Is Microclimate Macrocrap?

[Craig Sweet]

It's funny John but this year we had over 14 days above 100 degrees and over 50 days of 90+ degree temps...and we saw things we haven't seen before with our turf.....and I can tell you, 14 days over 100 degrees is NOT normal for western Montana....if greens died or looked bad, is it the Super or the screwy weather we had? You sound as if you'd blame the Super....

In your situation, what would you have done differently than your super?

[John Kavanaugh]

Dick,

I do not recall ever hearing the excuse of microclimate being used at any course where I am a member.  This is simply an exercise in the general life principles as they reflect on the modern practice of blaming anyone else or thing besides yourself.  My unhappiness is with the nebulous relationship between excuse and reality that spans across more than just golf course maintenance.  The problem finally hit a zenith with East Lake when excuses were formulated about a problem that was found to not exist.

[Craig Sweet]

John, the "problem" at East Lake did exist....the hype coming from the PGA and picked up on by the writers, over did the severity of the "problem".

As someone pointed out, it seemed as if they were afraid the pros might find these marginal conditions (conditions that most muni golfers face everyday) unacceptable....the pros are pampered,  and unfortunately many club members expect the same type of playing conditions as the pros...not to mention a course that will challenge a pro game....

[John Kavanaugh]

John, the "problem" at East Lake did exist....the hype coming from the PGA and picked up on by the writers, over did the severity of the "problem".

I guess you didn't hear the interview of the super on XM 146 before the tournament.  He is giddy over getting to replace his bent grass greens with bermuda so this nonproblem that existed only in the minds of visitors to his club can be never not be a problem again.  Who gets hurt?...Only the members and the GM who refused to fix the problem that wasn't a problem in the first place.

[Craig Sweet]

John...the greens at east lake had suffered from the excessive heat...that much was obvious...how many years has this super been battling this problem?  I bet he faces a major challenge (growing bent grass on his course in that climate) every year and this season it came to a head.  Has this super been pushing his club to do something about this for the last few years? I bet he has...

Supers aren't stupid....mine has been telling the board that our irrigation system is old, brittle and needs to be replaced....but the board see's green grass and says, what's the problem?  They don't know, they don't see, what the super sees and they take for granted the hard work we do to keep the grass alive all summer long...this year we had a weird winter and come spring we had over 60 major breaks in lateral lines, heads, mains....initially, the GM blamed us...he said we didn't blow the line out good enough back in the fall....as this "problem" continued it became obvious that our old system had failed us...and the strange weather had done us in...as the spring went on we documented with physical evidence, photos etc. how this old system had failed...now the board has come around....and our super is happy to think we might get a new system after all....

Is the weird weather an excuse or a reality? is the age of our system an excuse or a reality?

WHAT would you have done differently then your super?

I have asked you this twice...and you avoid the question.

[John Kavanaugh]

I answered your and others question on the Sub Air thread.  Try to keep up.

[A.G._Crockett]

Actually, I don't think the super at East Lake blamed the microclimate for the problems with the greens.  Everyone agrees that those problems are WEATHER-based, i.e. the hottest August ever in Atlanta.

Instead, he used the microclimate to explain the difference in the bent greens at East Lake vs. the bent greens at other clubs relatively nearby that were stressed, but not experiencing comparable levels of problems.  

Whether or not that is a valid excuse/reason for the problems is anybody's guess, but it seems an important distinction.

[Brad Swanson]

Isn't this all Al Gore's fault?  

Yes, if he hadn't invented the internet(s), we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Cheers,
Brad

[Michael_Stachowicz]

I am personally waiting for the next super bashing post from Mr. Kavanaugh, this one is getting old. The unique angles and the amount of pointed anger behind behind the posts has been fascinating.  What is next?

[PGertner]

The arrogance and ignorance of Super bashers like Mr. Kavanaugh is amazing to me.  Just because you may be proficient playing golf and have a lawn at home doesn't mean you know anything about maintaining turfgrass on a golf course.  Especially in Atlanta GA this summer.  

Patrick Gertner
Potowomut Golf Club
East Greenwich, RI

[John Kavanaugh]

The arrogance and ignorance of Super bashers like Mr. Kavanaugh is amazing to me.  Just because you may be proficient playing golf and have a lawn at home doesn't mean you know anything about maintaining turfgrass on a golf course.  Especially in Atlanta GA this summer.  

Patrick Gertner
Potowomut Golf Club
East Greenwich, RI

Patrick,

I appreciate you letting me have it and signing your own name and course.  I just checked Southwest and can get some cheap airfare from RI to Indiana.  Let's set up a time in October that would be good for you and I will fly you in, let you stay in my cabin that has housed other GCAers and you can set me straight over some golf and beers.  I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and learn from supers and can think of no better way than to confront those who I have offended most first.  Matter of fact...bring two other qualified supers who are your friends and we will have an old fashioned turf pow wow.

[John Kavanaugh]

Patrick,

I don't know if you are aware how great the weather and courses are in October in the midwest.  I am positive that every course will be in tip top shape which should make any of my previous comments look like pure stupidity (like they needed help).  Here is our possible agenda:

Fly from RI to St. Louis and play Norwood Hills.  Drive two and one half hourse to Robinson, Il to play Quail Creek..the home of the now defunct Heath Open.  Drive twenty miles to my home town and location of Lawrence County Country Club where we will either play the nine hole course that night or early the next morning.  You and your friends will then have the pleasure of spending the night at lodge Barney overlooking LCCC by yourselves as I will be at my regular homestead.  The following day will consist of the one hour drive to Evansville, In to first play Oak Meadow CC topped of a round at Victoria National.  Fly home either that night or early the next morning.  Five private courses in three states over two days and all I ask is that you teach me what I need to know to better understand the difficulties of your profession the best you can.  A win/win without a doubt.

[Steve Lang]

 

you can use UTM coordinates and easily define microclimates, literally as square meters, north or south of equator



cool   heat island pic for atlanta.. Thermal image of Atlanta, Georgia, blue shows cool temperatures, red warm, and hot areas appear white. Daytime air temperatures were only about 26.7°C (80°F), but some surface temperatures reached 47.8°Celsius (118°F).


p.s. those farts and crap with methane emissions are gonna cost you extra GHG credits!  GHG factors: CO2 x 1, CH4 x 21, & N2O x 310 so that one-ton-a-mara could be huge!!!  

p.s.s.  more rain,snow 20-40 miles from cities more due to condensation nuclei from dust/secondary aerosols from mobile and point source emissions.. ever talked with folks from east vs west side of Cleveland?

[Chris Kane]

Every Scottish town with a prominent golf course has a micro climate.