2018-06-07 TOWN OF BERLIN
Timberlin Golf Commission
230 Kensington Road • Berlin, CT 06037
Thursday, June 7, 2018
6:00 p.m.
Berlin Community Center
ATTENDANCE:
Commissioners Present: Jeff Arute, Nancy Berger, Jim Bugella, Peter DeFazio, Gale Lemieux,
Richard Nappi, Jim Norton, Seb Senia
Staff Present:
Marc Bayram—Golf Pro
Jerry Salvio—Assistant Golf Course Director
Jon Zuk—(on phone as necessary)
Chairman DeFazio called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.
1. Audience of Citizens
John Cirigliano, 106 Juniper Lane, Berlin—Mr. Cirigliano appeared on behalf of Harry
Josephson. Mr. Josephson suffered a medical issue and is requesting a refund of his season
pass. He is still engaging in rehabilitation to regain strength and coordination, but it is
unknown if he will be able to play golf again.
The Commission agreed to add a New Business agenda item to discuss Mr. Josephson's
request.
2. Approval of Minutes:
May 5, 2018
Commissioner Norton moved to approve the May 5, 2018 minutes, which was seconded by
Commissioner Bugella. The motion passed unanimously.
3. Donation requests:
a. Brandon Reeve Foundation, Middletown, CT—Requesting a foursome for its 6/23/18
Tournament to be held at Quarry Ridge Golf Course in Portland, CT.
b. Central Connecticut Youth Hockey Association—Requesting a foursome for its 7/17/18
Tournament to be held at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, CT.
c. Boys & Girls Club of Bristol Family Center - Requesting a foursome for its 7/16/18
Mayor's Cup Annual Outing at Chippanee Country Club in Bristol, CT.
d. Ninety Nine Restaurant—requesting a foursome for its mini golf tournament held
throughout July to benefit the Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
e. Ryan T. Lee Foundation, Berlin CT—Requesting a foursome for its 8/3/18 Tournament to
be held at Timberlin.
Commissioner Norton moved to discuss the donation requests, which was seconded by
Commissioner Bugella. The motion passed unanimously.
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Commissioner Senia moved to approve requests a, b, c and d, which was seconded by
Commissioner Norton. The Commission discussed the requests and are not aware of any
Berlin ties to the organizations or the events. The motion was defeated.
Commissioner Norton moved to approve request e, which was seconded by Commissioner
Senia. The Commission discussed the positive impact this foundation has on Timberlin and
Berlin. The motion passed unanimously.
4. Walkers road signage
Mr. Salvio brought a newly completed warning sign for the Commission to inspect. Verbiage
on the sign was suggested by Corporation Counsel, but the Commission remarked that there is
no specific warning for people to proceed at their own risk. Mr. Salvio stated that one sign will
be posted at the entrance of the park and another at the entrance of the walkers road the week of
6/11/18.
5. Tee sign/Timberlin driveway decorative banners
Tee signs—Mr. Bayram reported that the signs are in production and should be finished within
2 weeks. The Commission discussed sponsor signage and agreed that they should be uniform.
Mr. Bayram will coordinate with Wittek to determine font size, and character limits and then
ask Wittek to forward specs to the sponsors. The overall idea was for the Sponsor company
name to appear on the first line in a larger font, followed by either a location, phone number,
web address in a smaller font on the next line.
To date, 14 sign sponsorships have been sold (11 paid in full, 3 with payment due). Mr.
Bayram will inform the Commissioners who has purchased sponsorships. As a bonus to
advertisers, a feature paragraph will appear on the Town website and the Men's Club website
with the sponsor's logo and bio information. Chairman DeFazio will contact Premier
Limousine to discuss possible sponsorship. Commissioner Norton will contact Farrell Funeral
Home to discuss possible sponsorship.
Banners - Commissioner Nappi attended a recent Planning & Zoning meeting to discuss the
decorative banners. P&Z feels the banners are attention getting devices, and elected not to vote
on the request, but rather tabled it for future discussion. It was suggested that eliminating the
Timberlin logo and adding the Town seal might qualify the banner as a flag. Commissioner
Nappi assured the P&Z Commission that the banners were not advertising and they are
intended to welcome visitors and improve Timberlin's appearance. Mr. Zuk is setting up a
meeting with Mr. Kozikowski and Ms. Giusti at the Planner's office.
