Course Updates
have been quite specific and I
hear about it and think- well I
think I would know. But when
it gets back to staff it is quite
upsetting. If we could stop them
we would, but as soon as you
put any business on the market
this is what happens. We are just
trying to minimise it and keep the
process of selling it separate to
the process of running it. I have
said to the staff, if you see me
down there with someone- don’t
assume anything! It could be an
insurance underwriter that has
nothing to do with the sale. We
are having a mid-year function
with the staff soon just to keep
trying to communicate with them.
“The other thing is with a golf
course, you really shouldn’t make
decisions for the short term- ie;
stop spending money on the
course maintenance. Commonly,
when you sell a business you
stop spending money to try and
make the profits and loss look
pretty and with many businesses
you can get away with that for
awhile. But with a golf course,
decisions you make now can
have a long term impact and you
can see the physical damage. If
we don’t find a buyer wiling to
pay a price we are happy to sell
at, we are open to the idea that
we won’t sell which means we
will have to make some more
decisions. So we are very much
running the business as usual.
That is the first thing we tell any
interested party as well, which
is a positive thing and they see
that. We hope that also gives the
staff some comfort, despite the
fact in the industry there is a lot
of cost-cutting going on across
the board, but that is nothing to
do with the sale.
“Scott Balloch who is our
superintendent has been with
the course longer than we have
owned it and we consider it is
as much his baby as our baby
and we are very lucky to have
someone with his commitment- it
is extraordinary. We know if we
make tough business decisions
he will support them.”
Well, Andrew, it sounds l