Golf By David McPherson on the course and get dirty with manual labour each morning, they can just as easily change into a suit and tie in the a ernoon and hold their own in a boardmeeting or at a public consultation. Most of their day is spent behind a desk – dealing with the typical daily tasks with which any manager is faced – from personnel issues to administration work such as budgeting and staying on top of the latest in government legislation to communicating with members and their paying public. e list of tasks is endless: from conducting shade studies to understanding the myriad turfgrass diseases and how to be proactive to prevent them. ey are usually at their desks by 4 a.m. and spend restless nights worrying about course conditions while you are sleeping and dreaming of your round. e reality is this: without a superintendent, there wouldn’t be a course to play and enjoy, as you know it. Part art and part science, the greenkeeper today has one of the most di cult jobs in the golf industry. e description “jack of all trades and master of none” suits them to a tee. ey o en manage the largest budget line at a golf course. ey need to hire and re, plan budgets and oversee long-range, master site plans, etc. Successful superintendents possess a variety of skills. Obviously, they are experts in agronomy and environmental management, but they must also demonstrate strong business, communication and leadership abilities. ey must keep abreast of the latest in government legislation tomake sure that they are following the latest policies in terms of water management or acceptable pesticide use. Greenkeepers today also take a leadership role at their clubs and in their communities when it comes to sustainability. While golf o en gets a bad rap for not being a good environmental steward, the reality is that most superintendents are leading the way to reduce water use (looking for alternative irrigation sources such as potable water), and constantly limiting pesticide use wherever possible by replacing these agronomic practices with organic alternatives. Daily, they use their talents to reduce their environmental footprint on the land which they are tasked to oversee, while respecting and caring for the wildlife that inhabit this land. Mother Nature is the main foe of supers. If you ask anyone in this position what is the greatest challenge that they face, this is the two-word response which most will give. We all know that Mother Nature is moody and greenkeepers need to work with and overcome these many moods to placate golfers and o er up the best playing conditions to each customer – whether it’s a public or a private course. Superintendents can do everything with the knowledge that they have about turfgrass diseases and adhering to industry best agronomic practices but, at the end of the day, they cannot control the weather. at is one of the factors that can seriously a ect the playability and aesthetics of any course: too much sun, too little rain, severe winters in which ice freezes and thaws, etc. So, the next time you park your car at the club and step to the rst tee, take a moment to thank the greenkeeper and his crew, who were up at 3:30 a.m. and out working before you had your rst co ee, to make sure that the course was in tip-top shape for your game. Give a high- ve to these unsung heroes of the golf industry. en ask yourself this: where would golf be without these unsung heroes? You can guess what my answer is. A good greenskeeper keeps a careful watch on his turf, and has sleepless nights until he has overcome everything that may be the matter with it. – Dr. Alister MacKenzie, e Spirit of St. Andrews CSANews | FALL 2019 | 47
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