Play more golf (Editorial)

Last month, I traveled to Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina to cover the annual People vs. the Pros event sponsored by BASF. In the 49-and-under division, Retief Goosen played amateur Greg MacGraw, who has a 12 handicap. Goosen won 3-and-2. In the 50-and-over division, Gary McCord (quite the character I must say) played amateur and Staten Island native Doug Johnstone, who has an 8 handicap. McCord won 1-up.

Even though most of the attention was focused on those two matches, I was closely following another one – one that started right before the matches with the professional golfers. It was the Superintendent’s Cup match, which was played on Pinehurst No. 8, the Centennial Course. The match was between Ron Dobosz, golf course superintendent at Ludlow (Mass.) Country Club and Steve Jones, golf course superintendent at Greenville (S.C.) Country Club.

Both won regional qualifier tournaments to advance to Pinehurst. Once there, Dobosz shot 217 after three rounds, and Jones shot 218, to reach the final round. Dobosz, age 35, is a scratch golfer, and Jones, age 54, has a 9 handicap. Jones played better than his handicap and won 2-and-1.

Of the 200 participants in this year’s PvP field, 22 were golf course superintendents – 14 in the 49-and-under division and eight in the 50-and-over division.

This got me thinking: Is it important for superintendents to golf regularly? You know, for the profession. Not every superintendent can be a scratch golfer, but almost all have the ability to play regularly, even though time is an issue. Some superintendents golf a lot, some golf as much as they can, and there are probably more than a handful who don’t golf at all or golf only once or twice a year.

So, do those superintendents who golf regularly make better superintendents than those who don’t?

I’ve met superintendents who entered the profession because they like golf. I’ve met others who entered the business because it runs in the family. Still, I’ve met others who entered the business because farming interests them. No matter what the reasons for entering the business, being able to grow grass amid difficult conditions, manage people well and communicate effectively with others while having business savvy seem to be the biggest areas in which great superintendents separate themselves from the average ones. But does playing golf help separate them from the pack?

I couldn’t help but think those who play regularly might have an advantage because they can relate more to customers or members – the same ones who bitch and moan about course conditions. If superintendents can relate anecdotes about their playing experiences to club members or the golfing public, club members and the golfing public might have a different demeanor when complaining and might think, “OK, this guy golfs and knows what it’s like to be frustrated on the course.”

Do you regularly play the course you maintain?

A superintendent who golfs regularly and knows the game well can use that knowledge when he makes course maintenance decisions. He can also use that knowledge when working with an architect and builder on a renovation or new construction project.

Then again, does a golfing superintendent really have that much of an advantage over one who doesn’t golf? I’m sure there are many competent superintendents who don’t golf or don’t golf very much who are great at their jobs and can defend why there isn’t a need for superintendents to golf to do the job well.

Regardless, let me know. Do you think your peers should be active golfers? Why or why not? Send me an e-mail or visit our message board on the GCN Web site.

And watch Jones and Dobosz play a splendid round of golf Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2. If you can’t watch it then, record or TiVo it, and watch it another time. Even though you know who wins, it will still be fun to see how it happened. Hopefully, it will motivate those of you who don’t golf very often to dust off your clubs and play more rounds of golf.

After all, you’re part of the golf industry that’s encouraging more participation. You can set an example by playing more golf. Remember, more play is better for business, and better business is better for your job.  GCN