Vendor Guidelines

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Have you ever hired an outside company to complete a job? When that company arrived, did they do everything you expected? Did you have to explain a lot of the nuances of your business? Did everything go exactly like you thought it should during the work and after completion? If not, Vendor Guidelines can be the answer.

Vendor Guidelines is a document written by the Club and handed out to all vendors who will be working on club property. The document spells out Club expectations, and was used during this year’s PGA Tour Champions Tournament. The guidelines were written because the high standards of the Club were not met the first year we hosted the tournament.

Some of the expectations included: working hours, ingress and egress routes on the course, the use of the vendor storage compound, the use of club facilities, location of underground utilities, overall safe practices, etc.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

The “Vendor Guidelines” were handed out electronically and in person to all vendors before the PGA Champions Tour event. We wanted all vendors to know what our expectations were before they arrived so they could communicate any concerns to us, and share the club’s expectations with their employees.

The Members’ reactions have been positive because there was less damage to the club’s grounds. The instances of vendors being in member areas were greatly reduced as well. Overall the outcome of using the Vendor Guidelines was good because it minimized the previous year’s issues.