Superintendents are relying on new varieties of greens mowers that are sturdier, quieter, and easier to use than previous models.

The faster the greens, the better, as far as many golfers are concerned—and proper greens-mowing techniques are one of the most effective ways to satisfy their need for speed.

From playability to speed, it’s all about the greens. And to get the best possible playing conditions on their putting surfaces, golf course superintendents are constantly searching for any advantage to keep their greens a cut above.

From changing grasses to turning to new mowing equipment or strategies, superintendents have employed a variety of techniques to achieve consistent putting conditions on their courses.

Surface Warfare
Many Southern golf course properties have converted from bentgrass to Bermuda greens in recent years. At Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) in Johns Creek, Ga., for instance, Champion Ultradwarf Bermuda greens were installed on its Highlands Course, site of the 2011 PGA Championship, in 2009.

“It was one of the best things we’ve ever done. It gave us the best playing conditions for the most months for our membership,” says Certified Golf Course Superintendent Ken Mangum, Director of Golf Courses and Grounds at AAC.

And the property might not be finished making changes to its greens yet. Mangum reports that the conversion of the greens from bentgrass to Bermuda is under consideration for the club’s Riverside Course as well. Both courses will be used when the U.S. Amateur Championship is decided at AAC in August of 2014.

“There is no way to have championship conditions on bentgrass in August, so you end up with more times when you can have events,” notes Mangum.

As Mangum notes, the Bermuda greens create the best playing atmosphere and the best conditions during the months that have the most play. More than 6,000 rounds a month are played on AAC’s Highlands Course from April through October. Mangum, who says the Bermuda greens eliminate the need to syringe the greens, finds that the new varieties of Bermuda putting surfaces are easier to maintain in the warm climate than bentgrass greens.

“Bentgrass is in intensive care struggling to survive, and Champion Ultradwarf is at the gym working out and getting stronger,” is how Mangum describes the difference in how the two varieties handle the heat.

Another advantage is that AAC’s crews rarely have to mow the Bermuda greens, which are covered during the winter, in the cold-weather months.

“There is not as much collar damage because you’re not mowing all winter, and we get more winter play on the Bermuda because we don’t have to worry about frost delays,” Mangum notes.

During peak season, the Highlands crew members mow the Bermuda putting surfaces almost every day except Tuesday, when they generally roll the greens.
“It depends on how the grass is growing, whether we double- or single-cut,” Mangum adds.

Atlanta Athletic Club’s conversion to Bermuda greens “gave us the best playing conditions for the most months,” says Director of Golf Courses and Grounds Ken Mangum.

Need for Speed
At Potowomut Golf Club in East Greenwich, R.I., which has bentgrass greens mixed with poa annua, the maintenance staff mows the greens every day when the weather allows it.

“Everyone wants green speed today; it’s what makes the game fun,” says Patrick Gertner, CGCS. “Golfers want the ball to roll like it’s on an airline tarmac.”

According to Gertner, the crew will double-mow occasionally for special events and tournaments. “We don’t mess with heights much,” he adds. “We set them early in the year and leave them, but we might increase them in the summer if it gets hot.”

Potowomut keeps its mowing height at about .105 inches during the season.

“We can’t go any lower because of the contour,” says Gertner. “We would lose pin positions and have slower rounds.”

The property increases the height of cut in the late fall and winter to build up the root system, but drops it quickly in mid-April or May.

“All year long, our goal is to get the greens through to the next summer,” Gertner reveals.

A Good Walk
At AAC, Mangum says the mowing heights for Riverside’s bentgrass greens differ from the height of cut on the Bermuda greens. “The height of cut is relative to the equipment you’re using,” he adds.

Ken Mangum, CGCS, Director of Golf Courses and Grounds, Atlanta Athletic Club

AAC’s maintenance crews now use quiet, hybrid walk mowers that are driven by alternators, rather than by hydraulics, on both golf courses.

“The reel goes fast, which gives a better cut,” notes Mangum. “We can almost double-cut in one pass.”

AAC has used these mowers since 2010, acquiring the first 12 off the assembly line. “I do a lot of prototype testing,” Mangum says. “Each facility has its own staff and equipment for day-to-day operations.”

Citing another advantage of the Bermuda greens over the bentgrass greens, Mangum notes, “We have two years of documentation that we have saved more than $60,000 a year with the Bermuda greens.” For example, he explains, the bentgrass greens require more fungicides and the use of more fans.

Built to Last
At Potowomut GC, the course maintenance crew also uses walk mowers on its greens, and Gertner says he looks for models that are heavy, stable, and easy to use.

“We can train our weekend crews, and after three or four sessions, they can be on their own,” he says.

Of course, the quality of cut is a major consideration as well.

“I’m a quality guy. I will buy a better piece of equipment rather than a cheaper piece of equipment,” notes Gertner. “We try to find pieces that will last.”

Walk mowers, rollers and other specialized equipment enhance consistency of roll.

In addition, Potowomut staff members roll the greens three or four times a week to increase the speed, and they also apply regulators to suppress growth and get as much roll as possible out of the ball. Gertner says he has used growth regulators for 15 or 20 years, but new, improved products help reduce the amount of poa on the greens.

Keeping the mowers in proper working order is an important component of golf course mowing strategies as well. The AAC equipment staff checks its mowers every day, making adjustments and sharpening the reels as needed.

A mechanic also checks the Potowomut mowers every day,  to ensure that the cut quality is up to standards.

“While the crew is mowing, he’s out there observing them, to make sure there are no problems,” Gertner says. “My mechanic is very adept at keeping the mowers the way they should be. If the mowers aren’t right, then our members aren’t being served.”

The Potowomut maintenance staff also sanded the aluminum rear drive rollers, which had become scratched and scuffed after years of use, on each greens mower this winter. On his blog, Gertner revealed that these slight imperfections could have injured the collars while the mowers were being turned. In addition, the greens mowers now are stored on thick rubber mats in the shop, to prevent further scuffing of the drive rollers.

Practice Areas Made Perfect
Of course, the golf courses themselves are not the only areas at a property that need detailed attention to stay in top condition. Caring for the turf at state-of-the-art practice facilities, which are becoming more and more commonplace at upscale courses, requires time and manpower as well.

Special care of drive rollers can help to prevent scuffing that can injure collars as mowers are turned.

AAC has a separate six-member crew to maintain its 25-acre practice area, which includes six greens and four tees.

“The practice facility is the first thing that people see when they come to the golf course, and we put the same emphasis on it as we do on everything else,” says Mangum.

In addition to the 18-hole golf course at Potowomut, the staff maintains a five- to six-acre practice area. “We’re one of the few golf courses in Rhode Island that has a practice area,” notes Gertner. The practice area includes a driving range, four practice tees, a chipping green, a bunker and a 10,000-sq. ft. turf nursery, and the crew mows it as needed. “We maintain it just as we maintain our other greens,” Gertner notes.

Changing Trends
Gertner, who has worked at Potowomut since 2005, has been in golf course maintenance since 1978 and has seen a number of changes through the years. For example, he says, mowing heights are much lower now, and greens are cut more frequently. Mowers are heavier than they once were, he says, and more varieties of the equipment are available as well.

Mangum, who has spent more than 24 of his 40 years in the golf course maintenance business at AAC, says he has seen changes in mowing philosophies come full circle.

“I’ve seen it go from using walk mowers, then triplexes, and then swing back to walk mowers,” he reveals. However, he adds, some properties might use triplex mowers during tougher economic times. “You can get a good quality of cut with triplexes, but you run into turning issues that create wear and tear on the collars,” he notes.

Greens-mowing philosophies have cycled back in favor of walk mowers, rollers and other specialized equipment.

Gertner is all too aware of the detrimental effects mowers can have on collars around the greens. This season, his crew is going to start using plastic lattice material on the collars to lessen the stress on the turf and protect it from the grinding motion of their walk mowers when turning the machinery.

The collars around the greens are the most difficult areas of the golf course to maintain, notes Gertner, because they receive additional traffic from mowing, rolling, and topdressing.

While the new technique may add to the time and expense, he believes it will be well worth the cost. Keeping the greens healthy is more important than saving time, labor and fuel costs, he says. “We try to save our turf more than anything,” Gertner explains.

The development of new varieties of Bermuda grass such as Champion Ultradwarf also has led to improvements in greens maintenance.

“We’re not overseeding anymore, and we can cover [the greens] in the winter to protect them from cold temperatures,” notes Mangum. “They give us a putting surface that’s better than bentgrass, and they give us summer playability that we’ve never had before.”

Portland (Ore.) Golf Club

Legendary golfers and prestigious events are integral to the history of Portland Golf Club, which is gearing up for its 100th anniversary—and a course-and-grounds team, led by a superintendent who is well-schooled in tradition, is properly preserving the past while preparing for new chapters to come.

The list of legendary golfers who have strolled the fairways of Portland (Ore.) Golf Club (PGC) in its first 100 years reads like a Who’s Who of the game: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Payne Stewart, Kathy Whitworth, Nancy Lopez, and many more.

When a group of nine businessmen assembled to form the new club in 1913, they launched a long history of holding international competitions, from a PGA Championship to the Ryder Cup, at the site. PGC’s first nine holes opened for play on May 30, 1914, and plans ranging from golf tournaments and 100th anniversary logos on merchandise, to black-tie events and a $3 million clubhouse renovation, are already underway for next year’s centennial celebration.

“The history is such an integral part of Portland Golf Club,” says General Manager Greg Hoover. “The club saved the Ryder Cup after World War II, and so many legends of golf have played our course. We take great pride in being part of such a historic property, and the golf course is our number-one asset.”

Golf Scorecard Portland Golf Club Portland (Ore.) Golf Club Website: www.portlandgolfclub.com Golf Holes: 18 Designer: George Turnbull; Robert Trent Jones (1950) Property Type: Private No. of Members: 450 Year Opened: 1914 Golf Season: High season, April–October; low season, November–March Annual Rounds: 30,000 Fairways: Poa Annua Greens: Poa Annua

The Dorn Identity
That pride in PGC’s tradition and heritage started with its original members, who labored to burn brush, level fairways and form greens to build the golf course a century ago. And today’s staff is just as vested in the club’s distinguished history.

Golf Course Superintendent Jason Dorn, who came to PGC in 2011 from the historic Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., where he was Superintendent of the Upper Course, was attracted to the position by the Oregon club’s venerable past.

Dorn’s background at Baltusrol, which has played host to 16 national championships on its two 18-hole Upper and Lower championship courses, including seven U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, has given him a deep appreciation for golf’s rich history. He also gained valuable tournament-preparation experience during the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to work at a place that’s hosted the events both places have had, with the players who have walked down [both courses’] fairways,” says Dorn.

Working under Certified Golf Course Superintendent Mark Kuhns, Baltusrol’s Director of Grounds and a past President of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Dorn was well-prepared for his first position as a head superintendent when he assumed the reins at Portland GC.

“Mark has had a tremendous influence on my career; I owe everything to him,” Dorn says. “More than anything else, he ingrained in me passion and the importance of hard work. He tried to give you a sense of home at the workplace, and I’ve tried to carry that on in my own management style.”

Portland GC General Manager Greg Hoover

Like Kuhns, Dorn also values attention to detail and understands the importance of providing impeccable golf course conditions every day. At the same time, he is forging his own identity as a superintendent.

Dorn’s biggest adjustments to overseeing course conditions in his current time zone have been the need to tend to turfgrass all season long, and to maintain poa annua on the West Coast, as opposed to bentgrass on the East Coast. In addition, he now deals with disease pressures only in the fall, spring and winter.

“There’s no disease pressure in the summer,” he says. “It’s nice to have 50-degree nights.”

Paying attention to tree issues has been a top priority at the Oregon property as well. With about 3,000 trees at Portland GC, the golf course maintenance staff has a comprehensive program in place to monitor and treat the trees for disease.

Water usage is another environmental concern as well. “We recycle water when we wash equipment. Our wash pad collects, treats and cleans the water,” reports Dorn.

In addition, the staff tests Fanno Creek, which runs through the property, every two years. “We test it at the entrance and exit to the property, to make sure the water quality is up to standards,” Dorn adds.

Portland GC has also spent $200,000 on a new golf course drainage system this year, as part of an ongoing project.

“These drains are bigger and last longer,” explains Hoover. “They can take the effects of the weather, and they improve the playability of the course. We’re always looking for ways to improve the course.”

Rescuing the Ryder Cup In 1947—two years after he shot what still stands as a course-record 63 at Portland Golf Club en route to winning the Portland Open, and a year after capturing the PGA Championship on the same course—Ben Hogan came back to PGC and led the Americans to a Ryder Cup rout over the British team at the historic course. Ben Hogan (far right) started a remarkable three-year run at PGC with a 63 that still stands as the course record. The true hero of that match, however, may have been Portland GC President Robert Hudson. The Oregon fruit grower and canner most likely saved the Ryder Cup that year when he came forward to bankroll Great Britain’s travels to America, after the financially strapped team could not afford to make the trip because of the costs of World War II. The Ryder Cup had not been contested for 10 years because of pre-war tensions and wartime strife, and after the war finally ended, America and Great Britain longed for normalcy—and the resumption of golf. Hudson, also a member of the PGA Advisory Committee from 1946-68, offered Portland GC as a host site. He met the British team in New York when the players arrived on the Queen Mary, and joined them for a 3-1/2-day rail journey to the Pacific Northwest. Food rationing was still in effect in Great Britain at the time, and following the event, Hudson sent Christmas baskets of food to all members of the British team and others he met in 1947, and again in 1951. Following the Ryder Cup at PGC, the PGA of America’s Tournament Bureau scheduled as many exhibition matches as possible throughout the nation for the British team. Taking the cue from Hudson, the Professional Golfers Association of Great Britain also started to build funding for the event on its own. So perhaps Hudson is also to “blame” for facilitating the full rebound that players from the UK have made—and for their contributions toward recent defeats of the U.S. in Ryder Cup competition, as part of the European team.

Dorn is also working toward obtaining Audubon certification for PGC, a process that will take several years to complete. Another item on his to-do list is to develop an intern program similar to the one at Baltusrol, with an emphasis on career advancement and education.

Now that he is a head superintendent, Dorn has found that he must deal with more off-course concerns as well. These new responsibilities require an adjusted schedule, to allow for “the amount of time I spend away from the golf course dealing with things other than turf problems,” ranging from permitting issues to keeping neighbors happy.

All told, Dorn feels his duties at the two golf courses are more alike than different. “There are different challenges, but at the end of the day, we’re still trying to do the same thing,” he notes. “It’s not easier or harder, just different challenges.”

On Camera
While communicating with the surrounding community is an important part of golf course operations at PGC, keeping in close contact with the membership is even more vital. Thanks to a suggestion by the club’s Golf Committee, the department heads have found an innovative way to connect with the members.

Shortly after Dorn and Head Golf Professional Tim Hval joined the staff two years ago, they, along with Hoover, made videos and posted them on YouTube. The short takes allowed them to introduce themselves to the membership and share golf course etiquette tips. The Portland GC website has a link to the videos as well.

“Since there had been some turnover in my position and the golf pro position, we thought it would be a good opportunity for members to see our faces and to get to know us,” explains Dorn. “With today’s technology, we have that opportunity. Getting to know the members is a big part of the job, and this is a good way to do that. When they recognize our faces, they’re more inclined to come up to us and say ‘hi.’ ”

A hand-held camera was used to film videos describing the proper way to replace divots and repair ball marks, as well as to explain the need to avoid driving on wilting grass. “The videos help educate our members about the proper use of the golf course. Sometimes doing it in video form is a lot easier than printed instructions,” notes Hoover.

Touching Base
Hoover also stays in close contact with Dorn and Hval via e-mail, text and telephone. The property has staff meetings once every two weeks, and Dorn, Hoover, and Hval stop by each other’s offices once or twice a week to touch base. Hoover also has lunch with the two men every week, to discuss golf issues that might not apply to other department heads.

“Greg gives us a good amount of freedom to run our departments, but staff meetings help us work things out and we can get information out through committee meetings,” reports Dorn. “And Tim will have feedback from the golfers about the condition of the golf course.”

