March 8, 2025 • 48 mins
Welcome to Season 13 of Golf Talk Live, I'm your host: Ted Odorico
Joining me this week are two featured guests: Bobby Jone’s Links Co-founder/CEO, Whitney Crouse & Joshua Deal, GM of the Bobby Jones Golf Course Atlanta, GA.
More about today's guests:
Whitney Crouse, CEO/cofounder of Bobby Jones Links
Whitney serves as Bobby Jones Links’ strategist, data researcher, key relationships manager, and idea generator, primarily working on our company's business and not in operations. A Rice University graduate, he is a PGA and CMAA member who is an entrepreneur at heart. He is a former member of Merion Golf Club, where he joined as one of the youngest members of this historic club where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam.
Joshua Deal, GM at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia
If Josh is responsible for your club, he will ensure it performs as promised and to your expectations. His responsibility includes developing and executing your club’s business plan, training its leadership, attending client or board meetings, making Bobby Jones Links’ resources, tools, and systems available to your staff, and visiting your club regularly. He focuses on improving the member and guest experience. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the Georgia PGA.
This podcast is available in video format on YouTube.com/@igolfsports & Spotify. The audio version is available at Spreaker.com or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is a production of the iGolf Sports Network.
Note: This video was shortened due to technical issues earlier in the broadcast.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/golf-talk-live--6428965/support.
Joining me this week are two featured guests: Bobby Jone’s Links Co-founder/CEO, Whitney Crouse & Joshua Deal, GM of the Bobby Jones Golf Course Atlanta, GA.
More about today's guests:
Whitney Crouse, CEO/cofounder of Bobby Jones Links
Whitney serves as Bobby Jones Links’ strategist, data researcher, key relationships manager, and idea generator, primarily working on our company's business and not in operations. A Rice University graduate, he is a PGA and CMAA member who is an entrepreneur at heart. He is a former member of Merion Golf Club, where he joined as one of the youngest members of this historic club where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam.
Joshua Deal, GM at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia
If Josh is responsible for your club, he will ensure it performs as promised and to your expectations. His responsibility includes developing and executing your club’s business plan, training its leadership, attending client or board meetings, making Bobby Jones Links’ resources, tools, and systems available to your staff, and visiting your club regularly. He focuses on improving the member and guest experience. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the Georgia PGA.
This podcast is available in video format on YouTube.com/@igolfsports & Spotify. The audio version is available at Spreaker.com or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is a production of the iGolf Sports Network.
Note: This video was shortened due to technical issues earlier in the broadcast.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/golf-talk-live--6428965/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
The following broadcast is brought to you by the I
Golf Sports Network. Golf Talk Live is sponsored by the
I Golf Sports Network and Golf Tips Magazine. Here's Andrew
to tell you more about our sponsors. I Golf Sports
is a live stream, broadcast and media production company providing
quality programming designed to attract the golfing enthusiast and Golf Tips,
(00:32):
the game's most in depth instruction magazine, including reviews on
the latest equipment, tips from top teaching professionals, all designed
to help you improve from tee to green. Welcome to
Golf Talk Live with your host Ted oto Rico. Join
Ted each week as he speaks with some of the
best in golf. This week's special guest will join us
(00:52):
a bit later. But first up is another great discussion
on Coach's Corner, So let's introduce tonight's Coaches Corner Panel.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Tonight, I'm really excited to have Whitney Krause. He's the
co founder and CEO of Bobby Jones Links. Whitney serves
as Bobby Jones Lynk's strategic and data researcher, key relationships manager,
and idea generator, primarily working on their company's business not
in operations. He's a Rice University graduate and he is
(01:25):
a PJ and CMMA member who is an entrepreneur at heart.
He's also a former member of Marion Golf Club, where
he joined as one of the youngest members of this
historical club where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam. Also
joining him tonight is Joshua Deel. He is the GM
of Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia, and he's
(01:46):
responsible for many clubs and he will strive to ensure
that it performs as promised and to your expectations. As
a club owner, his responsibiles include developing and executing the
club's business plan, training its leadership, attending client and board meetings,
and obviously making Bobby Jones Links, resources, tools and systems
(02:08):
available to the staff and visiting their club on a
regular basis to make sure everything's running smoothly. And he
focuses on improving the member and guest experience, which is
all too important. And he also currently serves as Vice
president of the Georgia PGA. So please welcome my very
patient guests, Whitney Krause and Joshua Deal.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Just give us a little bit of.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
A background of Bobby Jones' links, how that sort of
came about, and what was the thought process when you
were putting that together.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Yeah, well, well thanks for asking, Ted. Actually this is
our twenty fifth anniversary of being in business. Steve and
I started this company two or three clubs in two thousand,
a new idea where we were going what we were doing,
But like any entrepreneur, we just charged forward and we
(03:02):
were Infinity Golf Partners, and then we were Mosaic and
we added some clubs and awesome clubs, and a wonderful
thing happened in twenty eighteen, Ted, we got to help
got to help build the Bobby Jones Golf course, which
we're going to talk about in a little bit downtown.
And I got to know the Jones family, and just
off the cuff, I said, you guys wouldn't mind licensing
(03:23):
that name, would you? And they said sure, I love
you guys. So off we went with the new Bobby
Jones name, and it's made all the difference, all the difference.
So and we've got a triple the size of our company,
added some great people. Here we are today having this
great conversation with you, probably thanks to that special moment happening.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, I appreciate it, and it's always you know, it's
always interesting. One thing about this business that I find
fascinating is you know, you can look back and see
all of the traditions of somebody like a Bobby Jones,
what he brought to the game and how he fired
so many people. And you hear people like Nicholas and
Palmer and many others that of that generation that all
(04:06):
reflect back to somebody like Bobby Jones and how he
inspired them to rise to the level that they did.
So it's it's amazing. And then you know, now you
see future generations who have been impacted by somebody like
a Jack Nicholas or Palmer or Travino or whoever. So
it's it's sort of an ongoing domino effect. You know,
one domino happens, and it's just you know, as generations
(04:27):
go by and we're seeing newer and younger players coming
in on the thing. So let's talk about uh, as
I understand, uh, Golf course of the year, tell us
a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
You know, this is a special honor we got and
I don't let Josh answer that one. This is his course,
and he's the one who works so hard to do this.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
So how did that come about?
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Yeah, it's uh, you know, one in honor. I mean
we're you know, reversible nine hole municipal golf course located
in the heart of Atlanta, which is unique in and
of itself. But to get a national honor like this
is sudden. We certainly didn't expect. But I'll always go
back to obviously, you know Whinny and Steven, the Bobby
(05:13):
Jones SLINKs team help, using family, their their vision for
building this place, you know, gusts where we are today.
But what we try to do day in and day
out was make an impact and make a difference in
the community and be recognized at a national level for
some of the things that we've done within the community
for public golf, inclusive golf, adaptive golf, junior golf. We
(05:39):
wanted to offer a first class experience for those that
want to come and learn golf and see golf and
can do it at a casual atmosphere. So for for us,
this is a great honor and something we couldn't have
done without the whole Jones family behind us, and obviously
Bobby Jones Slanks.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So let me ask you follow up, Josh, if you
don't mind, then you know, because obviously being part of
you know, a big mission for what you're doing is
to really be involved in the community, in your local community.
So how does your course really differ I guess from
a lot of other typical public courses. How is your
(06:18):
experience that you're offering your local communities differ from from
what you typically would see?
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Absolutely? So, you know, within the Atlanta market, I mean
there's a lot of you know, golf courses then been
around for a long time. I mean even the old
Bobby Jones before the renovation. I mean, there's so many
stories of people that have come out and played that
golf course and said, oh I played this with my
grandfather and it used to be fifteen dollars and wear
a pair of jeans and you know, bring your sets.
(06:46):
You know. One of the goals of the foundation was
really again I used that word first class, and I
don't take it lightly. You know, we offer an unbelievable product,
something you'd see at some of the finest private golf
courses around, and we do it in an atmosphere that allows,
you know, allows children to learn the game of golf.
We've got the largest PGA Junior League program in the
(07:08):
state of Georgia. We were number one in youth on
course rounds, which allows golfers young juniors to come out
for five dollars around and come play the game. So
on the junior side where we're covered up, we've got
adaptive golf programs with the Shepherd Center, which is located
right near us. We don't have a dress code. We
(07:32):
welcome anyone and everyone to come enjoy the game of golf.
And I think the community has really embraced us and
we lean into that and it's it's a fun place
to work, it's a fun place to come visit, and
we take each and every every kind and I think
all of us can speak to our different versions of
(07:53):
golf that we enjoy. But we've got something for everyone
at our place.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
And you know, let me let me just really quickly
add something and then Whitney, I have another question for you.
You know, that's a great point that Joshua, that you
raised about really sort of making everybody feel at home
in golf, because I think that you know one thing
that you know, if if you can pull something positive
(08:19):
out of what we all experienced through the pandemic was
a sort of resurgence, if you will, of golf of
not just traditional golfers and that, but new people that
came to the game that had never played before, had
no idea, you know, what to expect, and they're only
really understanding of golf is what they witnessed on TV
through the PGA or the LPG and other tours. So
for them to come out now and maybe they're you know,
(08:42):
they're wearing flip flops or shorts or you know whatever,
you know, it's great that you're embracing that because again,
it makes them feel included in something that obviously you
want to you know, we always talk about in this
business growing the game. Well, the only way to grow
the game is really to diversify and say, allow everybody
to play whatever version it is that they have. And
(09:03):
obviously there's something for the traditional golfers and there's something
for you know, somebody else over here. But I think
that we have to be able to evolve this game
somewhat if we're going to allow everybody a chance to
get out and enjoy this, because I think that would
be something that you know, Bobby Jones, if he was
looking down right now would say, wow, I never thought
that this would would happen, and I'm sure would be
(09:26):
very proud of that.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Whitney In twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You know, there's a lot of you know, again sort
of paralleling what we're talking about here, what should do
you think in your mind golf courses and clubs really
be focused on to serving today's clientele, because again, as
I just point out, it's really changed from what it was,
you know, thirty forty years.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
How should they.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Focus because you know, let's if we're going to be
honest about it, there's a lot that have struggled over
the last you know, ten twenty thirty years because they've
refused to make adjustments or changes to their businesiness model.
