People who get into the golf industry usually do so from the grounds up, so to speak. Maybe they begin by cleaning golf carts or caddying. Maybe they start with simple tasks like mowing, pulling weeds, and watering flowers. However we started in this business, it’s likely we didn’t see golf as the huge a business it is—a $75 billion annual industry, to be exact. And what happens on the golf course maintenance crew directly affects how a club performs. Last year at the annual Golf Industry Show, attendees got a good sense of how we all play a part in the golf industry. We also learned about some effective business methods used by other industries. One such, called statistical process control (SPC), uses statistical methods to monitor and control a process to ensure that it operates at its full potential to produce a product. For example, if you own a restaurant, you have a limited amount of time from when an order comes in to when it’s plated and served. If you do not meet that time frame, you must evaluate your methods and change them to meet the necessary time.

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