Beyond the fishbowl

It’s interesting and somewhat scary to think that as golf course superintendents, in many cases, we are hired and fired by people who have very little knowledge of what we do or how we do it.

Isn’t that absurd?

People who are in control of our career destiny have no idea of the skill set or acumen required to maintain a golf course, yet they are the same individuals who can make a decision to end a superintendent’s tenure because the greens weren’t fast enough in July when temperatures topped 90 degrees for 17 days straight and the golf course received record rainfall. They still ask: Why are the greens slow today?

Those thoughts concerning how much knowledge members, owners or golfers have in general about the basic agronomic principles give us a moment of pause. To us it raises the question: Who is responsible for educating the members or committees that decide our fates? It’s not a clear answer. We all realize that the individual superintendent must work hard on educating and re-educating members, committee members and board members. It’s one of our most important jobs. We all spend copious amounts of time informing individuals on the various topics of aerification, topdressing, factors impacting green speed, bunker maintenance, labor hours, and how the weather influences maintenance and budget. The list is endless.

Over the years, the USGA has done an excellent job of putting good information and videos on its website to help educate golfers and decision makers. The information provided by the USGA is on a level so people without an agronomic background can understand, and the videos generally discuss big topics such as aerification, topdressing and other necessary agronomic practices that affect golf or typically frustrate golfers. The articles produced by the regional agronomists are also very good and are usually timely based on current agronomic issues an area or region might be facing. All their content is great information and very helpful. But is it enough?

We must ask: Where is the GCSAA in all of this? Many feel that it’s difficult to understand why superintendents’ own professional organization isn’t reaching out to the members, owners, board members and golfers to assist with disseminating the general agronomic information that they need to understand how difficult it can be to perform our job, or even basic information to provide an understanding that sometimes expectations are not met for the long-term health of the golf course. Shouldn’t informing golfers about golf course maintenance be a top agenda for an organization representing those who perform golf course maintenance? We fully recognize that golf and environmental PR is important and agree that advocacy at the government level for plant protectants is vital.

However, if you surveyed superintendents, direct communication to the golfing world about our challenges, issues and impacts would be a valuable aspect to add to the agenda. This would have a direct impact on how our profession is viewed and understood. We realize it’s a large task. But who can better provide those communications than the GCSAA?

Because it’s the superintendents’ organization, countless superintendents we work with and speak to never understood why educating golfers, members and owners hasn’t been a larger part — or perhaps even a priority — of the agenda. So many golfers know what the CMAA is, and many more know what the PGA of America is. But very few know what the GCSAA is — and that’s a shame. Often, we only develop and disseminate powerful information within our own professional fishbowl. A more deliberate, strategic approach to target those who govern and employ superintendents may facilitate not only a greater understanding, but also a more supportive working environment.

Golf course superintendents are responsible for the maintenance of the No. 1 asset on their property. Our profession is complex, difficult and challenging, yet many times our fate falls into the hands of individuals with little to no depth of understanding of what we do.

We fully understand that this is a loaded topic, and some may view this opinion as throwing darts from the sidelines. Not at all. It’s meant to be more reflective in nature — and to stimulate conversation about who can take the lead to help communicate our professional challenges to those who make decisions that impact the careers, livelihoods and professions of golf course superintendents.