Say What?

>> A club manager’s guide to superintendent speak

By Bob Lohmann

There's an advertisement running on national television from one of the telecommunications companies where a young man, presumably of Italian descent, has gone back to the old country to explore his roots. He's standing on the street in some small town trying to communicate with an older gentleman. He speaks into what looks like a phone, "My grandfather was born in this village," or something like that. The phone magically translates the sentence into Italian and the old fellow breaks into a big welcoming grin.

I have no idea if this technology actually exists, or if this ad just hints at some capability that phones will someday have. But it struck me and several of us here in the office as something that, with a little tweaking, could be really useful.

For example, what if the phone featured the capability to translate not just what we say, but what we really mean? This gizmo would have a million and one uses, with our sons for example (On prom night we'd say, "You be careful tonight," into the phone, which provides a translated version of what we really mean: "Don't get anyone pregnant!") – or maybe our spouses ("I can't believe were getting into this again;" phone translation: "You're right, honey"). Now there's a smartphone we could use.

Board members, course owners, club managers and directors of golf could use them, too – perhaps to get a better understanding of what their superintendent is really trying to tell them.

We all know that superintendents look after the most important asset at any daily-fee facility or private club: the golf course itself. But the downside to this reality is, superintendents also preside over the most expensive asset, and, on occasion, they must argue for additions to what is already the largest budget item at any course facility.

This can make communication with the head pro, the owner or board, and the golfers themselves an extremely delicate exercise. Club managers and course owners want candor, but superintendents must be extremely politic in the way they handle certain issues. Speaking their minds might just put them in a real awkward position, might put the club in an awkward position.

I hope to dissect the communications issues we all encounter in trying to do our jobs, on and off the golf course. Let's assume that board members, course owners, club managers and directors of golf had one of these futuristic, translating smartphones for the superintendent to use – so that management types could understand what the super is really trying to tell them without having to actually say it.
 

Situation #1

Complaints about hole locations. Longtime golfing members complain to the board that hole locations don't feature enough variety from week to week. They also hint that the greens seem slower than in years past. In turn, the general manager or the board goes to the superintendent with this grievance.

As architects, we see this situation all the time and, more often than not, a diplomatic superintendent will respond with something like this to the board, club manager or course owner: "Look, the greens are running as fast as they can – we're rolling and double-cutting because the members have made it clear they want them fast. But we have to be careful not to over-stress the greens, and we need to keep the pins where they are playable and where, eventually, the ball will stop rolling."

That's a reasonable response. But suppose the superintendent said this into one of these wonder phones. Here's the translation, what he really means: Listen, we're cutting these greens within a millimeter of their lives. They're a ticking time bomb. At this rate, by mid-summer they'll roll like table tops because they'll be dead. And tell me how the greens can be slower when we're mowing at .08 of an inch? The greens aren't slower, we just have to use the flattest parts or you'll be 4-putting all day. If you want fast, consistent speeds and ample pin locations there's only one answer, that is to rebuild. Otherwise you better change your expectations.

Let's be real. That's a hard thing for a superintendent to say and it may not be what the higher-ups want to hear, but it's the truth. Basically, he's telling his superiors they've got to spend money or change their thinking to solve the problem – and it's a widespread problem we see all over the country.

This is part of the point I'm trying to make: Architects are uniquely qualified and positioned to serve as a superintendent's smartphone. We can say things more bluntly to management than they can, because our day-to-day survival doesn't depend on being quite so diplomatic. We've seen it all and, of course, we bring the perspective of having actually rebuilt and recontoured greens to accommodate modern green speeds.
 

Situation #2

The board takes a course maintenance tour and the superintendent gets grilled. The board puts the superintendent on the spot about poor turf quality in an outer rough area, near the tree line. Here's how he responds, "Well, this is a popular place for carts to drive and soil around these trees is compacted. The turf also has to fight the tree roots for nutrients and drainage could be better. Maybe we can thin them out a bit and cut back the roots."

If he said this into the smartphone – hey, let's call it the Smarchitect Phone – here's what the translation would say: These trees need to come down. It's a simple fact: You can't grow healthy turf without good sunlight or air circulation. The trees are compromising our maintenance standard, and quite frankly they ruin what could be a great hole. You have a thousand freakin' trees on this property, you won't even miss these, especially once the turf is healthy.

Okay, maybe we dial down the Smarchitect phone on the last part, but odds are 50-50 that these trees don't add a thing and do hurt the hole. Taking trees down is another expense, no doubt, and many golfers –especially private club golfers – have formed unnatural attachments to way too many trees. But the truth is, everyone – including the turf around said trees – would benefit from getting rid of them. If the super doesn't feel comfortable saying it, an architect can and will.
 

Situation #3

Golfers complain that the tees are beat up. The superintendent is confronted with this complaint and says, "Well, we rotate the markers as much as we can in the given space, without going too far forward with the blue tees or too far back with the whites – and the senior men prefer to be back here, by the whites, rather than up by the reds. We've been trying to use the transition areas on off-days to give the main tee a rest without angering the members."

If the superintendent had been speaking into the Smarchitect phone, the translation could frankly go a number of ways: a) We need much larger tees and a dedicated set of senior tees; or b) Why the hell can't we put all the tees forward on certain days? What's wrong with some variety? Half the members who play the blues are way over their heads anyway, and isn't the PGA promoting "Play It Forward"? Why aren't we? or c) These tees are surrounded by trees 60 feet tall, they don't get sun till 1 p.m., and the trees block the use of the entire left half. Maybe the trees, not the tees, are the problem.