So what do you think in your opinion from what
you guys have experienced, what are you seeing the trends
and what should they really be focusing on if we
want to move this game forward.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Well, you know, it's a really interesting pointed because the
pandemic boost, which is still with it, it's really not
a pandemic boost anymore. To see change in golf, Yeah right,
it's the young people finally to discover golf is cool.
People are work from home effect technology, and so we're
having record rounds and record initiation fees and waiting lists
(10:30):
and industry is something we haven't seen in twenty twenty
five years. So what they should be doing, what it's
enabled them to do is reinvest in their assets and
catch up on so many of these deferred improvements. So
you know, the renovation business has gone crazy, their improvement
dollars in the clubhouses. So what they should really be
team the club up for the future because we'll have
(10:52):
another cycle again. Sure, sometimes, but it's really neat to
see for the first time clubs have had capital to
do these things. And on the programming side of Josh said,
everybody should be doing something with junior golf, whether it's private, public,
cross the spectrum. We all have a vested interests and
that really seems to be a sentiment that's it's now
(11:13):
percolating through the whole all the very different varieties of
golf courses.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, and you do you look at this as somewhat
of a golden age, do you think for private golf
clubs or you're seeing that you know they're having you know,
I know years ago, you know, a lot of clubs.
Some started to have sort of a semi private uh
you know that sort of thing, so they sort of
dip their toe in the sand. You know, no pun
intended for the for bunkers, but you know they were
(11:41):
dipping their toe in the sand to try to experiment
with that. So are you do you anticipate that this
is something that you're going to see more and more
a trend moving uh in order to sort of stay
in the fray, that they're going to have to start
making some other changes moving forward.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Well, I think they are. You know, they're adapting technology,
they're they're reinvesting the assets. So you know, our clubs
and I'm hearing all the time, you know, whether clubs
are thinking of adopting top tracer or a track man,
some kind of entertainment or all tracking system. Whole range
experience has changed, so they're adapting that. They're adding practice,
more practice greens, more practice facilities. So that's really important,
(12:20):
is the game changes. But to you know, to your
earlier point, for twenty years, I mean it's just about
two thousand and one, it's been real slog and then
two thousand and eight happened. It was a double slog.
It was tough, and that's when a lot of clubs.
I think we had four thousand private clubs in the
United States at that time, and maybe a thousand of
(12:43):
them when send me private just to keep the doors open,
and we did that. We worked for a lot of banks,
and you know, the combination of the daily fee revenue
and the membership revenue, and now a lot of those
clubs are flourishing. So going back to private well continue,
I think so. I think it's really there's a vibe
out there amongst all golfers, particularly young people. Yeah, about
(13:04):
how they feel again and I haven't felt in years now.
We're still subject to factors. We can't control the economy, tariffs,
whatever the crazy world is going on out there. But
you know, I'm pretty well I'm gonna put it this way.
David Pillsbury as you know, CEO I've invited. I was
(13:24):
at a conference with him last year and he got
up said of the group when we were talking about
this health and boom and golf, he said, you know,
I would love to be twenty years older than you
guys in the room because we slogged it out for years.
But I think this could be a very exciting time.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Oh yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I think with the onset of technology and just everything
that's going on in the golfing world. And you know,
it's interesting because you know, I over the years, I've
interviewed a number of younger you know, obviously you can
tell by my gray hair, I'm getting long in the tooth.
So when I look at some of the enthusiasm, it's
not just about the playing, but how they can make
(14:01):
the experience. I mean, I've seen people come in with technology,
whether it's an app or whatever, and they're saying, I
want to do something to make this experience better, you know,
and and they're they're creative that they've sort of gotten
the creative juice is flowing in in some of this
younger generation. And it's not just all about the uh,
you know, the technology. The obviously, you know, the range
(14:21):
finders and all that stuff is great, but there's other
things that they're bringing to the table in order to make.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
It a better experience.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I mean, you know, you look at at you know,
some of the Bluetooth speakers that you see them slapped
on the side of a golf cart and they're cranking
out you know, the tunes.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
And things like.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I mean, you would have never seen that or you know,
even twenty five years ago, and now it's like, you know,
I'm gonna if I'm gonna be out there hitting that
golf ball around, I'm gonna have a little fun and
listen to something, you know, some good some good tunes.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
So yeah, well, well as long as they're playing rock
and roll from the seventies ten, that's fine, okay, and
that's the best music.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Let's just play back entertainment. Okay, I agree, Joshua. Let
me come back to you real quick. You know, if
you may mentioned earlier, you know about some changes to
the course and that. So obviously there was some renovations
and sort of the re energizing of the golf course.
What had to happen to be able to do that
and to help bring everything together. So what were some
of the changes that were made? And maybe you can
(15:14):
expand a little bit on that.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Yeah, I mean, you know, Whitney was a part of
it from day one, so I'll let him fill in
behind me. But really, I think the vision at first was,
you know, there was a golf course that had been
around a long time, that had bestowed a name like
Bobby Jones in Atlanta, and you know, it was it
had kind of gone into disarray and disrepair, and you know,
(15:36):
it served its purpose, and you know, the thought was,
can we just give this a little TLC and turn
into something that's a little bit more fitting of the name.
So from that, as we have all learned through renovations
and projects of that, you know, it went from city
owned a state owned, and there was land swaps and
started with we're going to use the old clubhouse to
(15:57):
now our twenty five thousand square clubhouse that's home of
the Georgia PGA and the Georgia State Golf Association. There
was eighteen holes, and then it was nine holes, and
then there's a big range. So it was a quite
a process that Whitney knows imminently well. But really, I mean,
it was a full blank slate project from where they
(16:21):
started to where we are now. And you know, now
we're a nine hole reversible golf course. So we have
two distinct nines that was designed originally by Bob Cup
and then finished off by his son, and we play
alternating routes each and every other day. Magnolia then Azalea,
as I said, we're home to those two associations that
(16:43):
both served the club professional as well as amateur golf
in Georgia, a booming restaurant, the busiest driving range in Georgia.
And I don't think if you asked Whitney or any
of our board, or even the Jones family at the
time when they first came up with this idea, gosh,
you know over ten years ago, that what we look
at today would be anything like well what they imagined
(17:07):
on they won, but fill filling the gaps there, right?
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah, well what was Yeah, what would you like to
go ahead? Well, no, it's just such a great story.
That's there's so many people that were involved. We're lucky
enough to be the spokesman for you today to talk
about this, but there were hundreds of people involved, and
the course had fallen really on hard times. It was awful.
It was the busiest golf course in Georgia for years,
(17:32):
but the city wouldn't let the American Golf reinvested it
by raising the raids, and they finally took the ball
tent and went home. The ball went home on the
tent and Jones Finley stepped in, so he's they had
to start completely from scratch, wow, and which was a blessing.
So what they are now and there is nothing left
(17:54):
of what was it was there for years that club
used to play sixty thousand rounds a year and complete screat,
complete new clubhouse. Everything about it is brand new. And
also to add to some of the things Josh said,
has some features, it's an innovational lab. Now that's kind
of a trite thing to say, but we've got you know,
(18:15):
I don't know if you knew out there, but we
really don't have any defined teeing areas. Right. We have
the long leave system that a to one two, however
long you would play it. But there's just a number there.
Unless it's a tournament. You can go anywhere out in
that tea and you want you and your buddies and
tea off. It's like in the old days in Scotland,
right right, very very unique and just the people like what.
(18:36):
You know, we have a hymn, we have a him
alaas putting green. You know, we have the Georgia Golf
Hall of Fame and many of the most important thing
is nonprofit, so right, every donor from the largest of
Coca Cola to many of the corporation's many Atlanta's donated
almost thirty six million dollars unrestricted to do one thing
(19:00):
something good for the community. Yeah, and for golf in Atlanta,
And that's succeeded wildly beyond everybody's imagination because of all
these different components. I think, Josh, now what we have
going over six a's and different kids in our junior program.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
Now, wow, Yeah, the junior program as flouris. As I said,
I mean, PGA Junior League's one component of it. Between
summer camps and after school. I mean, we have it's
very rare at a public golf course. You would see
our Grand Slam Academy. We have seven full time instructors.
And while private lessons is a small bunch of that,
whether it's PJA Hope or PGA Junior League or Ladies
(19:37):
clinics or you know, get Ready golf type clinics, they
are all day long, growing out there and actually promoting
the game. And the coolest thing about that is, you know,
oftentimes on the private lesson side, of course, these are
people that just happen to maybe live close but our
member at a private club and they develop a relationship.
But what we're seeing is based on the fact that
(19:59):
we're right there a city. This is the place that
people want to drop their kids off, right and then
they come to their program once or twice, and then
become friends, and they join Junior League, and they do
Family Cup and they grow on through our programs. So
you couple that with things like PGA Hope and Adaptive Golf.
We were at home with the inaugural GSGA Adaptive Open
(20:20):
at our golf course because some of the innovative designs
that were put in by mister Cupp. So again I
go all the way back to the game. Of course,
we work really hard to provide a first class product.
The golf course and amenities are are great, and they're
new and they're in great shape, and our team was
a great child maintaining them. However, that's only half the battle.
(20:44):
The experience of being able to welcome everybody in the
community in with open arms. And to your point earlier
of how do we stay up with this new and
younger time. I mean, we don't have a dress code.
There's music playing on the range, there's you know, my
head golf profession almost she has joggers on. I don't
wear joggers. But she can wear joggers. And we understand,
(21:07):
you know, mister Kraft and mister Deal might want to
be meeted one way, but we'll meet you where you are.
And if you're a younger child, we're going to say
good morning, great for coming out to Bobby Jones. Can't
wait to see you go make some birdies today. We
can give service in our own unique way.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Right And you know, I think what's really you know,
interesting about that is again, you know, obviously the diversity,
but there's been a I think in certainly in my opinion,
and I'm sure there's many degree but you know, kind
of a change.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
One of the things that I've heard with a lot
of students, I deal mainly with corporate golf in that
I don't I don't teach juniors, so I'd be overwhelmed
if I come out then there was six thousand out
in the I probably have a.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Stroke or something.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
But no, I love kids, but I just, you know,
corporate was my forte for teaching. And you know, one
of the things that a lot of them have said
to me too is, you know, I just don't have
four and a half hours any longer. And you know,
I'm looking for alternatives. And I remember growing up, and
I'm sure you guys remember this. You know, I used
(22:10):
to have what we would call like an executive style
course where it was you know, pretty much all par three,
maybe a par four or two in there, but it
was very short. And that's what I grew up on,
you know, and until I could get onto the bigger
courses and that.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
So guys, and I'll start with you, Joshua.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
And then and then you know, Whitney, you can you
can jump in or if you want to go the
other way, it's up to you. But do you see
this as as somewhat of a prototype for for other
courses you know, popping up maybe around like this? Is
this something that you're going to start to see more
and more happening around, not just obviously in your neck
of the woods, but other parts of the country where
they're going to say, hey, we maybe to start need
(22:49):
to And that's not to say we're going to do
away with with what's traditional out there, what's already out there,
but maybe we need to also provide some product that's
going to meet different needs that are maybe haven't been
met for for many years. What are your thoughts and
whoever wants to go first, If you want to start
it off, that's finer, Joshua.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
No, I'll wait. Maybe you can talk to the trend
that's been sparked from here, but I'll tell you what
we've learned. You know, I'm a I'm a golf I'm
a PGA professional. I love tournament golf. I love I've
been blessed to come play some of the nicest places
around town, and I love that there's a place in
space for every part of golf, which makes it great.
