Major League Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin once said, “What people don’t realize is that professionals are sensational because of the fundamentals.’’
As a former baseball player, David DeMay knows exactly what the former Cincinnati Reds star is talking about. As a golf club general manager, DeMay puts Larkin’s words into play every day.
“It’s like when I was teaching golf for a long time. It all goes back to fundamentals, such as the grip and ball position,’’ said DeMay, GM for Concert Golf Partners’ Indian Spring CC in Boynton Beach, FL, and The Fountains, a few miles north in Lake Worth Beach.
In the cases of Indian Spring and The Fountains, the fundamentals are as simple as employee uniforms and name tags. Each was added to connect with the members when DeMay arrived in South Florida four months ago after a successful eight-year stint as GM for CGP’s Golf Club of Amelia Island (FL.).
A boutique owner-operator of 33 upscale private golf and country clubs focused on preserving the unique culture, identity, and traditions, Concert Golf Partners’ acquisitions of Indian Spring (2017) and Fountains (2018) helped spur increases in home values in the surrounding neighborhoods of central Palm Beach County.
Each 36-hole golf community ran efficiently enough in those early days, but with general managers chiefly focused on food and beverage, the properties—particularly Indian Spring—needed restorations and a leader with strong golf operations experience.
“They needed new service levels,’’ said DeMay, whose success at Amelia Island and Sanctuary Ridge GC in Clermont, FL., before that – made him the right man for the job.
“I always base everything on service. Financials are important, but if you can get the operation running properly, get the right staff, and create relationships with the members, you can create a strong operation and great service levels. The numbers will be there if the operation is running properly.
“The way I’ve always managed is that it has to be a win for everybody. I run it based on my 30 years of experience in the golf industry. I always put myself in a member’s spot. That is, if I was a member, what would I want?’’
DeMay’s first objective is to reconnect management with the memberships at Indian Spring and The Fountains.
“I met with the presidents of each HOA within the communities,’’ DeMay said. “Indian Spring and The Fountains are beautiful places. We want to create a strong relationship within the communities.”
Concert Golf is willing to spend money to buy the best clubs and keep them in top condition. It is often selected by its sellers because developers, boards, and club owners all want to ensure long-term, high-quality club operation for their residents and members so that home prices stay high and their reputations strong.
DeMay’s ongoing objective is to work with Concert Golf to further invest in each property, particularly the golf courses, to improve the turfgrass, maintenance, and overall agronomics.
“We are elevating the golf courses to represent who we are,’’ DeMay said. “There are a lot of very high-end clubs in this area.
“With Concert, we always look at what’s best for everybody. We know we’re not going to make people happy all the time, but your decisions are based on what’s best for everybody.’’
And most often, that begins with fundamentals.
Photos Courtesy of Concert Golf Partners