6. Handicapped/cart rules
Mr. Bayram stated he has seen daily cart infractions on the course, many golfers are parking too
close to the greens and taking advantage of the handicapped flag program inappropriately. The
Commission discussed the need for a firm process to obtain a handicapped flag. Golfers will
have to complete a form annually (to be drafted by Mr. Bayram) and bring their application to
the Timberlin Pro Shop with a valid State of Connecticut handicapped parking permit for
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verification. The Pro Shop will then supply a list of verified golfers to the cart shack. It was
discussed that Mr. Salvio will repurpose some stakes already on site, paint them blue and use
those blue stakes to designate handicapped cart parking areas throughout the course. The signs
can be moved periodically. Timberlin will also resume painting a white line at the fairway as a
"do not cross" guideline for carts and possibly blue lines indicating that for handicap golfers.
Chairman DeFazio volunteered to perform the line painting on a weekly basis.
The Commission discussed an incident of unacceptable behavior, when a customer told a
ranger to "f--- of£" The customer was verbally warned, and Mr. Bayram created an incident
report. The Commission asked what the consequence is for not complying with the rules. Mr.
Bayram replied that he files incident reports and provides them to Mr. Zuk. (4 or 5 incident
reports have been submitted to Mr. Zuk in the last month for decorum and cart damage
infractions.) There is still not a clear-cut plan to follow for incident reports/damage to
property. For example, Mr. Zuk stated that he contacted an individual (approximately 2 weeks
after the incident) who rented a cart that sustained damage, and the golfer denied damaging the
cart. Mr. Bayram contradicted the individual's account, he pointed out the damage as soon as
the cart was returned. It did not leave the cart area with that damage when it was rented. What
should the course of action be in such a situation? It is destruction of town property and may
involve police action. Tournament cart rental was also discussed, as Mr. Bayram frequently
sees damage from tournament players. It was suggested that tournaments may require
additional damage deposits and the carts should be inspected immediately when turned in. Mr.
Zuk should discuss the incident and damage reporting protocols and process with the Risk
Manager and Town Manager Jack Healy immediately, draft a policy outlining the expectations
and consequences of cart damage or any disrespect directed toward the course or staff(i.e.: 1:
verbal warning, 2: written warning, 3: suspension for a certain period of time) and report back
to the Commission in July. It is imperative that these claims be addressed and followed up on
as quickly as possible, as several thousand dollars is spent repairing damage to carts each year.
The Commission would like cart damage added as a standard reporting item each month.
7. Bunkers
Insulation fabric and pins have been seen surfacing in the bunkers. Mr. Salvio stated that the
bunkers were redone 3 years ago, and they are so vast the current crew isn't large enough to
properly maintain them. In July, tw�o seasonal employees (each working 24 hours a week) will
be assigned to weed, edge and other�vise maintain the bunkers. He also received another
shipment of sand on 6/6/18, and has already begun to re-fill the bunkers. The correct depth of
sand is 4"-5" and many golfers push sand onto the apron with multiple shots from the bunkers.
Mr. Salvio suggested that bunker redesign be added to the capital plan, as they have a life
expectancy of 10 years, and the next redesign might be an opportunity to reduce their sizes.
The group noted that divots in the fairways have been filled in nicely by the Rangers.
Commissioner Senia noted that there were a significant number of un-replaced divots in the
fairways immediately following the recent CIAC High School tournament. Mr. Bayram spoke
with CIAC after the previous tournament (where similar damage was noted), and it was
suggested that he communicate with the team coaches as they should be enforcing etiquette
rules with the players. Timberlin may choose not to host the tournament if players refuse to
respect the course.
8. MOU-Update
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The MOU update is complete, and the Town Human Resources Director has to sign off on it,
which should happen week of 6/11/18. Everyone is eager to get volunteers signed up and
scheduled. It was noted that there is a person who currently volunteers in the maintenance area,
but he is considered in the same category as volunteer rangers and cart employees—he receives
a season pass in lieu of payment. Further, if he receives over$600 of golf play, that is treated
as income and he receives a 1099 form.
