New Education Partners
As this is being put together, we can confirm that we have signed some new education partners.
We are pleased to announce that Club Benchmarking, under the leadership of James Burns CCM in Europe, have agreed to come on board this year.
JPA Brenson Lawler, with John Manning Partner Audit & Assurance are a firm of Chartered Accountants, offering Management Accounting Services and Auditing, have joined us this year as well.
Golf Genius have reconfirmed their support and will be involved in all our Golf outings this year.
We also welcome Jonas Club Software, Obbi Golf, PAX Financial Services with Darren Nolan, DAR Construction with Colin & Brian Darcy and Carlow Brewing with Estrella Gallicia 0.0%.
Brodericks will be the sponsor at our CPSG outing which is set for April 3rd at Co.Louth GC Baltray
Thank you all for your support. It is much appreciated.
We look forward to developing a mutually beneficial relationship with all our Education Partners during 2023 and beyond and would ask that you consider these firms and their respective products when going to the market. By helping them, you are in fact helping your association and yourself.
IGCMA AGM
Save the date - Monday 6th March at Powerscourt Golf, more details to follow.
Irish Club Manager joins CCM ranks
The CMAE is delighted to announce that Niall Carroll, CEO at The Condor Club at Chateau du Coudreceau has gained the internationally renowned Certified Club Manager (CCM) certification. Niall’s success with the CCM exam raises the number of Certified Club Managers in Europe and the Middle East to 69.
Originally from Ireland, Niall has been based at the French Chateau Du Coudreceau for over 5 years and was previously Club Manager at St Anne’s Golf Club. Commenting on his success he said “I am delighted to have achieved the world renowned qualification of CCM. It is the pinnacle of club management qualifications and for me represents excellence in our industry. The journey to finally receiving my CCM has been thoroughly enjoyable and one I would highly recommend to any club manager throughout the world. The networking opportunities you gain through the “tribe” whilst completing the MDP programme is invaluable in your career and you will be sure to make friends for life."
Industry Appointments
Niall Keyes joins Wicklow G.C as General Manager
Mark Carwood joins Killiney G.C as General Manager
Jim Melody joins Milltown G.C as General Manager
Cormac Flannery Joins Dingle Golf Links as General Manager
TJ Ford joins Lahinch Golf Club as Operations Manager
James Burns joins Club Benchmarking
David Reilly joins Laytown & Bettystown GC as General Manager
Elaine McBride joins Portmarnock Golf Club as General Manager
Eddie Farrell joins Malahide Golf Club as General Manager
Donard Mac Sweeney joins Athenry Golf Club as General Manager
Message from John McCormack
Public consultation on the EU Commissions proposal for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation
In advance of a golf sector submission regarding the EU Commissions proposal for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, IGCMA have been in contact with Golf Ireland.
Golf Ireland have informed us that since the draft regulations were published last year, proactive steps that have been taken by them in conjunction with the Association of Turfgrass Professionals Ireland (ATPI) and now ourselves, on behalf of affiliated clubs. To date GI have: · Raised the issue with the R&A and the European Golf Association which culminated in a detailed submission to the European Commission consultation process on behalf of the European Golf sector.
Engaged on the implications of this proposed legislation for Ireland with the relevant departments and other state bodies. Furthermore, Golf Ireland are currently in the process of working alongside key stakeholders to finalise a submission for the Irish consultation process on behalf of all affiliated clubs.
IGCMA are one of those key stakeholders and we have made representations to Golf Ireland as part of this process. IGCMA will be one of the co-signers on the final document to be submitted.
The final submission from Golf Ireland will outline some concerns with the draft regulation and highlight some opportunities for Golf to continue to reduce the use of pesticides in a manner that does not significantly affect the standard and operations of Golf in Ireland.
There is information regarding the Draft regulations on the GI website, and if you haven’t done so, then it is in your interest to keep yourself informed and look them up.
We will keep you informed as to the progress made.
John McCormack
President IGCMA
January 11th 2023
Coming Soon
Education Partners
Each of our education partners have something to offer you as a manager, which will assist you in motivating and helping your staff, helping your committee in their decision making and generally keeping you on top of things. Over the course of the next few months, we will be asking them to present to you on a variety of topics. These will include Trends in Beverages, with Estrella Galicia Planning a Course project with DAR Construction, Mortgage and pension advice with Darren Nolan & PAX Financial Services, Running a Golf Tournament with Golf Genius, who have come on board lately, Health & Safety with Obbi Golf and Technology in Clubs with Jonas Club Software.