Hval also shares information about details such as bunkers that don’t have enough sand in them, or improperly working water fountains. Dorn, in turn, keeps Hval in the loop about planned maintenance activities. “I can inform him, and he can have a more informed response for the golfers,” Dorn adds. “We try to maintain champion conditions on a daily basis.”

The membership—which includes third-generation member Ben Crane, a four-time PGA Tour winner who learned the game as a PGC junior golfer—takes its role to heart in ensuring that the course stays in top condition as well.

“Our members police the golf course pretty well,” notes Hval. “We make sure we listen to our members. Perception is reality, and taking care of the members is our number-one priority.”

Portland (Ore.) Golf Club

To give the golfers the finest experience possible, the staff might provide chilled towels on the course when the thermometer climbs above 85 degrees, or take hot coffee to golfers on colder days.

Hval, who was born and raised in the area, is well aware of the property’s rich history, and realizes the significance of upholding Portland GC’s reputation in the community.

“The whole golf experience is extremely important for our members and guests, from the time they pull into the parking lot until the time they leave,” says Hval. “The course has to be in tip-top shape.”

Lobbyist Michael Dugan (left) worked with John Garcia (center) and Scott Ramsay of the Connecticut superintendents’ association to help gain exemptions from proposed regulations.

The Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents has earned accolades for its tireless efforts in government advocacy.

This year, the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents (CAGCS) won the 2013 Excellence in Government Relations Award from the national Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) for its persistent advocacy on behalf of the golf industry.

In 2010, the association worked to prevent the Connecticut state legislature from passing stream-flow standards and regulations that would impose significant financial hardships on golf courses statewide. It then swung back into action after Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) proposed a ban on all fertilizers containing phosphorus to any established lawns, including golf courses.

By mobilizing its membership and forming alliances with other golf organizations in the state, the CAGCS showed in both cases how the proposed regulations could result in golf course closings and lost jobs. The chapter also benefited from the relationship it built with DEEP, when the two entities worked together to create “Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Golf Course Water Use.”

Certified Golf Course Superintendent Eric Morrison, Manager of Shennecossett Golf Course and Parks Maintenance in Groton, Conn., and CAGCS Secretary, nominated his chapter for the national GCSAA award.

“I just thought what we had accomplished deserved recognition,” says Morrison, who recently spoke with C&RB about the CAGCS’s lobbying actions.

Q: What would the new stream-flow standards and regulations have required golf courses to do?

A: The new regulations would have reclassified all of the waterways in the state, and they were going to require golf courses that used more than 50,000 gallons of water per day to apply for new diversion permits. The amount of information that golf courses would have to provide would have been a burden to some clubs.

Q: What kind of financial hardships would the standards have imposed on golf courses?

A: Clubs would have had to spend a lot of money hiring people such as hydrologists and lawyers. Some of these clubs might not have been able to afford it, and some clubs had already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to meet the standards. We knew it would cost clubs a good amount of money, depending on which waterway they were drawing out of.

Q: How did the BMPs for Golf Course Water Use exempt golf courses from the standards?

The Connecticut Section PGA’s Morrison Award was named after Shennecossett GC Manager Eric Morrison, CGCS (right), to honor those who emulate the spirit of the Connecticut Senior Open, which has been held at Morrison’s course for 15 years. Morrison was presented with the inaugural award in 2012 by Tom Hantke of the Connecticut PGA.

A: We knew what was coming down the pipeline, so we tried to work with the DEEP to develop BMPs for water use. We wanted to come up with a manual or document about water usage, to show that we were already using water wisely before the state legislature came down with new legislation.

Q: How did you use your state golf association’s economic impact study to make your case?

A: The Connecticut State Golf Association (CSGA) worked closely with us. We formed a golf alliance in the state, and they came up with the numbers and the economic study for us to demonstrate to the legislature the importance of the golf industry in the state. The numbers showed how much money golf brings in and how many jobs it provides. Those are pretty powerful numbers, and the economic impact and jobs were good points for us.

Q: How did you mobilize the CAGCS membership to exempt golf courses from the new standards?

A: Our President at the time, John Garcia, and Government Relations Chair, Scott Ramsay, CGCS, did a lot of the legwork, along with Michael Dugan, our lobbyist. We e-mailed members and tried to get them to write letters to their representatives. I think 67 people submitted written testimony, and 28 members of our association went to the public hearing. At the hearing, 11 of them provided verbal testimony. We demonstrated that we were not going to just let the new regulations go through, and were going to fight for what we felt was in our best interests.

Q: What’s the key to lobbying successfully?

A: I think you have to have power in numbers. It was very eye-opening to the legislators when we showed up and had a lot of people behind us. But obviously, we couldn’t have done it without our lobbyist. We weren’t sure how long we would be able to afford to keep him, but the CSGA helped us with the finances.

Q: What kind of relationship does the CAGCS have with the state DEEP?

A: We have to do all of our reporting to them every year, so before all of this came down, we had a good working relationship with them. Going forward, I think they understand that golf in Connecticut provides big economic benefits in the state. They also see that we’re stewards of the environment, we have a proven track record, and we’re not trying to hide anything.

Q: What kind of testimony did you present about the use of fertilizers containing phosphorus?

A: As is often the case, the proposed legislation was targeted to homeowners, who are not trained in its use. We emphasized that we’re professional and are trained to know when to use phosphorus and how much to use. We described the importance of phosphorus when establishing new turf and stressed that we’re not just blowing it all over the place.

Q: What kind of concessions about fertilizer usage were you able to get from the state legislature?

A: The legislature tried to rewrite the legislation with the stipulations that we couldn’t apply fertilizers containing phosphorus between December 1 and March 15, and that we couldn’t apply any within 20 feet of a water body. But we showed up again to make our case, and ended up getting the full exemption for golf.

Shennecossett Golf Course, Groton, Conn.

Q: What does it mean that your chapter won the Excellence in Government Relations Award?

A: I think it’s a huge feather in our cap. It shows the work that we’ve done, and proves that we’re environmental stewards. It’s important for the public to know that we’re not trying to abuse the environment, and that we are probably meeting a lot of these requirements anyway.

Q: What advice would you give to other superintendents about effective government advocacy?

A: You really need to be proactive as an association. Talk to local reporters to get the word out about how golf courses enhance the environment, by providing wildlife habitats and as recreational spots where people can enjoy themselves for a few hours.

Q: How did you organize the first Connecticut Golf Day?

A:  We had our first Golf Day in the capital last year. The CAGCS, CSGA and other allied state golf associations worked together. We set up booths and had informal meetings with legislators. We didn’t have an agenda per se with the legislators that day. We hope to have our second annual Golf Day this year.

Q: What did it accomplish?

A: Overall, the legislators are aware of golf’s presence in the state now. If they’re trying to produce widespread legislation that affects our industry, we’re going to have a call to action that protects our industry. We know how to organize and be proactive, and we’re going to be. The golf industry has been unfairly targeted, and it has a bad reputation. But this served as a stepping stone for us.

Q: How important is it to present a united front to lawmakers about issues that affect the golf industry?

A:  I think it’s really important. Before we had the golf alliance, we had all of these little associations doing their own thing. Anything that affects the golf industry affects everyone involved, including golf course owners, golf pros, general managers and superintendents. It affects our livelihoods and our jobs. Together we can show that golf affects the economy in the state. We can also create more awareness to show how it trickles down to everyone who is employed in the industry. Superintendents are probably more aware than other people in the business, because we have to file documents such as annual pesticide-use reports and water-diversion reports with the state.

The Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster, Colo.

Superintendents have to watch where and how they use the “C” and “F” words—but at the same time be more forceful in dispelling myths and
misconceptions about chemical and fertilizer applications.

Satisfying golfers’ expectations about course conditions, while at the same time following environmentally sensitive maintenance practices, has become a delicate balancing act for golf course superintendents. While turf professionals cannot maintain their properties without chemical and fertilizer inputs, growing scrutiny from the general public—many times based on misinformation that must be corrected as part of the process—now dictates that superintendents use these resources judiciously, and transparently.

“We couldn’t maintain the expectations of the community unless we had these inputs available,” says Certified Golf Course Superintendent Jim Ferrin.

“I’m very much a minimalist, but [chemicals and fertilizers] are very important in what we do annually, ” adds Ferrin, who as Golf Course Superintendent and Director of Landscapes for the Sun City Roseville Community Association in Roseville, Calif., oversees maintenance of the community’s common landscapes and 27 holes of golf at the Timber Creek and Sierra Pines courses.

Ken Kirby, Golf Course Superintendent of Hillcrest Golf Club in Durango, Colo., found himself battling local officials and public perception last spring, when he opposed a proposed ordinance that required any city-owned land, including his golf course, to use only organic fertilizers or pesticides.

“We couldn’t go totally organic because it would affect our playing conditions and our costs,” explains Kirby. “Either the public would pay a lot more, or the course was going to suffer.”

He turned to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and its Rocky Mountain chapter for help, and the associations jointly crafted a letter in support of Kirby’s position to present at a city council meeting.

Proponents of the ordinance often cited outdated information to advocate for their cause, Kirby says. “Even when you have cold, hard facts, they just don’t want to hear it,” he adds. “People are going to believe what they want to believe.”

Council members ultimately defeated the ordinance and adopted a resolution, which excluded golf courses, to appropriate general fund monies to establish an Organically Managed Lands Program in selected city parks.

Kirby, who has worked at Hillcrest for 26 years and served as its Superintendent for five years, advises his colleagues in similar situations to “keep fighting the good fight” and to gather information on both sides of the issue. “Don’t take everything at face value,” he recommends.

Sun City Roseville Community Association in Roseville, Calif.

Common-Sense Approach
Of course, nothing beats common sense when it comes to chemical and fertilizer inputs, and superintendents have learned to follow a number of protocols for using the products in the most efficient and cost-conscious ways. First and foremost, safety for crew members, golfers, and wildlife is always a top priority. And safety begins with reading—and following the instructions on—product labels. Equipment should also be calibrated properly, and golf courses should have a good Integrated Pest Management system in place to scout for disease and measure the thresholds for individual properties.

“It is always very important to institute a well-balanced and well-thought-out fertilizer/herbicide/fungicide program to meet the individual needs of each and every golf course,” notes Kirby. “These needs should be based on soil and nutrient conditions or deficiencies, and then used to plot strategy for your best maintenance practices.

“Every course in the country will encounter different scenarios and needs, as no two courses are alike,” he adds. “We should have the ability to use all the tools available to us, to provide optimal turf conditions with minimal impact to the environment, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”

Nevertheless, Kirby keeps inputs to a minimum. He fertilizes the golf course three times a year—once in the spring, summer and fall, and the course has about 25 to 30 acres of unmaintained land between fairways.

“We’re not susceptible to insects and pests in our area. We haven’t applied an insecticide in seven years,” he reports. “We don’t try to kill every bug or weed. A few weeds here and there aren’t going to affect play.”

Proper Protection
Mark Murphy, Superintendent at General’s Ridge Golf Course in Manassas Park, Va., also serves as Director of Environmental Programs for Billy Casper Golf. He cautions technicians to wear proper clothing, including protective suits, goggles, headgear and gloves, when making applications.

“Make sure the weather environment is proper for the application,” he says. “There should be little or no wind, and check for rain in the forecast. Some of the pesticides that are applied require certain temperatures.”

It’s also important, he adds, to make sure the applications have dried before allowing golfers on the course.

“We have a lot of means, measures and technology available, but we also do a lot of soul-searching,” notes Ferrin. He recommends that golf courses use scientifically proven products and minimize exposure to the people and wildlife around the applications. Each day, he follows a written plan of action based on soil tests and potential problems.

“Golf course maintenance is a natural process,” says Ferrin. “If I have healthy soils, I’m not going to have many pests and use a lot of inputs. We adjust, though; some things you can’t predict.”

As Manager of Golf for Westminster, Colo., Lance Johnson, CGCS, oversees two 18-hole courses, The Heritage at Westmoor and Legacy Ridge. Colorado’s dry climate limits the use of fungicides in the state, Johnson says, and Westminster’s use of reclaimed water on the golf courses further reduces the need for fertilizer inputs, because the turf gets many nutrients through the water.

The Westminster maintenance staff conducts soil tests at both golf courses twice a year, as part of revisiting its chemical and fertilizer inputs strategy. “We’re trying to create the healthiest turf possible,” Johnson says. “With soil testing, we know what we need and where we need to apply it. We also save money when we only use what we need.”

Best Buys
Cost efficiency extends to purchasing habits as well, and superintendents typically order chemicals and fertilizers as needed. “We’ve worked out an arrangement with most of our vendors where we can buy in bulk and have it delivered on an as-needed basis,” Johnson says.

While he has the capability to store up to four or five tons of fertilizer in a locked, secure facility if necessary, vendors have adapted to the as-needed delivery pattern, he says.

Jim Ferrin, CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent and Director of Landscapes for the Sun City Roseville Community Association in Roseville, Calif.

Golf courses have also come to use agricultural products, which are more cost-efficient, with greater frequency than synthetic products. “We’ve gone through trial-and-error to determine what’s best,” notes Johnson. “We still have a lot of farmland and ranches in Colorado, and the ag products that work on those properties serve the same purposes for golf courses.”

Murphy also orders products as needed, but General’s Ridge stores chemicals and fertilizer in a secure, separate building that is heated and properly ventilated. When making purchases, he advises superintendents to ensure the products will achieve the desired results for the insect or pathogen they are trying to treat. While generic products might cost less, he adds, they don’t always work as well as name-brand products.

Murphy is willing to try new products he has researched, particularly from major companies. “You know they’ve done the field work and the tests,” he explains. He also talks to salesmen and networks with other superintendents about new products. “I’ll try them on a small area first, instead of making a blanket application,” he reports.

While Ferrin has a close relationship with vendors that represent product manufacturers, he generally does not purchase chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides that are new to the market. “I like to wait for feedback and see how the products are working in other areas of the U. S.,” he explains. “We study things a lot prior to putting anything down.”

Ferrin also tries to minimize orders so he doesn’t have too many products on hand. However, he adds, “Everything we have is inventoried and locked down.”

Decreased Usage, Increased Satisfaction
Johnson, who has been at the Westminster courses almost 20 years, has changed little about chemical and fertilizer inputs since Legacy Ridge, a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP), was built in 1993. As an Audubon Signature Program, The Heritage, built in 1998, has been following eco-friendly practices since it was under construction.

Hillcrest Golf Club in Durango, Colo.

“The plans we’ve had in place have held up; what we’re putting on the golf course is staying where it’s supposed to be,” Johnson says. “We have buffer zones around drainage areas, and we can’t spray within 25 feet of a water body. When someone comes to the golf courses—whether they are a golfer, citizen or businessperson—they can see our certification plaques on the wall. They know what we’re doing is not random.”

The Westminster courses have made at least one change, however. For the last five years, the 13-member crew has used compost applications on the golf courses.

“Compost applications are the only fertilizer source we use for the fairways and rough at Legacy Ridge,” says Johnson. “We do two applications—one in the spring and one in the fall—and we get all the nutrients we need.”

Ferrin, who is in his sixth year at Roseville, says chemical and fertilizer inputs have changed dramatically during the time he has been at Timber Creek and Sierra Pines, which have each earned ACSP certification.

“The inputs have been reduced and the quality and satisfaction with the product we’re producing has improved,” he reports. In addition, he’s learned that “post-emergent products don’t work as well as pre-emergent. Pre-emergent products can attack the problem, and preventative programs use far less product than reactive programs.”

Since he arrived at General’s Ridge two years ago, Murphy has decreased his chemical and fertilizer usage. “We have taken 15 acres of managed turfgrass out of high maintenance,” he explains. “We only mow the area once a year, and it doesn’t receive any chemical treatments.”

Murphy also has seen some industry-wide changes in the 22 years he’s been in golf course maintenance. “Manufacturers have developed more products that will control specific pathogens we may encounter,” he explains. “The products also become safer. Manufacturers have done their homework, and they have taken a lot of harsh metals out of the products.”

Lance Johnson, CGCS, Manager of Golf for the city of Westminster, Colo.

That’s also made it easier for superintendents to join forces with product manufacturers to help properly educate the public about what’s now available and how it’s being used. “Superintendents are environmentally conscious,” notes Ferrin, “and we take pride in being caretakers of the environment.”

