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G o l f P r o f e s s i o n a l T r a i n i n g P r o g r a m

Golf Car Fleet Management

Work Experience Activities

The Professional Golfers’

Association of America

A PGA Publication

© 1996 PGA of America

All rights reserved.

Copyright contents may not be reproduced in any manner without

the prior written permission of the PGA of America.

Publication date: December 1996

Work Experience Activity 1:

Survey a Golf Car Fleet Staff

In this activity you will look at the golf car fleet staff at your facility or at another facility in your vicinity.

Directions:

q Make a photocopy of the following worksheets.

q If you can answer the questions based on your own knowledge of a fleet, fill out the forms yourself. Otherwise (or in addition, if necessary), interview the person who is in charge of the fleet or the individual staff members who hold positions on the fleet staff.

q Place the completed worksheets in your Level 2 Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 1:

Survey a Golf Car Fleet Staff

|Name of facility | |

Type of facility (private member, municipal, 18-hole daily fee, etc.)

|Location (city, state) | |

|Fleet |Quantity |Model Year |Brand |Gas or Electric |Owned or Leased |

|Information | | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| |Total Fleet Size |

|Number of years golf cars are kept: | |

|Number of rounds played per year: | |

|Number of golf car rental rounds: | |

|Staff |Number of staff members with golf car fleet responsibilities (indicate whether full or part-time): |

|Organization | |

Who owns the fleet concession? (Golf professional, facility owners, outside contractor, etc.)

Golf Car Fleet Staff Organization Chart

Directions: Sketch an organization chart for the facility’s golf car

staff. Then on the following pages describe the responsibilities for

each position.

|Name of facility: | |

Golf Car Fleet Staff Responsibilities

|Position/Title: | |

Responsibilities:

|Position/Title: | |

Responsibilities:

|Position/Title: | |

Responsibilities:

|Position/Title: | |

Responsibilities:

|Position/Title: | |

Responsibilities:

|Position/Title: | |

Responsibilities:

Work Experience Activity 2:

Analyze Golf Car Needs

In this activity, you will analyze a golf facility and its customers from the standpoint of golf car needs. In this analysis you will:

• Look at the mission and goals of the facility.

• Identify customer needs and preferences.

• Survey the characteristics of the golf course.

Directions:

q Photocopy the following worksheets.

q Using the worksheets, do the activities indicated.

q Place the completed worksheets in your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 2:

Analyze Golf Car Needs

|Name of facility | |

|Location (city, state) | |

|Type of facility | |

|Facility Mission |If the facility has a written mission statement, how does the fleet operation fit that mission? Describe the |

| |facility’s goals and its approach to providing golf car service. (For example: highest quality equipment, full |

| |availability, maximize profits, etc.) |

|Customers |Based on your own knowledge and perceptions; an interview with the fleet manager; and/or selected, informal |

| |interviews with customers, try to determine customers’ opinions of the fleet. |

|Overall, do customers appear satisfied with the golf cars? | |

Were there any criticisms of the cars’ appearance, comfort, performance?

Indicate whether customers appear to have particular preferences regarding type of power (gas versus electric), a specific make or model, or special features and accessories. What reasons did customers give for their preferences?

|The Course |Survey the golf course to look for features that could affect equipment requirements. At a minimum describe: |

|Course Yardage | |

|Are there significant distances between tees? | |

|Terrain | |

Climate

|Car Paths (full or partial; condition) | |

Other significant features:

Work Experience Activity 3:

Evaluate Golf Cars

In this activity you will evaluate golf cars that are suitable for a facility’s course and customers.

Directions:

q Using the evaluation worksheets that follow, identify and rate at least two comparable car models that you think are suitable for your facility. Use promotional literature and/or contact a dealer or manufacturer to obtain the information you need.

q Photocopy the worksheets.

q Complete the activity.

q Place the completed worksheets in your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 3:

Evaluate Golf Cars

|Golf Car #1: | |

|Brand, model, and year: | |

|Type of power: | |

|Three- or four-wheeled | |

|Golf Car #2: | |

|Brand, model, and year: | |

|Type of power: | |

|Three- or four-wheeled | |

|Golf Car #3: | |

|Brand, model, and year: | |

|Type of power: | |

|Three- or four-wheeled | |

|Factor |Car #1 |X |Car #2 |X |Car #3 |X |Comments |

|Price | | | | | | | |

|Appearance | | | | | | | |

|Comfort | | | | | | | |

|Performance/Quality | | | | | | | |

|• Handling | | | | | | | |

|• Efficiency/Range | | | | | | | |

|• Durability/Longevity | | | | | | | |

|• Reliability | | | | | | | |

|• Quietness | | | | | | | |

|Dealer/Service | | | | | | | |

|Maintenance | | | | | | | |

|Repairs | | | | | | | |

|Maintenance Cost | | | | | | | |

|Trade-in Value | | | | | | | |

|Total Score | | | | | | | |

Work Experience Activity 4:

