Editor's notebook

Keeping things going in Kentuckiana

GCI’s Guy Cipriano describes how fellowship and a fundraiser are helping superintendents in a region known for tough growing conditions.

Respected turfgrass researchers classify their region as “The Armpit of the U.S.” for growing grass. The label doesn’t offend the thick-skinned, turf-loving members of the Kentuckiana GCSA.

A group of curious and outgoing industry professionals gathered at remote Chariot Run Golf Course earlier this month for the association’s annual fundraiser. Chariot Run is a resort course in Laconia, Ind., population 50. Laconia is in Harrison County, population 39,163.

Golfers can play Chariot Run for as little as $29. An annual pass costs $1,500. Chariot Run demonstrates the correlation between location and pricing. Superintendent David Beanblossom and his crew are so good at what they do and the holes offer enough variety that if you squeeze Chariot Run into the New York City metropolitan area or the Capital Beltway, an owner could easily charge $150 for a weekend round.

Chariot Run provides five-star conditions the old-fashioned way: through long hours, grit and a little creativity. The other turfgrass managers in the Kentuckiana GCSA are a lot like Beanblossom and his co-workers. They find ways to endure – and even flourish – in situations others might describe as impossible. The Kentuckiana GCSA encompasses the entire state of Kentucky and the southern parts of Indiana, which are flush in the Transition Zone.

As other associations struggle to keep fundraisers alive, the Kentuckiana GCSA attracted 112 participants to Chariot Run on a damp and chilly early June afternoon. The association hasn’t skipped an annual golf outing since staging its first one in 2001 at Lake Forest Country Club in Louisville. “It’s amazing that it’s had this longevity,” former Oxmoor Country Club superintendent David Sullivan says.

Sullivan, now a vendor, considers the tournament chairman a key cog in the event’s viability. Wildwood Country Club’s David Hawes organized the tournament at Lake Forest, and Sullivan says he “set the tone for the success that we have had.”

Valhalla Golf Club superintendent Roger Meier served as this year’s tournament organizer. Meier is one of those indefatigable figures in the industry. Valhalla hosted the PGA Championship last summer, and Meier’s crew was preparing for a member-guest scheduled for the same week as the Kentuckiana GCSA outing. Neither fact stopped Meier from treating the fundraiser like a major championship. Sixty-four businesses, including this publication, sponsored tee signs.

Ego-free members who enjoy being around each other also help the Kentuckiana GCSA. Colleagues aren’t somebody you run into once a year. They are resources when something goes awry. And, remember, we are discussing the Transition Zone. Confounding stuff inevitably happens.

“If there’s an issue, there are six guys that you feel like you can call any day,” Beanblossom says. “You can just call them and say, ‘Hey, help me out here.’ Guys would come out here and take a look at your golf course and try to help you get an answer. That was kind of one of my motivations to become a superintendent.”

Funds raised from the golf outing help the region’s superintendents cope with the daily challenges they face. A significant portion of an endowment established 12 years ago will be directed toward Transition Zone-centric research. “We hope to fund national studies one day that will pertain to us,” Sullivan says.
 

Be ready to talk

By Kyle Brown

Regardless of your approach, a player or board member will eventually ask how you’re working with sustainable practices on the course. And even if you’d rather leave sustainability to consultants, knowing what to say when those conversations come up could make a difference for your job. Which is why I talked with Micah Woods, chief scientist at the Asian Turfgrass Center, and one of the leading advocates for the Global Soil Survey at PACE Turf.

I caught up with Woods on the phone during the final afternoon of his trip to study turf under different conditions in Iceland. Before we even started recording, we talked about some of the challenges superintendents face in dealing with sustainability – he’s helped us cover the topic in prior episodes as well.

One of his best points involves a challenging situation for superintendents: the lack of a generally accepted definition of “sustainability.” Before you can connect with your players or management on any metrics or practices, you need to make certain you’re talking about the same thing. Superintendents know what they’re talking about, but it’s not always easy to show that to people outside the industry.

Part of why we do the Talking Points series is to help superintendents make that jump and know how to talk about big issues. You might have your own ideas, but hopefully after listening to Micah, you also have a plan for how you’ll discuss it the next time you’re in the spotlight. Listen to what Micah has to say about it at http://bit.ly/1IKAx0H.
 

From the Feed

Everybody with an interest in golf voiced an opinion about the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. Here’s a sampling of how the turf community viewed the rookie U.S. Open venue.

Tommy Hewitt @turf_hewitt
I personally love it! I have been waiting to see this place since it was announced. Kudos to their entire staff and volunteers.

Zach Bauer @ZBTurf411
Great course! Top golfers are all together. Creative shots w lots of drama sustainable golf facility w low inputs on the enviro

Jerry Lemons @golfarchitect
Good to show world golf survives on low h2o use. Large % of my clients say it’s as far left as Augusta is right. #middleground

Rodney Robbins @TheGrassJanitor
Great championship those of us who know how hard it is will congratulate the USGA and The staff at #ChambersBay. Well done

Andy O’Haver @andyohaver
Love it! You need a brain and shot making skills. Tired of ‘sustainable’ though. Undefinable term-every property is different.

Joe Wachter @jdwachter
Difficult property to judge from the cheap seats but overall I like what I see. This is not golf of the future, not in Merica!

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