectations of the various membership types (local, all year round, and the international swallows who are here each year for up to 6 months), the lodge-based timeshare memberships, and then the expectations of the local versus the international traveler.
JC: That’s a very broad canvas, so how do these demands differ from other facilities that you have worked at?
RR: Yes, it is, and the description of broader canvas sums it up very neatly, especially as traditional golf courses and clubs generally only cater to one group of membership type.
Private membership is what it says it is, and is therefore exclusive to only that set of members, which is the same as The Links here at Fancourt.
Although member-based clubs balance play between the membership and outside visitors, the main focus is always on the members and delivering on their expectations.
At Fancourt, the needs and expectations of the members differ from group to group, and the perceived value for money proposition is also completely different.
The outcomes of this are that we need to deal with a very sophisticated well-traveled and eclectic ‘group’ of people, with expectations to match, both in terms of the services levels and the facilities.
JC: We all acknowledge the need to tick the box for aesthetics, but how do you balance the delivery a top-class product every day, while limiting the potential environmental impact that the required processes, and the many chemical ‘short-cuts’ on offer, to help make any course ‘look’ good?
GVR: These are key questions, and when you are a brand, like Fancourt, you are constantly in the public’s eye.
We are on the top of our game at all times, as we must not be doing anything that is deemed inappropriate, in an environmental sense.
However, just as with the comments made by Pearl Valley, we are not doing things ‘right’ just because we are an iconic brand, or being ‘watched’, we always try to become better in enhancing all environmental aspects, which promotes the indigenous wealth of this area.
RR: Gerhard is right – our approach to the golf courses’ upkeep is central to Fancourt’s core operational values.
We are also in this space, because, as both a team and a brand, we have a real interest in caring for the environment, and so we are happy to take on this responsibility.
JC: The 2022 to 2023 John Collier Golf Survey (as you will both know, this survey is used by over 200 golf clubs in South Africa), indicates that progress to becoming more environmentally ‘aware’ is still too slow.
Do you think that the smaller clubs and facilities in South Africa ‘get away’ from their environmental responsibilities, how important do you feel independent or third-party monitoring is, and what programme, or programmes does Fancourt use?
RR: Interesting, and you might be tempted to think that smaller clubs, which operate largely behind closed doors, might have less focus on this aspect of their operations, and be to ‘get away’ with not being in step with their responsibilities to the environment.
I am inclined to believe that the majority of clubs understand the importance of their stewardship role, but that they, and this applies to us all, need to do more, and kicking this particular ‘can’ down the road will be very dangerous.
To assist us in staying in step with our environmental responsibilities, we used Audubon at The Links for 20 years, and this provided us with a base to self-monitor thereafter, but Gerhard will have a more current take on this status.
GVR: Yes, we used Audubon, for many years and we are currently looking for a more golf-centric programme to replace it.
As far as the general awareness levels are concerned, I would agree with Ryan, and would add that my discussions, with fellow greenkeepers, indicate generally high levels of awareness, even if the follow-through is not as comprehensive, as some of them would like to see.
I would add that applying environmentally friendly practices is a slow process, and takes time to implement.
The reason for this, among other things, is that it takes a change in mindset to realise that things, which are more environmentally friendly than the older practices, can be done differently, and then there is the need to gain the confidence that it works.
My experience has been to start small and grow into the process, see for yourself that things can be done differently and monitor the outcomes.
JC: Unlike playing golf, mitigating the effects of climate change is definitely a team ‘sport’, so what support do you get from the associations, such as the PGA, CMASA, Golf RSA, etc.?
RR: We get support from all the role players within the golf ‘family’, both locally through various sports bodies, but also internationally through their golfing experts.
Golf is a small world and I have always experienced it as a group of like-minded individuals, who only have love for the game and its future, so everyone is willing to help and pull together for the benefit of the game as a whole.
GVR: We are part of the Garden Route Turf & Club Association, and on this platform, we get a lot of guidance, information, and support to grow at all levels of golf course maintenance, and the encouragement to follow more environmentally friendly practices.
