From the CEO
Vantage Point
Last month, I made my annual pilgrimage to a member’s property to spend a full day shadowing an owner and witnessing the daily challenges of course operations. My objective is to gain greater understanding and sympathy for our rank-and-file member, and in turn, bring those insights back to the NGCOA office. 
Cover Stories and Features
When Shorter is Better
What does it say about golf that one of the most competitive athletes in sports history wants his own course to be, above all else, “fun and interesting.”
Clear & Present Value
They’re problems no one ever contemplated. The stuff of nightmares. Campfire stories to keep kids wide-eyed and shivering.
Seizing the Day
The key to any successful venture is knowing when and how to seize upon opportunity. For Jonathan Byler, president and CEO of Byler Holdings in central Pennsylvania, the opportunities were plentiful. It was the “knowing how” part that required some work and innovative thinking.
The Green Mountain Scene
Built in 1927 by Walter Travis, the course at The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont, is hardly the oldest feature at the resort. The original building on site, Marsh Tavern, was erected in 1769 and was among the first properties confiscated by colonial Revolutionary forces from British sympathizers. The main section of hotel was established in 1853 in a large homestead next to Marsh Tavern, and has been the centerpiece of this classic New England village for 165 years now.
Case Studies
Local Tastes Drive Diverse Business
When you travel to a new city and go out for dinner, is your first choice the same chain restaurant you frequent two doors down from your house? Is your beverage of choice the same mass-produced beer you can get on sale at your local grocer? Do you order the same generic items you can eat anywhere else in the world, including your hometown?
Scottsdale Operators Face Plane Crash Emergency
Shortly after 9 p.m. on Monday, April 9, a small plane that had just taken off from Scottsdale Airport in Arizona crashed onto TPC Scottsdale’s Champions golf course, bursting into flames and killing all six people on board.
It’s Definitely Not About the Clothes
In the last several years, there has been a push to include women in the golfing community. As a woman, I appreciate the effort. There’s Women’s Golf Day, Bring Your Daughter to the Course Week, and the EWGA has made some great improvements as well as the LPGA, who was finally awarded the Merit Award by the NGCOA in 2017 for their contributions to the game.
Wellesley Country Club Carves Short Course from Vacant Space
Never assume a vacant piece of land on your club’s property is useless.
Through the Eyes of India
They came from all parts of the country. Some owners represented courses situated along the coast. Other managers came from layouts set high up in the mountains. Still more represented desert play, while others came from the central plains.
Oh, and that country? It is India.
Young Player Inspires Productive Fundraiser
The children of Winged Foot Golf Club’s members weren’t kidding last July 26 when it came to supporting a charity.
Industry News and Trends
Two Operators, Two Questions
Many resort golf facilities also have local members. Here’s how two resort operators handle the delicate balance of local members and resort guests, all of whom want — and expect — the day’s earliest tee times.