Reflecting their elevated professional status, superintendents are now getting in on the ground floor to provide brains, and leadership, for golf course construction and renovation projects. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor SUMMING IT UP Superintendents now routinely take the lead in course renovation projects—but their higher profiles bring a need for expanded expertise. No two construction projects…
At Your Service
While some golfers might ask golf course superintendents for the occasional lawn care tip or landscaping advice, they can now get the real thing from golf course maintenance staff members at Rocky Bayou Country Club in Niceville, Fla. Last year, the club’s maintenance department started offering lawn and landscape services to members who live in…
In Good Company
Colonial Country Club, in Cordova, Tenn., has made a name for itself in the headlines on more than one occasion. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the club was founded in December 1913 by a small group of business leaders in nearby Memphis—and when its first 18-hole golf course was dedicated a year later, the…
A Special Oregon Trail
Legendary golfers and prestigious events are integral to the history of Portland Golf Club, which is gearing up for its 100th anniversary—and a course-and-grounds team, led by a superintendent who is well-schooled in tradition, is properly preserving the past while preparing for new chapters to come. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor The list of legendary…
You Can Believe Your Ears
The stories we find are equally varied between success and innovation, and decline and failure. Who do you think made this statement: “Some people look at a golf and country club as a social amenity. I look at it as a recreational amenity. I also look at it as an environmental amenity, because if you…
Unspoken Truths
Superintendents have to watch where and how they use the “C” and “F” words—but at the same time be more forceful in dispelling myths and misconceptions about chemical and fertilizer applications. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor Satisfying golfers’ expectations about course conditions, while at the same time following environmentally sensitive maintenance practices, has become a…
Taking It to Extremes
Golf course superintendents are going on the attack in their ongoing battles with the increasingly capricious—and catastrophic—whims displayed by Mother Nature. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor During last summer’s extended drought, surface temperatures of dormant bluegrass in non-irrigated rough areas registered 126º when taken with an infrared thermometer at Rolling Meadows GC in Fond du…
Making the Most of the Middle
Superintendents’ ability to select and use their maintenance equipment effectively often hinges on their relationships with local dealers and distributors that serve as manufacturers’ go-betweens for sales and service. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor SUMMING IT UP Strong relationships with local equipment dealers and distributors help superintendents build trust with national manufacturers and brands. To…
Locally Grown
At Rocky Bayou CC, Superintendent Wayne Phillips and his staff have succeeded in turning an unused plot of land between two golf course holes into a thriving fruit and vegetable garden. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor Most golf course superintendents are charged with using their resources wisely and efficiently— but the grounds crew at Rocky…
Keeping Ahead of the Curve at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
When Rory McIlroy took the 2012 PGA Championship by storm, it was just the latest example of how the South Carolina property has stayed up with the latest trends. By Joe Barks, Editor The ongoing marketing challenge for a destination resort is to get new guests to beat a path to an off-the-beaten-path location, and…
Restoring La Costa’s Luster
After a multi-million course renovation put the famed Southern California resort back in the game, Superintendent Steve Auckland and his course and grounds staff are making sure the investment will pay long-term dividends. For ten years, Steve Auckland must have felt like he was fighting a losing battle. No matter how hard he tried, or…
Playing Catch Up
As the economy improves and capital-spending pursestrings are loosened, course and grounds departments are getting the go-ahead to pursue needed equipment investments that had been put on hold in recent years. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor As the economy slowly returns to solid footing, golf course properties that have had to delay or forego capital…
Finer with Age
Traditions drawn from the unique Donald Ross course at Monroe Golf Club are now matched with equal elegance inside its clubhouse. Many clubs honor their connections to legendary golf course architects by naming rooms in their clubhouses for them. But these sometimes prove to be gestures made in name only, with little carried through from…
From Farm to Table
Increasingly, chefs are incorporating local ingredients to meet member and guest demand for farm-to-table fare. By Joanna DeChellis, Managing Editor Farm to table is a romantic philosophy. Chefs like Alice Waters (Chez Panisse), Thomas Keller (The French Laundry), Peter Hoffman (Savoy) and Dan Barber (Blue Hill) were all pioneers in the locavore movement. But the…
Behind the Big Digs
Reflecting their elevated professional status, superintendents are now getting in on the ground floor to provide brains, and leadership, for golf course construction and renovation projects. SUMMING IT UP Superintendents now routinely take the lead in course renovation projects—but their higher profiles bring a need for expanded expertise. No two construction projects are alike; each…