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Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Nice practice from our super
« on: August 05, 2012, 05:21:06 PM »
The superintendent at one of my clubs has a blog he regularly updates.  We all appreciate his honesty and helpful remarks.

http://www.ccwoodmoregcm.com/
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2012, 05:57:19 PM »
Nothing like documenting your undocumented workers. Those storm clean up pictures are classics.

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2012, 05:59:46 PM »
John, A super would have to be insane to hire undocumented workers.  The penalties are pretty steep.

Tommy - I really like that blog.  The more people understand WHY something is the way it is, the more likely they are to accept and support it.

Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2012, 10:13:50 AM »
Another excellent example: Our superintendent's blog: http://www.carolinagreenkeeper.blogspot.com/

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2012, 10:46:36 AM »
Another excellent example: Our superintendent's blog: http://www.carolinagreenkeeper.blogspot.com/

Very nice.  Are there other examples out there?
I think it is great way to keep the members informed.  How often have we heard or said, "Why did he do that?" or "Why doesn't he do this?"
Besides these blogs are instructional.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2012, 10:56:57 AM »
Are there other examples out there?

GCAer Chris Tritabaugh's, from Northland CC (Duluth; Donald Ross): http://northlandgrounds.blogspot.com/
"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Anthony_Nysse

  • Karma: +0/-0
« Last Edit: August 06, 2012, 10:58:36 AM by Anthony_Nysse »
Anthony J. Nysse
Director of Golf Courses & Grounds
Apogee Club
Hobe Sound, FL

ChipRoyce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2012, 01:37:54 PM »
Another blog - Prestonwood CC - Cary NC
http://pwccgcm.blogspot.com/

Scott Szabo

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2012, 02:25:06 PM »
Wild Horse - Gothenburg, Nebraska

http://www.playwildhorse.com/superintendant_news/

"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

Tim Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2012, 03:08:40 PM »
Cruden Bay has a blog but doesnt look like it is up to date


http://www.crudenbaylinks.blogspot.ca/[/url]

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2012, 07:11:07 PM »
I find these blogs extremely informative and fun to read.  It is interesting to here the different challenges in the various climates. Kudos to all the supers who take the time to do this.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2012, 07:58:12 PM »
Does any single dues paying member in the world believe that creating these blogs is the best use of a supers time?  Hey, how about waiting until every thing is perfeect then reporting rather than giving us a place to find your excuses?  I would fire the first road building superintendent who took time to blog about why he couldn't build a road to specification. People who use roads or play golf want results not excuses.

At most 5% of members read these things.

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2012, 08:36:26 PM »
John - I believe that these blogs are a great use of a super's time.  And I'm betting my club's "read rate" is around 30%, not 5%.


John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2012, 09:01:24 PM »
John - I believe that these blogs are a great use of a super's time.  And I'm betting my club's "read rate" is around 30%, not 5%.



Where I am a member we are lucky if 30% of our members even show up to play.

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2012, 09:15:51 PM »
Does any single dues paying member in the world believe that creating these blogs is the best use of a supers time?  Hey, how about waiting until every thing is perfeect then reporting rather than giving us a place to find your excuses?  I would fire the first road building superintendent who took time to blog about why he couldn't build a road to specification. People who use roads or play golf want results not excuses.

At most 5% of members read these things.

John, like you I belong to a few clubs.  This is the only club that has a blog.  At Musgrove Mill if I have a question I just ask Will, our super and he gives me a straight answer.  He doesn't need to blog.  At another club getting answers about the course is like getting the IRS to lower my taxes.  It makes the members crazy.  The GM protects him as does the chair of the Green Committee.  He is insulated. I am ready to quit the club because of certain maintenance issues.  Finally after months of fruitless discussions, the super emailed the members.  How much easier it would have been if would have owned up to his screwup.  All we wanted were a few answers. 

A few years ago Woodmore lost a number of its fairways.  After the super found out why, he put it in his blog and said that it was a learning experience for him.  The problem was some kind of bug that had not been a problem in years past.  He said it wouldn't happen again and it hasn't.  I can tell you that a lot of the guys read his blog and his relationship with the members is wonderful.  I wish my parishioners loved me as much as they do him.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super New
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2012, 09:17:49 PM »
Does any single dues paying member in the world believe that creating these blogs is the best use of a supers time?  Hey, how about waiting until every thing is perfeect then reporting rather than giving us a place to find your excuses?  I would fire the first road building superintendent who took time to blog about why he couldn't build a road to specification. People who use roads or play golf want results not excuses.

At most 5% of members read these things.

Well, yes I do.  And, in fact, I pay dues.  At our club our superintendent (see posting above for Carolina GC) has a record of how many people click in.  I cannot tell you if he knows they are members, or randoms, but I think he's said the percentage is closer to 15 to 20% than 5%.  In any case, if that sort of connection is what you're looking for, what about the multiplier effect?  Club golfer A reads the posts, but his foursome members, B, C and D don't.  However, in the course of a round, A passes on some of the information from the blog to B, C and D, they take it in, and it is appreciated.  Please take it from me, this happens and it is meaningful.

Now, John, you may be kidding.  I don't know your persona on this site well enough to tell.  Assuming you are serious, your post begs the question of "what is the best use of a superintendent's time?"  A good question for another day.

Wait until it's perfect?  That will never happen.  (Why am I even bothering with this?)  I regard the superintendent as a part of the club team who, along with the rest of the staff and members, is working hard to provide the best golf club experience for everyone.  I also regard communication, among all involved, as critical to the success of a club.  Our super is out there for hours on the course, working and directing.  Given the vagaries of local conditions, the weather (GW or not), keeping nature in check is not a perfect, far from it, science.  I believe that to come to the computer periodically and communicate is well worth his time. Not the least, in communicating with others I believe it should help him formuate, consolidate and evaluate his opinions about what he is doing "on the ground."  Self-assessment.  It helps to put it "on paper, on the record." Personally, it helps me as a member -- and, I truely believe - through the multiplier effect or directly, others, to enjoy and appreciate their golf club experience much better than otherwise.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2012, 07:14:35 AM by Carl Johnson »

Howard Riefs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2012, 09:46:13 PM »
Super at a local muni (Langford) has a blog he updates sporatically. Most helpful were the posts on the course's recovery after it flooded last summer:

http://wgcsuperintendent.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-09-02T11:08:00-05:00&max-results=7

"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Anthony_Nysse

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Nice practice from our super
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2012, 07:05:14 AM »
Considering that a majority of our membership is season and up north currently, our blog has been a great way to keep them informed about the projects that we take one over the summer, ESPECIALLY during the renovation. They enjoy seeing the weekly progress and allows them to be confortable with what they are going see upon their arrival in the fall. We average 300-400 views per blog post. Are all of them members> I doubt it. Some are members of other clubs, members of GCA and other Superintendents.
  In this day and age, I do not think getting enough information out there to a membership will every be a bad thing. So much of the desire to know what Superintendents do has incresed over the last 5-10 years as Superindents are much more in the Spotlight at PGA Events and also are USALLY head of the largest Operational budget at club. Our blog has been very well received at Pine Tree.
Anthony J. Nysse
Director of Golf Courses & Grounds
Apogee Club
Hobe Sound, FL

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