Investigate Leasing versus Buying

As this lesson has pointed out, making the lease-versus-purchase decision involves a good deal of financial analysis and data, and you may not have access to that type of information. In this activity, you will discuss the lease-versus-buy decision with your head golf professional and survey other facilities to find out the general reasons why the cars were purchased or leased.

If more detailed financial information is offered by your sources, so much the better. But it will not be necessary.

Directions:

q Make photocopies of the following worksheets.

q Following the guidelines, complete the worksheets.

q Place the completed worksheets in your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 4:

Investigate Leasing versus Buying

Directions:

1. Interview the person who is in charge of fleet acquisition decisions at your facility. Determine the primary reason that the facility’s fleet was either purchased or leased. Fill in the data requested below.

2. Do a telephone survey or visit other facilities and attempt to learn why the fleets were either leased or purchased. Make a copy of this page for each facility you contact and fill in the data.

|Name of Facility: | |

|Facility Type: | |

|Location: | |

|How many cars are in the fleet? | |

|Are the cars in the fleet purchased or leased? (Or a mix?) | |

|What was the primary motivation for the decision that was made? (Check one—with an “x.”) |

| |Financial (cash flow, equity build-up, tax reasons, etc.) |

| |Flexibility (to add cars if cars are leased) |

| |Maintenance |

| |Other (Describe:) |

Describe the results of what you learned in your interview in more detail.

Work Experience Activity 5:

Compare Fees and Special Deals

This activity has two aspects:

• You will check out competitors’ rental rates and compare them with rates at your facility.

• You will look for special pricing arrangements and deals at other facilities and in golf industry publications. Then you’ll think of a ride-promoting idea of your own.

Directions:

q Photocopy the following worksheets.

q Conduct your survey and complete worksheets.

q Add the completed worksheets to your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 5:

Compare Fees and Special Deals

Describe your facility’s golf car rental prices.

|Facility name: | |

|Facility type: | |

|Charge for weekday, l8-hole rental: | |

|Charge for weekend/holiday, 18-hole rental: | |

|Early Bird/Twilight Rate: | |

|Nine-hole rate: | |

Are there special rates targeted at a particular group, such as seniors, juniors, women’s clubs, etc.?

What is the rate?

|Group |Rate |

| | |

| | |

| | |

Are the rates different depending on the season?

Describe any other rates or special deals. Attach additional pages if necessary.

Work Experience Activity 5 (Continued)

Directions: Check out competitors in your area. Also look in golf industry publications, ads, or other sources of information on rates and special deals. Use copies of this page to record the results of your survey of competitors and other facilities.

|Facility name: | |

|Facility type: | |

Is this facility comparable to yours in type, clientele, image, region, and condition of the fleet?

|Charge for weekday, l8-hole rental: | |

|Charge for weekend/holiday, 18-hole rental: | |

|Early Bird/Twilight Rate: | |

|Nine-hole rate: | |

Are there special rates targeted at a particular group, such as seniors, juniors, women’s clubs, etc.?

What is the rate?

|Group |Rate |

| | |

| | |

| | |

Are the rates different depending on the season?

How do these rates compare with the rates at your facility?

Describe any other rates or special deals. Attach additional pages if necessary.

Work Experience Activity 5 (Continued)

Directions: Come up with an idea for a “special deal” that would boost rentals of golf cars at your facility. Be creative, but realistic. Your ride-selling proposal should involve some type of discount or special promotion. Explain why you think this idea would work at your particular facility. (If you work at a facility where a golf car is required at all times, think of an idea for a facility where riding is not compulsory.)

My idea for promoting increased golf car use at my facility is:

Work Experience Activity 6:

Explore Operations Procedures

In this activity you will interview the fleet manager to discuss operating policies, procedures, and issues related to the golf car program at the facility. Then you’ll pick out and study a fleet operations area.

