Industry
Chevy Chase Golf Club
We ended our tour on the tenth hole, outside the clubhouse, with a view across the lake to the 18th green jutting out into the water.
The afternoon was filled by a visit to another private members club called Chevy Chase Club (no connection to the National Lampoon actor). Here, Dean Graves CGCS took us around his superb course and facility. This layout and design reminded us a lot of a British- style golf course; we were also given a tour of its beautiful clubhouse, complete with outdoor ice rink for the winter months. The atmosphere at this club was very noticeable as a place for all the family. Children were playing on the grass or skating, whilst their parents played golf or tennis. They would then all meet for lunch or snacks. It is a wealthy place with a lot of tradition, but having fun seemed to be the key ingredient. We couldn’t be so close to the home of
the recently re-elected President and not stop to take a look at the humble abode. So, en route to Philadelphia, we turned off to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to photograph the White House. Election fever still gripped the Capitol, and it was also Veteran’s Day, so the area was very busy with noticeable security on roof tops.
A three and a half hour drive saw us
arrive in Philadelphia in time for our evening meal at a local steak house. Whilst we were on the theme of the US Open, it seemed right to call at Merion, the host club of this year’s championship. We had been told that the course maintenance facility was special at Merion, and it didn’t disappoint. $4 million has been spent in construction and equipping the facility. We were welcomed at reception by the
Director of Golf Operations, Matt Shaffer, who introduced us to his secretary. We moved through a well- appointed office facility, including boardroom and offices for assistants, before a tour of the staff room and interns boarding rooms. The area was kept immaculate, and the sense of pride was clear from all the staff. Whilst eating lunch as a greenkeeper at Merion, you are reminded daily of the tournament just around the corner, as a large clock is displayed prominently on the wall counting down to the US Open. Matt continued his tour through the spacious garages and workshops, each dedicated to a specific operation, notably the chemical mixing tanks and spray facility. In one garage was a machine we all stood and marvelled at. Matt had designed and built his own ride-on fairway roller. This was taking fairway management to a whole new level! He explained that his crew cut fairways, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but rolled them the remaining four days, including the weekend. One wonders how many years it will be before this operation becomes an expected practice amongst golf ’s more prestigious venues? Out on the golf course we struggled to
take in the sheer beauty of this layout. Merion has a distinct heathland feel, as fairways wind their way between occasional pines and large areas of broome. Irregular shaped bunkers with their banks allowed to grow wild enhanced this look. Matt explained the fescue faces had not survived the heat of the summer, and the grounds crew were currently on a programme to replace the faces with turf type tall fescue. Their hard work was paying off as the bunkers did look stunning. We all commented how nice it
“We all
commented how nice it was to see this style of bunker and not the manicured perfect edge, and how much more economical it would be to
manage in terms of labour and time”
A purpose designed and built fairway roller is used at Merion
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 PC 37
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