Consulting Superintendents

[Patrick_Mucci]

Architects are free to walk away from a golf course once it's completed.

Superintendents must stay and maintain that which has been created.

What advice would you, the SUPERINTENDENT have given the architect/s who designed your golf course, that would have made your maintainance tasks easier ?

[S. Huffstutler]

I'm sure that the designer of my little piece had no idea how many rounds would eventually cross his small creation, but I would have asked not to cut corners on the irrigation system, bigger tees and somewhere to drive except on the turf.

steve

[Steve Curry]

Pat,

I have often heard superintendent's complaining about the challenges of maintaining a design.  I believe owners/members should be made aware of the ramifications of challenging design features.  If these are clearly defined then the super should have no complaints just ample budget, equipment and staff to afford the design proper care.

Steve

[Don_Mahaffey]

The advice I would give to architects is to try and convince the client to bring on the supt as early as possible so he can give some input. I can't say whether input from the supt would be welcomed from every design firm, but a supt familiar with the local environment can help make sure the irrigation spacing is tightened up a little on south facing slopes or extra drainage is added in areas where he knows from experience he will probably be adding it later. An experience super should be able to help make the golf course easier and less expensive to maintain without compromising any design features. Getting it wrong during construction is expensive. I personally have dug into two almost brand new greens where the tile was crushed during construction because the crew was careless and there wasn't enough supervision.
Lots of pictures of the irrigation and drainage before covering is also helpful. The list is endless.

Specifically on my course I would have tried to convine Graves to remove more trees. Much of my rough is choked by tress and I have at least a half dozen that are way to close to greens. I also would have tried to have a lot better irrigation design, although in fairness to Graves that may not have been his call.

[Phil_the_Author]

This is an interesting question. When the Kingsbarns Golf Club in Scotland was being built it was done with both superintendents having full input and a great deal of responsibility.

The great Walter Woods who became a legend at St. Andrews and who, since his retirement, has served as a consultant for the European PGA Tour, was deeply involved in all aspects of Kingsbarns, from soil samples to locating top soil to ordering grass plugs and more.

Stuart McColm was the on-site manager for Southern Golf who was contracted to perform the coure construction and he stayed on becoming the superintendent.

They both know and understand and dune, fairway roll, grass and pathway. This is the ideal situation. I'm wondering how often this might actually happen where the superintendent comes from the constructors?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Is consulting with the superintendent during the design and construction stage a rare occurance, or is it becoming more common ?

If courses are going to go the organic route, does his input become more valueable ?