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Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #75 on: April 03, 2015, 01:39:16 PM »

  Giving a member more than "the need to know" is dangerous sooner or later...


  Amen to that shit :D.

  I think this is what JK is saying.

And, who's  to decide what they need to know?  Maybe just one person.  In the case of a private member-owed club, would that the president (dictator).  But, seriously, I disagree 100 percent with Mr. K and maybe with Mr. E.  I'm a member of Carolina GC, where Roger Wolfe, whose post started this, is the GM, and Matt Wharton is the superintendent.  I'm an old guy, in my mid-70's, a retiree.  I enjoy our club very much.  The more I know about it the better -- makes me feel more a part of "the club."  Obviously I have no numbers, but I'd say most of our younger members have much less interest in the details than I do.  Why?  They don't have the time.  A lot of them hardly have time to use the club at all.  I'm not sure why so many of them remain members, frankly.

In any case, I would argue that the more information you get out to your members about your club, the more likely they'll feel "involved" even if they aren't, the more likely they'll be to stick around.  On the other hand, I recognize that not all private clubs are the same and not all models suit everyone.  We're in a small city market that has lots of private club opportunities.  Some are more "open" with their members than others -- so there are choices.  Our model suits me fine.  If there are others who don't like it, they can join other clubs, whose communication and decision-making processes suit them better.  I don't believe a one-size-fits-all approach in the private golf club field would make sense.

By the way, I know of no employee (including our superintendent) or officer of our club who will not take the time to try to personally, face to face, satisfy a member's interest in a club matter.  Of course there may be personnel matters from time to time where confidentiality is probably a better route, but otherwise we seem to be fairly open (on inquiry).
« Last Edit: April 03, 2015, 02:01:42 PM by Carl Johnson »

Jud_T

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #76 on: April 03, 2015, 03:46:54 PM »
Two words-  Dan Lucas
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Chris Cupit

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #77 on: April 03, 2015, 04:19:54 PM »
My superintendenet has a very nice blog.  https://rivermontturfcare.wordpress.com/  It links from our website and the Turf Care section of that site.  No one has to click on the link of course but they should  ;)   

My thought is that like so many other things in the industry, the bar has simply been raised.  What was acceptable in terms of turf standards has improved and what is expected re: communication methods has changed too.  Whether they actually avail themselves of all the ways we try to comminucate or not, we have a diverse Membership and they expect us to reach out in many ways to them.  No biggie  :)

Matt Wharton

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #78 on: April 03, 2015, 04:42:19 PM »
Happy Good Friday Gentlemen!

Sorry I'm a little late to this party, but then again this place can be treacherous for those in my profession  ;).  I must admit a small part of me feels responsible for your hearty debate as I am the superintendent at Mr. Wolfe's club, and it was my blog featured in his post.  At the same time another part of me feels I do not owe any of you any explanation.  The purpose of my writing is simply to keep my membership informed.  Guys like Carl Johnson and Ed Oden (rumor has it Jason Jones is on our waiting list  ;)).  After all it is their club and course and I am merely the entrusted caretaker.  Some may point to the word entrusted and say that is the reason I shouldn't have to tell anyone why.  To that I say if all members, guests, and patrons thought that way the life of a superintendent would be much simpler.  From my experience, I am 46 years old and have been in this business since 1988, I believe folks thinking that way to be the minority. 

I have been a head golf course superintendent since 2002 and superintendent of Carolina Golf Club since 2005.  "Back in the day" we used to have monthly newsletters.  The newsletter provided superintendents an opportunity and a platform to tell our side of the story (no offense to the head golf professional but I prefer you receive important information about course care practices or current conditions from me, just as he or she most likely prefers I do not share with you my theories on the golf swing).  Yes the course is closed for aeration, but why aeration is important can prevent clubs from making ill-fated decisions that lead to curtailing essential agronomic practices.  If a few more members better understand the reasons why, then perhaps the questions that undermine our so called trusted authority would ease.  Like most clubs the printed newsletter is now a thing of the past in this electronic age.  My blog is merely the current form of what has been an evolution of communication with my members over the past decade.  From a printed newsletter, to direct email blasts, now to a blog site I can access at my convenience. 

