July, 2010 Newsletter

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ASSOCIATION NEWS
From the Indiana Golf Course Owners Association
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Board of Directors

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ROYAL LINKS CASE
Many INGCOA members and others scammed by Royal Links now have the opportunity to complete a Victim Impact Statement to help the Department of Justice determine victim impact and potential restitution.

The US Department of Justice filed an indictment in US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against Robin Flaum, Royal Links President, and Daniel Sandwisch, Royal Links co-owner charging them with
"conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud" in connection with a scheme by RLUSA to defraud golf courses and leasing companies.

In May, Flaum and Sandwisch pled guity to charges of conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud. The Judge has ordered the Probation Department to prepare a pre-sentence investigation including sections on victim impact and restitution. Click here for a copy of the Victim Impact Statement.

Sentencing scheduled for August, 2010 has been delayed allowing golf course owners time to complete the Victim Impact Statement to be considered by the Judge in the sentencing process.   Completed Statements may be faxed to: Terri Greene, Victim/Witness Coordinator, US Attorney's Office - Northern Ohio at 216.685.2378.

INGCOA MEMBER REPORTS SUBSTANTIAL PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS
Tony Krebs, PGA,, Owner of Black Squirrel Golf Club in Goshen, Indiana recently reported success with a six year property tax assessment contest.

In a June letter Tony states, "A group of course owners led by Linda Rogers and Randy Ballinger took up the fight on behalf of our state course owners. They became our highly underpaid, but extremely effective lobbyists. For two years they wrote letters and button-holed legislators in Indianapolis, trying to convince them our property tax laws needed to be reformed. The new law has already saved me nearly $50,000 on my 2009 and 2010 tax bills, which I intend to use for some badly needed turf equipment.  I'm thankful for the efforts of Linda, Randy and others at the state level as well as the NGCOA at the national level. There's a lot of things you can accomplish when you're of one mind and one voice, as we proved in Indiana."

THE NEW HIRE ACT MAY MEAN BENEFITS FOR YOU
The HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in March, 2010. The new legislation allows for some opportunities for business and payroll tax relief for hiring and retaining new workers. See how you may benefit ...... more

JOIN US FOR THE INGCOA ANNUAL GOLF OUTING

Ben Weaver, PGA with Prestwick Country Club will be our host for a fine day of golf, games, food and camaraderie on Monday, August 2nd in Avon - just 15 minutes west of Indianapolis.

This year we've added a unique twist with a Special Round Table Discussion starting at 11:00 a.m. Enter the topic most concerning to you when you register online at: www.ingcoagolf.org. Click on the Event Calendar. Individual golfers welcome; we'll pair you for a great team! $90 per person, $360 per foursome. Meet other course owners, talk about current business situations and go home richer for the experience. Register now.

News from NGCOA
The NGCOA library is now available for members.  Download books, reports, GOLF BUSINESS past issues, and conference session recordings as e-downloads at no charge. Visit the library.....more

INGCOA members receive free admission for a family of four to attend the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin August 9-15, 2010. Just show your NGCOA membership card .... more

PARTICIPATE IN THECOMPENSATION AND BENEFITS STUDY
The National Golf Course Owners Association and The National Club Association gather data every two years to provide a Compensation and Benefits Study - an important business tool for members.  The Report includes details on compensation for 29 job descriptions broken down by facility classification, tax status, number of holes, annual gross revenue and geographic region. In addition, there is information on employee benefits including insurance, vacation days, and retirement plans. See how you compare after dramatic economic fluctuations have brought changes in compensation and benefits. By participating in the current study you receive a detailed , customized, comparison showing how your key positions compare with other
respondents. NGCOA offers a secure website where participants can complete the information .... more

SAVE THE DATE
Mark your calendars now to attend the INGCOA Annual Conference Thursday, November 11th. We're working on a great program. Watch for more details

P.O. Box 636 Monticello, Indiana 47960 765.490.5997

www.ingcoagolf.org