_Sept/inthetrenches.jpg "In the Trenches")
By Steve Donahue
Like his father and grandfather before him, Manny N. Francis, Jr., employs a hands-on approach to management of Green Harbor
Ben Hogan’s secret was in the dirt. Green Harbor Golf Club’s secret was, and still is, in the grass.
In 1965, Manny L. Francis and his son, Manny N. Francis, purchased land—which includes a non-active cranberry bog—once owned by Daniel Webster in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Born in 1903 on a steamship between Brazil and Portugal, the elder Francis built courses for Donald Ross and possessed a green thumb. The Francis family created a turf nursery, where the patriarch developed a grass he dubbed Vesper Velvet bentgrass.
When the elder Manny designed and built Green Harbor’s first nine holes on the property in 1971 (the back nine opened seven years later), his Vesper Velvet greens became legendary, rolling so true that, at one time, more than 70 New England courses’ putting surfaces featured the grass. Manny L. died in 1995, but Green Harbor’s Vesper Velvet putting surfaces live on, nurtured by Francis’ 48-year-old grandson, Manny N. Francis, Jr., the longtime superintendent.
“I’m lucky and happy I still have Velvet, but you have to stay on top of it or it can grow out of control quickly,” says Manny, Jr., who also assumed daily operational control of Green Harbor this spring when his 79-year-old father, Manny N., was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia. “I’m always amazed how good of a grass Velvet is. If I was forced to change it, I wouldn’t. I’ll always have Velvet.”
Manny N., the club’s stockholder who still lives in the middle of the course, is expected to beat leukemia. He actively ran the business until his diagnosis, and is now focused solely on recovering. The third generation also includes one of Manny, Jr.’s sisters, Kerry Harrington, who oversees accounts receivable and payroll, while Jr.’s wife, Amy, serves as the club’s webmaster and advertising director.
“My father is such a smart businessman,” says Manny, Jr. “He has always said, ‘Keep it simple. They’re here to play golf.’ Now I’m wearing closets full of hats around here. I’m the president and secretary, general manager and course superintendent, which my father and grandfather also were.”
Manny, Jr., spent every day at Green Harbor with his father since age eight, when he picked up cigarette butts around the first tee. He received his first paycheck at 13.
“I’m very proud that we’ve been very successful working together for a long time,” says Manny, Jr. “He was never afraid to get his hands dirty and do the worst job at the club. My workers appreciate that.”
Another Green Harbor legacy is that the club has never had carts. Walking is such a vital part of the course’s DNA that the website features specific statistical benefits of walking.
“My grandfather wasn’t a big fan of golf carts,” says Manny, Jr. “Walking is much healthier and more social. However, it’s tough when longtime golfers can’t physically walk our course anymore and move on to other courses with carts.”
Green Harbor hosts 30,000 to 33,000 rounds annually—which includes a growing amount of nine-hole rounds—compared to nearly 50,000 rounds in its heyday. Still, the business continues to weather major recessions, bad economies, dips in golf’s popularity and time restraints.
“We’ve always offered the personal touch,” explains Manny, Jr. “My father was a great greeter, so there’s always been a family atmosphere. Also, our course doesn’t beat you up. It’s a win-win when you can have fun playing golf and benefit from walking.”
While Manny, Jr., hopes his family continues owning and operating Green Harbor, he’s realistic. He doesn’t believe his sisters would ever want, or financially need, to run the operation. His daughters are only eight and four years old, but he’d love it if one or both eventually wanted the opportunity to serve in some capacity.
“I see myself in the golf business,” says Manny, Jr., “but I have a marketing degree and wouldn’t be afraid to use that some day, so I think there could be a day when the Francis family is out of the golf business. That’s life. We’ll see what the future holds and I’ll enjoy the moments I have now.”
Manny, Jr., misses his multiple daily on-course meetings with his father during his dad’s recovery, but it just makes him work harder to keep Green Harbor’s business humming and Vesper Velvet greens rolling smoothly.
“It’s strange not having my father there to answer questions or provide insight,” says Manny, Jr., “but I’m actually relishing it. When he does get better, I can’t wait for him to get out there and hopefully say, ‘Wow, the place looks great.’ That would mean a lot to me.”
Steve Donahue is a Connecticut-based freelance writer.