Personal Responsibility
From product improvements to new rules and regulations, changes in the golf course maintenance business are inevitable. While superintendents can follow the status of new federal and state regulations on the websites of the GSCAA and local chapters, Johnson believes every superintendent also has a personal responsibility to stay informed by reading monthly periodicals and undergoing additional training.

To stay on top of the latest rules and regulations regarding chemicals and pesticides, Murphy often turns to the Internet. Murphy communicates with fellow superintendents through chat rooms and gets Google alerts about environmental issues and testing on new products. In addition, notes Murphy, all Virginia golf course superintendents must meet the criteria to become a Nutrient Management Certified Planner by 2017.

As a property that has earned certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, General’s Ridge also tries to inform the general public about its environmental initiatives through programs such as “Audubon Monday.” As part of this weekly program, the golf course puts up signs about some of its eco-friendly practices. Permanent signs at environmentally sensitive areas keep golfers in the know as well. In addition, the property holds community outreach meetings four times a year.

Mark Murphy, Superintendent, General’s Ridge Golf Course, Manassas Park, Va.

General’s Ridge also participates in the Environmental Institute for Golf’s Rounds 4 Research program, through which golf facilities donate rounds of golf to be auctioned online, to generate funds for turfgrass research (“Well-Rounded Program,” C&RB, November 2012).

As Co-Chairman of the California GCSA Government Relations Committee, Ferrin meets with state and federal officials about chemical input issues and reports to his association constituents about rules and regulations. He also keeps tabs on the federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies to stay current with the latest initiatives, and he says the Sun City Roseville community has “a great relationship” with local government officials. The national GCSAA staff is readily available for guidance and support as well.

“Without their support, our job would be a lot more difficult,” Ferrin says.

In addition, Ferrin has been involved with Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), a national trade association of manufacturers, formulators, distributors, and other industry leaders connected with specialty pesticide and fertilizer products. The association also monitors legislative and regulatory issues in Washington, D.C., and at the state level.

The Club at Viniterra

With a neoclassical Rees Jones design that fits the lay of the land—high ground and little water—The Club at Viniterra harkens back to another era. But at the same time, Viniterra, an 18-hole semi-private facility that opened in 2009 in New Kent, Va. (about 20 miles east of downtown Richmond), also strives to appeal to the modern—and future—golfer.

Golf Scorecard The Club at Viniterra The Club at Viniterra Website: www.viniterragolf.com Golf Holes: 18 Designer: Rees Jones Property Type: Semi-private Year Opened: 2009 Golf Season: Year-round Annual Rounds: 23,000 Fairways: Celebration Bermudagrass Greens: A1-A4 Bentgrass

Already in its young life, the property has had to adapt to contemporary circumstances, in an age when golf course closings are outpacing openings. Part of a gated community of luxury estate home sites and resort cottages, the formerly private club was conceived as an amenity to sell real estate. But once the golf course fully matured, developers opened it for public play last year, out of economic necessity.

The decision has paid off. The number of rounds played has more than doubled in a year’s time, increasing from 9,500 in 2011 to 20,000-plus in 2012. In addition, says Noel Tuck, Vice President of Greenville, S.C.-based Wingfield Properties, Viniterra had a net membership gain of about 25.

Wingfield Properties controls Viniterra Golf Club LLC, which assumed ownership of the property in January from Boddie-Noell’s Kitty Hawk Land Company, after managing it for a year.

“We went into the agreement with the goal of purchasing the property,” says Tuck, who has also served as acting General Manager since Viniterra Golf Club LLC took over management duties.

Embracing the Challenge
The ultimate success of the Viniterra venture, Tuck believes, will depend on a number of factors— including the golf course, which must be well-maintained to draw real estate sales.

“When people come to a golf course, they want their expectations to be met,” explains Tuck. “They look at the quality of the golf course, playability, and how it’s maintained. Viniterra is not the easiest golf course to play, and that’s one of the things that attract people to it. They like the challenge of it.”

A team led by John Marshall, the Director of Golf Course Maintenance who has been at the property since the course was under construction in the spring of 2008, has embraced the challenge of maintaining the grounds.

The golf course routing incorporates a variety of diverse, natural features such as wetlands areas, undulations, and portions of mature, deciduous forest. Ponds and a total of 13 bridges were built at appropriate locations, to provide strategic and aesthetic value. Generous fairways and open approaches to many of the greens are part of the design, while catch basins and grass hollows capture shots that fly over the greens. Frequent and dramatic elevation changes can fluctuate by as much as 70 feet from tee to green on several holes.

Noel Tuck, Vice President, Wingfield Properties and Acting General Manager, The Club at Viniterra

“The course has a nice, rolling feel to it,” notes Marshall. “When you stand on the tee box, it just has this appearance that it’s been there forever.”

Multiple tee angles, combined with a variety of strategically located grass, sand and water hazards, provide flexibility for golfers of all skill levels to enjoy their experience. With a number of tee boxes on each hole (usually five or six), the course is capable of measuring anywhere from 5,200 to 7,725 yards.

“It’s a really player-friendly golf course for any age, male or female,” Marshall adds.

Tuck agrees. “It’s a beautiful and special course that’s well-built and challenging, which leads to it being accepted and liked by the public and members,” he notes.

The grounds crew also maintains the practice area, which includes a 10-acre driving range with tees at both ends, a putting green, and a chipping area with a bunker.

“The driving range was designed for a golf pro to give lessons. It’s set up as a teaching facility,” says Marshall.

Growth Industry
Marshall, who has been involved in five golf course construction projects including Viniterra, has continued the environmentally friendly maintenance practices that were in place when he arrived. He also offered input into the selection of grasses for the course.

He chose Celebration Bermudagrass, which is more drought-resistant and requires less water than typical Bermudagrass varieties, for the rough, tees and fairways. The disease-resistant A1-A4 bentgrass on the greens reduces fertilizer usage and the number of spray applications.

“We have heads on the tees that water inside the tee and throw to the outside of it,” says Marshall. “We can control where we water and the amount that we water. By using the in and out heads around the tees and greens, we cut our water usage by about 50 percent.”

Josh Speight, PGA, Head Golf Professional, The Club at Viniterra

Tall fescue was planted on about 20 acres of the property, and the grass was irrigated until it was established.

“What we try to do is be responsible. We follow all of the state, local and federal laws to a T,” Tuck reveals. “We have a duty to do those kinds of things.”

Because of the terrain, the maintenance staff also maintains many of the areas, especially the bunker faces and greens complexes, by hand.

“We’re trying to provide everybody with the best product we can for the least dollar amount,” reports Marshall. “We’re trying to create and promote memberships and keep the quality of the course up.”

Full of Complements
Fittingly, Viniterra, which loosely translates to “earth wines” or “land of grapes,” is also home to the New Kent Winery, which serves as a complementary amenity to the golf course. The golf course and the winery share some facilities, including a pavilion and an area with a tent for parties and other functions.

“From a marketing and sales standpoint, many of the activities can include aspects of the winery,” says Tuck.

For example, the winery is a popular wedding site, and wedding party members and guests frequently play golf at Viniterra.

Built with eco-friendly materials reclaimed from buildings and structures that were more than a century old, the winery embraces sustainable practices as well. Construction materials include 40-foot heart-of-pine trusses, reprocessed copper, and pre-Civil War brick.

Home construction is underway in the community, and work has begun on design plans for a clubhouse, cart barn and golf course maintenance facility. Other planned amenities include an equestrian complex with bridle and carriage trails, several lakes with walking trails and picnic areas, and a swim and racquet club. In addition, Mirbeau Inn and Spa is under contract to purchase 14 acres of land adjacent to the winery.

Superintendent Profile: John Marshall John Marshall, Superintendent, The Club at Viniterra Education and Training: B.S. in Turfgrass Management, Minor in Landscape Design from the University of Maryland Years at The Club at Viniterra: 4 Years in the Golf Course Maintenance Business: 29 Previous Employment: Kiskiack Golf Club, Williamsburg, Va. Certifications: Pesticide License

Keeping the Peace
One of Virginia’s oldest counties, New Kent was settled by the English and is steeped in history. Capt. John Smith first visited New Kent in 1607, and the church where Martha and George Washington were married still holds services today. Pocahontas, Thomas Jefferson, and General Cornwallis have called New Kent home, and many armies, including American Revolutionary, British, Confederate and Union troops, have marched through the historic county.

But despite the connections with conflicts that have marked New Kent’s past, teamwork is the key to the future success of the county’s newest golf course.

“The underlying foundation of success is good cooperation between the various aspects of a business,” notes Tuck.

Key team members at The Club at Viniterra include Tuck, Marshall and Josh Speight, PGA, Head Golf Professional. They stay in touch with each other on a daily basis about course conditions and when and where players can tee off, and hold a staff meeting once a week to discuss upcoming events.

An ongoing level of cooperation between the pro shop and maintenance staffs is essential to operations, Tuck says. “If the superintendent doesn’t understand how much play we have scheduled each day, he can’t do his job,” he explains. At the same time, he adds, the golf pro’s understanding of the club’s players, and their differing abilities, influences his input into course setup and playability.

“[The pro] has been trained to understand and think about that, while the superintendent looks at things from an agronomy standpoint,” Tuck continues. “They work together to provide a good product to the customer, so their relationship is huge.”

On busy days, the staff tries to make the golf course set up easier to speed up play, and the difficulty is increased on days when fewer tee times are scheduled.

Marshall relies on Speight to point out areas for improvement.

Viniterra loosely translates as “earth wines” or “land of grapes,” and the property includes the New Kent Winery, which shares a pavilion and tent area for parties and functions with The Club at Viniterra golf course.

“After I play the course, I give John feedback from my playing experience regarding green speeds, bunker conditions, hole locations, and all general maintenance,” Speight says. “I feel it’s part of my job to work closely with John and his talented team each day, to ensure that our members and guests play the best possible product and have the finest golf experience in our region.

“It is extremely important for my staff and me to know about daily course maintenance,” he adds. “We are responsible for answering course questions and setting expectations before golfers go out and play.”

The New Realities of the Business
The transition from a private to a semi-private facility has put added emphasis on the importance of smooth cooperation and symmetry between all of The Club at Viniterra’s working parts.

“Golf courses that operate in a semi-private situation have to take care of the members as well as daily-fee players,” Tuck notes. “We have to be conscientious of how every decision we make will affect the private members. It’s a delicate process.”

Adding a management company to the equation only increases the challenge, he acknowledges—but Tuck says having the opportunity to work with The Club at Viniterra’s previous owners has helped to ensure stable and productive day-to-day operations.

“Our history and background has been in golf management and golf development,” Tuck explains. “We came into the project to provide the expertise for transitioning to a semi-private property, which can be frustrating for members if not handled correctly. The members still have to see the management company’s commitment to them.”

Course & Grounds Profile: The Club at Viniterra The Club at Viniterra Staff: Six full-time, 14 seasonal Other Managers: Jason Price, Assistant Golf Course Superintendent; Ramon Macaraeg, Equipment Manager Irrigation System: Toro Network VP; 1,500 heads Water Source and Usage: Man-made lake on property used for irrigation Equipment: Toro, leased Technology: GPS mapping Aerating Schedules: April and September Duties and Responsibilities: Responsible for maintenance and management of golf course and clubhouse grounds; capital and annual budgets

The economy hasn’t been the only reason that golf courses have been closing, Tuck notes—weather conditions, the expense of maintenance, and misunderstanding of what’s involved for proper upkeep and operation have contributed to the reduction of courses as well.

But at Viniterra, he adds, this is all seen as “an opportunity for those of us who understand the business.”

Another plus, he adds, is that newer properties no longer have to worry about another course opening across the street, which was a real concern during the boom years. Instead, they can focus on their management philosophies and the quality of the customer experience.

And at Viniterra, an overriding philosophy is to ensure that the course is maintained in the best possible condition for its golfers, as well as for the surrounding community.

The course and grounds department also understands the importance of that connection. “[The course] helps to draw the homeowners in,” says Marshall. “We want a facility that people who are looking to build will be proud to be a part of. You have to have a product you can sell.”

Of course, there’s an element of personal satisfaction to the team’s pursuit of excellence as well.

“We’re farmers at heart—and every farmer knows he can only farm if he takes care of his property,” says Tuck.

Golf course superintendents are going on the attack in their ongoing battles with the increasingly capricious—and catastrophic—whims displayed by Mother Nature.

Whether it’s due to climate change or simply being at the wrong end of 100-year cycles, club and resort properties have been subject to drastic mood swings from Mother Nature in recent years. And it doesn’t seem to matter where the properties are located on the map. Golf courses across the country have fought extreme heat and drought, record flooding or devastating winds—and in some cases, a steady barrage from a succession of catastrophic weather events.

Golf course superintendents have found themselves on the front lines in this intensifying battle with nature, and they are learning to adapt to a trend that shows no signs of abating anytime soon.

Drought and About
Changing weather patterns have left many courses, such as Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse, N.Y., grappling with drought conditions in recent years. “In the winter of 2011, we had no snow melt up here,” says Peter McPartland, Drumlins’ Golf Course Superintendent. “Right off the bat, we were into a drought.”

Although the course opened earlier than usual because of the weather (March 1, 2012), drought conditions continued from April through the summer. “July was brutal. Temperatures were in the 90s, and it was hot and dry. We also had no humidity,” recalls McPartland.

“We’re on a hill that gets a lot of wind, so it gets dry really fast,” he notes. “The rough was toast.”

Precipitation levels were 12 to 18 inches below normal, and Drumlins, which purchases water from the city, had to increase its paid water usage. The maintenance staff of the 36-hole property, which includes a private and a public course, also had to determine its priorities to deal with the drought conditions. “We had to evaluate what we were watering,” notes McPartland.

The grounds crew placed more emphasis on the private facility than the public course and focused on greens, followed by fairways and tees. The staff also reduced mowing, raised turf heights and applied extra water at night.

“A couple of guys didn’t work for a couple of weeks because of the lack of mowing,” reveals McPartland. However, he notes, the reduced mowing time gave the crew a chance to tackle other projects such as bunker and tee work.

During last summer’s extended drought, surface temperatures of dormant bluegrass in non-irrigated rough areas registered 126º when taken with an infrared thermometer at Rolling Meadows GC in Fond du Lac, Wis.

McPartland, who has worked at Drumlins for four years and as a superintendent in the area for 10, says that while last summer’s drought was the worst he’s ever experienced, the property recovered courtesy of fall rains and cooler temperatures. However, he adds, “if we have another no-snow winter, we’ll be in trouble and have to look for another water source—I hope it was a fluke.”

Wilting in Wisconsin
Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Fond du Lac, Wis., battled drought conditions as well last summer, when, according to Certified Golf Course Superintendent David Brandenburg, rainfall averages were 6 inches below normal.

The crew took care of the greens first and then turned its attention to the tees and fairways. The maintenance staff also paid particular attention to the efficiency of the irrigation operation, which includes a single-row fairway system.

Because the property uses run-off and well water and has a good pond system for irrigation needs (most of which was built in 1996, when the 40-year-old course was expanded), it did not have to restrict its water usage last summer. But the grounds crew did have to turn to other maintenance tactics. “We dragged hoses to keep the rough area alive,” reports Brandenburg. “We’ve never done that before.”

The maintenance staff spent less time irrigating and mowing the course, and raised the height of the cut to grow healthier turf and let the plants develop longer roots. The grounds department, which relies on retirees to mow the grass, also saved money for fuel and labor with its reduced mowing schedule.

In addition, notes Brandenburg, “We did extra drainage work, because conditions were dry and we had time to do it.” The brightest side of the situation, he added, was that “as bad as the drought was for grass, it was good for business.”

One Wave After Another
Sometimes, there’s no pattern to how severe weather presents itself. “It seems like it’s different all the time,” says Tom Vlach, Director of Agronomy at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Two years ago, the home of the Players Championship and PGA Tour headquarters had to contend with record cold temperatures. Then in June 2012, Tropical Storm Debby struck the 36-hole property.

“It was a storm that blew up out of nowhere,” Vlach recalls. “We did not know it was going to be that severe. The system just stalled and sat on us.”

The storm, which dropped 11.5 inches of rain on the course in two days, flooded the famous 17th hole on the Stadium Course, turning it into a true island green. Trees fell down; pine straw beds washed out; water saturated the courses, including the practice facility; and sinkholes developed on Dye’s Valley Course. “It was more of a rain event than a wind event,” Vlach explains. “The trees toppled over because the ground was just so saturated.”

