Golf Course Committee (Meets 4th Thursday as needed, at 11:00 a.m.)

GOLF COURSE COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS Monday, MARCH 28, 2022 Noon Room 204 and Remotely via ZOOM* Members Present: Barb Hoag, Troy Clark, Lindsey Graskey, Jack Sweeney Advisory Members and Others Present: Linda Cadotte, Tom Beaudry, Vince Dodge, Steve Loomis* Members Excused: Bob Kolbe, Keith Kern Golf course meeting called to order at 12:00 p.m. 1. Roll call was done. 2. Seeking approval of the February 28, 2022 Golf Course Committee Meeting Minutes Motion by Sweeney, seconded by Graskey and carried, to approve the February 28, 2022 meeting minutes. 3. Old Business 3.1 Elect Golf Course Committee Secretary Loomis and Beaudry indicated a conflict of interest having Trevor, an employee at the golf course, appointed as the committee secretary. Their opinion is it should be self-sufficient within the committee as they have never had staff perform these duties. Cadotte indicated it’s outlined on the agenda as she interpreted it to be someone within the committee. If it would be a Kemper employee, they would not be appointed to the Committee. The committee will still vote those minutes and approve them whether a City employee or an employee of KemperSports. Sweeney mentioned three options for a secretary; City employee, KemperSports or a temp agency. Sweeney and Graskey will speak with the Mayor for additional clarification. Hoag inquired if she could be the chair and the secretary. The plan is for Jean Dotterwick to take these minutes and then have the City Clerk’s office take over after the elections are over if another option is not established. Motion by Sweeney, seconded by Graskey to hold in committee until Sweeney and Graskey meet with the Mayor for additional clarification. 3.2 Options for tee signage with updates from the trade show Dodge stated KemperSports would like to move forward with the Wisconsin shaped tee sign, which is an optimal size of 2ft. X 2 ft., made out of a silex material, which is a hard heavy plastic. Each signs weighs around 200 pounds. The area around the signs would be graded and the signs would be set directly on the ground eliminating the need for posts. The signage is a good balance of cost, functionality and durability, with options of landscaping around each of them in the future. As a start, the signs will be put down in hardwood mulch with the options to dress up the 1|Page March 28, 2022  area surrounding each one in the future. The signs will be placed where there will be maximum visibility, typically close to the white tees. The color proposed would be close to the Nemadji river clay. The signs are heavy enough to stay put and yet can still be moved if needed. They are rugged and durable and they age well. They will have to be touched up after time, but the longevity is expected to be over 25 years. The data for the signage will be on file if need to replace or update. Motion by Sweeney, seconded by Graskey and carried, to accept the tee signage. It was clarified that the custom Wisconsin shape for the signs does not add additional cost. 3.3 Timing of blended scorecards release Beaudry worked with WSGA over the winter to come up with the new card. There are no drastic changes and they still offer the five different yardages. The yardages are very similar to what they were. The cards should be here within the week. He is hoping to have them for the Men’s Club meeting on Friday. 4 New Business As a future agenda item, Sweeney asked about the 3 hole par 3 course between 36 and 39 and their value to maintain. Beaudry indicated there is no charge to play them and it is utilized by the overflow to warm up and wait. The junior league also utilizes the space and it is part of the practice facility. There has been no fee since KemperSports took over. Cadotte mentioned she has seen people move from the driving range over to the par 3, then work up to playing the course. Kemper sends new players over there too for a better first time experience and it seems to be appreciated. Sweeney indicated committee member Bob Kolbe should resign from the committee before he accepts the position at the golf course. 5 Recurring Business 5.1 Profit/Loss – Budget/Actual Statement There is not much activity going on in the pro shop at this time. There is quite a bit going on in the kitchen. Many people were at the soft opening of the Sunday brunch. 5.2 General Manager/Golf Pro – Report The overall net is 4% better than the budget. Year to date, everything is in line to the budget. 5.3 General Manager Top Three Concerns Key performance issue is staffing. Toby came on board as the cook and a couple more folks from the UMD food service are coming on for the summer – fits perfect with their availability for seasonal work. There are new servers that are being trained. Still a couple outside staffing positions to be filled between now and when the course gets busy. Once it starts warming up outside, typically a few more applications start coming in. The carpets have been cleaned and the results are noticeable. Tee green is certified for level 2 and Kempers is working toward level 3. 2|Page March 28, 2022  Safety National – games are rolling out. True Service – Kempers is making sure all four levels are True Service. A new program is ready to roll out on the leadership side. 5.4 Superintendent – Grounds/Maintenance Report February saw 21 inches of snow. Outside work will be starting. There was no damage from snowmobile trails. There are supply chain concerns for getting products. The outbuilding was filled last Fall with fertilizer and other supplies in anticipation of shortages. The rough mower was ordered last August, but it will take over 18 months and likely not arrive until late or after this season. Gas prices were locked in last year when they were low. The Pro shop is starting the year fully stocked, but shipments are a concern. KemperSports was forward thinking and ordered heavy. Nationally all courses are delayed, no matter what the cost of the orders. Shortages on fertilizer, plastic bottle caps and metal shafted clubs are a significant challenge. Hoag recommended sharing with the golfers about the shortages in the newsletter. Sweeney inquired about the previous vote to not have a warning system for bad weather. He questioned how to inform people. Beaudry mentioned there is no signage currently, but it can be put in place. Hoag agreed that signage would be helpful. This will be an item for the next agenda. Sweeney questioned the status of the courses in Duluth. It was mentioned that everything is still in Committee and the Duluth City Council has not yet made any formal decision. Superior will continue to see more golfers as a result. Tee Times – Tee sheets were developed due to the tee time crunch. Lots of rounds to fit in! 5.5 Nemadji Women’s and Men’s club – Concerns/Updates Hoag stated the women’s club will meet in person for the Spring meeting on Tuesday, April 19th (for the first time in two years). 6pm Social; 6:30pm Meal; 7pm Meeting Lots of excitement for the season! They plan to host their invitational this year. Clark shared they have 6-8 more teams this year on the Men’s Leagues. Asked about crunching tee times from 10 minutes down to 7/8 minutes to accommodate the number of players. There is an iPad to enter in WSGA handicap entries and scores. Men’s Annual meeting will be held on Friday, April 1st. 5pm Social; 6pm Dinner; 7pm Meeting. 3|Page March 28, 2022  5.6 Possible Agenda Items for Future Meeting (April 25, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.) a. Update on results of soft opening/grand opening/results of brunch b. Value of free Par 3 Course c. Future Committee members (if Kolbe resigns to accept employment at Nemadji) d. Without a formal Weather Warning System how will it be communicated to golfers e. Women’s and Men’s Spring meetings 6. Adjournment Motion by Graskey, seconded by Clark and carried, to adjourn the meeting at 1:07 p.m. Minutes respectfully submitted by Jean Dotterwick 4|Page March 28, 2022