Golf


“My biggest fear was landing a job at a big- budget private club whose only goal was to recreate the Disneyland experience”


are constantly probing to investigate soil moisture levels, probing the sand depth in the bunkers to make sure there is an adequate amount of sand in each, and ensuring that the tee plates and yardage markers are clean. Attention to detail is key for these guys. For instance, if there is some wilt on a green surround, or even a green itself, the guys will get out their 100 foot hoses and hook up to a quick coupler connection and address the wilting area.


When I was preparing to come to the USA, my biggest fear was landing a job at a big-budget private club whose only goal was to recreate the Disneyland experience. The superintendent, who spent three years at Augusta National as an Assistant Superintendent, and an additional three years as the Superintendent of the Olympic Club’s Ocean Course, prefers the traditional mowing patterns where a 50/50 cut is performed on tees and fairways and in the rough as well. As regards playing conditions, firm and fast is the key and, in no way, should aesthetics influence quality turf. It’s great to see that the more traditional style to course maintenance still exists where the


“Each Sunday, we sit down and discuss our week ahead and try to come up with a schedule, knowing it will change fifty times by Monday afternoon!”


26 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012


golfer needs to be able to play all types of shots.


Scheduling is an essential aspect in such an intensive environment. Each Sunday, we sit down and discuss our week ahead and try to come up with a schedule as best we can, knowing it will change fifty times by the Monday afternoon! Each day, greens are mown. Our


greens, at the moment (18th January), are being mown at 0.150 inches (3.8mm). We mow with a Toro 3250 triplex. The four guys on section, who take care of the clean up, cut up to three times a week, depending on the clipping yield, with a Toro 1000 pedestrian mower. Our approaches, tees and grass walkways are mown with a Toro 3150 triplex. The fairways are mown with a Toro 5500. The rough is mown with a Toro 4500 and also an articulator, which is attached to a tractor for all the wider areas of rough. The bunkers are hand raked fully twice a week, depending on play, and touched up on the remaining days of the week. Green surrounds are mown using a Toro Sidewinder, and must stay well away from all bunker edges as, around each bunker, we have anything up to twelve pop up


Magnificent pines and Monterey Cypress sprinklers.


The course’s design of drastically sloping bunker edges presents us with many maintenance challenges. Perhaps the most significant is the pedestrian mowing of the green surrounds that the Toro Sidewinder is unable to mow. Everything must be neat, tidy, and


presentable. Perception is everything here in America and, if something is not done to the standard expected, it will be noted and presumed something is wrong. It’s important that we all help each other as a team to achieve the high standards that we have set. Another thing I have learned from the superintendent is to set your standards and expectations as high as they can be. As managers, it is our obligation to motivate the staff to achieve these high results. If provided the opportunity, I would encourage everyone to take part in the International Exchange Programme of The Ohio State University. Mike O’Keeffe has been a great help to me since I arrived. I am fortunate for Mike’s responsiveness in answering all of the questions and concerns that I have had throughout this journey - both before my arrival and currently - he owes me a beer


16th green


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