Directions:

q Arrange a time to interview the fleet manager.

q Bring a copy of the “Policies, Procedures, and Issues” list on the next page with you to the interview.

q Conduct the interview; pick out one operations area to study.

q Complete the activity and fill out a photocopied two-page worksheet (pp. 146–47).

q Place the completed worksheet in your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 6:

Explore Operations Procedures

Directions: Use the following list as a guide as you interview the manager of a golf car fleet. Start by discussing the manager’s role in general. Then explore policies, procedures, and issues in any or all of the following areas:

Policies, Procedures, and Issues

• Staff size, organization, and training

• Procedures for renting the cars

• Car rotation system

• Rules for operating cars

• Safety measures

• Accident procedures

• Breakdown procedures

• Record-keeping

• Insurance

See if there are any significant differences from the approaches outlined in this course. Ask whether there are any problem areas that the manager would like to have reviewed. Near the end of the interview, or afterwards, decide on one area that you would like to study in more detail as a project.

Your goal is to learn and at the same time make recommendations that can contribute to improving the golf car program. For example, you could review the policies and procedures manual, or compare them to actual practice. Or you could check forms and posted signs to see if they adequately inform and alert riders to safety requirements. Another possibility is to explore ways to modernize the record-keeping system, if computers are not already being used. You are free to come up with your own approach to completing this activity.

Work Experience Activity 6:

Explore Operations Procedures

|Facility name: | |

Interviewed (name, position/title):

|Date of interview: | |

Summarize the interview. What topics did you discuss? What insights did you gain? (Attach a written report if you need more space)

What operations area did you pick to study in detail?

Briefly describe the nature of the study/project you completed in the area you chose:

Bring any additional documentation with you to the Work Experience Interview. (Rewritten procedures specifications, or informational signs or forms, for example.)

Work Experience Activity 7:

Interview Maintenance Personnel

In this activity you will interview the fleet supervisor and/or head mechanic (or outside maintenance technicians who work on the fleet) and discuss various aspects of preventive maintenance and repair.

Discuss all of the periodic maintenance procedures that are followed and the records that are kept. Ask if you can see and study the manufacturer’s maintenance guide. Look at the space, traffic layout, and other features of the storage facility.

In addition, make arrangements to watch as a maintenance person performs weekly or monthly maintenance, or repairs a problem with one of the cars.

Directions:

q Photocopy the following worksheets.

q Schedule a time to interview fleet maintenance personnel and to observe a maintenance routine being performed.

q Complete the photocopied worksheets during the interview.

q Place the completed worksheets in your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 7:

Interview Maintenance Personnel

|Facility name: | |

Is most maintenance and repair performed by facility staff or outside technicians?

Name, title/position of person interviewed:

|Date of interview: | |

List some of the topics that you covered in the interview:

|Did you look at the factory maintenance manual? | |

What maintenance or repair procedure did you observe? Briefly describe what was done.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the maintenance program?

What improvements, if any, do you think could be made?

How would you rate the storage facilities?

What improvements, if any, could be made?

Work Experience Activity 8:

Ask for the Fleet Concession

In this activity, you will prepare a hypothetical proposal to take over total operation of a golf car fleet franchise, in return for a bigger

share of the profits of the golf car fleet.

Directions:

q Photocopy the following worksheet.

q Prepare your proposal according to the guidelines in the worksheet.

q Attach your proposal to the worksheet.

q Place the completed worksheet in your Work Experience Kit.

Work Experience Activity 8:

Ask for the Fleet Concession

Directions:

Assume you are the head professional and manager of the golf car fleet at the Uppity Creek Golf Club, a private, non-profit membership facility in Georgia. You have been involved in all facets of the fleet program. Although the club owns and holds title to the cars, and provides space for their storage, the club has relied on you for advice on car acquisition and fleet finance. And you have been doing an excellent job of managing and maintaining the fleet. In return, you have been getting a 10% commission on net revenue to add to your other sources of compensation as the club professional.

Prepare an outline of a memo to the board in which you propose to take over the concession entirely, and relieve the club from any active involvement. In return, you would pay the club a share of the revenue from the fleet.

Since this is a hypothetical exercise, you can use financial figures based on the data on national averages supplied in this manual. And you are free to extol your management skills without fear of contradiction!

Attach a copy of your proposal to this sheet and insert them in your Work Experience Kit.

Note: If you are in a position and situation where you are actually thinking about making such a proposal, by all means attach a copy of that proposal. You’ll get some feedback from other apprentices and the GPTP faculty at your next checkpoint.

Work Experience Activity 8:

Ask for the Fleet Concession

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