Overall, the property suffered $100,000 in damages and lost only a day’s revenue. Fortunately, the storm hit when the Stadium Course was already closed for aerification.

To not be reactionary when severe weather strikes, Vlach says, superintendents must be “forward thinkers and have contingency plans for all scenarios.” And after any extreme event, getting a course reopened for play is always a priority.
Tropical Storm Debby did prompt TPC Sawgrass to undertake at least one new project, Vlach reports. “It forced us to do a master study of all of our drainage on the entire property,” he says.

Life-Changing Experience
When it comes to getting a course back in playing condition after severe weather strikes, however, some circumstances are more challenging than others. Just ask the folks at Silver Lakes, an Alabama property that includes 27 championship holes and a 9-hole short course, as part of the statewide Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

After devastating tornadoes ripped through the state on April 27, 2011, Silver Lakes, which sits on the edge of the Talladega National Forest between Anniston and Gadsden, Ala., lost about 40,000 trees. The fierce winds leveled the maintenance facility, destroyed golf course maintenance equipment, tore off part of the clubhouse roof, and damaged the pump house and other outbuildings.

“It was quite the event,” says Jason Callan, Silver Lakes’ Director of Golf.  “You never expect it’s going to be you.”

The morning began with 80-mph winds that took down 15 trees, and the maintenance staff had to clean up the damage to prepare for a 100-player charity outing that day. The fundraiser went ahead as planned, even though the clubhouse lost power and the food had to be stored in a cooler truck. “One thing after another happened,” Callan recalls.

He left the property at about 4:30 p.m., and started watching Tuscaloosa storm coverage on TV as soon as he got home. Callan quickly called the golf pro and told him to get everyone off the course.

“Golf professionals spend a lot of time looking at radar,” reports Callan. “I know exactly where the golf course is located looking at a map, and it looked like the storm was right on top of it.”

The day following the tornado, the Silver Lakes staff returned to the property to assess the damage. The maintenance crew cleared the cart paths to  create an avenue to maneuver around the course.

“We looked at the play areas and realized we needed to clean up the trees that would be harmful to our players,” explains Callan.

Initially, Silver Lakes planned to get one of the 9-hole courses in condition to reopen, until personnel realized the damage was too extensive. The property had no power for two weeks, and the staff got a temporary pump to send water to the main line, so the greens could be watered.

At one point, Callan recalls, “We really weren’t sure we were going to reopen the facility.” But that would have left the Golf Trail without a presence in northeastern Alabama, and officials ultimately decided that was not an option. “The golf courses are located in specific regions of the state to benefit those regions,” Callan notes. “It is huge for tourism and jobs. You have to look outside of golf.”

The property was closed nearly half a year for repairs costing over $3 million. The grounds crew worked out of a temporary tent in the parking lot while the maintenance facility was rebuilt. “Branches were stuck all over the course like missiles,” Callan says. “We needed excavators to get them out.”

Severe Weather Readiness: Tornado Preparation Pay attention to local weather reports Know where your golf course property is located on a map Remove on-course amenities Know when and how to move guests and staff to a safe location Clear cart paths after the storm, so cleanup crews can maneuver around the golf course Source: Jason Callan, Director of Golf, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Silver Lakes, Glencoe, Ala.

The golf courses underwent renovations, including conversion of its bentgrass greens to Champion Bermuda and the addition of bunkers to some holes. No tees or greens were moved, but holes that lost trees were redesigned.

Maintenance equipment—or what was left of it—was taken to the driving range, so vendors could determine which pieces could be repaired and which needed to be replaced.

As part of a company with 1,000-plus employees, the Silver Lakes maintenance crew had plenty of help to get the property up and running again. Vendors and other Trail properties loaned maintenance equipment, and more than 80 people were working on the course at one point. The food-and-beverage staff cooked meals for the cleanup crews every day throughout the summer. “People were able to keep their jobs,” Callan says. “The storm didn’t destroy us.”

While the property lost revenue during cleanup efforts, the losses were not as severe as they could have been. “We were in the middle of the growing season, but summer is not our peak season; spring and fall are,” notes Callan.

The surrounding community, which has 30 to 40 homes on the course that were affected by the storm, rallied around the property. “I think the community got a little closer together and helped each other,” Callan says. “A lot of people from the community volunteered to help.

“When a tragedy happens, it’s how you move forward that matters,” he adds. “It tells you who you are and what kind of character you have. This wasn’t about a golf course. We just happened to be in the middle of it.”

TPC Sawgrass Tropical Storm Debby Cleanup Procedure: Part 1

TPC Sawgrass Tropical Storm Debby Cleanup Procedure: Part 2

Radrick Farms Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Since its inception, the University of Michigan’s Radrick Farms Golf Course has made environmental stewardship its priority—and the golf course has the accolades to prove it.

Sustainable golf course maintenance has always been a focal point at the University of Michigan’s Radrick Farms Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich.—and others have taken notice. The golf course has collected numerous awards in recent years, thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture certified the golf course through the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP), a nationally recognized program to advance environmental stewardship and increase compliance within Michigan’s turfgrass industry. The program organizes efforts of the industry, state agencies, Michigan State University and environmental advocacy groups, and was developed with support from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, Golf Association of Michigan, and two state of Michigan departments: Environmental Quality, and Agriculture & Rural Development.

Super in the Spotlight: Dan Mausolf Dan Mausolf, Superintendent Position: Superintendent Club: Radrick Farms Golf Course Website: www.radrick.umich.edu No. of Holes: 18 Designer: Pete Dye Type: Semi-Private No. of Members: 750 Annual Rounds: 30,000 Year Opened: 1965 Golf Season: April-November Fairways: Creeping Bentgrass Greens: Creeping Bentgrass Honors and Awards: Washtenaw County Excellence in Water Quality Protection Award, 2012; Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program certification, 2012; Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program certification, 2011; Groundwater Guardian Green Site Designation, 2011 (the only site in Michigan to achieve this); Community Partner for Clean Streams, Washtenaw County, 2011.

Golf Course Superintendent Dan Mausolf recently spoke to Club & Resort Business about the philosophies and efforts behind these accolades.

Q: How long have you been pursuing environmentally friendly golf course maintenance practices at Radrick Farms?

A: Getting involved with the environmental programs started in 2001, the first year the MTESP was introduced. But environmental stewardship goes back to the inception of Radrick Farms Golf Course, when Fredrick Matthaei Sr. donated the property to build the golf course. According to Pete Dye, Matthaei was “ahead of his time” when it came to environmental excellence.

Q: Radrick Farms has won environmental awards or earned certification from a number of organizations. What did you do to earn these accolades?

A: I’ve been involved with the recertification in the MTESP. I spearheaded the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) at Radrick Farms, and I have worked with Washtenaw County Community Partners for Clean Streams. I discovered the Groundwater Guardian Green Site program by chance. After reviewing the programs, it made complete sense to join. Groundwater issues directly tie into the other programs, so it seemed like a natural fit for us to join that initiative as well.

I’ve worked through each module or portion of each of these programs. We’ve added buffer zones around all water features, reduced chemical and water usage, and used chemical and fertilizer products that are safer for the applicator and the environment. Each category within the ACSP has different expectations. They include Wildlife and Habitat Management, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, and Outreach and Education.

Q: What does it mean to be recognized by these organizations?

A: Environmental stewardship is very important to the staff of Radrick Farms, the University of Michigan, the City and Township of Ann Arbor, the State of Michigan, and to me. To be recognized by these groups, especially Audubon International, gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. These accolades required a lot of time and dedication to achieve and to maintain, and they promote a positive culture and are a morale booster for the staff.

Q: How does this recognition affect your standing in the golf industry?

A: I think anytime a golf course can be recognized in this way benefits the entire golf industry. I hope that our recognition may help another golf course achieve the same kind of recognition. It shows that golf courses can achieve environmental success like we have at Radrick Farms—golf courses are a business, after all. The social and economic impact a facility can have on the surrounding community can be very beneficial. Golf courses give people the ability to relax and enjoy the outdoors, to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle. And it can help support the economy. I also believe the future of golf depends on turf managers acting as stewards of the environment.

Future Farmers of America Dundee Chapter at Radrick Farms Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Q: How does it affect your image in the community?

A: We’ve had a positive effect on the community. The Washtenaw County Water Quality Protection Award that we earned is given to a different business within the county each year. State Representative Mark Ouimet just recently recognized Radrick Farms’ accomplishments in environmental excellence after winning the 15th annual Washtenaw County Environmental Excellence Award for Water Quality Protection. That award showed the community that a golf course can have a very positive effect on the environment. Environmental excellence is also very important to the University of Michigan.

Q: How does it affect the public’s view of golf courses as environmental stewards in general?

A: The efforts put forth to achieve this environmental excellence show the public that a golf course can have a positive effect and be environmentally sound despite the preconceived notions that a golf course overwaters, over-fertilizes, and applies too much pesticide. It also shows that amidst a challenging economy, a golf course can be a steward without breaking the bank, so to speak.

I think there is a responsibility from every professional turf manager, whether a public or private facility, to be eco-friendly. As a professional in the industry, it’s my obligation to be environmentally sound. I want my children to enjoy the environment that I grew up in, and I want to make it better for them.

Radrick Farms Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Q: What kind of assistance have you gotten from other community members to help you achieve your environmental goals?

A: Community support is vital to the success of our environmental efforts. With the help of our season pass- holders, golf course staff, Future Farmers of America Dundee Chapter, and the University of Michigan Botanical Gardens staff, we have been able to complete or re-certify within each program. Each one of these groups has specific areas of expertise that we are able to use at anytime.

Q: How much overlap is there between the requirements and expectations of these organizations?

A: These organizations have a fair amount of overlap. Each has its own focus area though. ACSP and Groundwater Guardian Green Site are international programs. The MTESP program is state-specific while the Community Partners for Clean Streams Program is a local program for Washtenaw County.

The ACSP focuses on many areas with wildlife management being a highly focused area. The MTESP has the benefit of keeping golf courses up to date with governmental regulations and things that will happen in the future regarding the inputs to maintaining the golf course grounds. The Community Partners for Clean Streams and Groundwater Green Site focus on water use, water conservation and have a big focus on surface water impact to open water sources. We find that working with each group provides us an all-inclusive environmental excellence approach that keeps us up to date on every level of sustainability.

Radrick Farms Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Q: How is your experience, along with the renewed emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly maintenance practices, changing turf school curriculums?

A: Although I am no longer enrolled in a formal turf program, I think it is important that turf programs instill eco-friendly practices within their curriculums. Just like technology, the environment is ever changing. Turf professionals have to be up to date with the current and future issues that we face. I truly believe golf course superintendents are some of the best problem solvers there are. We adjust to Mother Nature daily, balance a home-to-work life, and at the same time, do what’s right for the environment and the turf. The golf course superintendent wears many different hats at many different times. I hope curriculums teach the next generation of superintendents how to balance all the things that take place on any given day.

Q: How have your environmental initiatives affected golf course conditions?

A: I think the biggest positive change I’ve seen in playing conditions relates to moisture levels in putting surfaces. This has been a major win-win situation for our bottom line and for the environment. The use of moisture meters changes the amount and timing of water applied to turf. We can irrigate more effectively and more efficiently, creating a healthier stand of grass that benefits players and the environment. The meter gives us a firm number that we can use to make timely decisions on when to irrigate and with how much water.

Radrick Farms Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Q: What kind of role has technology played in your sustainable maintenance practices?

A: Technology is a big component of turfgrass management. The introduction of Spectrum Technologies moisture meters, a live weather station on the property, and a smartphone have all been great additions to the maintenance practices used at Radrick Farms. Weather data is used to determine ET rates. The moisture meters can lead us to determining how much moisture has been lost during any given day. That combination of ET and hard numbers from the meters give us the data to make informed decisions about the nightly irrigation cycle.

The smartphone is used to look at weather forecasts as well as monitor irrigation pump stations. Since the phone can log into the irrigation computer remotely, I have the ability to monitor the pumps and shut them down if a problem exists, such as a pipe break or a sprinkler head that is stuck on. This technology enables us to conserve resources such as water.

Q: How have they affected the bottom line?

A: Our bottom line seems to have a mostly positive effect on being an environmental steward. In fact, course conditioning has gotten better and customer satisfaction is very high. Seventy-two percent of our customers feel environmental stewardship activities are important or very important. Being eco-friendly is a guiding principle in day-to-day management decisions. The environment is very important to the success at Radrick Farms Golf Course. There have not been any decisions made that negatively impact the environment.

Q: What kind of responsibility comes with being an environmental leader?

A: An environmental leader in my mind takes an individual that has the drive, dedication, and willingness to go above and beyond the norm. It’s not an easy undertaking to be involved with the programs that we are involved with. Hours of planning and execution go into the awards and recognition that we have won. It means doing the right thing all the time, whether or not people are watching.

Montgomery County (Md.) Revenue Authority

Superintendents’ ability to select and use their maintenance equipment effectively often hinges on their relationships with local dealers and distributors that serve as manufacturers’ go-betweens for sales and service.

The golf course maintenance equipment business is a competitive enterprise, and superintendents are well aware of the choices they have when it comes to outfitting their properties. But when selecting their maintenance equipment, they depend on much more than recognizable brand names. They also rely on building mutually beneficial relationships with the local dealers and distributors that serve as the manufacturers’ go-betweens for sales and services.

“If you don’t have a good local guy, you have no trust with the company,” says Certified Golf Course Superintendent Adam Bagwell, Director of Grounds at Crane Creek Country Club in Boise, Idaho.

Bagwell touches base with his equipment dealers and distributors at least three times a week. The need for communication can be prompted by a variety of reasons, from purchasing a new piece of equipment to troubleshooting an issue, or just wanting to check in.

Of course, dealer representatives can initiate the contact as well. “The best ones are in contact at least twice a month,” says Jon Lobenstine, who oversees nine golf courses as Director of Agronomy for the Montgomery County (Md.) Revenue Authority.

Lobenstine says he makes the first call to his distributors, particularly if there’s a problem, about half the time. He typically communicates by phone call, but text messages work well for follow-up. However, he adds, “Sales representatives—the good ones—are very proactive about keeping in touch.”

Lobenstine, who is also Facebook “friends” with some distributors, believes superintendents and dealers both reap rewards from developing good business rapport. And it’s important to keep communication lines open even if bad news needs to be relayed, he says.

For example, if there will be a delay in delivering equipment, he wants to know about it. “Don’t sugarcoat anything for me. Please tell me what’s going on,” he says. “Good or bad, we’ve got to have the information, so we can make our operations continue to go smoothly.”

At Piney Branch Golf Club in Hampstead, Md., General Manager and Golf Course Superintendent Scott Wunder touches base with his distributors, depending on the amount of their equipment that he carries, about every other month.

Adam Bagwell, CGCS, Director of Grounds at Crane Creek CC (standing with Assistant Superintendent David Atkins).

“If it’s a routine checkup, they’ll pop in and say ‘Hi,’” he notes. “If we’re looking at next year’s equipment, I’ll call a meeting and we’ll sit down and see what they can offer.”

With his dual responsibilities, Wunder prefers to communicate by text or e-mail. “I can answer a question when I get around to it,” he explains.

He tries to have a game plan in place so he can plan for the coming week or month, and honest communication is vital, he says. “Honesty is a big thing with me. Give me an honest answer, whether it’s something I want to hear or don’t want to hear,” says Wunder.

The View from the Other Side
Veteran dealer/distributors have learned to shape their communications efforts around individual customers’ needs and preferences. Brian Pardoe, Sales Manager at Turf Equipment & Supply Company in Jessup, Md., says his sales representatives ask superintendents about the best time to call on them the first time they meet. If they have a question or concern, he adds, “We get back to them the same day.”

Pardoe tries to stay on top of their needs, soliciting their feedback and asking them how his company is doing. He also says the Golf Industry Show is a good way to introduce prototypes and new technology to superintendents. “It’s a good opportunity for our customers to come by and visit us,” he notes.

Brandon Bonham, Owner of RMT Equipment, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, says communications usually depend on the size, location and budget of the golf course, and the amount of their equipment at a property.

