The golf maintenance staff at Reynolds Lake Oconee feels perfectly at ease with its equipment of choice to maintain six challenging courses.
Taking care of a vast, sprawling property that boasts 117 holes on six challenging golf courses and 135,000 rounds of golf annually is no small task. But that’s the mission at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.—and the leaders of the property’s golf staff know there is one clear-cut way to make it succeed. They have complete confidence in the John Deere turf equipment they use each day, and in the people that supply them with that equipment.
“It’s all about expectations,” says Lane Singleton, Vice President of Agronomy at Reynolds Lake Oconee, “and we know what to expect.”
The property hasn’t always been a golfing mecca. Reynolds Lake Oconee (rebranded this year after being known for many years as Reynolds Plantation) was originally established almost 100 years ago as a private hunting and fishing retreat, called Linger Longer, by the Reynolds family, which made its fortune in the early 20th century with business ventures that included an invention to solidify cottonseed oil.
In 1979, Georgia Power completed Lake Oconee to produce hydroelectric energy in the area, and the property found itself with more than 300 miles of shoreline on a manmade lake that was ideal for fishing and boating. The Reynolds family then decided to turn their 10,000-plus acres of suddenly prime real estate, situated halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, into a recreational oasis that would also attract golfers.
Consistent Comfort
The first of six golf courses, the Plantation, opened in 1988 in the resort community that now includes pedestrian trails, marinas, a tennis center, swimming pools, and restaurants. To further entrench its position as an enticing getaway, Reynolds teamed up with the Ritz-Carlton brand in April 2002 to open a 251-room lodge on the property.
Two years later, Reynolds started its long-standing relationship with John Deere to maintain its golf courses and the surrounding residential communities. “John Deere has a large percentage of the market in Georgia, and that says a lot,” notes Singleton.
The property’s golf course maintenance crews now rely almost exclusively on John Deere equipment that includes fairway mowers; walk-behind and riding greens mowers; rotary mowers; trim and surround mowers for the roughs and around the greens, bunkers, and approaches; tractors; sprayers; and utility vehicles to transport people and products around the golf courses.
The reel mowers provide precision cuts to enhance the performance and aesthetics of the turf at the high-end golf facility, while the hybrid equipment minimizes the threat of hydraulic leaks. “There are other options available, but we prefer John Deere,” states Singleton. “John Deere equipment makes up 98% of our fleet.”
The affinity for John Deere equipment, Singleton explains, is rooted in how it offers consistency and reliability—qualities that provide an important level of comfort when it comes to maintaining the golf courses. “Comfort is a hard thing to get away from when you’ve had such consistency with the equipment,” he says.
And despite the changes that have occurred at the property through the years, the relationship between Reynolds and John Deere has remained consistent.
“[It] started out like a lot of our relationships in the golf business,” reports Robert Jeske, General Manager of John Deere’s Marketing & Corporate Business Group. “Initially, the relationship was based on our products and our services, but [it] has grown with their management team. We have become a trusted advisor in their overall business plan. We sit down with them and discuss their short-term and long-term plans. The property has gone through ownership changes, but we have remained a close adviser and partner with them. The transition has been seamless.”
According to Mark Lammi, PGA, Vice President of Golf Operations at Reynolds Lake Oconee, those discussions have also involved how Reynolds as a company, destination, and resort community can create programs that are beneficial to both parties. One such program is the acquisition of Reynolds Lake Oconee’s turf equipment. While Reynolds has leased and purchased John Deere equipment through the years, the property currently has a four-year lease for its heavily used turf equipment. “Some equipment, especially daily-use equipment, has a shelf life,” explains Singleton.
He appreciates this business arrangement because leasing gives him fixed costs in his budget and access to reliable warranties. In addition, he says, the prices are competitive, and at the end of the lease, Reynolds can replenish its fleet as it ages with new equipment that boasts the latest technological advances. All of these factors are vital at a warm-weather property like Reynolds, which has a year-round golf season.
Only the Beginning
Of course, Reynolds and John Deere personnel don’t just get in touch when the equipment lease is about to expire. John Deere also prides itself on helping customers reach their business objectives. Reynolds Lake Oconee has an ongoing maintenance and service plan for its fleet, which helps to augment and supplement the property’s operational plans. “Our relationship just starts when that new equipment shows up at a facility,” Jeske says.
A John Deere mobile technician services the machinery with checkups at regular intervals that are conducted in tandem with the Reynolds Lake Oconee course superintendents and equipment technicians. “We try to customize a service and support plan that matches their management and labor plan,” Jeske explains. “We can offer support that helps them get through tough times. And we modify the service and support plan every year.”
While the corporate staff members have the responsibility of developing and creating products for their dealers to sell, they also work with their dealers to help them deliver world-class service. “All of our sales and services are delivered through our dealers,” says Jeske. “They are the largest and most significant piece of the equation.”
Singleton agrees. “Our local distributor has been fantastic from a service standpoint, and the John Deere equipment speaks for itself. It’s very reliable,” he reveals. “There’s not a week throughout the year that a service technician is not on the property. And it’s not because we’re having that many problems. We’re just well taken care of. Our relationship with John Deere corporate and with John Deere Golf has been strengthened by the ties and relationship with our distributor.”
Parts are usually delivered the next day, Singleton notes, and training on the use of the equipment is also a key component of the relationship. “We have had John Deere equipment in-house for a long time, and a lot of our equipment managers and technicians have been with us for a long time,” he notes. “Training is imperative with any piece of equipment.”
While most of the Reynolds Lake Oconee technicians are familiar with the equipment, Singleton says, John Deere is always willing to provide training. “All of our equipment managers and technicians visit the John Deere school once a year, to keep up-to-date with changing technologies,” he reports.
World-Class Facilities
John Deere personnel don’t just visit Reynolds Lake Oconee to make sales or service calls. The company also entertains clients at the resort or holds meetings or events there for its own personnel. In November, the company held its annual John Deere World Championship on the Great Waters and Oconee courses. The tournament, the company’s marquee event in its golfing sport segment, is designed to show appreciation to its best customers from around the world.
It also provided an opportunity for dealers to bring prospective customers to a John Deere event and show them how the equipment works. About 200 people attended the three-day event, which included a “Big Break”-type contest on the first day and two days of golf competition. “We let the event take the customers and dealers on a journey of learning more about John Deere,” says Jeske.
People were welcome to come early or stay past the event’s conclusion to enjoy the property’s other amenities such as Lake Oconee; The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee; and the spa, reports Jeske. “The property itself is such a unique opportunity for our guests to enjoy a world-class event,” he adds. “They leave with great memories of the venue.”
Reynolds Lake Oconee enjoyed benefits as well. “It’s a great revenue infusion for a month like November,” reveals Lammi. In addition, he notes, “other business people who come here might want to join Reynolds Lake Oconee or purchase property here.”
John Deere also provides the Reynolds teams with resources for other events. In February, Reynolds Lake Oconee held an educational seminar for Professional Golf Association members and golf course superintendents. Singleton, a Board member of the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, and Lammi, a Georgia PGA section board member, knew just where to go for help organizing the event.
“We needed sponsors, and Lane went right to [our distributor in] Greenville, and they were willing to step up,” says Lammi. “They support our professional associations as well as our company, and that means a lot to us.”
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