[Bill McKinley]

If you're a member at a club or just have an opinion on the matter.  What would be one or two of the top traits you would like your superintendent to have?

[JR Potts]

To listen to the professionals, to trust his/her instinct and training, to not listen to the meddling members, to do what's best for the club and to "do no harm".

Sorry, I guess that's five things...

[John Kavanaugh]

Don't wear penny loafers to work and keep your dog out of the bunkers.

While the above may seem to be a joke it is real world advice that I have experienced.

[BHoover]

More than anything else, I would like for him to show that he actually cares. Our club has fallen on tough times, but I get the impression that he really doesn't care, except to collect a paycheck. He's content to over-water and keep the turf soft in order to give the course an emerald green appearance. That's fine, until you actually play it. He won't listen to members begging for firmer conditions, instead he offers only excuses. And yet some members, mostly the long-time members, think he's great.

[Jud_T]

To keep on killing it!

[Neil White]

1) An aversion to water........
2) An aversion to water..............
3) An aversion to water.......................

Our Head Greenkeeper just doesn't know when to stop watering - soft and squidgy - just how he likes it.

Unfortunately.   

Neil.

[Tim Bert]

The only thing I need from the super at my course is for him not to leave and go work somewhere else.  Perfection is hard to find.

[Dale Jackson]

Most of all I want our Super to establish relationships with the membership and explain the challenges in keeping a golf course healthy and why all green is not the best playing surface, nor the healthiest grass.  I want him to make the case for turf winning in the perpetual turf vs trees war that goes on at our course.  I want him to be the advocate for the health of the course.  He has two foremen who know how to grow grass and manage staff, he should focus on educating the membership and looking forward.

[jeffwarne]

First of all he's not "your" Super.

If you think firm and fast is just a matter of turning off the water and that this will be cheaper, well.........wouldn't it be great if it was that simple.


I'd say if one was hiring a superintendant, they'd want to hire one who has best  proven he can produce the desired conditions within the contraints of his given budget.
and then let him do his job

[Mac Plumart]

I love Tim and Jud's answers.

My answer in all honesty is I have no idea.  But I sure love the way Dismal is maintained.

[Ben Sims]

To not listen to 98% of what gets written on this thread.

And to keep doing what he's doing. 

[Mark Saltzman]

First of all he's not "your" Super.

If you think firm and fast is just a matter of turning off the water and that this will be cheaper, well.........wouldn't it be great if it was that simple.

Jeff,

In all honesty, the work of the superintendent is something I know zero about.  No doubt they are among the most under-appreciated persons working at a golf course.

Could you elaborate at all about what goes in to making a golf course firm and fast?  Why is it so difficult?

Thans.

[Ben Sims]

Could you elaborate at all about what goes in to making a golf course firm and fast?  Why is it so difficult?

Thans.

How much time you got?   

Seriously, it's more of a mindset than a set solution.  Each golf course is unique in its challenges.  Irrigation, drainage, soil, turf health and budget.  The mix and mingling of those five are the how and why of golf turf.  Knowing how to manage each to promote the desired condition is 100% of the battle.  

It's not nearly as simple as turning down the water.  

[Chris Johnston]

Knowledge, dedication, loyalty, and a sense of fun.  Sums up Jagger very well.

[Ben Sims]

Chris,

Loyalty to whom?  Loyalty to to the wrong person in a hierarchy could be the worst thing to happen to the end product.  I hope they are a slave to the grass and the conditions and not someone's idea of the grass or conditions that has zero idea what they're talking about. 

[Chris Johnston]

Chris,

Loyalty to whom?  Loyalty to to the wrong person in a hierarchy could be the worst thing to happen to the end product.  I hope they are a slave to the grass and the conditions and not someone's idea of the grass or conditions that has zero idea what they're talking about. 

Ben

Loyalty to the course and the club suit me just fine.  Can't imagine a "wong person" in a heirarchy.  Can you elaborate?

[Bruce Leland]

We have a terrific Super.  One thing that all good Super's that I am acquainted with understand is that they are maintaining Sports turf.

[Ben Sims]

Loyalty to the course and the club suit me just fine.  Can't imagine a "wong person" in a heirarchy.  Can you elaborate?

Chris,

Imagine a super that was loyal to a green's chair that was a tree lover.  All the while, his greens get whacked every summer because there isn't any air circulation and you get shade on half the green for the first three hours of the day.

That's a guy in the super's hierarchy that is hurting the course by having a super that remains loyal to him.

[Chris Johnston]

Loyalty to the course and the club suit me just fine.  Can't imagine a "wong person" in a heirarchy.  Can you elaborate?

Chris,

Imagine a super that was loyal to a green's chair that was a tree lover.  All the while, his greens get whacked every summer because there isn't any air circulation and you get shade on half the green for the first three hours of the day.

That's a guy in the super's hierarchy that is hurting the course by having a super that remains loyal to him.

Interesting.  Using the example, what would you expect/advise the Super do? 

[Ben Sims]

Interesting.  Using the example, what would you expect/advise the Super do? 

Educate the green's chair.  If that doesn't work.  Try to get someone to come in and educate the chair.  If that doesn't work, garner support from those within the club that can educate the green's chair.  If that doesn't work, get ready for battle.  And don't be conciliatory.  The golf course will be better for it.

[JMEvensky]

Interesting.  Using the example, what would you expect/advise the Super do? 

Educate the green's chair.  If that doesn't work.  Try to get someone to come in and educate the chair.  If that doesn't work, garner support from those within the club that can educate the green's chair.  If that doesn't work, get ready for battle.  And don't be conciliatory.  The golf course will be better for it.

In a perfect world,this would happen.Unfortunately,in this world,your hypothetical Super is soon out of a job.

The golf course matters to fewer members than you think.

[Mark Johnson]

its not just the greens chair, its educating the entire greens committee and membership at large.   If the only person with whom the super is interacting is the Greens' chair.   Then the super is setting himself up for failure/confrontation.

A Good super will develop as many allies as possible within the club.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

1. To be a professional
2. To do the best he can
3. To learn and continue to grow as a Super

[Ken Moum]

Work less, but more effectively and enjoy golf more.

Too many of the superintendents I know learn to almost ha the game because of the hours they keep and the stress they put on themselves.  There  is enough stress from outside sources, they don't need to apply it on themselves.

I would also demand that they play golf with a variety of members/golfers to see how their work affected everyone from juniors women and seniors to the best players in the club.  If they didn't i would have the pro shop put them on the tee sheet at least once a week.

In my former life I worked with wildlife conservation officers who never hunted despite loving it before they started working.  When FLSA rules forced them to work a 40-hour week, they almost all started hunting again, and their us-against-them attitude slowly dissolved.

K  

[Bill McKinley]

Thanks for the good comments guys.  Let's stay on point and keep some more opinions coming.  I like to hear them all! 

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