(Jan. 15, 2015) Ocean Pines residents showed up in solid numbers to defend Billy Casper Golf’s management of the community course during a special OPA board meeting on Friday, Jan. 9.
From the onset, dozens of people filled the small boardroom, spilling out into the hallway and leaving many without seats during the brief public portion of the meeting.
Board President Dave Stevens said the meeting, the public portion of which lasted less than an hour, was the product of nearly a year of preparation.
“A committee was set up to explore alternatives to the management and/or leasing of our golf course. This happened close to a year ago,” he said. “This committee has been doing exactly what it was chartered by the board to do, and we have been looking at different management alternatives.”
Stevens said the community issued a request for proposals and the committee, after screening responses, would present three to the board. The committee consisted of Board Parliamentarian Tom Terry, Treasurer Jack Collins, former board member Jeff Knepper and resident Ron Olszewski.
“This has been kind of a long process,” Stevens said. “A lot of work was put in [and] the recommendations of this committee are that we explore further three companies.”
Stevens said the purpose of the meeting was to gather information, and that he did not anticipate a final decision on that day.
Terry noted that Casper would also give a presentation.
“They were invited to patriciate because we are still under contract with Casper at this point,” he said.
Collins added that Casper responded to the request with a three-page letter stating its interest in continuing management. Following Casper, Collins said Affinity Management and Landscapes Unlimited would present management proposals to the board during a closed session and another group, Hailey and Marshall, would make a bid to lease the course.
The agenda allowed for a brief period of public comments, restricted to three minutes each, before the board voted to go into closed session to interview their management and lease options.
Comments began with Cannon Drive resident Don McMullen.
“I’ve been a property owner since 1972 and a homeowner since the mid-’70s,” he said. “I’ve continued my fulltime membership [to the golf course] over the years. The condition and quality of the course [is] the best it has been since the early ’70s.”
McMullen chairs two major tournaments at the course, the Ravens Roost scholarship Tournament and the Mary Mac tournament, held in honor of his sister Mary.
“We continue to bring hundreds of golfers to these tournaments throughout the state of Maryland,” McMullen said. “The past golf season … every one of our participants stated the course was in the best shape they had ever seen it.
“I’ve seen tremendous improvements over the past few years and I recommend you seriously consider Casper Golf as our management team,” McMullen continued.
Former board member Pete Gomsak said the board’s decision was larger than golf.
“I believe this is more about amenities and how they are integral to Ocean Pines as a community,” he said. “The existence of the amenities [and] the diversity of those amenities is why my wife and I moved here.”
Gomsak said the board has not been “extremely successful” with long-term decision-making.
“I encourage the board to take into account not what’s best for next year or the year after that, but rather for the long term because it’s going to affect, your decision potentially, this community for many, many years,” he said.
According to Gomsak, the community lost $536,000 during Casper’s first year of management, due largely to failing greens that required costly repairs. That number dropped to $326,000 during Casper’s second year, and fell to $88,000 in fiscal year 2015.
Fiscal year budget projections for 2016 show the course losing $14,124 under Casper.
“I think the plan is working,” Gomsak said. “I think going from over a half-million dollar deficit down to break even indicates we are [on track].”
Rich Dalton, a resident since 2006, said he canceled his golf course membership “because I perceived there was no commitment by the board and the community to do the maintenance and everything to bring that gem that we have as a golf course up to [standard].”
Dalton, who renewed his membership after Casper took over, said many Ocean Pines residents similarly avoid the course because “there doesn’t seem to be a long-term commitment by the management here to maintaining that golf course.”
“They can come back here, I think, once they start perceiving that there’s a commitment by the community,” he said. “It takes a lot of work to just stay on top of maintaining a golf course, and I think Billy Casper has done that.”
Olszewski argued that changing management now “would be a disaster.”
“We absolutely have the best golf course … in the area,” he said. “Casper has a lot to do with it. We’ve gone through a two-to-three year growing process. We are there. Let’s stay there and make sure we keep this the best place in town.”
Only Charlie Wagner, a resident since 1989, spoke against Casper, saying he believed management drove away handicapped golfers by phasing out handicap accessible golf carts.
Wagner did go on to praise Casper’s upkeep of the course.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s in great shape.”
Carolyn Neal, a member of new members committee, said low membership at the course was part of a “national problem.”
“I think Casper has done everything they possibly could to bring in more [members] and they will be doing more to market Ocean Pines,” she said. “We need the community’s support and we need the board’s support to encourage new members.”
Roger Pacella, a resident since 1983, encouraged the board to choose a management company that hand-mows the greens, as Casper currently does.
“That makes a big difference in the quality of the golf course,” he said.
As the public portion of the meeting wound down, Terry again reminded residents that the process of examining new management began more than a year ago.
“At the time, there was great concern over the $500,000 to $300,000 loses that were being incurred by the golf course,” he said. “When we got to the end of contract, which is where we were a year ago, we really didn’t have a fallback position in place waiting to go. So, both Billy Casper and Ocean Pines signed a contract that said seven months into the new year Ocean Pines has the option to assess where we are.
“Our committee’s job was to find the fallback position if we decide not to stay with Billy Casper,” Terry continued. “We didn’t want to be standing here with nobody and no alternative.”
Losses of several hundred thousand dollars each year, Terry said, could not be tolerated.
“That’s what really caused this to be put in place last year,” he said.
“I think the board will examine, whether it be Billy Casper or whether it be one of the alternatives that is selected, I think we have to use this point in time and the work that’s gone on to make sure we have the best contract that we can, and that has to do with sustaining it into the future,” Stevens said. “I think that’s something that will be part of the ongoing process.”
