The Whiteboard

Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side?
Lucas2010 has been a year of extremes. Drought, heat and humidity and even a particularly harsh winter and heavy spring rains have stressed turfgrass well beyond its limits. Throw in the the economy and, well, we can probably stop there.

Many of you may be looking at career alternatives and offering your expertise as an industry consultant may seem like the logical next step. But there are a couple steps to take before venturing down this path, says Patrick Lucas, CGCS, and the president of Performance Golf Management & Consulting in Cherry Hill, N.J. Pat, spent 15 years as superintendent of Woodcrest Country Club.

Plan: Start any career move by answering one basic question: “What do I want the rest of my professional life to look like, and how can I achieve that goal?” Answering this is paramount and requires serious thought prior to creating an effective plan. Issues such as financial security and family dynamics should play an integral role in any plan. A venture without a plan will fail.

Perform: Performance builds your reputation and business. Treat every client as special and give each the time and attention deserved. A clear understanding of a client’s history, current issues and long-term goals are crucial to any successful consulting agreement. Gather as much information from a variety of sources to achieve more accurate and well-rounded insight into the core issues.

Passion: An important ingredient for success in any business. A high level of passion, energy and drive is essential to navigate the inevitable hurdles and speed bumps that will arise. Quite often passion will increase as the potential for such a career change becomes more real.

Patience: It is truly a virtue. Most businesses, especially consulting, take time to build and flourish. It’s necessary to have reasonable expectations going forward about the immediate success of a new venture. With the proper planning and preparation, golf course consulting can be a great career transition for superintendants.

News of the Weird
This one was just too crazy to pass up.

According to GCI's resident smoke jumper, an errant golf swing is to blame for a 12-acre blaze in Southern California in late August.

According to a story by our friends at the AP, a golfer at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine landed a shot in the rough. On his next swing his club snagged a rock, creating a spark that lit the rough ablaze. Fire officials report the blaze burned through the rough, into vegetation next to the course and over two dry, brushy hillsides.

Guess the course super won't have to worry about maintaining that rough for a while. Wonder if the golfer took a mulligan?