(23:28):
But to your point, you know, I think the pandemic
changed a lot of things, and not only introducing new people,
but also Whitney mentioned work from home and those types
of changes came along. And what we realized is, you know,
probably ninety percent of our rounds are still currently nine holes.
I say that to say you can, of course play
(23:49):
eighteen holes. Maybe you play, you know, with the eleven
o'clock and the one o'clock tea time back to back,
and you play some different teas. But what we realized
is people enjoy getting out there, getting some fresh air.
We're very walkable golf course, so maybe in two hours
they get out there and get their golf fix. And
(24:09):
at our facility, specifically between the driving range that has
track man technology, we have a five hole short course,
we have a putting course, and then we've got Boon's restaurant,
which is you know, first class Atlanta dining. People are
still spending maybe four or five hours on property, but
in that amount of time they are getting some practice
(24:31):
in playing nine holes, having a burger and beer with
some friends, and then maybe doing the putting course on
the way out. So if they have time, they're still
spending it here. But if they're they're like me and
they've got two kids under ten years old. You know,
in fact, if I can get out there.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
And kids or correct and I said to my wife, hey,
I'm gonna go play golf, and I can jet out
at seven point thirty and tell her I can be
back at ten am to start the laundry and dishes.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Man that goes along way versus around that we all
understand and enjoy, and you know, that's that's part of
golf too, but we offer just a little different angle,
and especially I think Friday afternoons to actually get out
and play a nice golf course for nine holes. It's
a game changer. But I know this is something that
(25:19):
we kind of stumbled upon with the pandemic, and there's
a lot of foresight to it, but I think it's
something that is matriculated throughout the industry, which would I know,
you know, far more than than I could talk about.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Well yeah, kid, yeah, speaking of kids, you can tell
Josh has kids. Ted He's coming from the closet somewhere
in his house. He's probably locked the door and told
everybody not to bother him. So the backroom of one
of our clubs. The trend. So the trend is what
(25:55):
you do. I think your listeners would want to hear,
which is really happening. It's just not us, but Bobby
Jones was one of the first of this. What I
call is give back to the community is nonprofit, wealthy individuals,
companies doing something good for the community. So it such
a success and we're seeing others. There are others you've
(26:15):
probably talked to you about on your podcast, Ark being
one in Palm Beach. There's one under a club that
I played at junior golfing called Cobbs Creek and Philadelphia
and old Hugh Wilson design. It fell on hard times,
just like Bobby Jones and the Marrying guys are putting
two hundred million dollars into that with Gilliams and Tiger
Woods give back to the community nonprofit, we're doing we
(26:40):
are doing three others. Believe it or not. In this
sound self promoting, but the message is this, We're going
to see more of this. And that was to answer
your question. We're doing one in Naples for what very
wealthy gentlemen is spending millions to do a nine hole
course or new first ty facility, great restaurant, high tech rent.
I'm range get back to the community, nonprofit, you know,
(27:04):
all kinds of programs. We've got one called John A.
White here in Atlanta, which is an old distressed nine
hold golf course city owns. They saw what happened at
Bobby Jones. The mayor came over and said, I want
to do this over here. And so now we're helping
them build a thirty million dollar clubhouse and do that.
And then finally we fortunately recently been hired by Augusta
(27:25):
Nashville and helping them with the patch which is there
is The chairman announced last year their version of Bobby
Jones in the sense that they're going to completely redo
this historic municipal course because the city can't afford to
make it nice. The highest rateably fifty dollars. Oh wow.
So it's all these community efforts. You're going to see
(27:47):
more of these. I hoping more people are listening. But
it's it's a trend. I think it's caught on because again,
a lot of these particularly municipal facilities, these old historic courses,
they can't afford to do this. But when you put
the community give back, let's do something good for everybody,
the donors show up. It's truly neat.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
And and you know to go to what josh Joshua,
what you were saying earlier is you know, people are
staying on the property. They still might be on the
property for four hours, but it's not all out in
the golf course. You know, maybe they're they're you know,
in the restaurant, or they're you know, in the putting
area or something like that. They're doing other activities.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
One of the things I mentioned earlier about some of
the younger generation that I've spoken to that have developed
these you know, whether it be an app or what
have you. They said, one of the things that they
wanted to be able to do. Was they you know,
they didn't necessarily have time, They didn't want to maybe
necessarily join a club or what have you for whatever reason,
whether it.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Was monetary or otherwise, but they wanted to be able
to get.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Fairly quick access to somewhere that if they had a
couple of hours that they could just pop in and
play nine holes, you know, something like that that was
reasonably priced and that they could afford.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
And do that.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
And I think, I think you have to be able
to do that because you know, I love as you do,
Joshua and Whitney, I know you do. We love this game.
We've been around this game, I'm sure all of us
for many years. But at the same time, we also
recognize that with today's worlds, there's a lot of other
activities that we want to be a part of, grandchildren, children,
(29:20):
whatever the case may be, and just other things, other activities,
and to invest four or even five hours in some
cases to a round of golf is not always I'm
not saying it's never going to happen, but you know,
you can't do that every week like we used to,
you know, growing up. First off, the population won't let
you because there's too many people play in the game.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
But you know, so you have to have some other
products out there.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
And I really like what you guys are doing with that,
and I love the fact that the community is being
part of it. It's not just hey, we're developing this
and you know, come over here and you know, play
on our golf course. We want the community to be
involved and interact with it, so it's something that they
can be proud of as well. Is not only you guys,
but as you said, there's hundreds of people involved in
(30:04):
the process. So so I think I kind of have
an understanding. But but Whitney, maybe you could expand a
little bit. What's kind of the difference between uh, your
approach the Bobby Jones links approach to golf management compared
to maybe what people might.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Be used to.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
You know, you've already talked about it, but maybe you
could expand more.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
That's a great question. Well, one is the name on
our door to have Bobby Jones? Yeah, what he represents.
You know, when I when we tell people about him
or associates, our clients, they don't really know the full history.
How remarkable the guy was, you know, and one of
the things we like is he his name's going to
(30:45):
come up every year at the Masters. Yeah, and there's
a Jones Award every year. So it's a it's a
branded door and one of the most interesting people that
I could talk about hours for about about all the
different things people don't know. So the Jones brand has
really helped us. But what we've Steve and I and
(31:05):
Josh has joined us. We've had this family culture. Now
a lot of people talk about that in their companies,
but when you start with two and then you get
to forty, we are bound in determined to keep that
family culture and as we grow and so far, so good.
And we have some great friends that have the big companies.
(31:27):
I mean, we're all friends in the industry, sure, but
when you're driven by private equity and you have these
big portfolios, we can compete against that. We can say listen,
we can be there more. We have more time to
spend with your people. We have these this culture. In fact,
when we became Bobby Jones figure out how to do this,
we went to the Ritz and Chick fil A and
(31:50):
through one one person, a guy named Ryan Magnan who
had worked at both and now still works at Chick
fil A, spent a lot of time and money with them.
How how do you create a culture that's sustainable of
great service like Chick fil A? Sure right, I mean,
I hope most of your listeners no Chick fil A.
If you can walk in there and a sixteen year
(32:11):
old girl with pippoles on our face is going to say,
my pleasure, can I help you? You know? They their
culture is amazing and so and that's the same neighborpool
we have card attendant servers. So it showed it could
be done, so we went to them. So we're working
all the time on this through our Leadership Center and
our seventeen leader service standards. We have a huddle every
(32:32):
day at every club, in every department. We have a
huddle in our main office at every nine fifteen. Everybody's
on the zoom camera if you're out of town, to
work on that culture so that when we get to
the client, we bring a little different feel and a
little different carrey to it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, and that's yeah, that's extremely important, I think, And
that comes to question I have for you, Joshua, is
what's the most satisfying part of working at the property
For you, what's it like working with the people, And
I mean obviously Whitney's alluded to to somebody here, but
for you personally, what's it like for you?
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Well, that's a great question. I think Whitney said it
very well there. But you know the tone is set
at the top, Bobby chinks our taglines we make a difference, right,
So if that's kind of your north star as a company,
then you go to the facility and you find your
uniques and trying to understand what that means for you
and for us, it's very simple. We make a difference
(33:30):
in our community every day. We're Chick fil A, We're
the great Chicken sandwich, we have great greens and facility,
but how do we do service our way? How do
we do my pleasure our way? And for us, you know,
I ap preach you all the time to our team,
I was like, we want to have a first class product,
we want to give first class service, and we want
to have the most fun doing it. And I think
(33:52):
that's the culture that we've built that our team we
all love coming to work every day because we are
truly making a difference. Whether it's given a junior lesson,
whether it's getting somebody out on the golf course for
the first time with youth on course, whether it's just
serving the guests or serving each other. You know, I'm
I'm a big community person. I'm a big I'm an extrovert.
