How important do you think it is....

[TEPaul]

.....that a golf course's superintendent play his course? Regularly, sometimes, never? And if so why?

I think it's important. And I'll tell you something else> Do you all know Fishers Island's excellent superintendent Donnie Beck? Well, Donnie has developed this interesting method of the degrees of firm and fast he puts on the course, and amazingly it all revolves around the amount of fish he catches! A low catch produces a course that's kinda slow and a really high catch (this is sophisticatedly annualized, by the way!) produces really firm and fast conditions.

If I was his green chairman, I'd entertain the idea of making him stop fishing and play the course at least twice a week. That could be a bit tricky and dangerous, though, and if higher degrees of firm and fast were getting compromised I'd tell him to forget about playing the course and go fishing more!

Oh, and also, do you think it's important that a course's super gets out and plays other courses? That might be sort of a logistical nightmare for Donnie, though!  

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

What was Seth Raynor's opinion on this ?

[gookin]

When I became green chairman, I asked Dave Carson how often he played our course.  His answer was every morning.  I guess if I spent more time on the course at 6:00 am I would know that.  I guess Dave agree's with you.

[TEPaul]

"TEPaul,
What was Seth Raynor's opinion on this?"

Pat:

I really do have to teach you everything, don't I? Seth Raynor preferred a slide-rule over golf clubs and golf balls!

[TEPaul]

If the superintendent is just super busy all the time at the very least I'd encourage him to keep a putter, a wedge and a few golf balls in his cart at all times.

[A_Clay_Man]

Tom, I'm not sure if dictating a super's down time, is proper. So, if the golf is included in his expected time at work, that might work. Otherwise, if the super does his job and doesn't want to golf the course, as often as you say, he then should show less resistance to the reccommendations, of those who do.

[ForkaB]

If less than 10-15 times/year (at least one of which should be from the tips, under competitive conditions), the club and the super are not doing their job, IMHO.

Ideally, they should be full members of the club during their tenure, but that's another subject.....

[TEPaul]

Adam:

What are you talking about? It's not only vitally important, it's completely necessary that the Green Chairman control what the superintendent does every waking and sleeping moment. If some wonker comes and asks the super's daughter to marry him he must first ask the green chairman for the super's daughter's hand and pay the Green Chairman a pretty damn handsome dowery too!

There's no other way and if you try to say that any time, night or day, the super has free to think his own thoughts and do his own thing I can only tell you that you've completely lost your mind!

This has nothing to do with freedom of thought or freedom or action---this has everything to do with total control!!!

[A_Clay_Man]

Ok, Tom, I've read you long enough to know that was total tounge in cheek. But, I specifically didn't limit myself by just using the green chairman as an example, because not every course has one, or is every super answerable to one. Believe it or not.

So, all I have too add, is... that he should be made to walk it, too.