Education 2022
Ramona Buglulet - Clubhouse Manager at Grange Golf Club, proudly receiving her Club Management Diploma (CMDip) from the C.E.O of CMAE, Mr Torbjorn Johansson and Mr John McCormack, President of the IGCMA.
MDP Part 1 – Club Operations - Dublin
PART ONE These courses form the first building blocks for those who wish to work towards taking their CCM exam. Full details can be found by following the link below: www.cmaeurope.org/education/mdp
Course Dates: 6 - 10 March, 2023
Course Venue: The Grand Hotel Malahide
Part 1 is a week long course targeted in particular towards those managers who are either new to a post, recently appointed or simply want to enhance their knowledge so that they may better serve their club committee, owners and members. At the end of the week, those taking the course will have an excellent grasp of the basics in every area of club business, and will have established a valuable network of support for their career in this industry.
Education Schedule
Please see below our Education Schedule from now until April 2023. There may be changes along the way but we'll keep you posted on these as they happen.
Hot Topics
Edmondstown Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Efforts
Background
There is marked changes in societal attitude towards the importance of on energy efficiency and sustainability in homes and businesses. This is reflected by and ever-increasing number of small and large organisations working to lower their carbon footprints while aiding the sustainability of their business. The EU target for CO2 emission reduction is 55% by the year 2030.
The Golf business is no exception with the R&A considering it a “key priority for golf” for both the course and facilities. EU legislation has already made this a reality on the agronomy side of golf course maintenance with the banning of many herbicides, pesticides and fungicides that would have traditionally been used for course maintenance. Good and ethical governance demands that Golf Clubs, at the very minimum, follow the trends and do their part to ensure sustainability.
Steps Taken by Edmondstown 2013 - Present
- Course: The move to more sustainable on course practices has come from necessity as a result of the banning of many traditional pesticide, herbicide and fungicide treatments used. Over the past few years Edmondstown has moved to introduce hardier, more disease resistant grasses on our greens. Our current agronomy plan continues to focus on this area to prepare for further stringent rules on the products available.
- Energy Efficiency: In 2013, the club conducted an energy audit to establish usage patterns and where savings and efficiencies could be made. As part of this process, the club undertook a project to replace all windows and doors in the bar & restaurant area with thermal protected glass to increase comfort and reduce heat wastage. A new Glycol beer colling system was also installed which uses less energy to cool on tap beers and bar & kitchen refrigeration. The excess heat from this system is used to pre heat water requiring less energy usage from the boilers. The cost of these projects was €48k and the club received a grant of €22k from the SEAI.
The work continued in subsequent years with the removal of the old hot water boilers and tanks which were replaced with high efficiency condensing boilers. Old radiators in the bar & restaurant were replaced with modern high output models.
The result of the above measures has not only resulted in a more comfortable environment for our members but has reduced energy consumption. This has led to savings on the light & heat, despite increasing average energy prices over that period.
Continuing the Process
Edmondstown applied for SEAI grants for three projects in 2022. All three projects were approved with a grant of 30% of the total project cost received.
Projects:
- Installation of a 14 kW PV solar panel system on the roof of the Clubhouse.
- Installation of a twin EV Charge Point unit.
- Installation of a control system on the LPHW Heating installation, capable of controlling and / or isolating system zones, as appropriate for building occupancy.
1.0 PV Solar Panel Installation.
Panels were installed in November and commissioned in December 2022. The gross cost of the project was €18.5k with a grant of €5.5k leaving a nett cost of €13k. Annual savings are calculated at €3.7k giving a 3.5 year payback on investment.
2.0 EV Charge Points
EV charging points are primarily seen as a members service and while a small premium will be charged on electricity prices, it is not expected that the chargers will generate sufficient revenue to cover the installation cost. A twin charging point was installed and the gross cost (excluding ground works) was €9.3k with a grant of €2.8k leaving a nett cost of €6.5k.
3.0 LPHW Heating Controls
The club had no zone controls for the gas-powered central heating system. The club installed the Genius Hub system which allows for individual control of each heat emitter, thereby allowing each space to be controlled at the desired temperature for any selected duration. This is controlled through a web portal.
