Report from Lubbock

[Steve Okula]

  "The trend in all of golf is toward faster and faster greens, and this is a young superintendent who can do it."  

Tom,

Do you mean to imply that we old superintendents can't?

[Don_Mahaffey]

Steve,
I will not speak for Tom, but let me tell you about a recent conversation.

I was playing golf with a member from a well-known top 100 club. He was the greens chairman when they hired their present super. Since I aspire to someday care for a course like his, I asked him about the process and what determined the outcome. First thing he said, "We were looking for a young guy who was still on the upside of his career. We didn't interview anyone over the age of 30." Now, keep in mind that this course is in a state where that type of approach is frowned upon by the courts. But, regardless of the legal issues, that is the attitude. And whenever someone is called on it, they will say something politically correct like the guy we hired is young just by coincidence so that's why I used the word . I guess the feeling is that anyone over 30 will not work hard or put in the time, I really don't know, maybe salaries.

[George Pazin]

Don -

Maybe you should have some foreign little league coach work on your birth certificate.

[Don_Mahaffey]

George,
Nah, I don't need a little league coach, not with Mexico so close. The best forgers in North America are only an hours drive away. In fact, maybe I'll go get me a masters degree tonight.

[Joel_Stewart]

Interesting pictures.  Does anyone know about the lale, especially #4.  Is that going to be a par 3 and I was wondering does that face a prevalling wind?

[Tom Doak]

That's why I don't take many pictures of golf courses under construction.  Even I can barely tell what some of the photos are showing, and I just left there a week ago.

Joel, in the two photos showing the lake, that's the par-3 tenth at the left (an Eden-type hole) and the par-5 18th to the right.  The tenth plays northeast, so it's straight downwind a lot of days, and you'll have to land the ball short through the entrance.  On the other hand, the wind quarters into you from the left when there is a north wind, which does happen in the winter months.

They will start planting the first holes finished the week of June 4.  I'll try to post some real pictures of the golf course by September 1.

[Tom Doak]

Steve O:  No offense intended.

An older superintendent might well hold back on making his greens too fast just because the members want it that way.  Most of the younger ones have been brought up to think that's the way it has to be, and don't think twice about how hard the course might be as a result.  I'm hopeful the new man in Lubbock, Eric Johnson, will have the wisdom as well as the ability.

[Paul Turner]

Are those Christmas trees in the photos?

[Steve Okula]

Tom,

No offense taken. This is strictly in the spirit of badinage.

You say that younger supers...

"don't think twice about how hard the course might be as a result."

I wish Eric Johnson the best of luck.

"Don't think twice 'cause it's all right."

Bob Dylan

[Jim_Kennedy]

I've got my new definition of "Architect". If you can walk out on a site like this, look around at all the scrapers, dozers, graders, hoes, piles of dirt, stakes, ribbons, etc.., and you know what the heck is going on?-- by God, You Da Architect!