Maintenance required

So many of us take our hearts and the way they beat for granted and yet, that muscle, that power, is the physical essence of life. Like the engine of a car, you need your heart working if you want to go anywhere.

During Masters week, I wanted to go to Augusta National Golf Club. Early on Tuesday morning when I got into the vehicle that my colleague, Guy Cipriano, had rented for the drive from Cleveland, Ohio, to Augusta, Georgia, the dashboard was illuminated with the message, “Maintenance Required.” Sensor issue. No big deal. The car was safe and ran well. Off we went.

My first trip to the Masters was a surreal experience — there was so much to take in, so many ideas and actualities to reconcile from what I had read or from what I perceived from television broadcasts. During the second trip, I absorbed more from industry conversations. This time — and I am grateful to have these opportunities — I felt more grounded. I knew what to expect.  

The layout on Wednesday was familiar. The logistics were easy. The patrons walked with a carefree happiness. The food was its normal delicious nourishment. There were aces and echoing roars during the Par 3 Contest. The courses were manicured and beautiful. There was an enthusiastic buzz and omnipresent golf chatter. We saw butterflies, bees and birds. The flowers moved with the breeze and they are so, so gorgeous.

Lee Carr

During the drive south, Guy and I visited Fincastle, a public golf course in Bluefield, Virginia. We spoke with Anthony Phillips, the superintendent, and John O’Neal and Hunter O’Neal, who facilitate operations. I am looking forward to sharing their inspiring story with you.

During the return drive north, we stopped at Carmel Country Club and Quail Hollow Club, both in Charlotte, North Carolina. We met Brannon Goodrich and Keith Wood, respectively, and several team members, all well-spoken and considerate. The properties are stunning. That article is also headed your way.

We met Pablo Barragan Ferreira and Manuel Salado Fernández, two interns at these clubs, both with degrees in agricultural engineering from Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain, and are working on their turf degrees through Penn State. Both are far from home, away from loved ones and making new friends as they strive to maximize their opportunities in the United States.

Smiling and laughing through our time together, their attitude, drive and work ethic were humbling. My sports-loving 12-year-old would describe them as hype. Ballers. He would say they’re taking their shots and breaking ankles. They’re as good as buttery biscuits. I would describe them as cordial, confident and capable. You get the idea.

Lee Carr

The weather turned challenging as we crossed the Appalachian Mountains and received alerts for flash floods and a tornado warning. We listened to golf podcasts. I pondered the questions I could have asked or the comments that would have been more thoughtful.

Full confession: I try, and success is subjective, but there are significant ways I can be better. If I were a golf course, no one would rank me as a top-100 but the team at Augusta National and I do have something in common. We are working to improve. So is the team at Fincastle. So is the team at Carmel Country Club. So is the team at Quail Hollow.

That’s something. Maybe it’s everything. Is the most foundational aspect of a golf maintenance program the desire to improve, followed by the drive that converts that desire into action?

Brad Owen, tenured director of agronomy at Augusta National is retiring. No one would argue that he didn’t strive to enhance that exquisite property and the team he leads in every way. For the members, for the patrons, for the pride of the industry.

That desire to be better, to make changes or consistently refine the product being offered ensures that the core of that offering improves. When you focus on moving forward, setbacks are overcome and quickly behind you. All we can do is try to get better. Maintenance required.

When we visit courses, I appreciate the chance to learn new things, see new places and meet new people. You’re all ballers. Take your shots. Break some ankles. I enjoy speaking with you and I like spending the day at Augusta National, too. It’s joyous, inspiring and full of heart. I love that.  

It’s a place and an event where striving to be the best is a reassuring, familiar constant.  

It’s the Masters.

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