A Golf Developer in the WH!?

Staples Golf Client,  

Welcome to the final installment of the Staples Golf Design Quarterly for 2016! As we look forward to the Christmas break and continue to ponder the impacts of a Trump administration, I’d like to share with you some of my most recent thoughts as I reflect on the last 12 months and into 2017. Better buckle those sleigh-belts up!

Pressure and Time

As I stare blissfully at imaginary chestnuts roasting on the fire, I look back on 2016 and am reminded of the lasting effects that 2008-09 has had on my business. Since for me, Christmas is movie time, I’m (oddly) recalling that scene from Shawshank Redemptionwhere Andy Dufresne picks up a rock, and becomes encouraged that he's perhaps found a way out. Morgan Freedman’s character narrating over the scene then says “Geology is the study of pressure and time... That’s all it takes, really; pressure… and time…”

So as the coooooollldd Phoenix weather ushers itself in (brutal lows of 45°+), I'm looking back and feeling this year has been about pressure, time, and forging ahead. 2008 is long past us, and I'm looking forward to that breakthrough for the entire golf industry!

Doing Something Different

I've decided that my word for 2017 is innovation, and I’m always looking for ways innovation can be better applied to my business. Lately I’ve become fascinated with something in particular that I’d consider raising the bar for aspiring innovators and I think it's worth sharing; what Elon Musk is doing with his company Tesla, is quite literally revolutionizing the energy industry before our very eyes.

If you’re not aware, Tesla is creating micro sustainable energy systems to be used on macro levels, which will likely make the current "energy business-as-usual" routine, obsolete. And while the golf industry doesn’t nearly impact as many lives as the energy industry, I do believe it can aspire to benefit more people than it currently does as well. Rather than working in the golf industry, we ought to be working on it. Fortunately for golf, it may be starting to figure it out through challenging its own business-as-usual routine.

Community Golf

As you may know, one area I’ve focused a lot of energy on this past year, is the idea of community golf. You may have heard Tiger Woods was just commissioned by a non-profit organization to rehab two 18 hole golf courses into an 18 hole golf complex on the south side of Chicago in an effort to help revitalize the area. Part of the idea is to get kids off the street, onto the course, and excited about golf. You’re also seeing many of these types of projects starting to gain more attention all across the country, which is awesome.

I’m proud to say we’ve also continued our inroads in bringing Community Links to the golf world. Our Master Plan for the City of South Jordan was recently adopted by Council and will move forward with it’s first of three phases in 2017. We’re also excited to be implementing another Community Links inspired Master Plan in San Luis Obispo, as well as potentially two additional communities in Nevada and Kansas. Here's a great video produced by the USGA that showcases Community Links, and Rockwind Community Links in New Mexico. We're completely pumped about this video, and were honored to have been featured by the USGA.

2016 in Review

I’d like to leave you with a quick slideshow our office put together which summarizes a great 2016 for Staples Golf Design, including Meadowbrook, a trip to Long Island, a few community meetings, and many other special moments (click image below to view). This time of year tends to be a good point to take stock of all the wonderful things we're blessed to have been a part of. Thank you to everyone who’s played a role in making Staples Golf a more prosperous business; it’s our hope we may have played a small role in returning the favor.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year!

Sincerely,  

-Andy Staples

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVLNLTtAZRo