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November 04, 2011 -- Volume 49, Number 42 |
| Defining A Cutting-Edge Superintendent | The top 10 characteristics of today's cutting-edge golf course superintendent
by R. A. "Bob" Brame, director, North Central Region
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Positioning key dates for upcoming maintenance activities on a master board keeps the mechanic and assistants informed.
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The title attached to the person charged with the maintenance of the golf course has changed over the years. The age-old title of greenkeeper still has strong historic ties, but turf manager, grounds manager, director of grounds, and others have all been applied. The most common today, however, is golf course superintendent. While a job description or employment contract should be in place to guide the specifics, what is the definition of today's golf course superintendent - a cutting-edge golf course superintendent? That question is the focus of this article.
The primary objectives behind defining a cutting-edge golf course superintendent are twofold: (1) to provide a tool for existing superintendents and those hoping to be superintendents, and (2) to provide a guide for courses to consider when looking for an individual to direct the maintenance of their primary asset. This article is a joint effort of the USGA Green Section staff. The staff brings to the table years of golf course maintenance experience and thousands of site visits to courses. Each staff member submitted a list of the top 10 characteristics of a cutting-edge golf course superintendent. The listing was then compiled to determine both the top ten characteristics and their prioritization, based on the number of times each characteristic was suggested by the staff. The following are the suggested top 10 characteristics of a cutting-edge golf course superintendent, in ascending order.
Read the rest of this article.
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 Is This The World's Best Guarded Green? | |
New meaning to the term "hazard"
by the Green Section staff
One of the best things about being on the Green Section staff is the opportunity to see so many great courses - each with its own personality. In the process, Green Section agronomists take a lot of pictures. Do you know on which course this picture was taken? (Answer found below)
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Regional Updates
|  Florida Region
by John H. Foy, director
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Winter Overseeding Establishment Time
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(L) Some disruptions and inconveniences are unavoidable during the initial phase of establishing a winter overseeding cover. (R) Maintaining good soil moisture is a key to achieving good seed germination and ultimately a dense and uniform overseeding. Just as the case at courses in the United States, frequent day time irrigation cycles are conducted at the golf courses in Antalya, Turkey where overseeding is an annual program for ensuring that a lush green turf cover is provided through the winter play season.
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Beginning in October and continuing into November, winter overseeding establishment is a process that must be undertaken at a number of golf courses in Florida. However, this is a practice that has been declining with putting greens due to the improved cool-temperature color retention and growth of the ultradwarf cultivars (Champion, Mini-Verde and TifEagle) compared to Tifdwarf bermudagrass. Large-acreage fairway and rough overseeding programs have also been discontinued at many courses in the past three or four years because of the necessity to reduce operating costs and the understanding that this is not an agronomic or environmentally sustainable long term management strategy.
At courses throughout the central and northern part of the state, however, overseeding of Tifdwarf putting greens is still a standard practice to ensure that acceptable play can be provided during the time when the base bermudagrass is in a semi- to fully-dormant stage and play is at its peak. This would also be true with bermudagrass tees and fairways in the upper two-thirds of Florida, and especially at resort facilities. The mid to late fall in Florida is a great time for playing golf, but at the courses where winter overseeding programs must be conducted, disruptions and inconveniences are unavoidable.
Read the rest of this update
 Northeast Region
by David A. Oatis, director The Frost Is On The Pumpkin  I am tempted to suggest that the recent freak snowstorm in the Northeast Region is "the icing on the cake" as far as weather extremes are concerned in this region, but with two more months to go, and heaven knows how many more records could be set, I am reluctant to do so. Is it possible to set another record for the greatest number of weather-related records being set in a single year?
For now, I will not complain too much about the tree damage and the widespread power outages. However, a mere three days without power in our neighborhood has taught me a number of valuable lessons: - I love hot showers!
- I love hot showers in my own home best of all!
- Electricity is a wonderful thing!
- Candlelight may be romantic, but it's darn hard to read by!
- A 7-year-old, dust-covered and never-used generator that takes up too much room in the garage is a wonderful thing!
- My wife will never complain about the generator taking up too much space again!
Read the rest of this update
 North Central Region
by R. A. "Bob" Brame, director
Their Is No "I" In Team Staff meetings provide a bonding that maximizes our commitment to each other and the organization. When you subscribe to our Turf Advisory Service, or interact with the Green Section in any way, you receive the full backing of our entire staff. Questions posed to individuals on our staff are commonly circulated to all for wider and more in-depth input that is then passed back to the person making the initial inquiry. Past and current research also is factored in and merged with decades of combined experience. No individual on our staff could ever have the impact that our combined efforts bring to the table. Gathering together serves to merge our individual personalities and experiences to produce a stronger team. Playing the game along the way helps keep agronomics and course maintenance in perspective. Read the rest of this update |
| Answer to the photo quiz above | Stonehenge Golf and Country Club
Richmond, Virginia
| The photo was taken by Patrick O'Brien, director of the USGA Southeast Region. Patrick took the picture in 1980 when he was an agronomist traveling in the Mid-Atlantic Region. We contacted the club and, sure enough, the bunker is still intact and guarding the approach to the par-5, 4th green. The course was designed in 1960 by the late Edmund Ault (a former Green Section Committee member) and opened in 1971.
We also asked if the bunker had a name and were told that while the members have numerous names for it we would be unable to print any of them here.
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USGA Holiday Cards
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Visit the USGA Holiday Card Center at www.holidaycardcenter.org/usga?s=GA119847
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