By Michael Williams, Contributor, Golf Business
I am always thrilled to attend NGCOA's Multi-Course Owner & Resort Operators Retreat. Hosted in the idyllic setting of Monterey, California, MCOR is a unique gathering that brings together some of the most significant owner/operators in the business for a time of equal parts leadership, fellowship and scholarship. The ideas and information that are shared in the rooms at MCOR determine the direction of the golf business for millions of people who are connected to golf as a lifestyle or a livelihood.
With a gathering of that magnitude, it’s especially gratifying to be able to contribute to the conversation. I was honored to moderate a discussion between two of the smartest people in the business.
Workplace and legal industry experts Emily Decker of Invited and Loretta Raftery of the Raftery Law Group and HR/Labor Solutions, Inc. were the panelists in a discussion entitled “Workforce Forecast: Tracking New Labor and Liability Strategy”. The panelists discussed the biggest legal risks facing the golf course industry and shared best practices that operators can and should implement to reign them in.
The room was as packed as you might expect for a couple of $1000 per hour attorneys lending free advice. Decker and Raftery called on their years of experience to point out the pitfalls that can derail a golf operation for a day, for a season or even for good.
Both counselors agreed that risk can come from a variety of directions; errant golf shots, harassment claims, employee injuries and many more incidents and accidents present a challenge for the day-to-day operations. Much of the discussion addressed the idea that the best protection for operators is preparation. While smaller operators may not have the resources to keep in-house counsel on the payroll, they can still be proactive about educating themselves on the risks they face and having a roster of trusted legal counsel that can be called upon when the need arises.
The session was truly interactive, with one of the most interested and engaged audiences that I have ever seen at any conference anywhere. It was a moderator's dream to have the level of expertise on the stage that we had and the involvement of the audience that clearly had a stake in the subject matter. One of the themes that emerged from the interaction with the room was the role that organizational culture played in risk mitigation. Having employees that are trained to be proactive in preventing risky situations before they develop is a tactic that every operator can employ no matter what size they are. And in the event something does happen at the property, the response of the on-course staff can be key in determining whether an issue is mitigated via an apology or a deposition.
As the Allstate guy says, mayhem is out there waiting to rear its ugly head in the lives of golf course operators. But with a combination of strategies that includes having up to date information about the laws that affect them, access to competent counsel and a trained workforce, operators can navigate difficult situations with a minimum negative impact on the business.
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