“We see golf courses once a month, two times a year and everything in between,” he says. “If a golf course is trying to make an equipment decision, then we see them several times a month. It just depends on their needs. Ultimately, we like to meet a superintendent face-to-face.”

Dealers take their cues from superintendents as well. “Every personality is different,” notes Bonham. “Some superintendents want to get to know us personally. Others are more business-oriented and want to have a strictly business relationship.”
Distributors have a three-pronged role in customer relationships, Bonham says—to help them save money, alleviate a worry, or eliminate a problem from their operations.

“As a dealer, we don’t actually produce anything that we sell; our role is service-oriented,” he explains. “We need to provide backup and support for products and familiarize customers with equipment and its features. We have to understand each golf course’s needs, and match equipment to those needs.”

Bonham also communicates with his customers by blast e-mails, through local golf course superintendent associations, and at trade shows, service schools and other events.

While it depends on the size of the purchase, which can range from a large package to a single piece of equipment, Bonham estimates that a manufacturer will work with his company on one-third of their transactions. “We make tandem sales calls, but from the service standpoint, our responsibility as dealers is to take care of our customers,” he notes.

Pardoe, a former club manager himself, knows that course maintenance is a demanding field where customers have high expectations of their vendors and equipment. In the mid-Atlantic region, he notes, superintendents have to deal with a wide range of weather conditions, from heavy rain and snow to high temperatures and humidity, so they need assurance that their equipment can perform under all of these conditions.

Montgomery County (Md.) Revenue Authority

“Customers are looking for a solution,” he notes. “We need to have good conversations about their issues, and need to provide two or three [possible] answers.”

Signed, Sealed and Delivered
Bagwell credits his strong relationship with RMT with helping him smoothly seal a deal to convert to a three-year lease cycle, which will go into effect in 2013, for Crane Creek’s golf course maintenance equipment.

In fact, he set up a meeting between the equipment manufacturer’s representatives and others involved with the decision at Crane Creek without revealing why the meeting was being called. “I just asked them to be there, but didn’t tell them why,” he recalls. He believes his relationship with Bonham, who also knows Crane Creek’s general manager, golf pro and Greens Committee chairman, was a factor in working out the lease agreement with minimal hassles. “The deal wouldn’t have gotten done without a strong relationship,” Bagwell states.

Now, Bagwell thinks Crane Creek will increase its buying power through a complete swap-out arrangement for its equipment. “This way we can have everything new, rather than just a few new pieces each year,” he explains. He also expects to trim his budget and improve overall course conditions with the new lease agreement, and will be able to reduce the number of mechanics on staff, because the equipment will require only preventive maintenance.

For Montgomery County’s operation, Lobenstine uses a variety of techniques—including, he admits, good old-fashioned  haggling—to get the best deal possible on his equipment.

Jon Lobenstine, Director of Agronomy, Montgomery County (Md.) Revenue Authority

“Since we are a government agency, we qualify for national account pricing with some companies, through the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance,” he explains. In addition, he tries to package purchases together to maximize any discounts. “The more equipment you buy, the more of a price break you can get,” Lobenstine reveals. However, he adds, “If you don’t have a good relationship with your equipment distributors, you’re not going to buy anything from them.”

At Piney Branch GC, Wunder says he has never had to rely on backup from his equipment dealers to plead his case to the club’s Board of Directors. “They’ve always given me enough information where I can sell it myself,” he explains.

Seeing is Believing
One of the most effective ways for superintendents to help sell other decision-makers at their clubs on the value of new equipment is through on-site “demos”—and here, too, local dealers and distributors can play critical roles.

“About 35 percent of our sales require a demonstration before a sale,” notes RMT’s Bonham. “With the other 65 percent, superintendents are already familiar with the equipment, or they have seen it operate somewhere else.”

Before Crane Creek settled on its new equipment package, the property demo’ed equipment from three major manufacturers. They kept some pieces two or three days, or even for a week, before making a decision. “We wanted to make sure it worked on our terrain,” Bagwell reports.

With dual roles as General Manager and Golf Course Superintendent at Piney Branch GC, Scott Wunder looks for straight-shooting assistance from his equipment dealers and distributors.

Lobenstine also stresses the importance of seeing demo equipment firsthand at the Montgomery County properties he oversees. Sometimes, in fact, his courses will have demos from different manufacturers on-site at the same time.
“[Equipment] might look good on a video, but we need to see how it performs on our topography,” he explains.

Turf Equipment & Supply frequently leaves demo equipment at properties so superintendents, assistant superintendents, equipment managers, and crew members can try it out, Pardoe says. Having equipment on the property for several days also lets it be tested under various weather conditions, he notes.

“Customers want to see it, touch it, use it, and make sure it’s a fit for their property. We like letting them play with it,” Pardoe says.

Superintendents also use demo opportunities to test different heights of cuts with mowers, or experiment with sprayer calibrations. “If I’m looking to purchase a piece, I want to try it myself on the golf course at the right time of year,” notes Wunder. “Most of the equipment we’re buying is not cheap. I want to let the crew try it out and see firsthand if the piece will hold up for our needs.”

At Crane Creek, the value of equipment demos has even extended to a mutually beneficial relationship with distributors and manufacturers, through which the club becomes a proving ground for prototype equipment as it’s being developed.

“I like to be on the cutting edge, ” notes Bagwell. “We have a severe course with a lot of slopes, and we offer a good test track for equipment, too. [When we’re sent] equipment to test, we’ll track performance and repair costs, and keep accurate records on what each piece of equipment would cost to own.”

On the Cutting Edge
Education and training seminars also give dealers an opportunity to be an extension of the manufacturers they represent while strengthening relationships with their customers. “Our customers want to be educated,” Pardoe says. “Our sessions are taught by their peers, and they are service-oriented.”

Good relationships with local dealer/distributors are key for establishing trust with equipment manufacturers, says Adam Bagwell, CGCS, Director of Grounds at Crane Creek CC.

Because spraying chemicals is costly and an environmentally sensitive operation, Wunder wants to make sure his staff is properly trained to use equipment for applications that are as fine-tuned and accurate as possible. “Training is a great thing, especially when it comes to sprayers, because they can get complicated at times,” he notes.

When Montgomery County bought new sprayers in July, its distributor had training sessions for the superintendents, assistant superintendents, and mechanics at seven of the county’s nine facilities.

Distributors will also offer training sessions during the winter and off-season, when maintenance staffs are not as busy. And Lobenstine has found dealers to be knowledgeable about the latest technology, such as helpful phone apps, that can also make it faster and easier to get needed service or assistance.

The true test of how strong any relationship really is, of course, is when something goes wrong. When any of Lobenstine’s courses has equipment problems, a mechanic will first contact the distributor’s service technician. “They’ll research the problem if they don’t have an answer,” he reports.

Dealers are also expected to be ready to send a technician to a course for on-site diagnostics, or to have a sales representative pick equipment up for service. They must be known for delivering parts in a timely manner as well.

While sales and service are essential to maintaining strong relationships, dealers and superintendents also build rapport with simple gestures. Distributors often donate to golf course superintendents’ national and local associations, and superintendents reciprocate the good will by inviting them to staff parties and other events at the club.

“We treat them with a ton of respect,” notes Bagwell. “A simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way.”

Hole No. 18 at Spring Creek Ranch in Colliersville, Tenn.

A cattle ranch-turned-golf course is breeding a name for itself in Tennessee.

Spring Creek Ranch in Colliersville, Tenn., just east of Memphis, has an agenda, and General Manager Robb Meyer doesn’t mind admitting it.

“We want to spoil our members and guests,” he says.

Meyer’s desire to provide the best possible golfing experience is rivaled only by his respect for, and personal ties to, the property’s history and the land on which it was built.

Spring Creek Ranch, which opened in 1999, was formerly a cattle ranch and research facility where Meyer’s father, Dr. David Meyer, an ophthalmologist, raised Brahman and Angus beef cows. Once the family members had accomplished their breeding and research goals in the early 1990s, they donated the cattle to a local agri-center. However, the Meyers also wanted to preserve the property in a way that would reflect their passion for the environment.

“We didn’t want a developer to come in and destroy the property and take every tree down,” explains Robb Meyer.

Golf Scorecard Spring Creek Ranch Spring Creek Ranch Golf House Website: www.springcreekranch.org Golf Holes: 18 Designer: Jack Nicklaus Property Type: Private No. of Members: 250 Year Opened: 1999 Golf Season: Year-round; peak season is March to November Annual Rounds: 15,000 Fairways: Meyer Zoysiagrass Greens: Champion Bermudagrass

No worries. Its future was decided after his father met Jack Nicklaus on a hunting trip. Intrigued by the elder Meyer’s description of the topography that features rolling hills, elevation changes and mature trees, the legendary golfer toured the property. He ultimately designed the 7,150-yard, par-72 golf course after receiving simple instructions from the Meyer family: Build one of the best golf courses in the world.

High-End Maintenance
Maintenance of the golf course to the highest standards is every bit as important as its design, and Meyer knows that wouldn’t be possible without giving Head Golf Course Superintendent Scott Newman the resources he needs. Of course, he adds, “Resources usually means money.”

So he counts on Newman to prioritize projects. However, Meyer, a non-golfer who was teaching art in Arizona when he returned home in 1997 to help with the golf course for “a year” that soon turned into a new career, makes it clear he wants to “know what we need to do, and why we’re doing it.”

The entire property totals about 1,000 acres, and the golf course covers about 320 acres. About 138 of those acres are maintained. “If we were maintaining a thousand acres, it would be a maintenance nightmare,” says Newman.

Areas inside the cart paths are seeded with a fescue mix, and most of the property outside the ropes has remained in its natural, pastoral state. The maintenance staff bushhogs the natural areas once a year like a pasture, which saves maintenance costs and gives definition to the golf course.

Newman, who has served as Spring Creek Ranch’s Superintendent since October 2004, says the “golf business was booming” when he arrived. However, about two years later, the management team “had to make the decision to get the most out of what we have and be smart.”

Special artistic touches can be found on the golf course and in the Spring Creek Ranch Golf House, which opened in 2007 after 10 years of planning.

Newman cut his staff of about 35 by 10 people and decreased the maintenance budget. He also started using resources more judiciously to identify and combat turf problems, such as an ongoing battle with zoysia patch.

“In the old days we sprayed preventively twice a year, wall-to-wall,” continues Newman. “But there’s a fine line. Is patch a problem to the members, or to the superintendent?”

Now, the maintenance staff limits applications by mapping out areas to spray. Only about five of the 42 acres of fairways are treated. “We will have some zoysia patch, but we won’t lose turf from it,” says Newman. “And nobody has ever complained about having zoysia patch.”

‘Honey Badger Meetings’
Open lines of communication are also key to the property’s success, and a healthy exchange of ideas is vital to the management team. Newman refers to the weekly staff meetings as “honey badger meetings,” in which everyone feels free to speak his mind, but he and Meyer also talk daily.

Superintendent Profile: Scott Newman Head Golf Course Superintendent Scott Newman Education and Training: B.S. in Agronomy, Mississippi State University Years at Spring Creek Ranch: 8 Years in Golf Course Maintenance Business: 17 Previous Employment: New Orleans Country Club Certifications: Class A Superintendent Honors and Awards: Course ranked Number 2 in Tennessee by Golf Digest

“If I disagree, I tell him, and why,” notes Newman.

That’s fine with Meyer. “I demand three things of the people I work with—trust, passion, and I like smart people who disagree with me,” he says. “I need to work with people who are passionate. It helps to challenge me.”

He doesn’t want anyone to disagree with him just for the sake of disagreeing, but he wants management team members to feel free to lock horns with him if necessary. “Someone else might have an idea that’s better than mine—then tell me,” he adds.

Newman and Director of Golf Doug Oubre also share a close working relationship. The superintendent sets up his maintenance schedule early in the year and shares it with Oubre. “He has a great knowledge of agronomy, and I am a golfer, so I know the game and I look at it from a golf professional’s standpoint,” reports Newman.

The other managers depend on Meyer’s management skills as well.

“Robb is not a golfer, but he has a lot of experience in managing a golf club,” says Oubre. “He relies on our expertise and has faith in our ability to provide a quality product. He gets questions about why we do something on the golf course, but he’s confident in our abilities when a member asks a question.”

Meyer agrees. “I’m an art teacher who doesn’t know how to play golf,” he reveals. “But if you surround yourself with people who know what they’re doing and let them, you can get out of the way. To have a superintendent who can grow grass, but also can play golf, means everything.”

The department heads are in contact with each other six to eight times a day by e-mail, iPhone, text, radio or face-to-face conversations. “We’re all readily available to each other whenever we’re needed,” reports Oubre. “We want to make sure our members’ experiences are meeting or surpassing expectations. It’s a true team effort here at Spring Creek Ranch.”

As part of that approach, the entire staff gets the same communications that go to members. From department heads to the Outdoor Golf Staff (aka cart boys), everyone is trying to accomplish the same goal. “We’re trying to create an experience and level of service that’s intense,” Meyer says.

He also equips the entire staff with the tools they need to serve members and guests. For example, everyone on the Outside Golf Staff wears an earpiece, so they can be ready to indulge golfers’ every whim.

“Sometimes they think they’re not important, but they are the first and last person our members and guests see,” notes Meyer. “They see them more than me.”

“Ranch hands” are led by (left to right) Head Golf Course Superintendent Scott Newman, Director of Golf Doug Oubre and General Manager Robb Meyer.

The management staff turns to outside sources when necessary as well. Earlier this year, Spring Creek Ranch partnered with a golf management company to help boost membership. Newman now also consults with the management firm’s regional agronomist about maintenance issues. “I can call on him to make sure my thinking process is correct,” he notes. He also can use the consultant’s expertise to support discussions with management.

An Electric Experience
Spring Creek Ranch has an array of electric course maintenance equipment, including riding greens mowers and its utility cart fleet. Newman says the property uses electric machinery to improve the entire golfing experience. While the decision to use electric equipment was not based on noise issues or economics, he notes, “We save $6,000 a year per unit on fuel costs.”

He also finds that it’s easy to troubleshoot their hybrid mowers. At one point, Newman noticed some of the edges of the Champion Bermuda greens were scalped after a vertical cut. When he started searching for an explanation, he discovered that the greens got scalped if the mowers dropped below 2,200 RPMs.

“It was a simple correction for the operator,” explains Newman. “It’s another tool for us to use, to fight this [problem] without raising the height.”

Labor of Love
Maintaining the property’s history is a big part of the Spring Creek Ranch golf experience as well.

Course & Grounds Profile: Spring Creek Ranch Spring Creek Ranch in Colliersville, Tenn. Annual C&G Budget: $1 million-plus Staff: 16 full-time, seven part-time/seasonal Other Managers: Jordan Carlisle, Assistant Superintendent; Carl Scott, Equipment Manager; Steven Cox, Assistant-In-Training; Mike Williams, Assistant Mechanic Irrigation System: Rainbird Cirrus Central Control with 1,000-plus irrigation heads (900, 950, 700, 750 EAGLE series) Water Source and Usage: Five-acre lake fed by a well Equipment: Own and lease Jacobsen equipment, including ECLIPSE walking greens mowers, ECLIPSE 322 riding greens mowers, G-Plex riding greens mowers, LF-3800 and SLF-1880 fairway mowers, AR-522 rough mowers, AR-3 trim mowers and Cushman Turf-Trucksters Maintenance Facility: 18,000-sq. ft. turf care facility that includes lockers, conference room, storage facilities, washpad Aerating and Overseeding Schedules: Aerify greens, tees, fairways and rough in mid-summer. Vent twice a year. No overseeding. Upcoming Capital Projects: Regrassing the greens collars with Tifgrand bermudagrass (previously Diamond zoysia) Duties and Responsibilities: Oversee 300-acre golf course and Golf House grounds

The Meyer family’s love of nature is reflected throughout the golf course. Each hole is named after a tree species that is planted in groupings around the hole. No trees are too close to the greens and when the course was built, Meyer himself approved the removal of every tree that was taken down.

Some of the golf course’s features lie beneath the surface. For example, because the clay soil didn’t drain well, Nicklaus wanted to sandcap the golf course. As a result, 275,000 tons of sand were brought in during construction, and the entire golf course is built on a 6- to 8-inch layer of sand.

