Last Update :9/30/2015

Ryder, Brandermill CC, Independence GC, Keswick GC Honored 2015 NGCOA Mid-Atlantic Innovation Awards

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Ryder, Brandermill CC, Independence GC, Keswick GC Honored
2015 NGCOA Mid-Atlantic Innovation Awards

The 3nd Annual NGCOA Mid-Atlantic Innovation Awards were presented today at the Association's annual meeting at Bulle Rock Golf Club.  Recently retired Director of Golf at The Omni Homestead Don Ryder, PGA was honored with the Mid-Atlantic Golf Leader Award "in recognition of leadership in the golf industry in the Mid-Atlantic, as evidenced by long-term business achievement and/or service to the industry." Independence GC and Giff Breed received the Public Golf Leader Award, "in recognition of an outstanding marketing program executed within the past year for a public access facility."  Brandermill CC and Mike Hatch of Acumen Golf received the Private Golf Leader Award "in recognition of a private club for an outstanding marketing or member recruitment program."  Keswick Golf Club received the Sustainability Award in recognition of incorporating sustainability and environmental stewardship into operating practices.

Mid-Atlantic Golf Leader Award

Don Ryder, PGA of Hot Springs, VA served a long and illustrious golf career of over 40 years, along the way rising from doorman to Director of Golf at the iconic Omni Homestead Resort that dates back to 1766.  "I am truly blessed," said Ryder on learning of the award.  "It has been a great career, so rewarding to meet so many great people who help you along the way."

Ryder was recognized as the Mid-Atlantic Golf Leader for promoting golf in the Mid-Atlantic through the Omni Homestead's strong initiatives to support amateur golf and promote tourism.  He was very proud to be a part of hosting over 200 VSGA Championships and numerous USGA Championships and the NCAA Championship.  He also enjoyed working on initiatives with Virginia Tourism, including promotions of Virginia golf in the northeast and Canada.

Ryder's interesting story of doorman to Director of Golf began when the hotel was owned by the Ingalls family, with Tom Lennon as President, who also served on the VSGA board.  Initially Don was working as a doorman, and golf was just a hobby, but his dream was to work in golf.  Family was everything to the young Ryder, but his doorman job was second shift, and he was missing family time.  So finally they split shifts for the doormen, and he was able to have more family time, so when Lennon approached him about a job in golf, he initially declined, assuming it was an entry level position.  With the caddie master's job recently hired, Don was absolutely floored when Mr. Lennon asked him to take over as golf professional, as well as offering to pay all his expenses of PGA schooling and certification!  One day he was a doorman, and the next day a golf pro at one of the top golf resorts in the country!

Among Ryder's fondest memories are all the personal relationships he forged while at The Homestead.  He was there when Presidents Eisenhower, Ford, Clinton and George W. Bush visited, as well as Vice President Dan Quayle.  He played many rounds with the likes of Sam Snead, J.C. Snead and amateur champions Bill Campbell and Vinny Giles.  He worked closely with Mike Davis on USGA events prior to Davis' ascension to USGA Executive Director.  He was also hosted visits from baseball legends Johnny Bench and Tommy John, as well as football great Billy Kilmer.  Ryder remarked, "There are so many others with whom I have crossed paths, and I have been blessed to have the privilege of meeting all of them."

Ever fond of this workmates, Ryder acknowledged the support of colleagues such as Barry Ryder, Mark Fry, Bobby Fry, Wayne Nooe, Herman Peery, Fred Reese, Doug Miller, Gary Rosenberg and so many more.  He also enjoyed working with MAPGA staffers Col. Dick Johns, Jon Guhl and Jeremy Greiner, as well as VSGA staffers David Norman and Jamie Conkling.  While serving on the NGCOA Mid-Atlantic Board, he remarked, "I got so much coaching from others like Glen Byrnes, PGA and Bob Swiger.  This board really understands this business!"