(34:13):
I want to be surrounded with my friends and we've
built a team of friends. I thrive in that. And
I think our entire team is starting to understand that
we serve the guests and we serve each other. And
if we do that, man, we're gonna have a We're
gonna have a ball doing it. So to me, every
day is it's not going to work. It's man, We're
going to hang out with friends and meet you. It's
(34:34):
just a great environment.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
And I think when you enjoy, you know, no matter
what you do. But obviously, you know, I happen to
be talking about golf here, but when you enjoy what
you're doing, it's really not a job.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
It's you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
And I know that sounds very cliche and we hear
that all the time thrown out there, but the truth
of the matter is when you're really when you have
a passion about something and you love coming to work
every day, even if you're tired and that you you know,
the kids have kept you up all night, or the
grandkids or whatever the case is, and you're thinking, I
don't know if I can make it in today. But
then you remember, hey, you know, I've got a great
(35:08):
team surrounding me. I know they'll they'll help prop me
up through the day when I get a little sleepier,
a little groggy, and I know we're gonna have a
lot of fun and we're going to help this client
or we're going to help these people over here. Then
suddenly your concerns and your you know, issues of the
day kind of fall by the wayside. And that again
is a testament to a very well run organization. And
(35:29):
I think, you know, for any company to be successful,
you know, it's it's obviously, you know, you have to
have a good balance sheet, and you have to have
all these things.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
But the truth of the matter is it's the people
that make the company.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
And if it's all you know, if all oars are
rowing in the right direction, all of those other things,
all those bottom lines, all of those numbers fall into
place very easily. And it sounds like you guys are
doing that at Bobby Jones.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Lank Oh, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Well.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
The three of us on this call have something in
common with all your listeners too, those of us in
the business. We're here because we love golf. Oh yeah,
I mean, I mean since I'm sure probably with you
and Josh. It's been part of our DNA since we're teenagers.
For earlier and starting as a junior golfers a caddy,
and then I worked in accounting and went to an
(36:18):
office building every day and a coat and kind of said,
are you kidding? I can't do this? So I left that.
I left that and became a car attendent on the
Hilton and it is the most fun I ever had,
and I am so blessed. Nothing's easy, right, business is
tough in any industry to get up and get up
in the morning, and to be in the golf business. Really,
(36:40):
I don't think that's a cliche. I think that's for
most of us. It's it's a blessing.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Yeah, it really is. It's a it's an interesting business.
And and you know, you you you make a lot
of great friends, you know, throughout the golf in a
variety of different capacities, not just you know, uh, you know,
pag a fellow PGA pros or things or you know
other business associates that.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
But you just there's nothing. It's very difficult to describe.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
And if you try to describe it golf to somebody
that has never played, really again, their only introduction is
what they see on TV. And my sister, my who's
unfortunate alonger with us, but you know, she was one
of those early on that I just don't get it,
you know, chasing that little white ball around it. And
I finally convinced her to go out and play. And
she just said to me one day after she got
(37:29):
bitten by the bug, sheaes, now, I get it. So
I just said, you know, you just have Yeah, you
just have to go and have fun. And whatever golf
means to you, that's okay. It might mean something different
to me, but that's okay. Just go out and have fun.
But yeah, when you can go in every day and
enjoy your job and enjoy helping and serving your community
and making them feel a part of it, that's the real, uh,
(37:50):
you know, the success and that's why Chick fil A,
as you guys have mentioned, is very successful. It's not
just about selling chicken and milkshakes, which unfortunately I've had
too many of them over the years. But it's the
community atmosphere inside those organizations when there and the people
are excited to work there. They're very helpful, and yeah
they're a great location and all over the United States
(38:12):
and so forth. But yeah, it's just all about the
community and sense of belonging together and doing some to
help other people. Whitney, I'm going to have you wrap
this up a little bit, and where do you see
you know, golf membership that experience, Where do you see
that going you know, down the road ten fifteen years
from now, see that what change is to use for
(38:33):
see happening based on what you're experiencing now.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
Well, what would be interesting on the leadership side is
that the finally seeing the millennials and the younger ones
agents of the group where now they're leading the clubs
and their on boards and the changes they make. The
boomers are exiting, yep, and I think they're going to
bring a whole new mindset which is really exciting, which
is needed. Right, It's a certain time to step aside. Yeah,
(39:01):
and uh, but I am concerned. You know, it's great
the data on the industry, and the growth is great.
I am concerned that we're building too many high end
private clubs. Yeah, if you look at the end gift data,
they're wonderful clubs, the Hoopies and the ones in Florida.
But we've got something irrational, exuberant going out on the
(39:22):
high end. And I wish people were doing more like
this community type investments than for the uber wealthy. So
I think there's going to be a correction, and I
think it's gonna be too many of those. But the
other private clubs, you know, there's the three or four
hundred elite private clubs into this country will never have
a problem. If you're a diner at the Atlanta Athletic
(39:43):
Club or Marian or Olympic, it's you're gonna do fine.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Yeah, And there's there's a market for it. Yeah, there's
a market for everybody. And you know, exactly right. And
I've always said this, I would like to see you know,
I grew up my father when you know, he taught
me I was, you know, uh, six or seven years
old when when we got serious about it. I mean
he took me out to the drive range with him
earlier than that. But you know, we started on again
what I call like an executive you know, public course,
(40:12):
and you know, he took me out there and he said,
you used to I remember saying to me, he said,
you know, we're not going to go to the big
boys course until you learned that, you know, some mannerisms
out in the golf course, how to respect you know, others,
and that sort of thing. And those were some of
the best memories growing up that I had. And you know,
obviously I enjoyed playing at the country club too, Don't
(40:32):
get me wrong, but you know, I enjoyed that process,
and I think that that's what I would like to see.
And that's why I'm really very interested in what you
guys are doing because to me, in a sense, that's
really what you're doing, is you're creating something that is
for everybody, and not just from a diversity standpoint, but
(40:54):
at every level. I mean, from the better players to
the beginners can really appreciate what you guys are doing
and not have to have a huge commitment of time
every single time they come out. If they choose not to,
it's it's really up to them and and or you know,
break the bank sort of speak. And I just love
the fact that you guys, and that's you know, I
(41:16):
think why you got golf Course of the Year because
you're doing something that people recognize that. Hey, as you said,
the change is coming. It's like a title wave. And yeah,
we need to sit back.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
And enjoy it and and and enjoy the fruits of
your labor.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
But yeah, any final thoughts or words, Whitney, anything you
want to say close off and.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
Oh, thank you well thanks for having us. No very
bullish about our future as a game. On a personal level,
I've had to move up to the white teas Ted.
Yeah at sixty seven and I'm seeing a therapist about it.
(42:01):
Joshua was hitting it sixty yards past me. Uh but no, no,
it's still fun. It's still come runners. So thank you.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Yeah, you're you're quite welcome.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
And Joshua, any any final thoughts and and also maybe
what you could do is let the folks know if
they want to learn and get more information, if there's
a website that we can directed to, but just any
final thoughts that you want to add to it, and
then you can give that information for the audience that
they can go and check things out.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
Yeah. Absolutely, I'll echo what you all said about the
just the love of the game. I mean, I tell
people all the time, I'm a political science major from
the University of Connecticut. I thought I was gonna be
high school history teacher and and here I am, you know,
the general manager and working as an opsky for Bobby
Jones Links at the national course of the year. So
this is surreal. And you know, I've got the best
(42:52):
I've got the best office of you. I'd put it
up against anybody. So there's a there's a career in
golf for for anybody. And there's uh face in place
for golf, your version that you can find. And I'm
just happy there's places like Bobby Jones Golf Course that
are out there to let people again meet us where
you are. So for more on our story or our
(43:13):
foundation and what we're doing in the industry to kind
of continue to pushing that ball forward. Bobby jonesgc dot
com is our website, and then obviously Bobby Jones Links
dot com tells a little bit of some of the
stories that we're doing around the country. But thank you
so much, Jet for the time this has been.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Thank you, and again my apologies for you waiting in
the backstage as it were. Again, I'll have to make
sure I emphasize the time, and it's not certainly not
blaming you, but I keep forgetting you know, I'm in
Florida and people think, oh, you know, Eastern Time, and
actually I'm actually believed or not on Central Time. I'm
in the Panama City Beach, Florida, and the cutting line
(43:53):
is Tallahassee. So people always, oh, you're in Eastern Time,
and I said, no, I'm on Central. Well you're in Florida,
and they don't get that. And a little you know,
Panhandle as they call it, is Central Time, and I
think they just get rid of it and just make
it all the same. But that's here, so I want
Chicago Time technically, but so yeah, a lot of people
get confused with that. So again, my apologies, but I'm
(44:15):
glad that we were able to I'm glad you guys
stuck around and we're able to wait it out. And
I think we had a great conversation and let the
audience get to hear a little bit from both of
you on on a great organization and a great golf
course out in the Atlanta area. So I'm gonna make
a point of coming out and visiting you, Josh, and
I'm not coming on the day when there's the six
thousand kids out there.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
Though I got a contentract, I'm like you, I got.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
To concentrate on my game and I need all of
the I can't have any distractions. So but thank you
very much, much continued success. Congratulations again on being recognized,
well deserved, and thank you for sharing some insight into
your organization.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
Thank you to all right you.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Guys, take care and much continue success the season.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
We'll see again, okay.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
You Yeah, So let me just as we were just
getting ready to wrap up in that, so let me
just wrap up. It was a slight technical issue a
little bit earlier on in the broadcast, and I apologize,
but for some reason, the earlier part of tonight's broadcast
didn't make it all the way. Somehow the recording didn't
take place, so Coaches Corner Tonight and part of the
(45:22):
travel segment were cut off. But this finale featured guest
tonight from Bobby Jones Links, and the Bobby Jones Golf
Course out in Atlanta is in its entirety, so we'll
be able to uh to see that in its entirety
and I will post that up on social media in
a little bit. But I want to thank tonight's special guest.
(45:45):
I want to thank all of them actually, and I'll
apologize at a later point to the other gang for
not being able to to get on the tonight's broadcast officially,
but I want to specifically think what you house from
Bobby Jones Links and Joshua Deal from the Bobby Jones
golf Course out in Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you guys for
(46:08):
doing all of you do and and just really appreciate
it very much, and we will see you next time. So,
as I mentioned earlier or started to say earlier in
the broadcast, unfortunately you guys probably didn't be able to
pick it up. But we're on a new platform riverside
dot fm, and we're going to be pushing it out
(46:29):
to the YouTube channel and also the I Golf Sports
YouTube channel and also onto Spotify. You'll be able to
get the video version of this podcast, Golf Talk Live,
and also the audio recorded version will be uploaded to
speaker dot com and obviously we'll be played out and
all of the other audio podcast areas. But wherever you're
(46:51):
listening to podcasts, whether it be iTunes and speaker. As
I mentioned all of the previously aired podcasts for Golf
Talk Live, we're in season thirteen now and they were
all the archives were moved to spreaker dot com, so
you can go there search Golf Talk Live and also
my other broadcast that I do with Cindy Miller, who
(47:13):
is an LPJ professional on Tuesday mornings, Women of Golf.
