The golf course maintenance industry's complexity has sparked various issues , and they have made for some good stories in
the past decade.
Golfdomcovered the plight of management companies often during its first year of publishing. Our very first issue — January/February
1999 — went after a pertinent issue: The role of management companies in modern-day golf course maintenance. The story, headlined
"The New Reality," reported on the mega-trend that management companies have become. The story surmised that although the
"corporate" mentality of management companies grates on some superintendents, many like the stability, mobility, benefits
and opportunity for advancement the management company structure allows.
We revisited management companies in our October 1999 cover story. We did this because International Golf Maintenance, a Lakeland,
Fla.-based management company, mailed pitch letters to various golf courses that stated: "We are confident our team of turf
professionals can develop a maintenance program that will help you get the most out of your investment in maintenance resources
— and we're prepared to bring along $50,000 in new golf course maintenance equipment with the execution of a three-year maintenance
agreement."
Obviously, this rankled many superintendents employed at those courses. ButGolfdomdecided to let both sides tell their stories. We asked Greg Plotner, IGM's vice president of Florida operations, to tell us
what's good about IGM and management companies in general. And we asked Mike Hamilton, the then-certified golf course superintendent
at Foxfire Country Club in Naples, Fla., to tell us why he liked management companies as much as pickled herring.
(Top) The first issue of Golfdom reported on the mega-trend of management companies. (Middle) Golfdom has also covered the
controversy surrounding some management companies. (Bottom) The problem with fast greens has also been a popular topic.
The headline of that cover story read — "Management Companies: The Civilized Debate Continues." An illustration depicts a
cartoon rumble going on.