The total cost of the system was €22k with a grant of €6.6k leaving a nett cost of €15.6k. At current gas rates, the estimated annual saving will be in the region of €3.5k giving a payback period of 4.5 years.
Mark Lynch
General Manager
OBBI GOLF
OBBI GOLF MOVING ‘FORE-WARD’ WITH £1.25 MILLION INVESTMENT AND NEW CHAIRMAN
Belfast-based software company Obbi Golf celebrates its first birthday by raising a £1.25 million investment, leading to the creation of 14 jobs. The award-winning software product is helping to change the way golf clubs manage their compliance, safety and training, and the company has already signed many customers across the UK and Ireland, several of which are in the Top 100 clubs in the world.
The tech start-up secured investment from TechStart Ventures and a small number of individuals, led by the renowned tech entrepreneur Patrick McAliskey, who is also joining Obbi Golf as its new Chairman. The investment comes after an exceptional first year in the golf sector, generating interest on a global scale.
Obbi Golf’s innovative product mitigates risk and eases the management of golf clubs, and is supported by many leading stakeholders within the industry, all of whom are focused on making golf clubs safer. The product works across all departments including greenkeeping, hospitality and operations, to provide an “at a glance” view of compliance obligations and the means to address issues immediately.
Gareth Macklin, founder and CEO of Obbi Golf said, “We are extremely honoured to have secured funding and support from Patrick McAliskey and TechStart Ventures, alongside our other incredible investors who believe in our vision just as much as we do - there is no better way to celebrate our first birthday.”
“Golf clubs have a lot of moving parts, and it can be challenging to manage all the policies and processes involved with compliance, safety and training. From conducting regular safety inspections to managing incident reports and employee training, there is a lot to keep track of. Where these critical processes have traditionally been paper-based, or not done at all, we knew that our product would give peace of mind to club managers.”
“Securing this funding enables us to accelerate our growth plans quicker than we have ever imagined along with expanding our team. This is an extremely exciting time for the entire Obbi Golf team and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped along the journey.”
Patrick McAliskey is best known as the founder of Novosco which he grew over 25 years to be recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s most successful IT companies. Last year, Patrick received a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to business in NI.
Patrick said, “Obbi Golf is truly improving safety and compliance in the golfing industry and has the potential to achieve really big things. The company has a very strong team and they have the vision, the ambition and the plan to grow significantly both locally and on a global basis. I’m excited about working with the team and helping them shape and deliver on their plans and vision to make golf clubs safer for all.”
For more information on Obbi Golf please visit www.obbi.golf
Golf Management Podcast
Ed is peaking with Kari Haug, http://karihaug.com/. Kari is the owner and lead golf course architect at Kari Howg Planning & Design, Inc., a golf course architecture company that focuses on sustainable and eco-sensitive golf course design.
3 Things to think about while you listen
- Are the holes on your course friendly for the slower speed golfers while still providing a challenge to the high speed players?
- What are some simple changes you can make to tee locations to make certain holes easier?
- Is your entire greens or course committee made up of low handicap male golfers? How representative of your membership is this?
International Golf and Social events
At the moment we can confirm the following International Golf Matches.
- May 13/14/15- V The GCMA at Powerscourt GC- Team of 12.
- June 25/26 V The WGCMA. At Home. Venue yet to be decided. Team of 8
- July 3rd V the NIGCMA at Clandeboye GC, Belfast. Away- Team of 8
- September 9/10/11 V The SGCMA at Bruntsfield Links, Edinburgh. Team of 10
In all cases, selection is determined by active Managers in the first instance. These are Networking events with the opportunity to meet with Managers from other regions and can be most beneficial.
Only in the event of the Active managers being unavailable, will other categories of members be invited to play.
Selection for Team Matches
Priority is given to Active managers and our sister associations want to see active managers taking part, as it cements the true value of networking. Please take the time to see if you are available for selection and I will be sending out a separate form later to confirm availability. The Association will pay for travel, by Air or Ferry but not travel to the airport, parking or to the ferry. On away matches, it will pick up the cost of transport. It will also bear the cost of the final dinner. On at least two occasions, now the cost of this has been very high indeed and some subsidy has been asked of you. This may occur again, so please take that into account when making yourself available
Other Events
There will also be a few 9 & Dine events for active managers and Education Partners during the summer. Retired manager outings, both in Dublin and down the country will be organised by Gerry Coleman and communicated later this year.
Best wishes