You can also get them there on spreaker dot com.
So you can just either check and type in Women
of Golf or Golf Talk Live and that will take
you to the archive section and the most recent episodes
will be uploaded as well, and you'll see them right
there at the top.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
So go to the I Golf Sports YouTube.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
Channel and then also go to Spotify to get the
video version of Golf Talk Live and the Women of Golf.
But I want to thank everybody that special guests and
all of you for tuning in each and every week.
I'm really really excited about season thirteen and had a
few glitches in the starting off with the first two shows,
but we'll get it worked out. But I really want
(47:57):
to appreciate and say thank you to all of you
for tuning in and being so supportive over the years.
And on that note, I will see you next week
right here on Golf Talk Live. God bless everybody and
have a great weekend.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Thanks for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this week's
broadcast at golf Talk Live. We'd like to thank this
week's Coach's Foreigner panel and a special thank you to
tonight's guest. Remember to join Ted every Thursday from six
to eight pm Central on Golf Talk Live, and be
sure to follow Ted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If
(48:34):
you're interested in being a guest on Golf Talk Live,
send Ted an email at Ted dot golf Talklive at
gmail dot com. This has been a production of the
Igolf Sports Network.
The following broadcast is brought to you by the I
Golf Sports Network. Golf Talk Live is sponsored by the
I Golf Sports Network and Golf Tips Magazine. Here's Andrew
to tell you more about our sponsors. I Golf Sports
is a live stream, broadcast and media production company providing
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(00:32):
the game's most in depth instruction magazine, including reviews on
the latest equipment, tips from top teaching professionals, all designed
to help you improve from tee to green. Welcome to
Golf Talk Live with your host Ted oto Rico. Join
Ted each week as he speaks with some of the
best in golf. This week's special guest will join us
(00:52):
a bit later. But first up is another great discussion
on Coach's Corner, So let's introduce tonight's Coaches Corner Panel.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Tonight, I'm really excited to have Whitney Krause. He's the
co founder and CEO of Bobby Jones Links. Whitney serves
as Bobby Jones Lynk's strategic and data researcher, key relationships manager,
and idea generator, primarily working on their company's business not
in operations. He's a Rice University graduate and he is
(01:25):
a PJ and CMMA member who is an entrepreneur at heart.
He's also a former member of Marion Golf Club, where
he joined as one of the youngest members of this
historical club where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam. Also
joining him tonight is Joshua Deel. He is the GM
of Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia, and he's
(01:46):
responsible for many clubs and he will strive to ensure
that it performs as promised and to your expectations. As
a club owner, his responsibiles include developing and executing the
club's business plan, training its leadership, attending client and board meetings,
and obviously making Bobby Jones Links, resources, tools and systems
(02:08):
available to the staff and visiting their club on a
regular basis to make sure everything's running smoothly. And he
focuses on improving the member and guest experience, which is
all too important. And he also currently serves as Vice
president of the Georgia PGA. So please welcome my very
patient guests, Whitney Krause and Joshua Deal.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Just give us a little bit of.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
A background of Bobby Jones' links, how that sort of
came about, and what was the thought process when you
were putting that together.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Yeah, well, well thanks for asking, Ted. Actually this is
our twenty fifth anniversary of being in business. Steve and
I started this company two or three clubs in two thousand,
a new idea where we were going what we were doing,
But like any entrepreneur, we just charged forward and we
(03:02):
were Infinity Golf Partners, and then we were Mosaic and
we added some clubs and awesome clubs, and a wonderful
thing happened in twenty eighteen, Ted, we got to help
got to help build the Bobby Jones Golf course, which
we're going to talk about in a little bit downtown.
And I got to know the Jones family, and just
off the cuff, I said, you guys wouldn't mind licensing
(03:23):
that name, would you? And they said sure, I love
you guys. So off we went with the new Bobby
Jones name, and it's made all the difference, all the difference.
So and we've got a triple the size of our company,
added some great people. Here we are today having this
great conversation with you, probably thanks to that special moment happening.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, I appreciate it, and it's always you know, it's
always interesting. One thing about this business that I find
fascinating is you know, you can look back and see
all of the traditions of somebody like a Bobby Jones,
what he brought to the game and how he fired
so many people. And you hear people like Nicholas and
Palmer and many others that of that generation that all
(04:06):
reflect back to somebody like Bobby Jones and how he
inspired them to rise to the level that they did.
So it's it's amazing. And then you know, now you
see future generations who have been impacted by somebody like
a Jack Nicholas or Palmer or Travino or whoever. So
it's it's sort of an ongoing domino effect. You know,
one domino happens, and it's just you know, as generations
(04:27):
go by and we're seeing newer and younger players coming
in on the thing. So let's talk about uh, as
I understand, uh, Golf course of the year, tell us
a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
You know, this is a special honor we got and
I don't let Josh answer that one. This is his course,
and he's the one who works so hard to do this.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
So how did that come about?
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Yeah, it's uh, you know, one in honor. I mean
we're you know, reversible nine hole municipal golf course located
in the heart of Atlanta, which is unique in and
of itself. But to get a national honor like this
is sudden. We certainly didn't expect. But I'll always go
back to obviously, you know Whinny and Steven, the Bobby
(05:13):
Jones SLINKs team help, using family, their their vision for
building this place, you know, gusts where we are today.
But what we try to do day in and day
out was make an impact and make a difference in
the community and be recognized at a national level for
some of the things that we've done within the community
for public golf, inclusive golf, adaptive golf, junior golf. We
(05:39):
wanted to offer a first class experience for those that
want to come and learn golf and see golf and
can do it at a casual atmosphere. So for for us,
this is a great honor and something we couldn't have
done without the whole Jones family behind us, and obviously
Bobby Jones Slanks.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So let me ask you follow up, Josh, if you
don't mind, then you know, because obviously being part of
you know, a big mission for what you're doing is
to really be involved in the community, in your local community.
So how does your course really differ I guess from
a lot of other typical public courses. How is your
(06:18):
experience that you're offering your local communities differ from from
what you typically would see?
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Absolutely? So, you know, within the Atlanta market, I mean
there's a lot of you know, golf courses then been
around for a long time. I mean even the old
Bobby Jones before the renovation. I mean, there's so many
stories of people that have come out and played that
golf course and said, oh I played this with my
grandfather and it used to be fifteen dollars and wear
a pair of jeans and you know, bring your sets.
(06:46):
You know. One of the goals of the foundation was
really again I used that word first class, and I
don't take it lightly. You know, we offer an unbelievable product,
something you'd see at some of the finest private golf
courses around, and we do it in an atmosphere that allows,
you know, allows children to learn the game of golf.
We've got the largest PGA Junior League program in the
(07:08):
state of Georgia. We were number one in youth on
course rounds, which allows golfers young juniors to come out
for five dollars around and come play the game. So
on the junior side where we're covered up, we've got
adaptive golf programs with the Shepherd Center, which is located
right near us. We don't have a dress code. We
(07:32):
welcome anyone and everyone to come enjoy the game of golf.
And I think the community has really embraced us and
we lean into that and it's it's a fun place
to work, it's a fun place to come visit, and
we take each and every every kind and I think
all of us can speak to our different versions of
(07:53):
golf that we enjoy. But we've got something for everyone
at our place.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
And you know, let me let me just really quickly
add something and then Whitney, I have another question for you.
You know, that's a great point that Joshua, that you
raised about really sort of making everybody feel at home
in golf, because I think that you know one thing
that you know, if if you can pull something positive
(08:19):
out of what we all experienced through the pandemic was
a sort of resurgence, if you will, of golf of
not just traditional golfers and that, but new people that
came to the game that had never played before, had
no idea, you know, what to expect, and they're only
really understanding of golf is what they witnessed on TV
through the PGA or the LPG and other tours. So
for them to come out now and maybe they're you know,
(08:42):
they're wearing flip flops or shorts or you know whatever,
you know, it's great that you're embracing that because again,
it makes them feel included in something that obviously you
want to you know, we always talk about in this
business growing the game. Well, the only way to grow
the game is really to diversify and say, allow everybody
to play whatever version it is that they have. And
(09:03):
obviously there's something for the traditional golfers and there's something
for you know, somebody else over here. But I think
that we have to be able to evolve this game
somewhat if we're going to allow everybody a chance to
get out and enjoy this, because I think that would
be something that you know, Bobby Jones, if he was
looking down right now would say, wow, I never thought
that this would would happen, and I'm sure would be
(09:26):
very proud of that.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Whitney In twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You know, there's a lot of you know, again sort
of paralleling what we're talking about here, what should do
you think in your mind golf courses and clubs really
be focused on to serving today's clientele, because again, as
I just point out, it's really changed from what it was,
you know, thirty forty years.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
How should they.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Focus because you know, let's if we're going to be
honest about it, there's a lot that have struggled over
the last you know, ten twenty thirty years because they've
refused to make adjustments or changes to their businesiness model.
So what do you think in your opinion from what
you guys have experienced, what are you seeing the trends
and what should they really be focusing on if we
want to move this game forward.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Well, you know, it's a really interesting pointed because the
pandemic boost, which is still with it, it's really not
a pandemic boost anymore. To see change in golf, Yeah right,
it's the young people finally to discover golf is cool.
People are work from home effect technology, and so we're
having record rounds and record initiation fees and waiting lists
(10:30):
and industry is something we haven't seen in twenty twenty
five years. So what they should be doing, what it's
enabled them to do is reinvest in their assets and
catch up on so many of these deferred improvements. So
you know, the renovation business has gone crazy, their improvement
dollars in the clubhouses. So what they should really be
team the club up for the future because we'll have
(10:52):
another cycle again. Sure, sometimes, but it's really neat to
see for the first time clubs have had capital to
do these things. And on the programming side of Josh said,
everybody should be doing something with junior golf, whether it's private, public,
cross the spectrum. We all have a vested interests and
that really seems to be a sentiment that's it's now
(11:13):
percolating through the whole all the very different varieties of
golf courses.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, and you do you look at this as somewhat
of a golden age, do you think for private golf
clubs or you're seeing that you know they're having you know,
I know years ago, you know, a lot of clubs.
