Sorry to be away for so long, but you know all that water soaking your golf course (except you poor golfers and greens crews in Texas)? A lot of it is now in my basement. Between bailing, rigging up the generators, and cursing the gods, I’ve been pondering the 2011 season just past and what it had to teach golf course superintendents and golfers alike.

Wait a second. Why am I talking about the end of the season now, when we still have a few months—maybe the best months of the year—left to play?

Because I know that not a lot of you are following the FedEx Cup matches and the march to the Tour Championship. C’mon, be honest. Riveting? Hardly. Pro golf’s last gasp never seems to live up to its own hype—or to the NFL, for that matter.

So with my feet in the water, my head in the clouds, and my TV set turned to anything other than Golf Channel, some observations.

 

Bent or Bermuda?

I’ve done a lot of work in the South the past few months, and everywhere I went I was asked the same question: bent or bermuda? Personally, having grown up in New England, I’m a bentgrass guy. But when it comes to your course, try not to let personal opinions get in the way of good maintenance practices.

If you are trying to make the choice, start by making a list of the pros and cons of each grass before you do anything else. Here are just a few of the things to consider. I’m sure you’ll think of many others:

–Does it fit your environment?

–Does it work for your members?

–Do you have the staff, budget, and expertise to maintain it properly?

–Bentgrass will struggle in the summer.

–Hybrid Bermuda is not the silver bullet; it has its own set of challenges.

One turf isn’t better than the other. They’re just different. One of my keys is to determine which will create the smoothest, healthiest putting surfaces. Whichever you choose, be sure you can maintain it throughout your playing season with minimal disruption of play. Even perfect greens are no good if no one is allowed on them.

 

Water, Water Everywhere

Have you reached field capacity yet? My basement has. The eastern half of the U.S. hasn’t seen this much water in a long time. And as we know all too well, too much water can be as big a problem as not enough.

Moisture affects everything—playing conditions, firmness (I wonder how those clubs that adopted the USGA’s “fast and firm” policy are doing now), pathogens, disease, and so on. And no matter how good you are, it’s hard to get rid of two feet of rain by venting and top dressing.

So keep at it – vent, top dress and apply fungicides in a timely fashion.

 

Don’t Bug Me

Regardless of soil type or turf cultivar, there are going to be nematodes. There are few ways to control them. In my experience, your best friend is a quality test lab. About all you can do is grow healthy turfgrass. (Yeah, I know, there’s a novel concept.) And sometimes that means sticking up to your members.

Only you can know what’s more important at your club—the health of the grass or the desires of the membership. They’re often in conflict, and how you resolve those battles has a direct influence on your career.

Which leads to…

 

UME

Otherwise known as “Unrealistic Member Expectations.”

The one word we’d all like our members to know is “patience.” They need to understand that we’re not miracle workers. Our job is to deal with Mother Nature and given her whimsical nature, it is not an exact science.

My advice is to trust your gut and do what’s best for the long term. And that’s not only when tending to the turf but tending to the members, as well.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Despite all the problems and craziness of the last few months, it’s worth noting that three of the year’s four major championship trophies are in the hands of golfers with Irish lineages. And for someone named Moraghan, that hits the sweet spot.

So here’s hoping some of the luck of the Irish falls upon you, and your course, in the months and years ahead.

Have a great fall!