An open letter to members

A new season is upon us, which means it’s time for another message to your members. It’s time to remind them how what you do is for their benefit and that without your hard work and that of your team, their golf course would be a disaster.

It’s a given that being a golf course superintendent would be a great job if it weren’t for members. The best we can do is educate them about golf course maintenance, both short- and long-term, and how what we do is good for them. So here is a prototype letter to your membership. Feel free to borrow from it, making changes as they apply to your situation. (Please let me know if it helps so I can share any “best practices” learned with our brethren in the future.)

I also strongly suggest that you start making notes for a follow-up letter in a few months. Member education is not a one-time thing. You should be communicating with your golfers often, and be willing and able to meet with them whenever necessary.
 

Dear Member:

Welcome back to another wonderful year of golf. You may be surprised by some of what you are seeing out on the course, leftover damage from a very difficult winter. So let me apologize in advance.

But at the same time, let me explain that the work and conditions you see out there now are for your benefit, both for your golf and for your safety. You are our most important asset — even more so than the golf course — and we want to be sure you are protected.

We hope we have your trust as we attempt to make the golf environment a better place for everyone. We want you to be able to play on the course now and throughout the year. To make sure that’s what happens, here’s some information and some suggestions that will benefit everyone.

Give it time. Yes, the snow is finally gone and temperatures are on the rise. But this does not mean the golf course and its grass are fully ready. Grass needs time to settle in—take root, grow, get healthy — before reaching “mid-season” form. Just like your game.

So if the signs ask you to keep carts off the grass and on the path, please do what they say. Otherwise there’s a good chance there won’t be any grass to play on in July and August.

You may notice ropes and stakes in areas that have been roped off before and where you usually walk without care. These areas of sensitive turf, new sod and germinating seed need protection. The grinding of cart tires and golf shoes (with spikes or without!) will kill off in advance the good conditions you want this summer. So please, if it says “keep out,” then keep out.

Ropes and stakes aren’t there just to protect the grass. They indicate areas of turf that are soft, unstable and full of holes, just the place for catching your foot, falling and tearing an ACL or breaking an ankle. So taking a “short cut” could result in a long layoff from the game. When you see ropes and stakes, think of them as a red light! Stop — do not proceed.

Superintendents are not architects. If the club thinks the course needs redesigning, that’s great. We’re happy to offer an opinion. But architecture and design are fine arts and should be practiced by fine artists. Not us.

We’re not golf course builders, either. While we may occasionally rebuild a tee, add new drainage or renovate a bunker, we are not equipped nor qualified to rebuild the entire golf course. That’s what course builders and construction companies do. Furthermore, as much as we want to help, we are not qualified to resurface tennis courts, retile the swimming pool or pave the club driveway. Ask us to do these jobs and two things will happen: The job will be done poorly and the golf course will suffer in our absence.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Apologies in advance if you show up at the driving range and find that the grass tees are closed and you have to hit off artificial mats. We closed the range tee on certain days due to weather, overuse or for normal maintenance and to allow healing. Just like the golf course. A short-term nuisance for a long-term gain.

Speaking of closings, when the golf course is closed for maintenance, it is closed for the entire day. So please, don’t play behind us or wait for us to go home to tee it up. Give the course a full day to recoup, grow back and get healthy for the rest of the week. It deserves it.

Good intentions. We know that you mean well and want to help, but there are ways members try to contribute that actually can cause more harm than good. For instance:

Divot parties. Walking on the course in high heels and other street shoes, filling fairway divots with buckets of green sand, does not help us or the course. Stay in the clubhouse, enjoy the chardonnay (and the air conditioning), and let us take care of the divots. Of course, if there’s sand on the cart, you should use it when you play. But once your round is over, leave the course to us.

Ball marks. If you really want to help the course, fix ball marks. Not only yours, but any other you see on the green. (And trust us, you’ll see them!) Make sure the starter or the pro shop supplies ball mark repair tools, and then, please, use them. And if you do see ball marks on the course, don’t blame us. They really are the player’s responsibility.

Tree plantings. No disrespect to anyone, but planting trees in memory of members who have passed on is not good for the course. Superintendents don’t like trees, especially those that steal water or provide too much shade to the course. We’d much rather plant flowers or native grasses or something that will enhance the course and your enjoyment of the property, rather than its course rating.

The trouble with green. You have a great golf course, but it is not Augusta National and shouldn’t try to be. Many courses are too green, by which we mean they are using too much nitrogen and too much water, which leads to disease, mud and losing your $5 Pro V1 in the rough that is too long and too thick. What green does not always mean is healthy turf and good playing conditions.

Golf course setup. Speaking of Augusta, we all watch the Masters, quickly followed by The Players Championship and the U.S. Open, and notice how these course setups challenge the best players on the planet. While the maintenance staff occasionally likes to add some challenge, we usually reserve it for the club championship and other big events. We don’t cut the hole in the toughest spot on the green or push the tee markers way back every day because we want you to have fun, enjoy yourself and entertain your friends. We want you to score well and come back tomorrow happy. Tightening the screws on family days or fun-play days ruins the experience for everyone.

Communication. We come to the office early and often leave late. We are responsible for maintaining a large piece of property and overseeing a large, diverse staff. We serve many masters, including our peers in the golf shop and clubhouse, vendors, and you, the members. We love what we do and try to do it the best way we can. So while we try to return emails, phone calls, and your other inquiries, please understand that we are away from our desks and our technology more than you know. The best time to talk is when you see us out on the course. Or drop by your maintenance facility: If we’re not there, we’re probably somewhere on the course making sure it will be ready for you tomorrow.

Here’s to another great season and working together to make it so.

Sincerely,
Your Golf Course Superintendent

Tim Moraghan, principal, ASPIRE Golf (tmoraghan@aspire-golf.com). Follow Tim’s blog, Golf Course Confidential at http://www.aspire-golf.com/buzz.html or on Twitter @TimMoraghan