9. Discussion on project deliverables-short/long term
Mr. Salvio suggested that a short term and long term master plan be crafted, and he wants the
entrance area and pro shop entrance first on the list. He feels that Timberlin's first impression
is poor. The paving is cracked and damages the carts before they make it onto the paths, the
pro shop entrance is dated. Even if Timberlin has funds to pay for paving work, contractors are
already booked through the winter. Timberlin must plan ahead and schedule in November for
spring and summer work. The Commission also discussed the walking paths at Pistol Creek
that are scheduled to be repaved and whether that money could be redirected to Timberlin.
Chairman DeFazio will contact Economic Development Director Chris Edge to discuss the
possibility of applying for grant money to repave the parking area/ cart paths or otherwise
improve Timberlin.
It was discussed that the bridges at Timberlin are 25-30 years old, and the blacktop on them
weighs about 2,500— 3,000 lbs. There are new construction methods using pressure treated
wood and barrier coating which will last longer and accept higher weight. The bridge work
required will likely cost a minimum of$25K, and if any bridges are determined to be on
wetlands it will cost at least $40K.
10. NEW BUSINESS ITEM:
Commissioner Norton moved to add an item to the agenda, which was seconded by
Commissioner Arute. The motion was passed unanimously.
Commissioner moved to refund Mr. Harry Josephson's season pass for medical reasons, which
was seconded by Commissioner Arute. Mr. Bayram informed the Commission that Mr.
Josephson has only played two full 9-hole rounds this season, and has been a valued golfer at
Timberlin for over 40 years. The Commission agreed that he has done a lot to bring business to
the course over that period of time. They discussed the fact that Mr. Josephson has suffered a
medical issue and doesn't know if he will be able to play golf again. The motion passed
unanimously. Mr. Zuk will present the refund request at the next Town Council meeting.
11. Reports
a. Assistant Directors Report
• Tree removal continues—potential injuries will be avoided with the removal
of tree roots too close to tees.
• The water fountain on 15 is not working due to a leaky valve. The
Commission agreed that Mr. Salvio should shut off water to the area
(including the restrooms) for a couple of days to repair. A portable restroom
will be installed while the water is shut off.
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• Lightning sirens are not fully functional. The units are old and obsolete and
parts are not available to repair them. The cost of a new system is about
$12K. Mr. Salvio will research whether the detection and alarm system is
required in the State of Connecticut.
• Commissioner Senia asked about the status of the fuel tank—Mr. Salvio
reported that Fleet Manager Jim Simons was supposed to plan the relocation
/ installation. Mr. Zuk should follow up and report back.
b. Golf Professional Report (see attached)
• Revenue for May, 2018 is $14K higher than May, 2017.
• Golf Now continues to bring in business ($l OK in revenue).
• Women& Wine Mondays grew in popularity (up to 14 attendees).
• Mixed 9 & Dine—had 32 participants (16 couples).
• Junior League invited to warm up beside the pros at the Travelers
Championship.
• Course recovered well after the recent aeration. Course looks as good or
better than local private courses. (The Commissioners agreed and
congratulated Mr. Salvio and his staf£)
• Pace of play—9-minute intervals are working out well, and no loss of
revenue has resulted. Getting good reviews on Golf Advisor.
• Free lesson day has been rescheduled for 7/7/18 —free 10 minute lessons
from 9-2.
• Assistant Golf Pro Gino placed second in the Connecticut PGA.
• Timberlin team �von the Senior Pro Am.
• Working on a short survey to send out mid-July. Chairman DeFazio will
review the user agreement before engaging Survey Monkey.
• Working on a video outlining etiquette—to educate the public and show that
we care about the course and the quality of golfers' experience there.
• Researching options for an inexpensive television with HDMI port to show
scoreboard in the tent during outings.
c. P&L Report
• Not in the black yet, but heading in the right direction.
• CIP generated $14K YTD —Commission asked to add CIP balance to date as
monthly reporting item.
• Par for the Course—The Commission asked about the process to determine
the restaurant's coupon reimbursement. It would like a formalized process
with controls in place to ensure accurate reimbursement, and to allow for
monthly reporting of coupons redeemed to the Commission.
10. Adjournment
Commissioner Senia moved to adjourn at 8:43 p.m., which was followed by Commissioner
Norton. The motion passed unanimously.
Submitted by,
Dana Borges
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Executive Summar_y Report
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To: Golf Commission From: Marc S. Bayram, PGA
June 2018
30 Dav Recap of Operations and Benchmarks
➢ The Golf Course was open all 31 days in May. The weather was decent most of the month. Weather
report attached.
