USGA Summit at Tulsa Country Club ... brown is not the new green

[Craig Van Egmond]

The USGA recently held a small summit at Tulsa Country Club, here is one of the highlights...

"One of the most interesting parts of the informal get-together was a video link discussion with agronomy expert Jim Moore, who now serves as the director of the USGA Green Section Education Program. Moore began by admitting that the USGA had probably made a public relations blunder with its earlier slogan Brown is the new Green. Firm and Fast is the new mantra used to describe how inevitably measures across the country to save money and conserve water are going to result in courses not using wall-to-wall irrigation and not providing lush conditions as far as the eye can see.

"This is the worst week of the year for superintendents," he said from his office in drought-stricken Texas. "Everybody watches The Masters and figures that's how their course should look."

Moore said courses built in the past 30 years have been too long, too hard and not sustainable in that there are too many bunkers and too much maintained turf. He said many courses will need to be redesigned in the next 30 years to save on water, chemicals, fertilizers and most importantly, labor."

[Ronald Montesano]

Wait, he says "blunder" then doesn't say why it was a blunder? That whole quote makes no sense.

[John Kavanaugh]

"This is the worst week of the year for superintendents," he said from his office in drought-stricken Texas. "Everybody watches The Masters and figures that's how their course should look."


No we don't and until Supers respect us members for not being so stupid we will not respect them.  I do not know a single golfer who does not understand that they are not a member of Augusta.  This is why Supers do idiotic things like buy big blowing fans and overwater.  They think they know what we want. 

[Greg Tallman]

"This is the worst week of the year for superintendents," he said from his office in drought-stricken Texas. "Everybody watches The Masters and figures that's how their course should look."


No we don't and until Supers respect us members for not being so stupid we will not respect them.  I do not know a single golfer who does not understand that they are not a member of Augusta.  This is why Supers do idiotic things like buy big blowing fans and overwater.  They think they know what we want. 

John, you are the minority I assure you and to assume that your thoughts are consistent with more than a few percent of club members throughout the country is naive... at best.

[John Kavanaugh]

"This is the worst week of the year for superintendents," he said from his office in drought-stricken Texas. "Everybody watches The Masters and figures that's how their course should look."


No we don't and until Supers respect us members for not being so stupid we will not respect them.  I do not know a single golfer who does not understand that they are not a member of Augusta.  This is why Supers do idiotic things like buy big blowing fans and overwater.  They think they know what we want. 

John, you are the minority I assure you and to assume that your thoughts are consistent with more than a few percent of club members throughout the country is naive... at best.

Greg,

I'm sure you hang around a ton of Supers.  What percentage thinks that their clientele is stupid?  Do you think it is a coincidence that the best Supers are the ones who respect their members. 

I'll do an experiment tomorrow and ask all my golfing buddies if they expect our course to be conditioned as well as Augusta.  The first guy that says yes will be excluded from my company until he comes around.  I really don't have time to be friends with that kind of idiot.

[SL_Solow]

Barney;  Hope all is well.  First, I think you overstate the case.  Nobody suggests that members expect their course to be exactly like Augusta.  But Augusta is set up as the ideal and expectations are raised to try and approach that level.  Second, have you ever served as a Greens chairman?  I have for many years and you would be amazed at the questions/requests/demands that you receive from members.  As you know we had a truly outstanding greenkeeper for 47 years and we still had problems of this type.  They continue with his successor, an outstanding young man.  Finally, I work with greenkeepers throughout the Chicago area.  As a rule they are respectful of their members and realistic about the level of knowledge regarding agronomy.  I try to stay away from architecture as many of the greenkeepers have some strange ideas in that regard.  While I agree that some of the fellows are better in dealing with their members than others due to interpersonal and communication skills, that difference among peers in communication skills is consistent with my experience in other fields.  The base concern is that most members equate good conditions with a lush green look coupled with fast greens that will "hold" an approach shot.  They rarely make allowance for climatic conditions, in part I suppose, because they are paying dues and want the course to be in great shape anytime they are ready to play.  They also want their course to be in "better condition" than the one that their buddy belongs to in the vicinity.

[Greg Tallman]

"This is the worst week of the year for superintendents," he said from his office in drought-stricken Texas. "Everybody watches The Masters and figures that's how their course should look."


No we don't and until Supers respect us members for not being so stupid we will not respect them.  I do not know a single golfer who does not understand that they are not a member of Augusta.  This is why Supers do idiotic things like buy big blowing fans and overwater.  They think they know what we want. 

John, you are the minority I assure you and to assume that your thoughts are consistent with more than a few percent of club members throughout the country is naive... at best.

Greg,

I'm sure you hang around a ton of Supers.  What percentage thinks that their clientele is stupid?  Do you think it is a coincidence that the best Supers are the ones who respect their members. 

I'll do an experiment tomorrow and ask all my golfing buddies if they expect our course to be conditioned as well as Augusta.  The first guy that says yes will be excluded from my company until he comes around.  I really don't have time to be friends with that kind of idiot.

John,

We have had this argument before.

So you contend that if you prepare your course to be firm and fast and more than likely a bit "off color" in some areas that the majority of your membership would be happy and fully understand? If only all clubs were thyat way. you are a a lucky guy to hang out at a club full of such purists.

By the way what makes you so cetain that I would hang out with a bunch of supers?

[Aaron McMaster]

"This is the worst week of the year for superintendents," he said from his office in drought-stricken Texas. "Everybody watches The Masters and figures that's how their course should look."


No we don't and until Supers respect us members for not being so stupid we will not respect them.  I do not know a single golfer who does not understand that they are not a member of Augusta.  This is why Supers do idiotic things like buy big blowing fans and overwater.  They think they know what we want. 

John your entire statement eludes to how little you know about agronomy, maintaining a golf course and assuming that this small quote was the entire statement he made.....make no mistake I respect my members as great people but I would not let them run my agronomy program and I wouldn't let you take care of my lawn....stick to whatever you do for a living, since I know it's not anything to do with golf.

[Tim Gavrich]

Which came first, defensive supers or over-expectant/overzealous members?