Some started to have sort of a semi private uh
you know that sort of thing, so they sort of
dip their toe in the sand. You know, no pun
intended for the for bunkers, but you know they were
(11:41):
dipping their toe in the sand to try to experiment
with that. So are you do you anticipate that this
is something that you're going to see more and more
a trend moving uh in order to sort of stay
in the fray, that they're going to have to start
making some other changes moving forward.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Well, I think they are. You know, they're adapting technology,
they're they're reinvesting the assets. So you know, our clubs
and I'm hearing all the time, you know, whether clubs
are thinking of adopting top tracer or a track man,
some kind of entertainment or all tracking system. Whole range
experience has changed, so they're adapting that. They're adding practice,
more practice greens, more practice facilities. So that's really important,
(12:20):
is the game changes. But to you know, to your
earlier point, for twenty years, I mean it's just about
two thousand and one, it's been real slog and then
two thousand and eight happened. It was a double slog.
It was tough, and that's when a lot of clubs.
I think we had four thousand private clubs in the
United States at that time, and maybe a thousand of
(12:43):
them when send me private just to keep the doors open,
and we did that. We worked for a lot of banks,
and you know, the combination of the daily fee revenue
and the membership revenue, and now a lot of those
clubs are flourishing. So going back to private well continue,
I think so. I think it's really there's a vibe
out there amongst all golfers, particularly young people. Yeah, about
(13:04):
how they feel again and I haven't felt in years now.
We're still subject to factors. We can't control the economy, tariffs,
whatever the crazy world is going on out there. But
you know, I'm pretty well I'm gonna put it this way.
David Pillsbury as you know, CEO I've invited. I was
(13:24):
at a conference with him last year and he got
up said of the group when we were talking about
this health and boom and golf, he said, you know,
I would love to be twenty years older than you
guys in the room because we slogged it out for years.
But I think this could be a very exciting time.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Oh yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I think with the onset of technology and just everything
that's going on in the golfing world. And you know,
it's interesting because you know, I over the years, I've
interviewed a number of younger you know, obviously you can
tell by my gray hair, I'm getting long in the tooth.
So when I look at some of the enthusiasm, it's
not just about the playing, but how they can make
(14:01):
the experience. I mean, I've seen people come in with technology,
whether it's an app or whatever, and they're saying, I
want to do something to make this experience better, you know,
and and they're they're creative that they've sort of gotten
the creative juice is flowing in in some of this
younger generation. And it's not just all about the uh,
you know, the technology. The obviously, you know, the range
(14:21):
finders and all that stuff is great, but there's other
things that they're bringing to the table in order to make.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
It a better experience.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I mean, you know, you look at at you know,
some of the Bluetooth speakers that you see them slapped
on the side of a golf cart and they're cranking
out you know, the tunes.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
And things like.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I mean, you would have never seen that or you know,
even twenty five years ago, and now it's like, you know,
I'm gonna if I'm gonna be out there hitting that
golf ball around, I'm gonna have a little fun and
listen to something, you know, some good some good tunes.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
So yeah, well, well as long as they're playing rock
and roll from the seventies ten, that's fine, okay, and
that's the best music.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Let's just play back entertainment. Okay, I agree, Joshua. Let
me come back to you real quick. You know, if
you may mentioned earlier, you know about some changes to
the course and that. So obviously there was some renovations
and sort of the re energizing of the golf course.
What had to happen to be able to do that
and to help bring everything together. So what were some
of the changes that were made? And maybe you can
(15:14):
expand a little bit on that.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Yeah, I mean, you know, Whitney was a part of
it from day one, so I'll let him fill in
behind me. But really, I think the vision at first was,
you know, there was a golf course that had been
around a long time, that had bestowed a name like
Bobby Jones in Atlanta, and you know, it was it
had kind of gone into disarray and disrepair, and you know,
(15:36):
it served its purpose, and you know, the thought was,
can we just give this a little TLC and turn
into something that's a little bit more fitting of the name.
So from that, as we have all learned through renovations
and projects of that, you know, it went from city
owned a state owned, and there was land swaps and
started with we're going to use the old clubhouse to
(15:57):
now our twenty five thousand square clubhouse that's home of
the Georgia PGA and the Georgia State Golf Association. There
was eighteen holes, and then it was nine holes, and
then there's a big range. So it was a quite
a process that Whitney knows imminently well. But really, I mean,
it was a full blank slate project from where they
(16:21):
started to where we are now. And you know, now
we're a nine hole reversible golf course. So we have
two distinct nines that was designed originally by Bob Cup
and then finished off by his son, and we play
alternating routes each and every other day. Magnolia then Azalea,
as I said, we're home to those two associations that
(16:43):
both served the club professional as well as amateur golf
in Georgia, a booming restaurant, the busiest driving range in Georgia.
And I don't think if you asked Whitney or any
of our board, or even the Jones family at the
time when they first came up with this idea, gosh,
you know over ten years ago, that what we look
at today would be anything like well what they imagined
(17:07):
on they won, but fill filling the gaps there, right?
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah, well what was Yeah, what would you like to
go ahead? Well, no, it's just such a great story.
That's there's so many people that were involved. We're lucky
enough to be the spokesman for you today to talk
about this, but there were hundreds of people involved, and
the course had fallen really on hard times. It was awful.
It was the busiest golf course in Georgia for years,
(17:32):
but the city wouldn't let the American Golf reinvested it
by raising the raids, and they finally took the ball
tent and went home. The ball went home on the
tent and Jones Finley stepped in, so he's they had
to start completely from scratch, wow, and which was a blessing.
So what they are now and there is nothing left
(17:54):
of what was it was there for years that club
used to play sixty thousand rounds a year and complete screat,
complete new clubhouse. Everything about it is brand new. And
also to add to some of the things Josh said,
has some features, it's an innovational lab. Now that's kind
of a trite thing to say, but we've got you know,
(18:15):
I don't know if you knew out there, but we
really don't have any defined teeing areas. Right. We have
the long leave system that a to one two, however
long you would play it. But there's just a number there.
Unless it's a tournament. You can go anywhere out in
that tea and you want you and your buddies and
tea off. It's like in the old days in Scotland,
right right, very very unique and just the people like what.
(18:36):
You know, we have a hymn, we have a him
alaas putting green. You know, we have the Georgia Golf
Hall of Fame and many of the most important thing
is nonprofit, so right, every donor from the largest of
Coca Cola to many of the corporation's many Atlanta's donated
almost thirty six million dollars unrestricted to do one thing
(19:00):
something good for the community. Yeah, and for golf in Atlanta,
And that's succeeded wildly beyond everybody's imagination because of all
these different components. I think, Josh, now what we have
going over six a's and different kids in our junior program.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
Now, wow, Yeah, the junior program as flouris. As I said,
I mean, PGA Junior League's one component of it. Between
summer camps and after school. I mean, we have it's
very rare at a public golf course. You would see
our Grand Slam Academy. We have seven full time instructors.
And while private lessons is a small bunch of that,
whether it's PJA Hope or PGA Junior League or Ladies
(19:37):
clinics or you know, get Ready golf type clinics, they
are all day long, growing out there and actually promoting
the game. And the coolest thing about that is, you know,
oftentimes on the private lesson side, of course, these are
people that just happen to maybe live close but our
member at a private club and they develop a relationship.
But what we're seeing is based on the fact that
(19:59):
we're right there a city. This is the place that
people want to drop their kids off, right and then
they come to their program once or twice, and then
become friends, and they join Junior League, and they do
Family Cup and they grow on through our programs. So
you couple that with things like PGA Hope and Adaptive Golf.
We were at home with the inaugural GSGA Adaptive Open
(20:20):
at our golf course because some of the innovative designs
that were put in by mister Cupp. So again I
go all the way back to the game. Of course,
we work really hard to provide a first class product.
The golf course and amenities are are great, and they're
new and they're in great shape, and our team was
a great child maintaining them. However, that's only half the battle.
(20:44):
The experience of being able to welcome everybody in the
community in with open arms. And to your point earlier
of how do we stay up with this new and
younger time. I mean, we don't have a dress code.
There's music playing on the range, there's you know, my
head golf profession almost she has joggers on. I don't
wear joggers. But she can wear joggers. And we understand,
(21:07):
you know, mister Kraft and mister Deal might want to
be meeted one way, but we'll meet you where you are.
And if you're a younger child, we're going to say
good morning, great for coming out to Bobby Jones. Can't
wait to see you go make some birdies today. We
can give service in our own unique way.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Right And you know, I think what's really you know,
interesting about that is again, you know, obviously the diversity,
but there's been a I think in certainly in my opinion,
and I'm sure there's many degree but you know, kind
of a change.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
One of the things that I've heard with a lot
of students, I deal mainly with corporate golf in that
I don't I don't teach juniors, so I'd be overwhelmed
if I come out then there was six thousand out
in the I probably have a.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Stroke or something.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
But no, I love kids, but I just, you know,
corporate was my forte for teaching. And you know, one
of the things that a lot of them have said
to me too is, you know, I just don't have
four and a half hours any longer. And you know,
I'm looking for alternatives. And I remember growing up, and
I'm sure you guys remember this. You know, I used
(22:10):
to have what we would call like an executive style
course where it was you know, pretty much all par three,
maybe a par four or two in there, but it
was very short. And that's what I grew up on,
you know, and until I could get onto the bigger
courses and that.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
So guys, and I'll start with you, Joshua.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
And then and then you know, Whitney, you can you
can jump in or if you want to go the
other way, it's up to you. But do you see
this as as somewhat of a prototype for for other
courses you know, popping up maybe around like this? Is
this something that you're going to start to see more
and more happening around, not just obviously in your neck
of the woods, but other parts of the country where
they're going to say, hey, we maybe to start need
(22:49):
to And that's not to say we're going to do
away with with what's traditional out there, what's already out there,
but maybe we need to also provide some product that's
going to meet different needs that are maybe haven't been
met for for many years. What are your thoughts and
whoever wants to go first, If you want to start
it off, that's finer, Joshua.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
No, I'll wait. Maybe you can talk to the trend
that's been sparked from here, but I'll tell you what
we've learned. You know, I'm a I'm a golf I'm
a PGA professional. I love tournament golf. I love I've
been blessed to come play some of the nicest places
around town, and I love that there's a place in
space for every part of golf, which makes it great.
(23:28):
But to your point, you know, I think the pandemic
changed a lot of things, and not only introducing new people,
but also Whitney mentioned work from home and those types
of changes came along. And what we realized is, you know,
probably ninety percent of our rounds are still currently nine holes.
