Papa Smurf

Well, this is me today. No, not because I wore a red hat, and I didn't grow a beard. I did turn a fairly large percentage of my body blue today. I was reminded of why I delegate jobs that require someone to take their time and be careful. Ladies 9-hole guest day is tomorrow. I thought it would be nice to dye a couple of our ponds that were cloudy. I thought of this great idea near the end of the day and figured it would only take a moment. Well, it takes more than a moment and working with concentrated dye is something you need the time to do. It is not a game to rush through. I hope the ponds will look good, I ruined a pair of pants, and I have blue on my forehead, forearms, and both hands. The real kicker is when I thought it would be a good idea to put it into a hand sprayer and spray the ponds. That worked until the nozzle blew off and I was amidst a blue cloud. No good deed goes unpunished.

Image via Wikipedia

Golf inside the ropes

This could be the coolest round of golf I have ever played. The ropes and stands were up, the tents and grandstands in place, the only thing missing was large galleries. This photo is on 16 at Deere Run. How cool.

President's Cup Winners

Congratulations to the 2009 Briar Ridge President's Cup winners Jim Mohan and Fred Vukas. I hope all the contestants had a great time. I would like to thank Dave Miloshoff and the rest of my staff for a job well done, they did a great job and we received many positive comments.

Really, Really??

First day of Presidents cup here at Briar Ridge.  An irrigation head that was supposed to run for 3 minutes, ran for 8 hours.  Where do you think it is located?  The practice tee of course.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

A little help

I really, really, really could use some rain. Today is ladies guest day (the 18-holers) and this weekend is our Presidents cup. I don't want to appear picky, but an inch of slow steady rain today at 1:30pm would be nice.

Home Stretch

Well, this is it. The next six weeks are the toughest on the turf. We will now see if we have grown enough roots to combat the summer stress period. We have prepared all we can and now it is a race to cooler nights and shorter days. Survival for a grass plant does not always mean living through the year. Some of our turf has evolved other methods for survival. Poa annua, or annual bluegrass for example, sets seed and puts energy into the flower stalk to ensure next generations. This is the equivalent of running away and is the last thing I would like the turf doing when the growing gets rough. It is this process which makes Poa so successful at growing in difficult conditions like low growing, shade, and poorly draining. Poa only has to live long enough to leaf out, flower, and set seed, not exactly what I desire growing on my greens.

The next week looks like a good one, moderate rainfall events with seasonally average temperatures. Perfect for getting out with friends and teeing it up!

The best part of my job

Work can be so frustrating, in fact, my next post will probably be about the kids who ran a cart through the bunker last night and tore the lip of it off. But today, I am thankful for the people, most of them anyhow, who I work for. Golf, contrary to what the PGA Tour, club and ball manufacturers, and the USGA want you to think, is not about power, distance, and par. Golf is about fun, creativity, and people. When you put a funny shaped stick in your hand, and try to knock a ball into a hole while avoiding natural obstacles, you should be having fun. Each and every shot is different, being creative and learning new ways to use the crooked stick is how golf should be played. Trying to hit the ball straight and far each time can be frustrating and down right boring. The most satisfying of shots come from a recovery of some sort where the ball flies curving and soaring, running to a safer position on the course. Getting together with friends and laughing is the kind of golf I like to promote. I will never be on the PGA Tour, and I will hit some terrible shots in the future, but I will not let that make me a miserable person to be around. I love to play with friends and members because of the time that is spent getting to know them, and hopefully giving them a great golf experience, even when we are hitting the ball sideways. I love this game, because it shares so much with the philosophy of life. It challenges us to not sweat the small stuff, to be creative with the challenges we face, and to appreciate those around us.