USGA Green Section Record, December 2, 2016 Share: Like 0 Share Tweet Developing a Comprehensive Golf Course Master Plan By Elliott Dowling and Pat Gross What will your golf facility look like in five, 10 or 20 years? While nobody has a crystal ball that can look into the future, successful businesses have long recognized that without making constant improvements and planning for the future they will fall behind. In a rapidly changing industry like golf, facilities need to continually improve the playing experience and prepare for challenges like aging equipment and new governmental regulations. Long-range planning helps facilities identify opportunities and address issues before major problems occur. Read More Multimedia Content Video: Planning For The Future Planning for the future isn’t easy; it takes a significant amount of time, commitment and input from all of the key constituents at a golf facility. Here are some tips from the staff at Bel-Air Country Club who have had a master plan for their facility in place for nearly 20 years. Discovering what worked well will help as you envision a plan for the future of your facility. Article: That's a Great Idea! But Can The Cost be Absorbed? Budgeting is an important part of every master plan; after all, there is a cost to every task performed on a golf course. Unfortunately, long- range planning is difficult. As you embark on creating a new master plan or updating an existing one, remember to account for how future plans will impact golf course maintenance operations; some things are easy to overlook. Watch Now Learn More Green Section Collection: Planning For The Future These interactive digital collections include additional supporting articles, a photo gallery and videos that provide relevant information on the primary subject. The collections can be viewed online in a user-friendly digital magazine format, saved as a PDF or printed. Read More Research You Should Know Fore The Golfer Water Planning For The Future Since the mid-1980s, the USGA has funded millions of dollars of research focusing on water conservation. The results from a recent USGA- funded survey are promising, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Here are some things to consider for your facility. Is Your Course Ready For The Future? If you want to improve the longevity, efficiency and prosperity of a golf course you must start with a comprehensive and continually evolving master plan. But what exactly is a master plan? Find out what to include in this document and why it’s imperative for every golf course to have a long- range master plan. Read More Read More Regional Updates West Region The holidays are upon us and superintendents are submitting equipment wish lists to improve playing conditions. Consider adding these equipment ideas to your list for the 2017 season. Northeast Region While prolonged hot temperatures stressed cool- season turf this summer, cold-tolerant bermudagrass playing surfaces offered these benefits. View Update View Update Central Region La Niña conditions are likely to persist for the next several months. Here’s what superintendents are doing to maximize their available water. Southeast Region It was another memorable year in the Southeast Region. These 10 amazing highlights are sure to be remembered for many years to come. View Update View Update Are you a current subscriber to the USGA Green Section Record? Subscribers receive the latest information on golf course management, turfgrass culture, environmental issues, research and economic sustainability delivered to their inboxes twice per month. Subscribe Today United States Golf Association 77 Liberty Corner Road Far Hills, NJ 07931 908.234.2300 CONTACT US Stay connected with the USGA IMPORTANT LINKS USGA Privacy Policy USGA Green Section Home Page USGA Staff Contact Information Course Consulting Service Information USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (TERO) ©2016 by United States Golf Association® Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications USGA Green Section publications are made available through the courtesy of the United States Golf Association (USGA®). The reuse of these materials is authorized only if the following conditions are met in their entirety. This policy applies to all Green Section publications, including articles, videos, presentations, and webcasts. 1) Adherence to all components of our Conditions for Reuse policy. 2) Inclusion of the appropriate Reprint Permission Language. 3) Notification of your Intent To Reprint Content. The USGA Green Section Record (ISSN 2156-5813) is published twice monthly via electronic mail by the United States Golf Association®. http://myemail.constantcontact.com/USGA-Green-Section-Record--December-2--2016.html?soid=1103157499740&aid=DG16edc_xlY[12/2/2016 1:45:02 PM]