Oh, I am nobody. I've been here at GCA for awhile. Just a Superintendent who loves excellence, whether its design, construction or maintenance. Real name, not hidden, is Jim DeReuil, I'm on one of those first GCA "Who are you's" lists and I've repeated that in threads elsewhere.
Definitely not an architect or player, though more and more, and now even more, I appreciate what architects do. Have been involved in construction and maintenance for 13 years.
Just tryna understand more.
Want to hit only home runs!
To calibrate my "finest course I've seen" statement, here are some places I have seen: ANGC, Loch Lomond, Turnberry, Western Gailes, Troon. Having had zero expectation may indeed have helped. Also a lack of exposure to high maintenance northern US golf courses may have colored my reaction. For example, being allowed to take divots out of perfect bentgrass is something that went against my nature. It is so forgiving. Like hitting off a springy mat that corrects your fatties and lets your tops actually go somewhere. That is the best surface on earth!
The experience of this site has definitely helped me to tilt the balance of my maintenance slightly more toward firm than green. Its a delicate balance cuz the courses I'm involved with are for profit. Black Sheep showed me that, at least on bentgrass in Chicago, fast, firm and green are possible simultaneously.