Tracing his career, in 1997 Ryder won the MAPGA Senior Championship, prompting Homestead President Gary Rosenberg to offer a paid sabbatical to try his luck on the Senior PGA Tour for a year.  With modest success, Ryder returned the following year to be head pro at The Cascades Course, while Wayne Nooe, PGA was the Director of Golf.  When Nooe left in 2000, Ryder moved up to his position.  Later the responsibilities grew, as all golf course and grounds maintenance responsibilities were moved under Ryder's umbrella.

So how does Ryder feel about the golf industry?  "Golf will make a comeback," he said.  "These things run in 10-year cycles.  Look at the young players on tour who are so popular - Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler - it reminds me of the rivalry of Snead, Hogan and Nelson.  These new guys play with passion and emotion!"

Ryder retired in July of this year, and while he is "on call" for the resort, he will now get to focus on his hunting and fishing, but most importantly, his family.  That family now includes wife Joyce, daughters Katie Keyser and Kathy Woodzell and son Don, as well as nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  No doubt he will remain busy.

Public Golf Leader Award presented by IBS Club Software

Independence Golf Club in the Richmond area has been named "Public Golf Leader" by NGCOA Mid-Atlantic, and owner Giff Breed is pleased.  "This is great recognition of our efforts to take a broader approach to operating a golf facility, and we are truly honored."

Breed and his brother Alan went in together on the purchase of Independence roughly two years ago from the VSGA Foundation, and they quickly established a new perspective as an entertainment venue, beyond the scope of merely golf offerings.  Many scoffed at such initiatives as a fishing tournament, art and culinary classes and "foot golf," but Breed is clearly bringing more than just golfers to his business.

"Our philosophy for the golf operation is to be a country club for a day," said Breed.  Having done such a good job at this, he now fights the battle of the outside perception that is actually IS a country club, so emphasizing it is open to the public is sometimes a challenge.

When you walk into the clubhouse at Independence, you might head down the hallway where paintings of the Bon Air Art Association are hung for sale, to benefit The Fore Children charity.  Head left to the restaurant, and you will see a brick oven pizza in Tavern 19, plus a great selection of craft beers on tap that led Golf Digest to name Independence "#1 Place to Play Golf and Drink Beer."  On the way, you will pass several function rooms, including a new 3,200 square foot space adjoining an expansive patio, a perfect wedding venue.  The patio overlooks the practice putting green with speakers for music, next to the corn hole and bocci courts.  You immediately know that this is a truly unique facility.

Then head over to the golf shop to check in for your round.  There are no golf clubs to purchase - instead local clubmaker Andrew Hodson offers custom club fitting from his mobile trailer.  And the golf shop, now named Shadwells, is a fashion retail area, managed by a former Nordstrom's sales person.    Certainly you can get the standard balls, gloves, golf apparel and more, but it is not your average shop.  When you check in, you get complimentary bottled water that's a partnership with Lexus, Devil's Backbone and Independence to support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, then you load up on a golf cart with luxury leather seats and an online GPS tablet. 

Once on the golf course, you see the true commitment to something entirely different.  "Before we did a redesign with Lester George, we established the principles of playability, pace of play and sustainability," said Breed.  Subsequently George took out 600 trees, 43 bunkers and changed green surrounds from rough to closely mown areas.  New grassing included 419 bermuda grass fairways and boldly changing the greens to Champion bermuda grass, believed the northern-most course to do so.  Bunkers were reconstructed using the "Better Billy Bunker" method, which offers superior drainage.  New wells were drilled to increase the water supply to both the course and the surrounding neighborhood.  The result is a more fun course that plays faster and is friendly to the environment.  "We shaved our average round time down from 4 hours 50 minutes before, to just over four hours after."  Golf Digest rewarded them with a "Top Nine Friendliest Courses in the US" nod.

And on the subject of discounting, Breed says flatly, "We don't do it.  We basically have four rates, prime time peak, prime time off-peak, off season prime time and off season non-peak."  He seeks to establish value, and instead of discounts, he might offer players added value like a sleeve of Titleist ProV1's, instead of a twilight rate.  The golf experience dovetails with the somewhat higher rates.

