Via social media, personal interaction and even a “Wheel of Fortune” appearance, Rodney Crow helps to maintain a high profile for superintendents and Battleground GC.
Golfers at Battleground Golf Course, in the Houston, Texas suburb of Deer Park, get a two-for-one special when they tee it up at the Touchstone Golf-managed, municipally owned facility. They get to experience a golf course that has been substantially improved in recent years, and also get to go back in time to the days of the Texas Revolution.
Battleground GC was named after the Battle of San Jacinto, which was waged not far away on April 21, 1836. General Sam Houston led his troops to defeat Mexican General Santa Anna in a skirmish that lasted only 18 minutes. It marked the end of the Texas Revolution and the formation of the independent Texas Republic.
To commemorate this event, Battleground has given each of its 18 holes a name associated with the battle, and each tee has a marker describing the story behind each hole’s name.
Each name recognizes a person or device involved in the fight, explains Rodney Crow, Battleground’s Certified Golf Course Superintendent and a Senior Regional Superintendent for Touchstone. For example, the 11th hole is named “Sherman” after Sidney Sherman, who directed the left wing of the Texas Army and has gone down in history as the person who coined the battle cry, “Remember the Alamo.” “This area is considered the birthplace of the Republic of Texas,” Crow says. “There is a lot of history here, and the people are proud of that.”
C&RB: Tell us about the golf course at Battleground, its clientele and the challenges it presents to the golfer.
Crow: We are a municipal golf course that was built in 1996, with the adjacent land developed since then. We are surrounded by housing, retail shopping development and warehouses. The residents of Deer Park are the primary users, but because we are close to [Houston’s] Hobby Airport, we also get some travelers who are staying in the area.
This is oil country, so we have a lot of businesses associated with the industry. Workers will bring in their clients who come to town for business. We also have a large practice facility [10 acres], with three regulation-size holes, two putting greens, and a chipping green. That is an attraction as well. We also attract numerous tournaments and outside events that contribute to our 38,000 rounds per year.
The land was previously undeveloped with no trees to speak of, so all of the trees on the course have been added with the construction. Trees do affect strategy, but not a great deal. The fairways are generally wide and forgiving. However, we do have water on all but two holes, so it is important that golfers control their shots both for distance and direction, or the strokes can add up.
Our greens are good-sized, with a fair amount of undulation. We have two holes, No. 10 and No. 17, that are unique in that they share the same green complex.
Golf Course ProfileBattleground Golf Course Website: www.battlegroundgolfcourse.com |
C&RB: There have been some recent improvements; can you explain what has been done?
Crow: The course had suffered a decline in quality and the number of golfers, so the city brought in Touchstone Golf to run the facility. I was and still am a Touchstone employee, and we outlined a plan to improve conditions and make it a golf course the city and its residents could be proud of.
Touchstone is obligated to put a certain amount back into the facility in equipment and improvements. We have improved conditioning and expanded and leveled all par-three tee boxes. Our next capital improvements include a lake-bank stabilization and adding a significant amount of drainage. Touchstone’s philosophy is that the golf course is the driver, so it does no good to scrimp and save at the expense of the course. The firm manages 35 golf courses, primarily in Texas and farther west. I have had my duties expanded to include some oversight for courses in the south-central region.
Our philosophy is to develop a plan that works for each course, but not necessarily to have strict standards that apply to all courses. I have enjoyed working for Touchstone because of the leeway they allow each superintendent to have.
C&RB: What management challenges do you face?
Crow: Mother Nature is our biggest obstacle, as is generally the case for superintendents. Typically, South Texas is extremely hot and there can be extended periods of drought, so we have to monitor closely and do some hand-watering.
We generally do not have an issue with our water supplies, because the city provides us with reclaimed water as our only source for irrigation. We have several lakes that are connected in a closed system where the reclaimed water is held.
Of course, this past year we had no water issues, as we had 94 inches of rain when our usual average is 47 ½ inches. The rain kept us from getting to many of our projects, and that is why we are adding drainage.
The other management challenge we have is that the course is open every day of the year, so we have to be very good planners and communicators. I must work closely with our golf pro and General Manager to schedule our programs and maintenance activities. That can become tricky because we have so many tournaments and outings.
C&RB: Other than improved conditions, what is management doing to increase traffic at Battleground?
Crow: We want to instill a sense of loyalty among the staff and the golfers. As staff members, we’ve ramped up customer service and our communications. We’ve begun to utilize social media extensively and have created monthly videos from staff members to explain what we are doing on the golf course and to the amenities of the facility, and to provide swing tips for golfers.
We have also instituted a loyalty card that rewards people for returning to play. It’s all part of engaging our customers so they feel good about their experience at Battleground. Hopefully, they’ll tell other people who will then also want to come check us out.
C&RB: You have a television appearance on your resume. Tell us about that.
Crow: I was a participant on “Wheel of Fortune.” One day my son and I were sitting at the computer and there was an ad on the screen that encouraged people to sign up for an audition. My son badgered me to fill out the information so I did, and then I got a call about auditions in Austin. I made it through four rounds, making the cut from 200 to 24, but that wasn’t a guarantee I would be selected to be on the show.
Then in November 2012, I had the chance to participate for a show that aired in January 2013. I solved a few puzzles and made some money, but did not make the bonus round. I had a blast. I grew up watching the show with my grandparents in Georgia, so I’ve always been a big fan. It was nerve-wracking at first, but it became easier once we got into it. Still, it’s much harder live than sitting at home watching on TV.
I think it also gave superintendents good exposure, as Pat Sajak introduced me as a certified golf course superintendent and talked about what superintendents do and how important they are to the game.
C&RB: In addition to what you do with social media and videos, you are active in your professional associations and you teach at the Golf Industry Show. Why are you so active beyond your course management?
Crow: Golf is a relationship business. You build relationships as superintendents to learn best practices and how to address issues on the golf course that you might not have experienced before. You also build relationships to attract golfers. And how do you build these relationships? Through communication.
I enjoy interacting with people because that is how I learn. I am a social person, so perhaps it comes to me naturally. But as a professional, I must be a good communicator in order to be successful. Facilities must be good communicators, too. There are many options out there for your entertainment dollar, so we need to always demonstrate our value.
C&RB: Because you are in a developed area, are you limited in wildlife?
Crow: Surprisingly, we have a lot of wildlife on the course. We have water on all but two holes, so we have water fowl such as egrets, cranes, ducks and geese. Turtles are prevalent too. We also have our supply of small mammals such as squirrels, skunks and a few beavers. And of course, when you have the small animals, you’re bound to have a few coyotes, too.
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