Lessons from Pinehurst

A year ago I wrote that the highly publicized “double-down” U.S. Opens at Pinehurst would be a public referendum on what a golf course is supposed to look like. I was right…and I was wrong. Here are the lessons I think we learned from this remarkable event:
 

It can be done. Thanks to years of careful planning, spectacular preparation, total commitment from ownership and a fantastic agronomic team, the Pinehurst folks pulled off the nearly insane feat of hosting two majors in two weeks. The overall reviews from players of both genders were almost unanimously positive.

And the biggest concerns – logistics like security, access, and parking, – exceeded expectations. To make that happen, hundreds of people on the agronomy and operations teams worked for 20 or so days without a break or even much sleep. Mission accomplished, but I can’t think of a compelling reason to ever try it again.
 

The putting surfaces gave a great farewell performance. The cold, wet spring, on-and-off rain during the fortnight and amazing cultural management made the durability of the A-1/A-4 greens a non-issue. They were still rolling magnificently when Michelle Wie closed the show. Right now, the new Champion surfaces should be coming in. Bentgrass’ last hurrah at one of the most prominent warm-season courses in the world was a resounding success.
 

Mr Inside or mr Outside. Bob Farren is a friend, so I’m biased, but I have to say he did an awesome job as the “face” of Pinehurst Resort. After spending four years telling the story of the reinvention of No. 2, he was flawless in front of the cameras.

And, Bob’s “Mr. Outside” role was perfectly complemented by “Mr. Inside,” Kevin Robinson (along with assistants Alan Owen and John Jeffreys), who executed the agronomic operations plan perfectly despite a few weather curveballs. This notion of having one agronomic leader deal with the public while another stays behind the scenes is not new, but superintendents hosting future majors should consider this the model for how it’s done.
 

The water thing. The USGA – particularly Mike Davis – was ecstatic over the crispy, fast-and-firm fairways that resulted from the removal of a bunch of irrigation heads and a sea-change in cultural practices. Farren said the restoration resulted in 65 to 70 percent reduction in applied water. Ben Crenshaw told me he hoped every course would see Pinehurst as an inspiration to reduce water even a little. I agree in principle, but that leads me to my final points…
 

Brown is still not beautiful for most people. I personally loved the look. Johnny Miller (yes, that Johnny Miller) told me he liked it because it was reminiscent of the great Australian courses. Others raved about continuing the naturalized, minimalist trend of Crenshaw/Coore, Doak, Kidd and Hanse. The deconstruction of Pinehurst No. 2 created a new-old thing: a throwback course that is tough, visually stunning and memorable. It’s the kind of course that makes many players itch to go check it out in person.

That said, many supers I’ve heard from said some version of the following: “I liked it, but my members would never accept it.” Frankly, I have to agree. The tastes of the average American golfer are – like it or not – still shaped by Augusta National and the soothing television-driven look of wall-to-wall green. Only the most discriminating low-handicappers would prefer that look every day.

And, let’s not forget that green is the color of healthy turf. Any rush towards browner courses (and I can’t see one) ignores the fact that healthy, growing turfgrass provides substantial environmental benefits. If we continue to prove we merit the water we use to maintain healthy turf, green will always be golf’s predominant color. That said, Pinehurst may not have started a revolution, but it planted seeds for an evolution of attitudes about what constitutes good golf.
 

The REAL lesson. The most important thing to come out of this whole adventure is a brilliant lesson for every facility that wants to survive and thrive.

In my humble opinion, we should celebrate the fact that Robert Dedman Jr., Pinehurst’s owner, made a calculated decision to rebrand one of the world’s greatest courses to set it apart in a highly competitive business environment. Corporations and affluent golfers can choose from lots of fabulous places to drop big bucks to play golf. This gives them a new and compelling reason to come to the Sand Hills of North Carolina and enjoy Pinehurst Resort.

Dedman looked into the future and made a hard decision to ensure the long-term viability of his business. Shouldn’t your facility do the same?