In any entertainment business, the key is FUN.  Breed wants to make sure players pick the right tees so they can have fun.  On the club's nine hole par-3 Short Course, there are three cups on every hole - one regular, one 8.5" (twice normal size) and one off the green for foot golf.  The Short Course has been very popular for families, even soccer families!

Golf instruction remain integral to the club and a Michael Breed Golf Academy (Giff is the older brother of The Golf Channel Instructor) is in the future plans.  2015 season provided record numbers for the junior camps, where the club offers on-site dormitory housing.  It is there, at the back of the driving range, that the University of Richmond men's and women's golf teams are setting up shop, with a training center on the drawing board.

Breed is also excited about the club's sponsorship program.  They have introduced a farm-to-table concept, with a vegetable and herb garden on-site that is sponsored by Tricycle Gardens and Bon Secours hospitals.  The player assistance vehicles are specially equipped Lexus hybrid automobiles, a promotion that Lexus is seeking to expand to other clubs.  Coming soon may be a drive-in movie staged on the club's main parking lot, in a partnership with Richmond's historic Byrd Theatre.  Other sponsors include Devil's Backbone Brewery, Belle Isle Spirits, Blanchard Coffee, Sugar Britches Pastries, John Deere and more.

Breed's overall concept of the club as a "venue" is driving this unique thinking to engage more than just golfers.  Whether it is art class, fishing or just enjoying the restaurant, Breed hopes to expose non-golfers to the game in a comfortable, friendly way.  He is clearly making strides.

Independence is actually owned by Pros, Inc., Breed's company, which was once one of the top player agency firms representing Davis Love, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, Ernie Els, Brandt Snedeker, Beth Daniel and many other top pros.  Breed is a graduate of the University of Richmond, with an MBA from the Darden School at UVA.  He enjoys his family, wife Laurie and daughters Meghan and Rebecca who are both in medical school.

Private Golf Leader Award presented by IBS Club Software

Brandermill Country Club in Midlothian, VA and owner Mike Hatch of Acumen Golf have been recognized as the Private Golf Leader for 2015 by NGCOA Mid-Atlantic.  Brandermill has thrived with Hatch's relentless attention to detail, and his emphasis on FUN and special amenities for members.

An example of the member buy-in is evident in the unique fundraising program for capital projects including a new swimming complex, a driving range renovation and a bunker project.  "Cocktails for the Club" is a promotion that engages vendors, local businesses, members and guests in a one-day event that features a fun golf tournament and both silent and live auctions that typically raise $50,000 in a day.  Hatch parlays vendor and local business relationships into donations for the event in the form of hole sponsorships and auction items.  Then the members do their part by simply enjoying a fun day of good food and drinks served at every other hole on the course while bidding on great prizes, all the while knowing that the proceeds will benefit their own club membership.

"This has been a very successful program," said Hatch, "and our members know that Acumen Golf will continually re-invest back into the courses they own and operate."

One very popular capital project was the infamous "Trouble Room" at the club, designed in style similar to a casual sports bar in London and a retreat from the everyday pressures of life.  In a separate fundraising event, enough money was raised in just 10 days to fund the $100,000+ project, thanks to Acumen's matching contribution.  The members love the Trouble Room!

Hatch is an Englishman, who cut his teeth on American Golf's foray into Great Britain, when he was hired at just 23 to market and manage a course.  Ultimately that business brought him to the US, and after a stint with Meadowbrook Golf Group, he was ready to put together a group to buy Birkdale Golf Club in 2004.  He later purchased nearby Brandermill Country Club and created a sustainable two-course membership concept.

Hatch is known for thinking out of the box - in fact, not even acknowledging that there is such a box!  His "Club Night" concept engages member participation on a weekly basis.  Members are invited out on Thursdays for Happy Hour and free hors d'oeuvres, and all club managers attend and interact with the membership.  Each week there is a pot of "club bucks" funded by Acumen ($50/week) that the members can win, and sometimes the pot reaches $1,000.  Of course you must be present to win, and you must have an open bar tab - a name is drawn from the entire membership roster.  Hatch normally gets 65-100 to attend "Club Night," driving weekday F&B revenues.