From the onset, dozens of people filled the small boardroom, spilling out into the hallway and leaving many without seats during the brief public portion of the meeting.
Board President Dave Stevens said the meeting, the public portion of which lasted less than an hour, was the product of nearly a year of preparation.
“A committee was set up to explore alternatives to the management and/or leasing of our golf course. This happened close to a year ago,” he said. “This committee has been doing exactly what it was chartered by the board to do, and we have been looking at different management alternatives.”
Stevens said the community issued a request for proposals and the committee, after screening responses, would present three to the board. The committee consisted of Board Parliamentarian Tom Terry, Treasurer Jack Collins, former board member Jeff Knepper and resident Ron Olszewski.
“This has been kind of a long process,” Stevens said. “A lot of work was put in [and] the recommendations of this committee are that we explore further three companies.”
Stevens said the purpose of the meeting was to gather information, and that he did not anticipate a final decision on that day.
Terry noted that Casper would also give a presentation.
“They were invited to patriciate because we are still under contract with Casper at this point,” he said.
Collins added that Casper responded to the request with a three-page letter stating its interest in continuing management. Following Casper, Collins said Affinity Management and Landscapes Unlimited would present management proposals to the board during a closed session and another group, Hailey and Marshall, would make a bid to lease the course.
The agenda allowed for a brief period of public comments, restricted to three minutes each, before the board voted to go into closed session to interview their management and lease options.
Comments began with Cannon Drive resident Don McMullen.
“I’ve been a property owner since 1972 and a homeowner since the mid-’70s,” he said. “I’ve continued my fulltime membership [to the golf course] over the years. The condition and quality of the course [is] the best it has been since the early ’70s.”
McMullen chairs two major tournaments at the course, the Ravens Roost scholarship Tournament and the Mary Mac tournament, held in honor of his sister Mary.
“We continue to bring hundreds of golfers to these tournaments throughout the state of Maryland,” McMullen said. “The past golf season … every one of our participants stated the course was in the best shape they had ever seen it.
“I’ve seen tremendous improvements over the past few years and I recommend you seriously consider Casper Golf as our management team,” McMullen continued.
Former board member Pete Gomsak said the board’s decision was larger than golf.
“I believe this is more about amenities and how they are integral to Ocean Pines as a community,” he said. “The existence of the amenities [and] the diversity of those amenities is why my wife and I moved here.”
Gomsak said the board has not been “extremely successful” with long-term decision-making.
“I encourage the board to take into account not what’s best for next year or the year after that, but rather for the long term because it’s going to affect, your decision potentially, this community for many, many years,” he said.
According to Gomsak, the community lost $536,000 during Casper’s first year of management, due largely to failing greens that required costly repairs. That number dropped to $326,000 during Casper’s second year, and fell to $88,000 in fiscal year 2015.
Fiscal year budget projections for 2016 show the course losing $14,124 under Casper.
“I think the plan is working,” Gomsak said. “I think going from over a half-million dollar deficit down to break even indicates we are [on track].”
Rich Dalton, a resident since 2006, said he canceled his golf course membership “because I perceived there was no commitment by the board and the community to do the maintenance and everything to bring that gem that we have as a golf course up to [standard].”
Dalton, who renewed his membership after Casper took over, said many Ocean Pines residents similarly avoid the course because “there doesn’t seem to be a long-term commitment by the management here to maintaining that golf course.”
“They can come back here, I think, once they start perceiving that there’s a commitment by the community,” he said. “It takes a lot of work to just stay on top of maintaining a golf course, and I think Billy Casper has done that.”
Olszewski argued that changing management now “would be a disaster.”
“We absolutely have the best golf course … in the area,” he said. “Casper has a lot to do with it. We’ve gone through a two-to-three year growing process. We are there. Let’s stay there and make sure we keep this the best place in town.”
Only Charlie Wagner, a resident since 1989, spoke against Casper, saying he believed management drove away handicapped golfers by phasing out handicap accessible golf carts.
Wagner did go on to praise Casper’s upkeep of the course.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s in great shape.”
Carolyn Neal, a member of new members committee, said low membership at the course was part of a “national problem.”
“I think Casper has done everything they possibly could to bring in more [members] and they will be doing more to market Ocean Pines,” she said. “We need the community’s support and we need the board’s support to encourage new members.”
Roger Pacella, a resident since 1983, encouraged the board to choose a management company that hand-mows the greens, as Casper currently does.
“That makes a big difference in the quality of the golf course,” he said.
As the public portion of the meeting wound down, Terry again reminded residents that the process of examining new management began more than a year ago.
“At the time, there was great concern over the $500,000 to $300,000 loses that were being incurred by the golf course,” he said. “When we got to the end of contract, which is where we were a year ago, we really didn’t have a fallback position in place waiting to go. So, both Billy Casper and Ocean Pines signed a contract that said seven months into the new year Ocean Pines has the option to assess where we are.
“Our committee’s job was to find the fallback position if we decide not to stay with Billy Casper,” Terry continued. “We didn’t want to be standing here with nobody and no alternative.”
Losses of several hundred thousand dollars each year, Terry said, could not be tolerated.
“That’s what really caused this to be put in place last year,” he said.
“I think the board will examine, whether it be Billy Casper or whether it be one of the alternatives that is selected, I think we have to use this point in time and the work that’s gone on to make sure we have the best contract that we can, and that has to do with sustaining it into the future,” Stevens said. “I think that’s something that will be part of the ongoing process.”