The politics of tee-marker placement is well known, especially in the private club sector. Golfers are creatures of habit, they get used to certain things and it's hard to introduce new ideas sometimes – like the simple movement forward of a tee to account for wind conditions on a given day, or the notion that money should be spent on tee expansion. We can understand why the superintendent is often reluctant to say so, especially in these trying economic times when every aspect of the day-to-day budget is being scrutinized.

But one way or another, these conversations have to take place. These wonder phones aren't on the market yet, so think about using a mediator like your friendly neighborhood golf course architect. Otherwise, maybe it's enough that board members, GMs and owners do a better job of listening to their superintendents – and reading better between the lines, especially in situations that sooner or later will require investment of some kind. Otherwise, it seems we're just kicking the can further down the road.

Bob Lohmann, ASGCA, is founder, president and principal architect of Lohmann Golf Designs and a regular columnist and contributor to GCI.

 

>> A superintendent’s guide to club manager speak

By Dennis Lyon, CGCS
 

I am sure we have all walked out of our boss's office, either not fully understanding what was just said, or thinking we understood the conversation only to find out later we had it wrong.

The truth is many of the problems a superintendent encounters on the job relate to a lack of effective communication.

For the sake of this article, let's assume we have access to a gizmo which will interpret what club managers really mean. Let's call this gizmo a boss-ilator. Let's assume in the situations below the boss-ilator will interpret Club Manager Speak (CMS) and describe what our club managers really mean when they communicate with us.
 

Situation #1

Budget study.
The superintendent is called into the club manager's office and informed by the manager the club has decided to do a benchmark study on the maintenance budgets of comparable courses. The purpose of the study is to ensure this club's budget is not out of line.

Club Manager Speak (CMS) translation: Someone with a measure of power feels the maintenance budget is too high. There is a good chance your budget will be cut next year using this benchmark data as justification.
 

Situation #2

Scheduling.
The club manager asks the superintendent if the rough mowing schedule can be adjusted on Ladies' Day so the ladies won't complain about the mowers interrupting their event.

CMS translation: I am getting very weary of the ladies complaining about the rough mowers on their event days. Make this problem go away!
 

Situation #3

Personal appearances.
The club manager comes up to the superintendent on the putting green and says the pro told him he has not seen him up at the golf shop in quite a while. The manager says he wants to make sure everything is OK between the superintendent and the golf professional.

CMS translation: When you were hired as the superintendent I made it clear you were expected to maintain good communications with the golf professional. I am concerned you are falling short in this area.
 

Situation #4

Corporate outings.
The club manager informs the superintendent that club board member Mr. Smith is hosting his corporate outing next week and is hoping golf course staff can polish the course up a little for this event. The manager goes on to say, he will check on the superintendent's progress later in the week.

CMS translation: Mr. Smith wants the course in as close as possible to "member guest" conditions by next week. I will be monitoring your progress on getting the course ready. Preparing for this event needs to be priority number one.
 

Situation #5

Construction.
The club manager tells the superintendent the board would like to rebuild the front nine bunkers next year but funds are going to be very tight.

CMS translation: Plan on rebuilding the front nine bunkers next year, in-house, using existing staff with a minimum budget.
 

Situation #6

Positive feedback.
The club manager comes down to the maintenance building to find the superintendent. He tells the superintendent he has had a lot of positive feedback on course conditions the past several weeks and wants to pass along the good word.

CMS translation: I have had a lot of good feedback on course conditions and want to let you know. Sometimes our bosses tell us exactly what they mean, no translation required.

In the real world we know the boss-ilator does not exist.

Our bosses, including club managers, may at times try to be politically correct or sugarcoat the message because they do not want to hurt our feelings or want to avoid conflict. As a result, they may use Club Manager Speak which can stand in the way of effective communication. Wouldn't the superintendent in situation #3 have been better off, if the club manager had been more direct and said he had a concern with the way the superintendent and the golf professional were communicating? Or in situation #4, if the club manager had clearly stated his expectations from the beginning on the corporate outing, wouldn't the superintendent have had a better chance of meeting the manager's expectations?

So how can superintendents better deal with club manager speak? Based on my years of experience, here are what I believe to be the keys to success:

• Listen intently to what is being said. Ask as many questions as necessary to ensure you fully understand the message.
   
• Don't be afraid to ask the "next question." This could be the question or situation your boss may be trying to avoid.
   
• Create a relationship of trust and openness with your club manager. Work to make effective communication a mutual priority.
   
• Your manager will be more likely to avoid CMS if you can accept bad news without becoming defensive. The goal is to communicate and fully understand the message. How you and the club manager deal with the message is another issue.
   
• Listen with empathy. It may be easier to understand the message if you look at the situation from the club manager's prospective.
   
• Remember that maintaining effective communication with your club manager or boss is the best way to avoid being surprised down the road.

Hopefully by using this superintendent's guide to club manager speak we will be able to more fully understand what our club managers really man when they communicate with us.

Dennis Lyon, CGCS, is a GCSAA past president with more than three decades of experience and a columnist and contributor to GCI.