Another promotion is "Play Golf Chesterfield," where Hatch offers a series of free golf lessons to Chesterfield County residents, which introduces new players to the game.  The event takes place in the spring and generates some new players as well as introducing prospective social members to the club.

Hatch's Golf Academy also drives new membership.  This entry level program includes a social membership at reduced dues (just $125/month) and allows families free lessons and nine holes of golf with a cart per week.  He knows that the difficulty of the game often frustrates players who drop out, so by giving instruction and keeping it fun amongst the family, the odds improve on engaging new players.

One of Hatch's newest ventures is the use of aerial drone videos to promote his clubs, provided by Pegasus Aerial Productions.  These high quality flyovers give a tantalizing view of many of the beautiful, natural features of Brandermill, helping sell memberships in the off season when the Bermuda grass has not greened up. 

As both an NGCOA Mid-Atlantic board member and a national board member of NGCOA, Hatch is keen to discuss all the issues that currently challenge the golf industry.  He is concerned about the current decline of golf, as well as the third party resellers and the discounting programs.  He enjoys consulting with Board of Director equity clubs as well as the single owner courses, and he was instrumental in landing the 2017 US Open for a course he consulted with in Wisconsin, Erin Hills. 

Hatch grew up an hour west of London and received a Sports Management degree, while enjoying his two athletic passions, cricket and football (soccer).  Only later did he gravitate toward golf, ultimately attaining a 2 handicap, which is a little higher now.  Hatch now enjoys living in the Richmond area with wife Carla and children Izzy and Zach.  You might see him on the road with one of his classic cars, his passion away from golf.

Sustainability Leader presented by Jacobsen

The NGCOA Mid-Atlantic's newest award is the Sustainability Award, recognizing the ability to incorporate sustainability and environmental stewardship into operating practices.  The Keswick Club in the Charlottesville, VA area is the winner this year, in tandem with a full course renovation and a new season of golf.

In the fall of 2014, Pete Dye completed his renovation of the Keswick Club, bringing a new style and dramatic look to a course that was not reaching its potential.  In working with course superintendent Peter McDonough, the pair set out to reach multiple goals, with sustainability and environmental stewardship at the top of the list.

The old Keswick had colored concrete cart paths, and that was an element Dye sought to change.  A new rubber-based surface was specked, one which used recycled tires and aggregate, and one that was smoother for cart riders and was porous to help with drainage.  And what did they do with the old paths?  They used them to create stunning retaining walls for hillsides and water hazards - a great example of recycling! 

Another element of Dye's redesign was opening up the course, and using natural terrain features without a lot of earth moving.  New mowing patterns helped eliminate runoff issues, and Dye is well known for paying close attention to drainage issues.  Native areas were also enhanced.  And the native wildlife areas that earned Keswick certification in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program were left untouched.

To complete the project, the team discussed the incorporation of new, adjacent property into the design.  The first consideration was whether it could be incorporated into a natural fit with the rest of the course.  Fortunately it was a great fit, and it allowed for some nice changes to closing holes.

Once built, McDonough used his years of experience in leading Virginia's "Best Management Practices" project for management of golf courses.  He tied in an Integrated Pest Management program with the BMPs to ensure compliance with the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order, and the guidelines set by Virginia's DCR and DEQ agencies.  McDonough's many years serving with stakeholders of the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Virginia Agribusiness Council and several Virginia regulatory Technical Advisory Committees made it intuitive to incorporate these practices into the everyday management of the Keswick course.

Keswick General Manager Monte Hansen remarked that "a primary goal was to be true to the land - this is a guiding principle of our club."

Hansen pointed out Dye's commitment to go with the natural lay of the land.  Everything had to look natural.  A subtle piece of evidence is the lack of rain puddles shortly after a rain - the drainage is excellent. 

"We do not aim to brag about our environmental stewardship at Keswick," Hansen remarked.  "Rather, that is simply what we all should be doing, with no fanfare.  We couldn't be more pleased to receive this award!"

When asked about the industry trends with BMP's, McDonough remarked, "We are moving in the right direction.  Now that we (Virginia clubs) have BMPs, we must stick to them!"

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