Nature’s Fury Strikes Golf Courses

The past month or so has offered at least a couple of examples of how nature’s fury can mean more than just the inconvenience of a barren tee sheet.

I haven’t heard of any damage to golf courses by the fires that have been burning throughout British Columbia, but you have to wonder about the possibilities in the future, especially with the mountain pine beetle infestation turning trees into kindling in the summer months.

In Ontario, the Muskoka Bay Club near Gravenhurst is back in business after being hit just over a week ago with an apparent F0 tornado that that can produce wind speeds of between 60 and 110 kilometres an hour.

According to reports, hundreds of trees came down, roofs were ripped off golf carts and patio furniture and other objects were found as far as a kilometre away, forcing the club to shut down for a few days to clean up. [ Here’s a first hand description ]. Read more

GMIC To Begin New Courses

The Golf Management Institute of Canada will begin two new online classes in August. Both cost $589.

Strategic Management in the Golf Industry will teach aspiring managers how to develop operating strategies for all areas of a golf operation. Students will be expected to develop/implement product, pricing, promotion and human resources strategies and analyze the impact of their decisions on the organization.

That course, which begins Aug. 4, will be led by Keith Keindel, executive director of the Canadian Golf Industry Association.

Human Resources in the Golf Industry will focus on the professional application of human resource management practices in the golf industry. All aspects of people management will be covered including hiring, compensation, training/development, health/safety, performance management and employment law.

That course, which beings Aug. 6, will be taught by Susan Hodkinson, chief operating officer at Soberman LLP.

For more information, see www.golf-management.org, or e-mail apatel@golf-management.org.

New GMIC Courses Will Soon Begin

The Golf Management Institute of Canada will start two new online classes in late May.

Golf Club Governance will begin on May 26, with live online chat sessions held each Tuesday for six weeks from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

The course is designed to help students understand the dynamics of boards and committees at golf facilities. Discussions will include board structures in private course settings, the decision-making process, club strategies and policy matters and the role of golf associations and their involvement in the golf industry.

Cost of the course is $589, the same as it is for the Finance for Non-Financial Managers in the Golf Industry class that gets underway May 28 and is designed to help non-financial managers in the industry how to understand and properly use financial data.

Students will learn how to identify the financial information required to address specific management issues and problems, assess the short and long-term financial impact of resource allocation decisions and interpret financial statements.

Live online chat sessions will be held each Thursday for eight weeks from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

To register, see the website www.golf-management.org

GMIC Offers New Courses

The Golf Management Institute of Canada is offering two new courses beginning in late March, including Retail Management in Golf Operations and Entrepreneurship in the Golf Industry.

The Retail Management in Golf Operations course, which begins March 24, deals with topics such as seasonality, inventory management, customer identification and service, display techniques and promotional ideas for generating additional revenues.

The course will be led by Kevin Hurd, the general manager of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Club and former general manager of the Brookefield and Beaverdale Golf Clubs in Cambridge, Ont. He also served as corporate marketing director for Golf North Properties Inc. between 1998 and 2004.

The Entrepreneurship in the Golf Industry course will introduce students to the concept of entrepreneurship and assess their potential.’

Students will be taught to identify opportunities and develop strategies by recognizing factor that affect businesses. They will learn how to take their ideas into a concrete business plan.

The course will be taught by GMIC president Grant Fraser, who established the first golf management program in Ontario at Toronto’s Humber College before founding the GMIC in 1999.

Cost of both programs is $589 each.

For more information, see the website, www.golf-management.org, or e-mail Ash Patel at apatel@golf-management.org.

GMIC Introduces Two New Courses

The Golf Management Institute of Canada will be running two eight-week online courses that begin in January.

The Food and Beverage Management course that begins January 13 will provide an overview of foundations for food and beverage, offering students the opportunity to learn about specific areas of the operation such as product knowledge, service, financial management, purchasing and control systems.

Students will also perform practical and applicable exercises and projects that relate to a successful food and beverage operation.

The course will be run by Glen Phillips, the regional director of hospitality for ClubLink Corporation since 1999. Phillips also worked for the Royal Canadian Golf Association as clubhouse manager of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont., prior to joining ClubLink.

Cost of the program is $589 and it will include live online sessions each Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST for eight weeks.

The GMIC is also introducing a Golf Course Design, Construction and Turf Management course that begins January 15 and will include live online chat sessions each Thursday for eight weeks from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

That course addresses golf course design principles and turf management practices. Students will learn how golf course architects design courses through all phases of development and renovate/expand existing facilities.

Other topics include obtaining permits and dealing with local authorities about environmental issues associated with golf course development.

The fundamentals in golf course maintenance will also be addressed through topics such as grass and soil identification, drainage systems, equipment use in maintenance procedures and establishing and implementing a turf management program.

An introduction to pesticides and fertilizers will also be included.

The course will be led by Vito Cirone, an environment planner and executive director of Burnside Golf Services, Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association president John Taylor and Kevin Holmes, senior golf course architect with MBTW Golf Design in Toronto.

Cost for the course is $589.

For more information on the GMIC or to register for these programs, contact Ash Patel at apatel@golf-management.org.

GMIC Introduces New Courses

The Golf Management Institute of Canada is introducing four new online courses that begin in late October and in January:

Marketing Management in Golf Operations
Oct. 21–Dec. 9

Business Law for Golf Managers
Oct. 23-Dec. 11

Food and Beverage Management
Jan. 13-March 3

Golf Course Design, Construction and Turf Management
Jan. 15-March 5

For more information, see the website, www.golf-management.org.