I say that to say you can, of course play
(23:49):
eighteen holes. Maybe you play, you know, with the eleven
o'clock and the one o'clock tea time back to back,
and you play some different teas. But what we realized
is people enjoy getting out there, getting some fresh air.
We're very walkable golf course, so maybe in two hours
they get out there and get their golf fix. And
(24:09):
at our facility, specifically between the driving range that has
track man technology, we have a five hole short course,
we have a putting course, and then we've got Boon's restaurant,
which is you know, first class Atlanta dining. People are
still spending maybe four or five hours on property, but
in that amount of time they are getting some practice
(24:31):
in playing nine holes, having a burger and beer with
some friends, and then maybe doing the putting course on
the way out. So if they have time, they're still
spending it here. But if they're they're like me and
they've got two kids under ten years old. You know,
in fact, if I can get out there.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
And kids or correct and I said to my wife, hey,
I'm gonna go play golf, and I can jet out
at seven point thirty and tell her I can be
back at ten am to start the laundry and dishes.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Man that goes along way versus around that we all
understand and enjoy, and you know, that's that's part of
golf too, but we offer just a little different angle,
and especially I think Friday afternoons to actually get out
and play a nice golf course for nine holes. It's
a game changer. But I know this is something that
(25:19):
we kind of stumbled upon with the pandemic, and there's
a lot of foresight to it, but I think it's
something that is matriculated throughout the industry, which would I know,
you know, far more than than I could talk about.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Well yeah, kid, yeah, speaking of kids, you can tell
Josh has kids. Ted He's coming from the closet somewhere
in his house. He's probably locked the door and told
everybody not to bother him. So the backroom of one
of our clubs. The trend. So the trend is what
(25:55):
you do. I think your listeners would want to hear,
which is really happening. It's just not us, but Bobby
Jones was one of the first of this. What I
call is give back to the community is nonprofit, wealthy individuals,
companies doing something good for the community. So it such
a success and we're seeing others. There are others you've
(26:15):
probably talked to you about on your podcast, Ark being
one in Palm Beach. There's one under a club that
I played at junior golfing called Cobbs Creek and Philadelphia
and old Hugh Wilson design. It fell on hard times,
just like Bobby Jones and the Marrying guys are putting
two hundred million dollars into that with Gilliams and Tiger
Woods give back to the community nonprofit, we're doing we
(26:40):
are doing three others. Believe it or not. In this
sound self promoting, but the message is this, We're going
to see more of this. And that was to answer
your question. We're doing one in Naples for what very
wealthy gentlemen is spending millions to do a nine hole
course or new first ty facility, great restaurant, high tech rent.
I'm range get back to the community, nonprofit, you know,
(27:04):
all kinds of programs. We've got one called John A.
White here in Atlanta, which is an old distressed nine
hold golf course city owns. They saw what happened at
Bobby Jones. The mayor came over and said, I want
to do this over here. And so now we're helping
them build a thirty million dollar clubhouse and do that.
And then finally we fortunately recently been hired by Augusta
(27:25):
Nashville and helping them with the patch which is there
is The chairman announced last year their version of Bobby
Jones in the sense that they're going to completely redo
this historic municipal course because the city can't afford to
make it nice. The highest rateably fifty dollars. Oh wow.
So it's all these community efforts. You're going to see
(27:47):
more of these. I hoping more people are listening. But
it's it's a trend. I think it's caught on because again,
a lot of these particularly municipal facilities, these old historic courses,
they can't afford to do this. But when you put
the community give back, let's do something good for everybody,
the donors show up. It's truly neat.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
And and you know to go to what josh Joshua,
what you were saying earlier is you know, people are
staying on the property. They still might be on the
property for four hours, but it's not all out in
the golf course. You know, maybe they're they're you know,
in the restaurant, or they're you know, in the putting
area or something like that. They're doing other activities.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
One of the things I mentioned earlier about some of
the younger generation that I've spoken to that have developed
these you know, whether it be an app or what
have you. They said, one of the things that they
wanted to be able to do. Was they you know,
they didn't necessarily have time, They didn't want to maybe
necessarily join a club or what have you for whatever reason,
whether it.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Was monetary or otherwise, but they wanted to be able
to get.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Fairly quick access to somewhere that if they had a
couple of hours that they could just pop in and
play nine holes, you know, something like that that was
reasonably priced and that they could afford.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
And do that.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
And I think, I think you have to be able
to do that because you know, I love as you do,
Joshua and Whitney, I know you do. We love this game.
We've been around this game, I'm sure all of us
for many years. But at the same time, we also
recognize that with today's worlds, there's a lot of other
activities that we want to be a part of, grandchildren, children,
(29:20):
whatever the case may be, and just other things, other activities,
and to invest four or even five hours in some
cases to a round of golf is not always I'm
not saying it's never going to happen, but you know,
you can't do that every week like we used to,
you know, growing up. First off, the population won't let
you because there's too many people play in the game.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
But you know, so you have to have some other
products out there.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
And I really like what you guys are doing with that,
and I love the fact that the community is being
part of it. It's not just hey, we're developing this
and you know, come over here and you know, play
on our golf course. We want the community to be
involved and interact with it, so it's something that they
can be proud of as well. Is not only you guys,
but as you said, there's hundreds of people involved in
(30:04):
the process. So so I think I kind of have
an understanding. But but Whitney, maybe you could expand a
little bit. What's kind of the difference between uh, your
approach the Bobby Jones links approach to golf management compared
to maybe what people might.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Be used to.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
You know, you've already talked about it, but maybe you
could expand more.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
That's a great question. Well, one is the name on
our door to have Bobby Jones? Yeah, what he represents.
You know, when I when we tell people about him
or associates, our clients, they don't really know the full history.
How remarkable the guy was, you know, and one of
the things we like is he his name's going to
(30:45):
come up every year at the Masters. Yeah, and there's
a Jones Award every year. So it's a it's a
branded door and one of the most interesting people that
I could talk about hours for about about all the
different things people don't know. So the Jones brand has
really helped us. But what we've Steve and I and
(31:05):
Josh has joined us. We've had this family culture. Now
a lot of people talk about that in their companies,
but when you start with two and then you get
to forty, we are bound in determined to keep that
family culture and as we grow and so far, so good.
And we have some great friends that have the big companies.
(31:27):
I mean, we're all friends in the industry, sure, but
when you're driven by private equity and you have these
big portfolios, we can compete against that. We can say listen,
we can be there more. We have more time to
spend with your people. We have these this culture. In fact,
when we became Bobby Jones figure out how to do this,
we went to the Ritz and Chick fil A and
(31:50):
through one one person, a guy named Ryan Magnan who
had worked at both and now still works at Chick
fil A, spent a lot of time and money with them.
How how do you create a culture that's sustainable of
great service like Chick fil A? Sure right, I mean,
I hope most of your listeners no Chick fil A.
If you can walk in there and a sixteen year
(32:11):
old girl with pippoles on our face is going to say,
my pleasure, can I help you? You know? They their
culture is amazing and so and that's the same neighborpool
we have card attendant servers. So it showed it could
be done, so we went to them. So we're working
all the time on this through our Leadership Center and
our seventeen leader service standards. We have a huddle every
(32:32):
day at every club, in every department. We have a
huddle in our main office at every nine fifteen. Everybody's
on the zoom camera if you're out of town, to
work on that culture so that when we get to
the client, we bring a little different feel and a
little different carrey to it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, and that's yeah, that's extremely important, I think, And
that comes to question I have for you, Joshua, is
what's the most satisfying part of working at the property
For you, what's it like working with the people, And
I mean obviously Whitney's alluded to to somebody here, but
for you personally, what's it like for you?
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Well, that's a great question. I think Whitney said it
very well there. But you know the tone is set
at the top, Bobby chinks our taglines we make a difference, right,
So if that's kind of your north star as a company,
then you go to the facility and you find your
uniques and trying to understand what that means for you
and for us, it's very simple. We make a difference
(33:30):
in our community every day. We're Chick fil A, We're
the great Chicken sandwich, we have great greens and facility,
but how do we do service our way? How do
we do my pleasure our way? And for us, you know,
I ap preach you all the time to our team,
I was like, we want to have a first class product,
we want to give first class service, and we want
to have the most fun doing it. And I think
(33:52):
that's the culture that we've built that our team we
all love coming to work every day because we are
truly making a difference. Whether it's given a junior lesson,
whether it's getting somebody out on the golf course for
the first time with youth on course, whether it's just
serving the guests or serving each other. You know, I'm
I'm a big community person. I'm a big I'm an extrovert.
(34:13):
I want to be surrounded with my friends and we've
built a team of friends. I thrive in that. And
I think our entire team is starting to understand that
we serve the guests and we serve each other. And
if we do that, man, we're gonna have a We're
gonna have a ball doing it. So to me, every
day is it's not going to work. It's man, We're
going to hang out with friends and meet you. It's
(34:34):
just a great environment.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
And I think when you enjoy, you know, no matter
what you do. But obviously, you know, I happen to
be talking about golf here, but when you enjoy what
you're doing, it's really not a job.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
It's you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
And I know that sounds very cliche and we hear
that all the time thrown out there, but the truth
of the matter is when you're really when you have
a passion about something and you love coming to work
every day, even if you're tired and that you you know,
the kids have kept you up all night, or the
grandkids or whatever the case is, and you're thinking, I
don't know if I can make it in today. But
then you remember, hey, you know, I've got a great
(35:08):
team surrounding me. I know they'll they'll help prop me
up through the day when I get a little sleepier,
a little groggy, and I know we're gonna have a
lot of fun and we're going to help this client
or we're going to help these people over here. Then
suddenly your concerns and your you know, issues of the
day kind of fall by the wayside. And that again
is a testament to a very well run organization. And
(35:29):
I think, you know, for any company to be successful,
you know, it's it's obviously, you know, you have to
have a good balance sheet, and you have to have
all these things.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
But the truth of the matter is it's the people
that make the company.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
And if it's all you know, if all oars are
rowing in the right direction, all of those other things,
all those bottom lines, all of those numbers fall into
place very easily. And it sounds like you guys are
doing that at Bobby Jones.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Lank Oh, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Well.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
The three of us on this call have something in
common with all your listeners too, those of us in
the business. We're here because we love golf. Oh yeah,
I mean, I mean since I'm sure probably with you
and Josh. It's been part of our DNA since we're teenagers.