Aesthetics also contribute to the golf experience. Meyer asked himself a simple question when he got involved with the ranch’s transformation into a golf course: “What can I do to create the spirit and feel and experience of Spring Creek Ranch?

“Everything that had nothing to do with tees, greens and fairways, I took on,” he recalls. “I didn’t play golf, but I understand nature. If you’re looking at a hole, you don’t see anything unnatural.”

Meyer’s background in art also contributed to touches such as water coolers that look like old wooden cabins; trash receptacles that resemble Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrels; and a lightning shelter that mimics an old barn. The comfort stations (restrooms) on the course resemble old shacks and barns, and include porches, rocking chairs, tin roofs, slate flooring and cypress walls. They also feature heating and air conditioning, as well as refrigerators for drinks and snacks.

The exposed aggregate cart paths were modeled after the driveway of Meyer’s parents’ house. Tee markers were made from old posts on the ranch that were cut down to 45-degree angles. Instead of men’s and ladies’ tees, the tees are named after the original ranch’s prize bulls – Bravo, Black Duke, Carson, Rocky Joe and Georgie Boy. “Golf is about yardage, not about gender,” says Meyer.

Memorable Touches
Of course, the staff is bullish on customer service as well. “It doesn’t matter how nice of a facility you have if someone isn’t treated well. They’re going to remember that,” notes Meyer.

The Spring Creek Ranch grounds crew maintains 138 acres of a golf course that covers 320 acres on a property of nearly 1,000 acres.

While Spring Creek Ranch was under construction, Meyer visited about 10 other golf courses to learn “how to take care of people.” He asked members what they liked about their facilities and what other things they might like to have. “I took little things from different places,” he says. “I didn’t copy floor plans, but I copied concepts.”

It took Meyer about 10 years to think through his plan for a “real, functioning” Golf House, which opened in May of 2007. “I went from being obsessed with building the golf course to being obsessed with hospitality and taking care of our members and their guests,” he says. “I wanted to blow people away with our service. I wanted to treat people as if they’re at a resort.

“I wanted our members to have that experience every day, every time they come to our property,” he adds. “I just wanted to create something incredible, the way I would want to be spoiled.”

The latest addition to the property is the Rob Akins Golf Academy, which opened in 2011. Led by Director of Instruction Rob Akins, a top-30 Golf Digest instructor, the facility offers year-round opportunities for golfers to sharpen their skills through such features as state-of-the-art swing analysis technology, covered and climate-controlled hitting bays, and overnight accommodations. Akins and his staff now teach golfers of all levels, including PGA Tour pros such as David Toms.

Spring Creek Ranch’s Rob Akins Golf Academy opened in 2011 and now offers year-round instruction.

“Everything golfers need is here on property for them,” notes Oubre. “It’s been well-received by the community.”

Spring Creek Ranch now hosts 15 or so corporate or charity outings per year, and the “ranch hands” (as the staff is described on the club’s website) have continued to see demand for play increase during the peak golf season.

“We’re a no-tee time facility. Our members are welcome to come out any time during the day and any time during the week,” Oubre notes.

The fact that greens speeds are faster at Spring Creek Ranch than at other properties in the area and that the golf course is maintained in pristine condition year-round also helps to attract interest. “Our biggest asset is the golf course,” says Newman. “That’s why we’re here. When people show up, they’re here to play golf.

“Our motto is ‘spoil members and guests,’ ” he adds. “We know their names,  and their kids’ names. We know what they drink. We go out of our way to give them a good experience, and we strive every day to make it better.”

The Irving Park course driving range at Greensboro (N.C.) Country Club

Rounds 4 Research, a highly successful initiative that was started by the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association (CGCSA) in 2009, has taken its game to the next level.

This year the program, which raises funds for turfgrass research by auctioning donated rounds of golf at participating facilities online, has gone national. Significant demand led the CGCSA, which generated almost $350,000 in three years, to seek out an organization with a wider reach to oversee the program. The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic arm of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), answered the call, and two of the four auction periods began in October at biddingforgood.com. Subsequent auctions will run Nov. 12-26 and Dec. 3-17.

Funds generated by the auctions will be returned to participating GCSAA-affiliated chapters for agronomic research, education, advocacy and scholarships. Of course, golfers benefit from the initiative as well by gaining the opportunity to play courses they otherwise might not have a chance to play.

We recently spoke to Certified Golf Course Superintendent Doug Lowe, President of the CGCSA and Director of Golf and Grounds Maintenance at Greensboro (N.C.) Country Club, about the beginning of Rounds 4 Research and the reasons for taking it nationwide.

Q. How was Rounds 4 Research started?

A. Our Executive Director, Tim Kreger, came up with the idea one day driving down the road. Tim has a strong background in fundraising efforts, and the key to the whole concept was to ask golf facilities for a non-cash donation while at the same time getting the end user (the golfer) to have a more direct role in this funding initiative.

Q. Who administered the original program, and what did that involve?

A. The original program was largely administered by CGCSA staff. A few of the core responsibilities for our staff included, but were not limited to, communicating the program to our members, obtaining mailing lists for potential buyers, coordinating with the auction site, setting up the web hosting services, manually inputting donations, and mailing donation receipts. The Board and the Rounds 4 Research committee spent their time with a grassroots effort to sell the initiative to the membership and other regional golf industry associations to ensure maximum participation.

Q. Why did you decide to go national with the program?

A. The first few years of the program were extremely successful. So much so that we began to hear from other chapters that wanted to get involved. While we were able to work with a few local chapters, it eventually became obvious the program should not be limited to just the Carolinas and a few surrounding chapters because we knew the potential good that could come from this program on a national scale. Thus, we began to communicate with the GCSAA as to whether or not they would be willing to take on this project to benefit chapters all across the country.

Q. How did the Environmental Institute for Golf get involved?

A. The EIFG is the philanthropic organization within the GCSAA, whose mission it is to promote environmental awareness and support both research funding and scholarships. While the CGCSA was willing to expand this program in-house if need be, it was very clear to us the best organization to manage this program nationally was the GCSAA and the EIFG.

Q. Are you still involved, and if so, in what capacity?

A. Our Executive Director was retained as a program consultant for a small period of time to ensure the program got off to a good start. Other than that, the EIFG largely manages all aspects of the program. Each individual chapter still has the responsibility to get the member facilities involved by donating the actual rounds of golf. Here in the Carolinas, we have a committee set up to actively pursue involvement of our members on a local basis and are constantly reviewing participation updates sent to us by the EIFG.

Q. What are the benefits of the program?

A. The program was set up to raise funds for turfgrass research, which at one time was largely funded with state governmental funds. Today those funds have been minimized due to tight statewide budgets, which has put more pressure on the industry that most directly benefits from this research to provide those new funding measures. Benefits to the member facilities and the golf industry come in the form of up-to-date research on how to best manage turfgrass. Secondary benefits with this particular program are what I eluded to earlier—the golf facilities themselves get involved with a non-cash donation, which helps their budget, and the end user benefits by gaining access to hundreds, if not eventually thousands, of golf courses all at a reduced market price.

Greensboro (N.C.) Country Club

Q. Why has it been so successful?

A. Like so may things, it has been successful because it was a well-thought idea that fit the situation. Just as importantly to note, several people have worked hard to promote this program and to make it work. Courses are quicker to give away a tee time than the cash value of that donation, and the golfers like the access and discounted prices.

Q. How are the proceeds used?

A. In the CGCSA we have always used the proceeds to pay for the administration of the program and to fund turfgrass research. Other chapters are encouraged to use funds for turfgrass research, but to my knowledge, they can direct those funds to other needed areas such as environmental awareness, government relations, and so on.

Q. How are they distributed to various entities?

A. I believe the current process involves the EIFG sending out checks to each chapter once the final transactions for each auction are complete, with 80 percent of the funds raised going to the chapter and 20 percent going to the EIFG to support its core missions.

Q. Why is agronomic research important to the golf course maintenance business?

A. Golf Course Superintendents are always striving to conduct best management practices on their golf courses. Issues that frequently pop up such as turf disease, managing new turf varieties, fertilizers usage, etc., are best solved by research professions and ultimately communicated to the end user on a large scale, saving individual managers the need to conduct their own research.

Q. What areas of golf course maintenance have suffered the most because of lack of funding?

A. The first thing that comes to mind would be plant disease management. Nature has a way of quickly evolving to get around our current treatment strategies, so we find ourselves constantly needing to keep pace in order to minimize the negative impacts of turfgrass diseases.

Q. What kind of advantages have you gained by working with other golf industry stakeholders through Rounds 4 Research?

A. Many issues that are studied by the various university systems throughout the country not only benefit the region in which the studies are conducted, but can be used by turfgrass managers nationwide. For instance, research conducted on the West Coast definitely can have the potential to benefit managers on the East Coast and elsewhere.

Q. What kind of effect will Rounds 4 Research have on the golf course maintenance business in the future?

A. With the changes that have taken place this year with GCSAA now administering the program, everyone expects the success of the program will have a slower pace than maybe what we experienced here in the Carolinas. Once the program is up and fully running – and chapters everywhere begin to see the merits of this program – the potential rewards for the turfgrass and golf course industry are almost unlimited. While the program does include some time and energy that must be spent at the local level, the give back that is received is well worth the input. I for one hope this program continues to succeed on a much larger scale than was ever envisioned by Tim Kreger when he first began thinking about alternative ways to raise money for turfgrass research and how to support our land grant universities here in the Carolinas.

The Preserve GC in Vancleave, Miss.

Golf course superintendents are constantly looking for an edge to sharpen their skills, in areas ranging from enhancing course conditions to improving communication with members. The many forms of technology at their disposal are becoming just the tools they need, and relying on everything from social media to on-course devices, they have been surprised at just how essential these tricks of the trade have become.

“I got into each and every [type of technology] not 100 percent sure that I would get reliant on them, but I’ve gone from having fun with them to not being able to function without them,” says Dave Smith, Golf Course Superintendent/Harbor Club Manager at Fawn Lake Country Club in Spotsylvania, Va. “The office is always with me, so to speak. I’m always connected.”

Certified Golf Course Superintendent Stephen Miles, Director of Operations at The Preserve Golf Club in Vancleave, Miss., enjoys the benefits of technology as well.

“Technology gives you that much more reassurance that you made the right decision,” he says. “It has made us a lot more efficient, and information is just so much more accessible now.”

Blogs to Clear the Fog
Access to information is not the only advantage technology offers. Clear communication is essential to any golf course operation, and more and more superintendents are turning to blogs to keep their memberships informed.

In January 2011, Miles started a blog that is tied to The Preserve’s website. “It allows people the flexibility to get current information about the golf course. It acts as a diary for the golf course,” he explains. “We can go back and see what we’ve done on a particular day. It’s a great resource and tool.”

The blog also helps the maintenance staff inform members about course conditions. It came in particularly handy after Hurricane Isaac took down a few small trees on the golf course in August. Miles posted photos of the damage, noted the amount of rainfall, and let members know when the course would reopen after the storm cleanup.

Miles blogs about anything that “affects the golfing experience,” and posts whenever he has something new to discuss. He is just as interested in reading other superintendents’ blogs, from which he’s gained ideas on maintenance practices such as verticutting and pigment use on dormant Bermuda grass.

The Farms CC in Wallingford, Conn.

He also tries to post about unique agronomic topics that would benefit other superintendents. “I don’t have a huge interaction with other superintendents, but I have a few followers,” he explains. “Like me, they like to browse other blogs.”

Miles says his blog now gets about 450 page views per month, and he’s garnered more than 8,000 since he started.

The Wichita Onlineman
Brian White, Golf Course Superintendent at Wichita (Kan.) Country Club, started blogging about two years ago to get timely information to the membership. Blogging has been more effective than the newsletters that previously went to members, he feels. “We’d be trying to guess what would be going on six weeks out. By the time they’d get it in their hands, it was old news,” he reports.

He now tries to post at least once a week, typically about maintenance projects or anything that affects play. He also did a post about home lawn-care tips in the spring.

When White talks to someone one-on-one, he might have time only for a quick conversation. With the blog, however, he can put more thought into his posts. Although blogs don’t replace the need for face-to-face conversations with members, White says, it has been a time saver for him.

“I can spend a Saturday morning trying to talk to as many people as possible, or 15 minutes on a blog post that can reach more people,” he explains.

Other staff members also stay current with golf course operations by reading White’s blog. “So if members ask someone in the men’s grill about aerification, he can answer them,” he notes.

White also looks at other superintendents’ blogs to see what they’re doing or how they’re dealing with problems. In addition, he says, “They give me ideas for things to talk about on my blog.”

Never Out of Touch
At Fawn Lake CC, Smith includes a link to his blog every time he e-mails a member, and he finds the blog particularly useful during the off-season, when he lets members know that his staff is busy with miscellaneous projects.

“Some people think we really slow down during the winter, but we don’t,” he reports. “We have a much smaller staff, but the workload is different in the off-season. If I see something that might come up in the bar on the 19th hole, I try to nip things in the bud. I try to hit them with basic information about things they will notice—or need to know if they don’t notice.”

He also uses his blog to pat crew members on the back, by posting comments and photos of them at work.

The blog has become a record-keeping tool as well. “Now that I’ve had it for a little while, I go back and look at it to see what we did the year before,” notes Smith. “It’s a running tally of everything that has happened since I started it.”

Down on the Farms
Paul Sabino, Golf Course Superintendent at The Farms Country Club in Wallingford, Conn., also blogs to answer members’ questions and to address rumors. “People used to hear things in the bar and think that was gospel, because they didn’t hear anything different,” he adds.

Calling it “the best thing I’ve ever done,” Sabino started his blog in December 2009; it was named the Blog of the Month by Golf Course Industry magazine in July 2010.

The Preserve GC in Vancleave, Miss.

“It was something I wanted to try, and it turned out to be wonderful for my members,” he reports. “It’s a great way for me to communicate. I never expected it to get as big as it did.”

Sabino has received more than 50,000 hits from about 60 different countries since he started the blog. Sabino also features slideshows of golf course activities, such as member tournaments and wildlife sightings. “It’s a way to get members to look at the blog, and then it just feeds off itself,” he explains.

Making Connections
Blogs aren’t the only form of social media that superintendents use to connect with audiences. At Wichita CC, White recently started using Twitter to share brief updates about the golf course. “More people are using Twitter. It’s another avenue to get information out to people,” he reveals. “It’s simple. It’s fast. It doesn’t take too much time.”

Smith has joined several groups on LinkedIn, and he gets involved in discussions about pertinent topics. The professional networking site proved to be extremely beneficial when he also took over managerial duties of his club’s food-and-beverage department earlier this year.

“I immediately browsed and tried to connect with people that I thought could be helpful,” he reports. “I was overwhelmed with the response and how willing people were to help.” He even started a discussion to solicit ideas on ways to control food costs, and the conversation was still going on six months later.

Dialing In
Smartphones have become indispensable tools for superintendents as well. Miles can now access information such as golf course tee sheets instantly on his phone.

Wichita (Kan.) CC

“I use it daily for the weather apps and to check e-mail,” he says. “I can log into the irrigation computer from off-site, to check and edit the irrigation control system or use Dropbox to access work files from my phone.”

White also appreciates the benefits of controlling the irrigation system with his smartphone. “We used to have to go to every irrigation control to make a change, but this frees up more time to do other things,” he explains.

Smith also blogs from his phone. “I can do it on the fly so much better now,” he says. “I post more pictures with captions, [as opposed to] long-winded messages. It’s easier to manage and keep up-to-date. Before, I had to set aside time to be on the computer.”

Visual Aids
Photos and videos are another integral component of blogging, and many superintendents rely on their smartphones to capture these visual aids.

“Every picture that’s on the blog was taken with my phone,” notes White. “It wasn’t that long ago that I was lugging a camera around with me on the golf course. But when I needed it, I never had it.”

Now, he frequently takes before-and-after pictures that he posts to his blog. “People enjoy seeing pictures when you’re talking about something. It makes a little more sense,” he adds. “In general, with social media, our membership has a better idea of what we’re doing.”

Miles takes photos in the field and posts them on his blog. He also uploads videos to YouTube to share with a wider audience. Videos help him communicate with his management and with professionals at other golf courses such as managers, owners, chief financial officers, customers and decision-makers.

