What we’ve learned

We caught up with superintendents who attended last year’s Syngenta Business Institute. Here’s what they had to say about what they learned at the conference:

"The SBI was one of the best educational experiences of my career. The lesson most valuable and useful to me was the block of sessions revolving around employee morale, and learning to understand the differences between generations. One of the big challenges as a superintendent in the past few years has been dealing with declining employee morale (in the atmosphere of minimal pay increases), and attracting different new employees to our teams. Many superintendents believe employee relations is nothing more than a 'crew carne asada' once a month. There is so much more to understanding each employee and what actually motivates them. Learning this and understanding your employees will lead to stronger teams, better retention and ability to recruit. We have taken much of that information and used it to change our operation here at Coto De Caza."

Ken Newcomb
Regional Director of Agronomy
Coto De Caza Golf & Racquet Club
Coto De Caza, Calif.

“Before going to Syngenta’s SBI conference, I had heard from a few of my close friends who had previously attended the conference how great an experience it was for them. I left the SBI this past December truly changed as a superintendent. It wasn’t about learning how to grow grass in the harshest climates or what new products are out on the market today. It was about learning how to effectively lead and manage a group of individuals towards a desired goal and how to be a better leader for your operation.”
 
Randy Samoff
Superintendent
Redstone Golf Club
Houston, Texas

“Two ideas had an immediate impact on me and our facility. The first was from Dan Meersman of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. He incorporated a ‘meet-and-greet’ into his weekly or daily activities. He would bring members into his maintenance facility and let them express their thoughts on the conditioning of the course. This allowed his team to be able to identify with the member’s concerns and the members to get face time with his team. I immediately incorporated that into our regime. The other idea was hearing Steve Drake talk about blogs and how they can be utilized as another avenue of communication. After Steve’s discussion, other attendees chimed in on their experience and I was able to see the value of having this tool. After getting back from the SBI, I immediately created a blog and started posting... The response was phenomenal!"
 
Matt Boyce
Golf Course Superintendent
The Princess Anne Country Club
Virginia Beach, Va.

“While I believe that most superintendents realize that our profession has grown more business-oriented over recent times, I don't think I really understood the level of business acuity I needed to have or could have to continue to grow in my profession. The topics covered at SBI were all relevant to our profession. From accounting principles, negotiating tactics, to leadership and management training; all of the subject matter was made relevant to today's superintendent. I've come to realize that while I have made efforts in my personal growth endeavors to participate in business and management educational opportunities, the SBI experience has taught me that I have still much to learn.”

Eric Foerster, CGCS, MG
Ironbridge Golf Club
Glenwood Springs, Colo.


“One of the key things I took away from the Syngenta Business Institute was that golf’s business model needs to evolve and change to survive. The old 1960s notion that the golf course is the man’s domain and is his exclusive sanctuary on the weekends is a dinosaur – it’s extinct. Today, wherever dad goes, so do mom and the kids. Clubs that survive will be those that fill the needs of the entire family and not just the individual player. As a result learning about this new generational difference and discussing it with my peers, I began addressing these issues through my maintenance blog and I’ve started to work many of the concepts I learned into my blog posts.”

Bill Davidson, CGCS
The Country Club of Naples
Naples, Fla.