HSVPOA Golf Director Tom Heffer Delivers Department Overview

HSVPOA Golf Director Tom Heffer spoke on Tuesday, April 23, at the 2024 Board Retreat. He updated the Board of Directors on the Golf Department’s responsibilities, 2023 accomplishments, golf rounds, package play, and 2024 projects.

Heffer said the Golf Department is a large organization “comprised of 19 different cost centers, including golf shops and maintenance shops.”

Currently, the Golf Department employs 192 employees but is budgeted for 204. Eight-one Golf Department employees are full-time, but the organization is short by three. There are 111 part-time golf employees, most seasonal, with eight positions unfilled.

The Hot Springs Village Golf Courses cover 954 acres and almost 6,000 sprinkler heads. This all has to be maintained.

Golf Department Responsibilities

Heffer said the Golf Department’s Responsibilities are:

• We are working hard with the marketing group to increase HSV’s ongoing local, regional, and national awareness. They also work to attract retreats and local businesses.
• Create new golf revenue streams.
• Coordinate all capital projects for maintenance and operations.
• Grow golf in HSV by increasing member, guest, group, and tournament play.
• Supervise and support eight golf shops, seven maintenance facilities, a tee time office, and cart fleet divisions.
• Create an annual golf event calendar, leagues, tournaments, and maintenance dates.
• Develop annual golf budget and capital plans.
• Maintain great customer service and high agronomy standards.
• Find new ways to keep expenses in check while continuing quality.
• Ongoing awareness of all agronomy activities on all golf courses.
• Maintain communications between divisions and other departments.
• Regular site visits to all facilities.
• Direct individual course pricing in accordance with annual Board-approved guidelines.
• Ensuring the highest quality purchases at the lowest cost by utilizing the purchasing power of an eight-course operation.
• Continue to grow Stay/Play golf packages.
• Implent golfer registration procedures and collection of fees per POA policies.
• Supporting and leading the professional staff with all golf lessons, clinics, and tournaments.

2023 Golf Department Accomplishments

The Golf Department accomplishments in 2023 are:

1. Total revenue in 2023 was $538,195 above 2022 revenue and $4,906 above budget. This was a good number because last year’s budget revenue was very aggressive at $7.6 M.
2. Stay/Play package revenue is $ 259,098 above 2022 revenue.
3. Completed the Granada bunker renovation in-house.
4. Isabella’s bunker renovation started in November 2023.
5. In-house cart path rehab on Balboa, Isabella, Granada, DeSoto, and Ponce.
6. In-house green fans were installed at Ponce and Granada. 2 fans were budgeted for Ponce for $ 19,000. We were able to do 8 fans for $18,000. This is part of Tami Jone’s creative purchasing.
7. New cart bridges were completed at Balboa and Magellan.
8. Early order program completed for 2024 with a $ 52,000 savings.
9. Fall pre-emergent early order for 2023 had a savings of $ 17,500.
10. Capital expenditures were $706,694 under budget, with 19 new pieces of equipment purchased. This was done with creative ideas.
11. Major in-house culvert repairs at Desoto, Magellan, Ponce, and Coronado.
12. New drainage projects at Balboa, Desoto, Coronado, Isabella, Magellan, and Ponce.
13. We added rocks to lower maintenance costs and improve the aesthetics around halfway houses, clubhouses, flower beds, and bare areas near cart paths.
14. New signs at Isabella and Granada, with the other courses completed in 2024.
15. Re-sprigged # 14 green at Magellan caused by winter kill.
16. Resodded and seeded greens at Isabella from lost grass.
17. Completed rock project behind # 4 green at Granada.
18. A new driving range building was built at Balboa.
19. New driving range mats were installed at Isabella and Desoto.
20. New cart fleets at Granada and Coronado, Magellan, and Ponce.

2023 v. 2022 Golf Rounds and Precipitation

Heffer said we were up 7,000 rounds in 2023 over 2022, with 26″ rainfall above normal.

Golf Package Play

The Stay and Play program began under Troon, and the most he brought to the table was around $273,000 in 2017. In 2023, the Stay and Play program has grown to $1.2M.

Heffer said marketing in Dallas has helped increase the Stay and Play program. We are also seeing more Missouri and Louisiana Stay and Play visitors.

“Stay and Play continues to stay strong. We will keep pushing it until someone tells me not to.”

2024 Golf Projects

1. Complete the Isabella Bunker project, drainage, cart paths, and a new tee box.
2. Complete the Balboa Renovation Plan and begin the project in the fall of 2024.
3. Complete plan for Ponce de Leon renovation and begin in Fall 2025.
4. Complete dredging of ponds on Granada and Isabella.
5. Work on drainage issues at the other courses.
6. Implement and schedule member-only days through busy seasons on Fridays and Saturdays. May, June, September, and October.
7. Complete implementation of North Star in the golf shops and tee times.
8. Be the lead on all tournaments, leagues, and outings, and work with Gary.
9. Conduct clinics to stimulate new golfers and beginners to use our courses.
10. Schedule more volunteer days for the courses to paint, clean, and weed.
11. Implement the new Marshal program with fewer marshals and better training.

Golf Department Challenges

Heffer said the Golf Department’s challenges are the aging infrastructure and the high cost of equipment.

Governor’s Cup

Heffer said we held the Governor’s Cup a few weekends ago. This was the 20 best golfers in Arkansas playing the 20 best golfers in Mississippi. This was the second time HSV had hosted this event, and the participants loved Granada.

General Manager Kelly Hale said they are petitioning to hold this event in the Village every other year.