“I can shoot video of a piece of machinery that shows how specific we are when we operate it,” he reports. “It can help us get the money to buy a piece of machinery. It shows what the machine does, and why we do it.”

Headed in the Right Direction
Technology has changed golf course maintenance in other ways as well. The Preserve Golf Club recently installed a global positioning system (GPS) for its golf car fleet. The system affects the total operation, from food and beverage and the cart barn to the pro shop and marketing department. The maintenance department also benefits from the technology.

Fawn Lake CC in Spotsylvania, Va.

“It gives me control of where the carts can and cannot go on the golf course,” reports Miles. “I can slow a golf cart down or fix it so no one can go through our native areas.”

GPS maps on the irrigation control system help Miles locate irrigation heads, and the control system can communicate with any of them. In fact, he has GPS maps of the entire infrastructure of the golf course, along with buildings and bridges. Miles, who was working at the property when it was under construction in 2005, wanted the GPS mapping system to help maintain accurate records.

“They’re great for historical purposes or to find a leak,” he explains. “They show where all of the piping, control wires and valves are, and we use them as a reference on a daily basis.”

Wichita CC started using GPS on its sprayers several years ago. The crew formerly used marking dye when spraying the golf course, but the GPS has given the maintenance staff dual benefits of saving costs and eliminating dye from the turf.

Monitoring Moisture
Water is also a precious commodity on golf courses, and superintendents are using technology such as moisture meters to be better stewards of the natural resource.

“They take the guesswork out of whether the green is too dry or too wet,” notes Miles, who started using hand-held moisture meters about two years ago. “They give us more information to make better decisions on when we water greens.”

The Preserve GC in Vancleave, Miss.

With the hand-held meters, one or two crew members can scout the greens and probe areas to see if they need water. The mobile sensors allow the staff to test conditions anywhere on the greens, and help maintenance staff members reduce water consumption and power usage by using the pump station less frequently. “We’re also using fewer chemicals and fertilizers, because we have a healthier plant,” Miles adds.

The moisture sensors have even changed the crew members’ language, allowing them to talk in specific terms rather than vague assertions. “Before, I might have had a hunch that an area was dry, but it’s hard to communicate that to the staff,” notes Miles. “With the meters, everything is based on percentages.”

Fawn Lake CC also started using two hand-held digital moisture meters about two years ago. “It hasn’t changed the outcome, but it’s been an easier way to collect data,” says Smith. “We’re basing our decisions more on scientific data than on educated guesses.”

However, he continues, one drawback of the moisture meters is that he has gotten different readings after using them on side-by-side areas.  Next season, Smith continues, “We’ll either upgrade or figure out how to recalibrate the ones we have.”
Wichita CC just finished its first full season with moisture meters. “I don’t know what we’d do without them,” reveals White.
The property has hand-held probes and six permanent, in-ground meters in problem spots on some greens.

“With hand-held probes, we can check the moisture every day. Rarely does water go on the greens without a reason,” White says. “The permanent sensors measure one small area, but we can probe the greens with the hand-held sensors 60 times and cover the entire green.”

He was originally concerned that he would have to justify the price tag of the moisture sensors, but soon discovered they could help the department save on labor costs.

“We used to have to keep crew members around to check the greens in the afternoon, but now there’s no more waiting around to see what’s going to happen,” he explains.

The soil sensors help the grounds crew use water more wisely and keep the greens dry, fast and firm, he believes.

“Our conditions are much better, and our greens are more consistent. There are no surprises anymore,” says White, who has been in golf course maintenance for 15 years. “Technology is huge. There’s not one piece of equipment that we use that hasn’t changed. But we use the tools because they help our operations, not just because we read about them.”

The harvest from the fruit and vegetable garden at Rocky Bayou Country Club.

The garden includes 10 plots that measure 10-feet-by-15-feet and walking paths. Maintenance Supervisor James Dann takes care of the garden, and the Food & Beverage staff incorporates the fresh fruits and vegetables into the dishes they prepare.

Super in the Spotlight: Wayne Phillips Wayne Phillips, Golf Course Superintendent, Rocky Bayou Country Club Position: Golf Course Superintendent Club Name: Rocky Bayou Country Club Website: www.rockybayoucc.com No. of Holes: 18 Designer: William W. Amick Type: Private No. of Members: 300 Annual Rounds: 24,000 Year Opened: 1973 Golf Season: Year-round Fairways: 419 Bermuda Greens: Tif-Dwarf Honors & Awards: Class A Superintendent, Gulf Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association Vice President

Phillips recently spoke to Club & Resort Business about the germination – and success – of the idea to plant the garden.

Q. What made you decide to plant the garden?

A. A couple of reasons. One, we wanted to take the initiative to turn the area into something useful. The spot was going from one hole to the next, between the third green and the fourth tee. It’s an area off to the side. There are no woods there, and it’s fairly wide open, so we wanted it to look appealing visually and we needed to do something with that spot. Our city water line also happens to come through that area and we wanted to do something to help out our kitchen staff.

Q. How did you select the location for it?

A. We purposely put it in a visual area to keep us accountable and to be sure we maintained it properly and cleanly. We wanted it to be noticeable. One of our members, who is an artist, painted a sign for the garden. We put up a split-rail fence, and we ground up pine stumps into mulch over the winter, and we used the mulch to make sidewalks and walking paths. We have 10 to 12 individual walking paths. People go by and see it. We hope the garden makes them happy – or gets them to the clubhouse to see what’s on the menu.

Q. How do you decide what to plant?

A. We just asked our chefs what would be the most popular and what people would have the most interest in. We started out doing herbs and we were looking for somewhere to put them in the ground instead of on the patios. Then we thought, “What if we had vegetables?” We have tried different things, and we’re getting better at trying to select things we can handle. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Now, we’re selecting things based on our success.

Q. Who takes care of the garden?

A. I have a person on staff that does it, James Dann, our Maintenance Supervisor. He had a garden at his house, and he would bring us things. I approached him to see if he would like to head the project.

Q. What does he do to tend to it?

A. He watches the water. We installed a misting system. It’s not an overhead system where the water will drift, it’s all tubing. He watches the misting system closely to be sure it’s working properly.

In the beginning it was just a weed field, basically, so we incorporated some compost into our soil. We had to amend the soil to get it ready for our garden and the vegetables, which he plants. He starts the seeds at his house and brings them to the garden.

Q. How much time does it take each week?

A.  It can take a lot of time. It takes a lot of time to start the initial plants, and then they roll on their own. And then it takes a lot of time to harvest. He also keeps the walking paths clear, so it varies from week to week depending on what we’re doing. Maybe eight hours one week, and two hours the next week. It’s not an extreme amount of time, but manpower and hours are pretty critical on a golf course. The golf course takes priority over anything else, so managing that and finding the time for the garden can be challenging.

Vegetable garden at Rocky Bayou Country Club

Q. How do you make sure the garden doesn’t interfere with other golf course maintenance duties?

A. We just set the golf course as a priority with careful planning. And sometimes the kitchen staff will pitch in and help out if we get behind, or if a storm rolls in and we’re getting other things back on track.

Q. How do the maintenance needs for the garden differ from your turfgrass maintenance needs?

A. We’re really concerned about keeping organics in the garden more than in the turf because the turf produces that on its own.

Q. How much does it cost to plant and maintain the garden?

A. The initial planting of the garden probably cost us almost $1,000 to $1,500. It’s not that expensive if you do it by seed. This year we probably spent $400 to $500. Taste-wise, it makes up for the cost. It’s more the thought of it than a huge money savings. We did it for the taste of fresh vegetables, and we wanted to do something original.

Q. What are the main expenses associated with the garden?

A. We have to do some weed control, but the expense of it is miniscule compared to the management of the golf course dollar-wise. We already have most of the things we need here anyway.  

Hole No. 4 at Rocky Bayou Country Club

Q. What kind of savings has Rocky Bayou gotten from having an on-site garden?

A. I can’t say that it’s saving us thousands of dollars, but it’s paying for itself.

Q. How has the garden influenced your relationship with the Food & Beverage staff?

A. We have a good team here, and our relationship was good already. But I would say it’s made it stronger. They’re obviously very appreciative that we’re doing this for them. It makes their job easier because their food tastes better

We are a small (but proud) club. Our kitchen is run very efficiently and produces some wonderful food, but no one in the kitchen wears tall chef hats and our kitchen is not that elegant, just a plain kitchen.

Q. What kind of reaction to the garden have you gotten from the members and how is it beneficial to the property?

A. All positive – especially during harvest time.

It’s certainly making the best use of an area that was useless. If you can utilize your property more efficiently, it’s certainly going to be a benefit. We’re trying to utilize the property in the most effective and environmentally friendly way possible.

Q. What advice would you give to other superintendents that might consider planting a garden on their golf courses?

The vegetable garden at Rocky Bayou Country Club.

A. This is the key – choosing things that can take care of themselves. Some things grow a lot easier than others, but it depends on how involved you want to be. Green beans are very easy. We grew potatoes the first year, but there was a lot of work involved. Someone had to dig them up at harvest time, and it was very labor intensive. The kitchen staff also said they would like to have fresh peas, so they asked us to grow them. We did, but we’re not going to do that again, because you know what? Somebody has to shell those peas.

Green beans, okra, squash, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli and greens are easy. Just choose things that are less time-consuming to grow and harvest.

Q. What kind of environmental message are you sending by planting the garden?

A. The golf course is owned by a big land company in this area, and we are on a 100-year lease. We want to show the landowners that we are caring for this piece of property to the best of our ability.

Q. What other environmental initiatives do you have in place at Rocky Bayou?

A. Our main environmental initiative is the buffer zones around the lakes. The lakes travel through the property, and they’re free flowing. They’re not stagnant or contained. We have three- to four-foot buffer zones around them, and they act as a filter to keep things from making their way to the water stream.

Q. Are there any other creative ideas that you’ve implemented at Rocky Bayou?

A. This year we started a lawn and landscape business through our facility for our members. A lot of them live around the perimeter of the club. We just prepare an invoice and bill it to the member’s account and any money that we make from it goes back into capital purchases. We also have a golf cart repair business. We’re a private club, and most of our members own their own golf carts.

La Costa Resort’s Champions Course

After a multi-million course renovation put the famed Southern California resort back in the game, Superintendent Steve Auckland and his course and grounds staff are making sure the investment will pay long-term dividends.

For ten years, Steve Auckland must have felt like he was fighting a losing battle. No matter how hard he tried, or how considerable his knowledge, experience and expertise had become, the Superintendent at the La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., could do little to prevent the puddles that kept reappearing on the resort’s two golf courses.

“We are situated on a flood plain and have very heavy clay soils,” Auckland explains. “We don’t get a lot of rain here—maybe 10 to 11 inches a year—but when it did rain, the playing surfaces would stay wet for several days.”

Golf Scorecard – La Costa Resort La Costa Resort’s Champions Course Website: www.lacosta.com Golf Holes: 36 Designer: Dick Wilson (first 18, opened in 1965); Joe Lee (nine holes added in 1973 and 1984) Property Type: Resort No. of Members: 1,300 total, 400 golf members Year Opened: 1965 Golf Season: Year-round Annual Rounds: Approximately 50,000 (total of both courses) Fairways: 419 Bermuda (Champions); overseeded Bermuda (South) Greens: A4 Bent (Champions); Poa Annua (South)

And, because the resort has 36 holes that were built in three different decades—the original 18, designed by Dick Wilson, opened in 1965; Joe Lee then added nine holes in 1973 and nine more in 1984—La Costa essentially had three different types of greens. “Plus, some greens were watered with fresh water and others with reclaimed water,” says Auckland. “So they were never really uniform in appearance, and did not share the same playing characteristics.”

The surface drainage was also laden with salt, which was not tolerated well by the rye grass used to overseed the Bermuda in fall. “The result was that, despite very intensive efforts to save and nurture the turf, we lost some every year, and the surfaces became inconsistent,” says Auckland.

Getting It Right
La Costa is owned by KSL Capital Partners, which purchased the 400-acre property’s $400 million in debt at a highly discounted price from Citigroup in March 2010. The property had seen $200 million worth of improvements since 2001, but that clearly wasn’t enough. The courses were rarely at their best, and the hotel’s reputation was in decline. After deciding another sizeable investment was necessary, early in 2011 KSL embarked on a $50 million project aimed at restoring the hotel to its former greatness and elevating the quality of the golf experience.

“Not only were the courses draining poorly, it was evident some of the native grasses had encroached onto the playing surfaces,” says La Costa’s General Manager, Paul McCormick. “Plus, ‘North’ and ‘South’ didn’t sound very inspiring. There is so much history at La Costa, we wanted to reposition and rebrand the North course and turn it into a much more memorable experience. We wanted to take it into the 21st century.”

The architectural and construction team for the Champions Course redesign

The North course was thus rechristened the Champions Course—but the name change alone wasn’t enough, says McCormick. “We had to back it up,” he adds. “We had to make it a course worthy of the new name.

“The initial plan was to work on both [courses],” McCormick adds. But, because less than one-tenth of the total budget was set aside for the golf course work, “it soon became clear that wouldn’t work financially or operationally, so we focused on the North/Champions Course,” he says.

Solid Teamwork
Damian Pascuzzo and his partner Steve Pate, a six-time PGA Tour winner and member of two Ryder Cup teams, were selected as the redesign team for the North course from a group of a dozen applicants, primarily because of the good work Pascuzzo had done at properties operated by ClubCorp, which KSL had purchased in 2006. Pascuzzo brought in long-time friend Jeff Brauer as a consulting architect.

Auckland had worked with four golf course designers prior to Pascuzzo, and found the man who had trained under Robert Muir Graves the best of the lot to work with.

Superintendent Profile: Steve Auckland Superintendent Steve Auckland Education/Training: B.PhysEd. – Brock University, St. Catharines, Ont., 1979; B.Ed. – Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ont., 1985; Turfgrass Management Diploma – Penn State, 1988 Years at La Costa: 11 Years in the Golf Course Maintenance Business: 24 Previous Employment: PGA West (La Quinta, Calif.); Thornbrook International (golf course development company based in Toronto); East Sussex National (Sussex, England) Certifications: GCSAA member; California Pesticide Applicator License

“He obviously had his own ideas,” says Auckland. “He was very keen to retain the essence of Dick Wilson’s design. But he was also very supportive, and listened to all my issues and concerns. The very nature of the architect/superintendent relationship can be delicate, but Damian certainly wasn’t a ‘my way or the highway’-type person.”

It’s no surprise that at the top of Auckland’s list of priorities was drainage. “The best way to improve surface drainage is to add sand, of course,” he says. “We brought in 3,000 truckloads and capped the entire course to a depth of seven inches. In total, we used about 43,000 tons.”

All 18 holes of the Champions Course were treated, along with the four holes of the South Course (1st, 9th, 10th and 18th) that were closest to the hotel.

Besides improving drainage through the green with the application of sand, and also re-grading the fairways to encourage surface run-off, a number of other boxes needed to be ticked.

The fairway bunkers—many of which Pascuzzo wanted to reposition to challenge players hitting super-charged golf balls with 460cc titanium-headed drivers, rather than the lifeless wound balls and 190cc persimmon drivers they were using back in Dick Wilson’s day—needed to drain as well as the fairways. Because La Costa sees relatively little precipitation, a fairly conventional approach, with standard four-inch pipe in a gravel trench covered with bunker sand, was sufficient.

“The drainage was cut into the sub-base of the bunker, and the gravel was placed over the drainage lines,” says Auckland. “Four to six inches of sand were then placed into the bunker.”

Updating the irrigation system was another major part of the renovation. A new controls system that now allows the staff to manage water use effectively at the click of a mouse was installed, along with a total of 1,500 new irrigation heads.

To further decrease water consumption, 35 acres of what had been mown, irrigated ground was turned into native areas that now require little or no water.

“The resort has made a huge commitment to being more environmentally friendly,” says Auckland. “So that influenced a lot of my thinking.”

Another important part of the effort to become “greener” was the installation of a new food waste decomposition system, through which La Costa’s kitchens can now turn food scraps into nutrient-rich compost that can be used from tee to green on both golf courses, as well as in plants and flower beds elsewhere on the resort.