For earlier and starting as a junior golfers a caddy,
and then I worked in accounting and went to an
(36:18):
office building every day and a coat and kind of said,
are you kidding? I can't do this? So I left that.
I left that and became a car attendent on the
Hilton and it is the most fun I ever had,
and I am so blessed. Nothing's easy, right, business is
tough in any industry to get up and get up
in the morning, and to be in the golf business. Really,
(36:40):
I don't think that's a cliche. I think that's for
most of us. It's it's a blessing.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Yeah, it really is. It's a it's an interesting business.
And and you know, you you you make a lot
of great friends, you know, throughout the golf in a
variety of different capacities, not just you know, uh, you know,
pag a fellow PGA pros or things or you know
other business associates that.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
But you just there's nothing. It's very difficult to describe.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
And if you try to describe it golf to somebody
that has never played, really again, their only introduction is
what they see on TV. And my sister, my who's
unfortunate alonger with us, but you know, she was one
of those early on that I just don't get it,
you know, chasing that little white ball around it. And
I finally convinced her to go out and play. And
she just said to me one day after she got
(37:29):
bitten by the bug, sheaes, now, I get it. So
I just said, you know, you just have Yeah, you
just have to go and have fun. And whatever golf
means to you, that's okay. It might mean something different
to me, but that's okay. Just go out and have fun.
But yeah, when you can go in every day and
enjoy your job and enjoy helping and serving your community
and making them feel a part of it, that's the real, uh,
(37:50):
you know, the success and that's why Chick fil A,
as you guys have mentioned, is very successful. It's not
just about selling chicken and milkshakes, which unfortunately I've had
too many of them over the years. But it's the
community atmosphere inside those organizations when there and the people
are excited to work there. They're very helpful, and yeah
they're a great location and all over the United States
(38:12):
and so forth. But yeah, it's just all about the
community and sense of belonging together and doing some to
help other people. Whitney, I'm going to have you wrap
this up a little bit, and where do you see
you know, golf membership that experience, Where do you see
that going you know, down the road ten fifteen years
from now, see that what change is to use for
(38:33):
see happening based on what you're experiencing now.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
Well, what would be interesting on the leadership side is
that the finally seeing the millennials and the younger ones
agents of the group where now they're leading the clubs
and their on boards and the changes they make. The
boomers are exiting, yep, and I think they're going to
bring a whole new mindset which is really exciting, which
is needed. Right, It's a certain time to step aside. Yeah,
(39:01):
and uh, but I am concerned. You know, it's great
the data on the industry, and the growth is great.
I am concerned that we're building too many high end
private clubs. Yeah, if you look at the end gift data,
they're wonderful clubs, the Hoopies and the ones in Florida.
But we've got something irrational, exuberant going out on the
(39:22):
high end. And I wish people were doing more like
this community type investments than for the uber wealthy. So
I think there's going to be a correction, and I
think it's gonna be too many of those. But the
other private clubs, you know, there's the three or four
hundred elite private clubs into this country will never have
a problem. If you're a diner at the Atlanta Athletic
(39:43):
Club or Marian or Olympic, it's you're gonna do fine.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Yeah, And there's there's a market for it. Yeah, there's
a market for everybody. And you know, exactly right. And
I've always said this, I would like to see you know,
I grew up my father when you know, he taught
me I was, you know, uh, six or seven years
old when when we got serious about it. I mean
he took me out to the drive range with him
earlier than that. But you know, we started on again
what I call like an executive you know, public course,
(40:12):
and you know, he took me out there and he said,
you used to I remember saying to me, he said,
you know, we're not going to go to the big
boys course until you learned that, you know, some mannerisms
out in the golf course, how to respect you know, others,
and that sort of thing. And those were some of
the best memories growing up that I had. And you know,
obviously I enjoyed playing at the country club too, Don't
(40:32):
get me wrong, but you know, I enjoyed that process,
and I think that that's what I would like to see.
And that's why I'm really very interested in what you
guys are doing because to me, in a sense, that's
really what you're doing, is you're creating something that is
for everybody, and not just from a diversity standpoint, but
(40:54):
at every level. I mean, from the better players to
the beginners can really appreciate what you guys are doing
and not have to have a huge commitment of time
every single time they come out. If they choose not to,
it's it's really up to them and and or you know,
break the bank sort of speak. And I just love
the fact that you guys, and that's you know, I
(41:16):
think why you got golf Course of the Year because
you're doing something that people recognize that. Hey, as you said,
the change is coming. It's like a title wave. And yeah,
we need to sit back.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
And enjoy it and and and enjoy the fruits of
your labor.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
But yeah, any final thoughts or words, Whitney, anything you
want to say close off and.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
Oh, thank you well thanks for having us. No very
bullish about our future as a game. On a personal level,
I've had to move up to the white teas Ted.
Yeah at sixty seven and I'm seeing a therapist about it.
(42:01):
Joshua was hitting it sixty yards past me. Uh but no, no,
it's still fun. It's still come runners. So thank you.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Yeah, you're you're quite welcome.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
And Joshua, any any final thoughts and and also maybe
what you could do is let the folks know if
they want to learn and get more information, if there's
a website that we can directed to, but just any
final thoughts that you want to add to it, and
then you can give that information for the audience that
they can go and check things out.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
Yeah. Absolutely, I'll echo what you all said about the
just the love of the game. I mean, I tell
people all the time, I'm a political science major from
the University of Connecticut. I thought I was gonna be
high school history teacher and and here I am, you know,
the general manager and working as an opsky for Bobby
Jones Links at the national course of the year. So
this is surreal. And you know, I've got the best
(42:52):
I've got the best office of you. I'd put it
up against anybody. So there's a there's a career in
golf for for anybody. And there's uh face in place
for golf, your version that you can find. And I'm
just happy there's places like Bobby Jones Golf Course that
are out there to let people again meet us where
you are. So for more on our story or our
(43:13):
foundation and what we're doing in the industry to kind
of continue to pushing that ball forward. Bobby jonesgc dot
com is our website, and then obviously Bobby Jones Links
dot com tells a little bit of some of the
stories that we're doing around the country. But thank you
so much, Jet for the time this has been.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Thank you, and again my apologies for you waiting in
the backstage as it were. Again, I'll have to make
sure I emphasize the time, and it's not certainly not
blaming you, but I keep forgetting you know, I'm in
Florida and people think, oh, you know, Eastern Time, and
actually I'm actually believed or not on Central Time. I'm
in the Panama City Beach, Florida, and the cutting line
(43:53):
is Tallahassee. So people always, oh, you're in Eastern Time,
and I said, no, I'm on Central. Well you're in Florida,
and they don't get that. And a little you know,
Panhandle as they call it, is Central Time, and I
think they just get rid of it and just make
it all the same. But that's here, so I want
Chicago Time technically, but so yeah, a lot of people
get confused with that. So again, my apologies, but I'm
(44:15):
glad that we were able to I'm glad you guys
stuck around and we're able to wait it out. And
I think we had a great conversation and let the
audience get to hear a little bit from both of
you on on a great organization and a great golf
course out in the Atlanta area. So I'm gonna make
a point of coming out and visiting you, Josh, and
I'm not coming on the day when there's the six
thousand kids out there.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
Though I got a contentract, I'm like you, I got.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
To concentrate on my game and I need all of
the I can't have any distractions. So but thank you
very much, much continued success. Congratulations again on being recognized,
well deserved, and thank you for sharing some insight into
your organization.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (44:55):
Thank you to all right you.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Guys, take care and much continue success the season.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
We'll see again, okay.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
You Yeah, So let me just as we were just
getting ready to wrap up in that, so let me
just wrap up. It was a slight technical issue a
little bit earlier on in the broadcast, and I apologize,
but for some reason, the earlier part of tonight's broadcast
didn't make it all the way. Somehow the recording didn't
take place, so Coaches Corner Tonight and part of the
(45:22):
travel segment were cut off. But this finale featured guest
tonight from Bobby Jones Links, and the Bobby Jones Golf
Course out in Atlanta is in its entirety, so we'll
be able to uh to see that in its entirety
and I will post that up on social media in
a little bit. But I want to thank tonight's special guest.
(45:45):
I want to thank all of them actually, and I'll
apologize at a later point to the other gang for
not being able to to get on the tonight's broadcast officially,
but I want to specifically think what you house from
Bobby Jones Links and Joshua Deal from the Bobby Jones
golf Course out in Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you guys for
(46:08):
doing all of you do and and just really appreciate
it very much, and we will see you next time. So,
as I mentioned earlier or started to say earlier in
the broadcast, unfortunately you guys probably didn't be able to
pick it up. But we're on a new platform riverside
dot fm, and we're going to be pushing it out
(46:29):
to the YouTube channel and also the I Golf Sports
YouTube channel and also onto Spotify. You'll be able to
get the video version of this podcast, Golf Talk Live,
and also the audio recorded version will be uploaded to
speaker dot com and obviously we'll be played out and
all of the other audio podcast areas. But wherever you're
(46:51):
listening to podcasts, whether it be iTunes and speaker. As
I mentioned all of the previously aired podcasts for Golf
Talk Live, we're in season thirteen now and they were
all the archives were moved to spreaker dot com, so
you can go there search Golf Talk Live and also
my other broadcast that I do with Cindy Miller, who
(47:13):
is an LPJ professional on Tuesday mornings, Women of Golf.
You can also get them there on spreaker dot com.
So you can just either check and type in Women
of Golf or Golf Talk Live and that will take
you to the archive section and the most recent episodes
will be uploaded as well, and you'll see them right
there at the top.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
So go to the I Golf Sports YouTube.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
Channel and then also go to Spotify to get the
video version of Golf Talk Live and the Women of Golf.
But I want to thank everybody that special guests and
all of you for tuning in each and every week.
I'm really really excited about season thirteen and had a
few glitches in the starting off with the first two shows,
but we'll get it worked out. But I really want
(47:57):
to appreciate and say thank you to all of you
for tuning in and being so supportive over the years.
And on that note, I will see you next week
right here on Golf Talk Live. God bless everybody and
have a great weekend.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Thanks for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this week's
broadcast at golf Talk Live. We'd like to thank this
week's Coach's Foreigner panel and a special thank you to
tonight's guest. Remember to join Ted every Thursday from six
to eight pm Central on Golf Talk Live, and be
sure to follow Ted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If
(48:34):
you're interested in being a guest on Golf Talk Live,
send Ted an email at Ted dot golf Talklive at
gmail dot com. This has been a production of the
Igolf Sports Network.
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