➢ Compared to May of 2017, we did 366 more rounds in May 2018 and $14,028.06 more in revenue
between Greens Fee and Cart Fee.
➢ In the month of May, Golf Now bookings accounted for 658 eighteen-hole rounds and 118 nine-hole
rounds equating to $10,339 in revenue. In May, we gave away 185 total barter rounds.
➢ We have sold 14 hole sponsorship commitments. Thank you to all the commissioners who reached out
to potential sponsors.
➢ The Tee Signs have been ordered. Attached are pictures of them. The sponsor signs still need to be
ordered, but do not take a lot of time to produce. A format for the sponsor sign needs to be discussed.
➢ On June 3`d we hosted a successful Taylor Made Demo Day from 11 am-2pm.
➢ The Women& Wine golf clinics started Mondays from 530pm-630pm. We have averaged 14
participants each week.
➢ We hosted our first Timberlin Mixed 9 & Dine event in May. We had 32 participants and it was a great
success. See letter from one of the players attached. The next event is June 29tn
➢ Our Summer Junior Programs have been finalized. We have 24 PGA Jr League players for that
particular program. We have multiple programs for all ages and skill levels throughout the summer.
➢ The Golf Shop is fully stocked; all credit will expire November 30�' of this year.
➢ Aeration was successful and the greens have recovered nicely.
➢ The pace of play has improved drastically with no loss in revenue. 9-minute intervals were a great
decision. The only part of the pace of play initiative we have not implemented has been the calling up
of groups on the par 3's. If we choose to do so, we will need signage for those tee boxes.
➢ Our program for St Paul Middle School was a great success. We had 22 participants in total. While the
kids participated in the program, the parents supported Remzi's restaurant and most stayed for dinner
following each week's program.
➢ Play Golf America Free Lesson Day was rained out May 19. It will be rescheduled.
Successes and Challen�es
➢ The weather was slightly better in May, however weekends were poor. We were fortunate to have
organizational events like the Mens Club play in the rain twice so these prime days were not a complete
loss.
5= We have had a few incidents occur where players blatantly disregarded our course rules following
warnings by staff. Those incidents have been submitted to Director of Golf Jonathan Zuk.
➢ We are having some issues with handicap customer cart rules. A policy and plan should be in place to
regain control of handicap cart usage.
➢ Timberlin Golf Club professionals have been representing Timberlin well in CT PGA Events. Geno
Giancola placed 2°d in the Spring Stroke Play major event and team Timberlin just won the Senior Pro-
Am. It is always to get good publicity for the golf course.
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Customer Satisfaction
➢ Customers were pleased we communicated our aeration schedule along with the discount in greens fees.
This is a practice other courses don't do from what I understand, and it goes a long way with our
customers.
➢ I have researched a mid season survey. The company Survey Monkey has a basic plan that is free that
allows us 10 questions. This is something we should send out in mid-July.
➢ We have had many requests for an ATM machine on property. This should be something the town
looks in to getting.
➢ We have been getting very positive reviews on Golf Advisor.
Staffing Report
➢ Staff has been instructed to alert me of incidents involving customers disobeying warnings for violating
course rules.
➢ A divot filling schedule, along with ball mark fixing schedule is in the process of being produced for
Rangers.
Lookin�Ahead/Goals
➢ Start advertising for Summer Junior Programs as well as other instructional programs offered.
➢ Promote 2°d Mixed 9 & Dine Event.
➢ Prepare for the arrival of new cart fleet.
➢ Coordinate and work together with Remzi to ensure a successful outing month.
➢ Monitor staff and adjust their daily routines as deemed necessary.
➢ Begin practice for our 2 PGA Jr League teams.
➢ Possibly make an instructional video.
➢ Educate customers on pace of play initiative with video on how pace of play clocks work.
➢ Make signs for new carts and insert in cart sign holder on new fleet, as well as put course care and
lightning safety stickers on windshields.
➢ Reschedule Play Golf America Free Lesson Day.
➢ Check status of a potential ATM.
➢ Look in to a TV scoreboard for outings.
➢ Create Pace of Play tips card to put on each cart.
➢ Connect laptop provided to GolfNow Reservations to have as additional terminal for tee time bookings
during busy times.
➢ Continue to keep the tee sheet organized on a daily basis with the amount of leagues, organizations,
outings, and regular play traffic we get each day.
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