Golf Course Superintendent Appreciation Week Day 2: Time

 Yesterday I spoke a little about the people who support the golf course superintendent.  These folks are the ones that sacrifice time with that individual and who often accompany the superintendent in evening drives of the golf course in order to spend a little bit of time.  Time is the only gift we have.  How we choose to spend it matters.  There are many careers that demand individuals to be on call, I am not trying to make a martyr of the superintendent, only to shed some light on the job and the unique challenges that come with it.  Hopefully through understanding of the challenges, facilities, owners, members, coworkers, and the regular player will engage in support of the superintendent.

Golf course turf is a different animal than your home lawn.  Grown at heights equivalent to the width of a nickel, this turf doesn't tell time.  Turf doesn't care about holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other human event, if it is under enough stress, the turf will go dormant or dead in an afternoon, possibly hours.

Golf course playing surfaces are maintained to be firm, which means as dry as possible to survive a day of play, then receiving supplemental moisture to get it through the next day.  Moisture management is an art. Growing turf under these conditions cannot really be taught....it is experienced and either an individual gets it or they don't.  Hand watering areas on greens is done by skilled labor.  

Through the growing season, or the hundred days in the north, turf needs to be watched.  Sunday afternoon when it is 73 degrees light wind and beautiful blue skies, you can find your superintendent checking greens and directing staff to hand water hot spots. Why hand water?  Irrigation is not sufficient for all situations.  Supplemental irrigation is necessary to keep the average moisture holding areas from becoming too wet from overhead irrigation or sprinklers. 

Adding some difficulty to the art of moisture management is the unpredictability of the weather.   Guessing weather a rain event will actually happen is just that....a guess.  Even if it rains, it may come down too fast or not enough.

Localized dry areas surrounded by moist areas

Irrigation systems that are outdated have large watering windows.....meaning it takes a lot of time to water the course or a surface....if you guess wrong and don't get rain and it takes a couple hours to water greens....tough.  Morning preparation of the greens for instance can't happen while irrigation systems are running.  Need to get a watering on fairways because the rain didn't hit?? Forget it, it may take 6-10 hours to run a good fairway cycle....the rain system that dissipated changed your day from finally being able to catch your breath to running around putting out fires....literally.  Days like this are just keeping grass from dying, your not catching up on the soil moisture bucket, your just treading water.

The hundred days.....from labor day to memorial day are spent watching weather and balancing the moisture levels.  Watching moisture levels on 4 acres of greens, 4 acres of tees, and 30 acres of fairways is stressful, not to include rough, driving range, green surrounds, flower beds, clubhouse lawns, and whatever else is under the superintendents care.  Want to get a little taste?? Just try and adjust your home lawn every day, keeping it green, but as dry as possible.  Try it for a week....everyday, dry, firm, and green...ish. 

Hand watering dry areas by a skilled employee

There are other things that keep the superintendent at the course....cultural practices that need to get done, event preparation, facility events, tournaments, and meetings....but babysitting turf for moisture content is number 1.

I don't know any superintendents that take moisture management lightly, its a trigger....don't believe me?....tell your superintendent that they overwater.  Make sure your several feet away and that he or she has slept lately and in a fairly good mood and there is a possibility of your survival.

Next time you see your superintendent, say thanks for the work they do managing water so that you can have the best conditions that your facility can provide....and remember, that may be only as good as the systems that are in place can be relied on......proper coverage, pumps, layout, pipe size, water quality, grass species and variety all play a role...its a complex system and your superintendent is dedicated to making it function the best it can.  All while being human.

Peace-

Turf

Golf Course Superintendent Appreciation Week!! Day 1

Thank a golf course superintendent day 2021 is September 14th.  The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America outlines some kind things to do here.  I want to celebrate golf and the superintendent this coming week.  Its been a long two years with some struggles, some success, some tears, and some laughter.  2021 is in the books and my hat goes off to the men and women who care for our green spaces that we chase the ball around on.  Behind the successful Golf Course Superintendent there is always a great support system.  I had mine for sure...Kristin and Mollie McKone, Joe Williamson, Don Powers, Joel Purpur, Mario Genovesi, Brian Baker, and many many more. 

Before I focus on the golf course superintendent, I wanted to say "thank you" to a very special person.  In 2004 I took on a job at Briar Ridge Country Club a 27 hole private development with a fixture of a golf pro.  The golf course needed some intense cultural work.  Typically, when a course needs additional cultural practices, which mean disrupting play, its an uphill battle.  Players or members don't want any disruption but they want conditions to improve.  Briar Ridge members were used to playing any of the three courses at a whim and there was always space to jump on the course.  

The Golf Professional at Briar Ridge was loved by the entire membership "not a problem" was a phrase I admired and couldn't stand at the same time.  Jack Sudac was and is one of the most accommodating and genuine people I have ever met.  He was a guy you wanted behind the counter and running your events.  I learned early in my career, that it didn't matter what the golf course was like if you didn't have a good front-man.  Jack was an outstanding ambassador....and had my back....most of the time (he is human after all and we may have had some conversations that bordered on disagreement).

My ability to be successful at Briar Ridge Country Club was due largely in part to the cooperation that I had with Mr. Sudac.  We would close 9 holes regularly and we really worked the surfaces.  His trust and belief in me was outstanding.  In the first year we used the Graden machine in two directions in the spring and punched surface holes with the GA-24 6 times.  

I know this, golfers don't like holes.....the best supporters of the superintendent stop talking to him for a week following aerification......true story, I think it may even be subconscious.  Not only did we poke holes and put a ton of sand down, we were closing 9 holes all the time.  I am sure I fielded some questions that year, but certainly didn't hear the grumbling and moaning like Jack did.  He probably took a ton of heat for me and I can never repay him for that.

Jack Sudac and I spent a ton of time together, golf trips, club events, sporting events, and other shenanigans.  Among other things, he taught me how to run and score events, play good member golf, and run a business.  

Next weekend is the Jack Sudac Invitational at Briar Ridge Country Club, yeah, they love him and its no wonder why.  He is attentive and accommodating, almost to a fault.  

When I arrived at Briar Ridge, we had a ton of M.D.'s, many of which had very difficult names.  "Doc'....was often heard around the golfshop.  "O.K. Doc.......Not a problem Doc........Absolutely Doc......"  you get the point.  The name Erwin has found many workarounds and Jack coined me "The turf doctor," a name I continue to use on twitter which I had set up to communicate with members.  This year I relocated to Michigan and when I renewed my plates, I went with a dedication to my dear friend, whom I miss very much.

Jack, I want to kick off Golf Course Superintendent Appreciation week by saying "Thank You," to you.  Your faith and guidance paved the way for me to have over a decade of success at Briar Ridge where I met many great people and I am happy to say friends that remain to this day.  As different as we may be....superintendents as "task people" and professionals as "people people"  we need each other to operate a successful entity.  I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to work with one of the best.  

To Jack Sudac and all the Golf Professionals who help with the success of the Golf Course Superintendent by giving their trust and support,

Cheers "you ass," LOL

Turf