The project focused on improving drainage by adding nearly 43,000 tons of sand and gravel.

At a temperature of 180 degrees, the machine dehydrates the 182,000 pounds of food waste the resort produces each year and turns it into a humus-rich soil. About 40 pounds of compost is produced each day and made available to Auckland and his team (which now also runs its fleet of mowers, aerifiers and all-purpose vehicles on biodegradable oil).

Quick and Dramatic Results
After breaking ground for the renovation on February 19, 2001, the Champions Course reopened on November 5, 2011 (the South Course had remained open for much of the time). “We completed the job very quickly, but also very efficiently, I think,” says Auckland. “We had to re-sod the course in October, which was very late. And because of a cold November, the 419 Bermuda that we laid didn’t quite take as quickly as I had hoped. In fact, some of the turf was only 75 days old when we opened, and it still isn’t where I’d like it to be.”

Even so, the results have been dramatic. It’s difficult to assess the effect in numeric terms, as the course hasn’t yet been open twelve months since its re-introduction into the Southern California golf scene. But there’s no doubt the finished product has created a good deal of buzz.

The feedback from members and resort guests that Auckland, Pascuzzo, and Dave Doerr, La Costa’s Director of Golf, have been getting has been entirely positive. An added bonus is the amount of additional wildlife Auckland has been seeing as a result of the Champions Course’s new “nature.”

“I spotted the first deer in my 11 years at La Costa in August,” he says. “The numbers of nesting birds is noticeably higher, and we have two owls now. There are more ducks, herons, and waterfowl, and we also have possums, raccoons and skunks. It’s making my job more pleasant, and having a positive effect on the resort as a whole.”

Ready Again for the Big Time
The most telling result of all the changes, however, may be that La Costa is, once again, in a good position to attract a major professional event. The resort has hosted major championships before, including The PGA Tour’s Tournament of Champions (which Steve Pate won in 1988), WGC Match Play Championships and the LPGA Kia Classic, which it still hosts. (In previous years, the Kia Classic was held on both the North and South courses. In 2012, competition was confined to the South Course to avoid a mix of its poa annua greens and the new A4 Bentgrass greens on the Champions Course.)

La Costa Resort’s Champions Course

To be sure, the resort can handle big-time golf, and there’s little doubt the pros would appreciate the improvements that have been made. Auckland certainly isn’t counting on having to get the new Champions Course tournament-ready just yet, though. He knows better than anyone how much better the new course is and how much potential it has—but he is also acutely aware of how critical the next year or two are going to be.

“After so many modifications and alterations are made, it takes a while for the course to settle and mature,” he says. “There will come a time in the not-too-distant future when it will be far less demanding.

“But for now, there is a lot of tweaking and hand-weeding going on, and the course needs almost constant attention. We have to make sure the work done last year has the desired effect over the long-term.”

One person who has no doubt that Auckland is the right man for the job is McCormick, who worked with the Canadian native at the then KSL-owned PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., in the late 1990s. “Steve was working there as the construction superintendent on the Norman Course,” says La Costa’s GM. “So I got to see how talented and dedicated he was, and what he was capable of. He leads by example.

“The Champions Course is going through a very important phase right now,” McCormick adds. “But I’m confident Steve will help make it great again.”

Steve Kealy, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue, Wash.

“Community outreach coordinator” is one of the many roles that today’s golf course superintendents have added to their job descriptions. Some superintendents, such as Certified Golf Course Superintendent Steve Kealy at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue, Wash., are embracing this opportunity to serve as an ambassador for golf. Kealy is involved with the First Green Foundation, an environmental education outreach program that partners with local schools to use golf courses as learning labs.

Under the initiative, school students go on field trips to nearby golf courses, where they learn about the environmental and community benefits of golf courses, and maybe generate some interest in the game. Students participate in hands-on activities such as testing water quality, collecting soil samples, identifying plants, designing plantings, assisting in streambed restoration, and learning about the business side of golf course operations.

The First Green Foundation does more than promote golf courses as assets to their communities, however. In addition to introducing the game to potential new golfers, the program also exposes career possibilities to students who might consider future employment on the golf course.

Kealy recently spoke to Club & Resort Business about his involvement with First Green Foundation.

Q. How did you get involved in the program?
A. I inherited my involvement in First Green. Jeff Gullikson, who was a First Green co-founder, was formerly at Overlake Country Club in Medina, Wash. When Jeff took the position as golf course superintendent at Spokane (Wash.) Country Club, he handed off his role to me. At first I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy hosting field trips; however, I soon learned that sharing some of the science on the golf course with students is extremely rewarding.

Q.What did you do to help develop the curriculum?
A. In 2006 First Green had a grant from the United States Golf Association to develop the curriculum into a tool kit for use by golf course superintendents and teachers. I was involved in the focus groups, in creating an informational video for the First Green website, and in working with other golf course superintendents to help them host field trips. All of this activity was part of our curriculum development process. We continue to develop new resource materials for the website. We work on these materials as a team–with the program director, executive director, other board members, and myself.

Q. What kind of training do superintendents need to be able to have field trips at their properties?
A. The best possible training is to review our resource materials and then observe a field trip. However, many superintendents host field trips without ever observing one. They talk with the teachers and develop activities that work well for their locale. We often get phone calls or emails from superintendents who have scheduled field trips, giving specific tips for activities that are appropriate for the age of the kids and the environmental resources available on the golf course. An example would be lessons on soils or on bugs. These are topics that are taught in all grade levels, and soil and bugs are key to healthy soil on all golf courses. The superintendent just needs to adapt the materials to fit.

Q. How do you prepare for the students and coordinate with teachers?
A. The most important aspect of preparing for the students is to understand their age/grade level and to find out from the teacher what the students are covering in class. I fit our learning stations with the level of the students. For example, second-graders need to be moving and doing almost the entire time, whereas with a seventh-grade class, we can go more in-depth with some of the information before the hands-on portion.

Q. How do you plan the lessons?
A. I use the lesson plans that are available on our website, thefirstgreen.org, and make my own outline as well, based on input from the teacher.

Q. What kinds of materials are available for you to use?
A. First Green offers superintendents a tool kit – a duffel bag filled with soil and water testing kits. Plus, the online resources are key. Superintendents can download lesson plans, and follow a step-by-step checklist for pre-field trip planning, day of field trip, and post-field trip suggestions.

Q. How do you coordinate the field trips with the rest of the Glendale staff?
A. It is important to host field trips when the activities don’t interfere with what’s happening on the golf course. Monday is a good day for the golf course, so we try to do field trips then or earlier in the mornings. I check with the golf pro and the general manager to coordinate with what they have planned. We are always glad to have the golf pro and/or the general manager stop by the field trip so they know what is happening. Some of my staff help me when we are hosting the field trips. If we have four learning stations, they assist with the instruction, help set up and tear down the tables and learning materials, and are aware of what we’re doing.

First Green Foundation is an environmental education outreach program that partners with local schools to use golf courses as learning labs.

Q. How are club members involved?
A. Club members know about the field trips through my blogs, monthly newsletter, and from seeing the students on the golf course. The club’s Greens Committee chair is usually very interested in the field trips, as are club members who are or have been involved in teaching. It is helpful to have club members who are connected to local schools. One of the challenges of starting a new program is to get the school involved. Until they come to the golf course, they don’t realize how many learning opportunities happen there. Club members are key to connecting to the school where their children or grandchildren attend.

Q. What do you want the students to get out of the field trips?
A. We want the students to have fun with the hands-on science activities, as well as learn about the environmental and community benefits of golf courses. We love introducing potential new golfers to the game in this fun, educational manner

Q. What do you get out of it?
A. I really enjoy having the students come out to our course and see all of the positive benefits of golf and the environment. I see this program as an investment in golf’s future. It’s an opportunity to teach a new generation of kids that golf is good for the environment, and good for the community in which they live. Even if they never play the game, as they get older they will always remember that field trip they took as a kid to our course, the good time they had, and the positive things they learned about golf and the environment.

It is really a lot of fun to share what I do every day in managing the quality and healthiness of the golf course and in making it a challenging and enjoyable place to play golf. Until I started hosting field trips, I didn’t realize how much of what I do is similar to what teachers teach in the classroom. The golf course is or can be an exciting outdoor classroom.

Students participate in hands-on activities such as testing water quality, collecting soil samples, identifying plants, designing plantings, assisting in streambed restoration, and learning about the business side of golf course operations.

Q. Why is it important?
A. Golf courses matter. They are more than a place for golfers. Many of us consider urban golf courses to be “the lungs of the city.” That is, golf courses are significant to the environmental quality of cities. It is important for students, teachers, and communities to understand these benefits of having golf courses, along with the potential of playing a game that they can enjoy all of their lives.

Q. Do you have any other involvement with the First Green Foundation?
A. I have been on the board of directors for a number of years and am currently Secretary/Treasurer of the organization.

Q. First Green Foundation has heard from other superintendents nationwide seeking information about implementing similar programs in their areas. What have you done to help them?
A. We set up a section of our website (www.thefirstgreen.org) to help superintendents get their program started. They can use our online lesson plans and checklists as they plan their field trips. We are also available via phone and e-mail to provide coaching to superintendents who are new to First Green.

Sandblasting and repainting existing signs added 10 years to their useful life, estimates David Dore-Smith, Copperleaf GC’s Director of Golf Course and Grounds Maintenance.

An important part of course maintenance is making sure every golfer knows how a course plays and how to get from point A to point B. But the tools such as signage and yardage markers that help to convey these messages are not just important for the information they provide. Their upkeep, along with the maintenance of other accessories such as bunker rakes and flagsticks, are vital to the overall appearance of a property, the impression it makes and the experience it provides.

While attention to these accessories might not top the list of maintenance priorities at some properties, tougher economic times have prompted superintendents to find ways to upgrade and maintain course fixtures and supplies with long-lasting effects—and without breaking the bank. “We’ve been doing more repairs [of fixtures] than replacement work, at significant savings,” notes Bill Irving, Golf Course Superintendent, at the Lawrence (Kan.) Country Club.

In the Rotation
Golf course accessories at Lawrence CC are upgraded according to a rotation, notes Irving, and the club’s maintenance crew does about 99 percent of the repairs in-house.

“We try to do a little bit every year, so that nothing gets too worn out or run down,” he explains.

Some tasks, however, such as repainting tee and fairway yardage plaques, are performed annually.

“It keeps the guys busy when we can’t get outside in the wintertime,” adds Irving. “And it keeps the plaques looking sharper. Most of them just need a touch-up, rather than a full-on paint job.”

Maintaining Lawrence CC’s tee and fairway yardage plaques, which are made of etched stone, became easier several years ago when the property started using paint that is designed specifically for headstones or monuments.

“The paint just lasts all year, even though it is exposed to light, water, golfers, and equipment,” Irving reports. “Chemicals get sprayed on them, but the paint doesn’t peel. Regular outdoor paints don’t last, because of the issues [involved with] golf course maintenance.”

The regular upkeep of the plaques also proved to be especially beneficial this year, when the property enjoyed a mild, dry, warm winter that left the staff with less time to spend repainting them. “We just picked them up, painted them, and put them back out,” reports Irving.

And because the staff touches up the yardage markers regularly, he only needs to order a pint or a quart of the monument paint every two or three years.

Signs of the Times
The signage that guides players from hole to hole on Lawrence CC’s golf course, which was renovated six years ago, is still in good shape, Irving says. When necessary, however, superintendents can find cost-efficient ways to replace or upgrade these signs, too.

After upgrade

Before upgrade

Earlier this year, David Dore-Smith, Director of Golf Course and Grounds Maintenance at Copperleaf Golf Club in Bonita Springs, Fla., started investigating the possibility of replacing the 12-year-old tee and directional signs on his course. The color was fading and the paint was chipping, so the signs were starting to show their age.

However, after quotes to replace the signs approached the $15,000 range, Dore-Smith decided to refurbish the existing signs instead. He found a local company to sandblast, repaint, and attach the signs to new rounded posts, and his staff installed them on the grounds. In addition, the property took the opportunity to coat the signs, which were green previously, with black and gold paint to match an updated color scheme that better reflected Copperleaf’s distinctive name.

The property also replaced additional signage such as the reflective golf car stop signs and “Golf Carts Only” signs on the course. Dore-Smith himself repainted the posts for these signs with black metal paint. Using money from its reserve fund, the property replaced and refurbished its signs for about $7,500—half the cost of the original estimates.

Dore-Smith says economic conditions did not affect the timing of the project. However, he adds, “The economy makes you think of different things to do to save some money.”

Before upgrade

After upgrade

He estimates the life expectancy of golf course items that are earmarked in the reserve fund, and he believes the refurbished signs will last about 10 years.

“The sandblasting was done to provide a clean surface for the paint to adhere to, and because of technology, we have such good paint quality now,” he explains.

Golfers have reacted favorably to the upgraded signs, Dore-Smith says, and the new course accessories have had a positive effect on his crew as well.

“Overall, if the golf course looks better, then the guys want to perform better to keep up the standard,” he says.

New Albany (Ohio) Links Golf Club recently got new signs for its clubhouse area, but tighter budgets dictated that the property did not replace the signage on its golf course.

“We only replace [course] signs if they are vandalized or if they are no longer effective,” says Golf Course Superintendent J.T. Thompson. “We’re in a place where we really only spend extra money if it’s going to make extra money.”

Still, New Albany’s grounds crew is well aware of the importance of aesthetics on the golf course. So this past winter, the maintenance staff used 4-by-4-foot cedar posts to make more than 300 new tee markers for the golf course that were covered with exterior latex paint and a clear coating on top.

“We carved out the designs and painted them,” notes Thompson. “We wanted to stay with the cedar because it seems to last longer, and it’s lighter.”

Savings and Rainy Days
Signage and yardage markers are not the only golf course accessories that require upgrades; frequently used items such as flagsticks and bunker rakes need attention as well. Copperleaf GC has extended the life of its flagsticks and bunker rake handles by adding vinyl covering to them as protection from the sun, chemicals, and the elements.

Before upgrade

After upgrade

“It’s cheaper and more efficient to put it on fiberglass handles that were deteriorating,” says Dore-Smith.

The maintenance staff covered the flagsticks two years ago, and in March they covered the bunker rakes on rainy days. An injured employee also stayed at the maintenance facility to cover the rake handles this spring. “He couldn’t get out on the course, but he was still able to work and get paid,” notes Dore-Smith.

Lawrence CC has also been covering its flagsticks and bunker rakes with vinyl for the last four years. “The fiberglass materials wear down with use and from the elements,” Irving explains.

The cost-effectiveness of the measure is a bonus as well. Irving says the property can spend about $5 to shrink-wrap the vinyl coating to a rake, versus $20 for a new handle or $35 for a new bunker rake.

Practice Makes Perfect
Aesthetics at clubs’ practice areas are just as important as they are on the golf course. At Lawrence CC, the benches at the driving range and short-game practice area get sanded down and re-lacquered as needed. “We used to paint them, but it chipped and peeled,” reports Irving.

The property also has wooden sandwich boards on the practice area that locate the yardage for the day, and the maintenance staff makes sure they stay in top shape as well.

“We bring them in several times a summer to wash them with soap and water, and we put a sealant on them to keep them shiny and new,” Irving says.

Lawrence CC uses paint designed specifically for monuments to get maximum distance from its etched-stone tee and yardage markers.

In another in-house project, the Copperleaf staff built a rock wall around its putting and chipping green this summer. Dore-Smith got the rock for the wall, which is about 400 feet long and about 6 feet tall, from a nearby excavation site for a new road.

“I just asked the construction company what they were going to do with the rocks,” he says. “They wanted to get rid of them, so I just had the cost of hauling them here. I got about $20,000 worth of material for $3,000.”

The rock wall will help level out the practice area and add visual appeal from the clubhouse.

Dore-Smith, however, does add a word of caution about performing golf course maintenance tasks in-house. “Don’t let them take away from the primary job of maintaining the golf course,” he advises.

Efficiency can refer to more than project costs, too. Less is more when it comes to golf course accessories, Irving believes, so he tries to keep a clean, efficient look on his golf course. At each tee box, Lawrence CC has only a hole number sign, a ball washer and a trash can.

“It just looks nicer,” explains Irving. “It’s not cluttered. It’s just simple.”