Pistols at dawn

Historically, when someone was challenged to a duel, “pistols at dawn” was the concise invitation. There were few certainties about what the morning would bring, and so it is for turf team leaders. There’s a good chance the morning won’t go as planned but the noble thing to do — one of the things you do best — is prepare, show up and make an effort.

Steve Rabideau, director of golf courses at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, has a home gym. “I roll out of bed and work out. I shower, make my protein shake, and come to work,” Rabideau says. Breaking a sweat early gives him a few minutes to himself and time to think about the day ahead. When Rabideau arrives, he is mentally and physically prepared to lead.

Taking a more spiritual approach, Patrick Murphy, superintendent at The River Golf Club in North Augusta, South Carolina, feels like you “can’t go wrong with the Bible and a cup of coffee.” A 4:30 a.m. wake-up, K-Cup, 30-minute devotional and a six-minute commute is what has Murphy ready when he hits the grounds.

Morning routines vary as the daylight, seasons and maintenance demands shift. Aaron Giordano, director of grounds operations at the Country Club of Scranton in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, observes some of the property as he drives in. The assistants set up equipment and deliver morning assignments based off the previous evening’s leadership meeting. Interim changes are communicated via phone.

“Last fall, I made a commitment after the ‘busy season’ to wake up my kids for school and spend time with them before work, knowing I will likely be there late and not see them much in the evening,” Giordano says. “This enables my assistants to gain operational experience and further develops their leadership skills through handling routine day-to-day operations.”

At Sutton Bay in Agar, South Dakota, everyone arrives between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. for a quick meeting led by superintendent Kyle Rausch. Preparations for the course begin before 5 a.m. There are no houses nearby and no noise ordinances.

Justin Sudo starts his day with an hour-long commute to work, driving from eastern Ohio to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he is the superintendent at The Kahkwa Club. Sudo uses his time for podcasts, planning, and protein — either a shake or some hard-boiled eggs. In season, this translates to a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call. The ride home is good for decompression.

“My assistant or I run the morning meeting,” Sudo says. “We have two different digital boards. One posts job assignments and upcoming events, run off of Google Docs, and the second board is purely for information.” Designed by Donald Ross, The Kahkwa Club has a large bunker project underway to modernize the course while also restoring some elements of the original design. There is plenty to think about and the long commute is put to good use.

Looking up

Occasionally, something really unusual happens. Sudo once found a car upside down in a pond. Not to worry, the driver was located, fine, and “only swerved to avoid a deer.” Rausch sees jackrabbits, large bullsnakes (over 5 feet long!) and rattlesnakes. Giordano has witnessed bald eagles carrying (and dropping) fish overhead. Murphy and his equipment technician found a body near the maintenance facility that had been murdered across state line. Rabideau has encountered vandalism from humans and extensive damage from several deer who frequent a large park nearby.

Thankfully, severe incidents are uncommon. In any job, your personal safety is paramount so don’t take unnecessary risks. Be especially alert when it’s dark. Be ,wary of any unscheduled early visitors, including former or existing employees. It’s worth reviewing safety precautions and protocol for early emergencies, too, both with your employees and with the administration. Security systems and plans should be reviewed regularly.

Much more common are the beautiful sunrises that are such a sweet blessing for early risers. What complements that? For Sudo, “Having the golf course ready for the day or an event, the conditions being just right, having everyone show up on time, and nothing going wrong so that you can appreciate that sunrise.”

“Breakfast at our shop is pretty fun,” Rausch says. “The first person completing their morning work will cook. It’s almost always eggs, meat and tortillas on a skillet. Everyone pitches in and brings food to share.” With a team of 11 and 154 years of experience among them, Rausch says, “The crew is phenomenal. They are good at diagnosing and fixing problems themselves.”

Like food for the soul, kind words go a long way. During morning meetings, “I will remind our team of established standards and deliver praise to those that make it happen,” Giordano says. “If planned operations need reshuffling due to staff shortages or weather challenges, I’ll guide my assistants towards achieving our operational goals.”

With experience in the military as a munitions systems journeyman in the United States Air Force, “fundamentals engrained throughout basic training aid my abilities to adapt and overcome various obstacles, especially during periods of sleep deprivation,” Giordano says.

Habitually, Murphy arrives on property and heads straight to his office to grab his radio and AirPods. “I used to not allow headphones, but I can’t work unless I have them now,” Murphy says. They enable multitasking and the noise-cancelling feature serves as ear protection. The property has an interesting history as it was literally “an old city dump” and now has million-dollar homes adjacent to it on the banks of the Savannah River.

The area has been revitalized and the club continues to invest. A 19th hole was added with lights. The 18th fairway and green are being worked on and some tees are being renovated. “If you told people in the 1990s that there was going to be a beautiful course here, they wouldn’t have believed it,” Murphy says.

That’s a valuable observation because morning routines can feel monotonous, particularly during mid- to late summer, but it’s important to look up and see the big picture. Use those morning meetings to occasionally communicate where the property has been and where it’s going, short- and long-term.

Whatever motivates your team, from providing an excellent recreational space, to supporting jobs and the economy, to accomplishing something together or developing talent, concatenating work with results is inspiring and energizing. It’s positive leadership. Remind everyone how you are moving from strength to strength.

Face-to-face interactions with the staff are meaningful. Rabideau makes sure to be present with the team every morning, sharing not only what they are doing but also why. He spends time in the office after the meeting while people and equipment get moving, and then heads out with his phone and radios.

Rabideau walks a route covering Winged Foot’s East and West courses for more than two hours every day, to check for pest and disease pressure, review clipping yields and get a feel for the player perspective. In 2023, each course supported more than 20,000 rounds.

“Listen, it’s rare,” Rabideau says. “I can count on one hand the number of times that everything fires on all cylinders. We are calling an audible every day because someone doesn’t show up or something happens. What we do well as superintendents is adjust and adapt.”

Mornings are predictably unpredictable and management styles vary. “Pistols at dawn” is not only an invitation but the name of a rock band, and a cocktail that’s made with bourbon and Ancho Reyes. Though irrigation troubles and staffing issues may feel like constants, times change. Dueling is no longer in vogue, but the sun is still rising every day.

As the daylight is growing short in summer, however you make it through your mornings, we hope some of the best ones are just ahead. Look up. And for the mornings that are less than ideal, Rabideau knows, “the day can only get better. If it gets better, we’re moving in the right direction.”

Lee Carr is a Northeast Ohio-based writer and senior Golf Course Industry contributor.