I started the blog in the fall of 2011, and although viewable to the public the intended audience is my membership.  If a fellow superintendent or member from another club finds the information I share useful or helpful great, but I do not write for that reason.  Two years ago I joined Twitter and have incorporated it into my member communications.  Our world, and the way people communicate is constantly changing and evolving.  Those of you wanting a return to the "good old days" can wax nostalgic watching Mad Men because those days are gone and never coming back.  The sad thing about the bulk of this thread is I believe Mr. Wolfe's original point was missed.  The subject of this thread reads "Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship".  It does NOT say Proud of my Superintendent's Blog.  Roger Wolfe and I are very fortunate to work at a club, and for a membership where we are valued, trusted, and supported.  I think he was merely trying to share our experience, and the way we communicate with our members as an example to others.  He is not saying our way is the only way, but rather if there are issues at your club then perhaps this may work better for you.

Enjoy the Masters next week everyone!!


Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG
Idle Hour CC
Lexington, KY

Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #79 on: April 03, 2015, 05:01:26 PM »
Two words-  Dan Lucas

O.K., I'll bite.

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #80 on: April 03, 2015, 06:13:02 PM »
Two words-  Dan Lucas

O.K., I'll bite.

Dan Lucas is Kingsley. His work is unparalleled. I met him once at a GCSAA convention. Perfect gentleman, which begs the question, why hasn't someone hired him away?

Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #81 on: April 03, 2015, 07:49:57 PM »
Two words-  Dan Lucas

O.K., I'll bite.

Dan Lucas is Kingsley. His work is unparalleled. I met him once at a GCSAA convention. Perfect gentleman, which begs the question, why hasn't someone hired him away?

O.K., again.  Never heard of the guy (which I am sure reflects poorly on me).  So what does he do?  Club GM?  Superintendent?  Golf pro?  How much does he get paid?  Maybe so much that no one else can afford to hire him.  I'm going to try to look this up.  Edit.  Just tried to find Kingsley's 990 on the Foundation Center website.  Didn't come up.  So, maybe the organization's name is different.  Or somehow I screwed up.  (Or Kingsley's not the non-profit club model.)  In any case, I'd assume he's an employee of some sort ("hired him away").  It may well be that the guy is so good he's being paid so much (and loves to live in MI so much) that no one can hire him away.  Understandable, and for that I would commend him.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2015, 07:58:04 PM by Carl Johnson »

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #82 on: April 03, 2015, 08:04:08 PM »
Carl,

Dan Lucas is Kingsley. He may be the one superintendent in the country whose name transcends the course. I couldn't find his bog or I would have provided a link.

Mike_Young

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #83 on: April 03, 2015, 09:19:01 PM »
Matt,
I enjoyed your blog and if you haven't checked out Mark Hoban's blog check it out also.  I now realize your comment regaridng the Membership/Superintendent Relationship as being separate from the blog issue.  I am glad you guys have the relationship you have.  My point comes from being in the business for over 30 years and watching the politics.  And that is where blogs and other written matter to memberships would concern me if I were a supt.  Right now, in the last year I know of two guys that had been good supts for over 20 years and one at a very prominent club in a state south of Georgia where the blog and comments to membership cost him his job.  It was information he had written a couple of years before and was turned on him by a "hired gun" supt that a consulting architect brought in to consult on a renovation.  Most supts know of the guys that seems to always come with certain architects and fire the old guy to being in the "savior".  Well, in this case several of his "written explanations" to membership were strongly disagreed with and used to blame for issues that had to be renovated.  It was all BS but for me it goes to show that a supt has nothing to gain and a lot to lose by explaining to memberships.   I'm mainly speaking of guys working for memberships where the board is elected each year and you have no idea who will be your green chair in three years.  If you work for a developer or an individual then most likely he will cover your butt and you can write as you please.  ( Mark Hoban working Chris Cupit would fit this description) but if you work for a member owned club I would fear writing anything because you never know who will use it against you even if you see nothing in it that can be used.   
P.S.  It's even worse for golf pros.  I saw one fired for removing a kid from a tourney after the other kids caught him dropping a ball.  The pro knew he was gone the day that kid's dad was elected president of the club.  Also every golf pro I have known that was having sexual relations with a member's wife usually ended up being fired once that guy go ton the board.    Blogs can work the same way.   ;D ;D
Have a Happy Easter.
"just standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"

Greg Chambers

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #84 on: April 03, 2015, 10:00:13 PM »
Mike,

The "hired guns" can go fuck themselves.
"It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.”

Mike_Young

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #85 on: April 03, 2015, 10:12:55 PM »
Mike,

The "hired guns" can go fuck themselves.

I think we can all agree on that but it doesn't change the fact that they have cost some good guys their jobs just because the renovation guy had his favorites...
"just standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"

Peter Pallotta

Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #86 on: April 04, 2015, 10:02:27 AM »
Not really part of this (good and informed) discussion, but just an example of various kinds/levels of communications. I checked this morning the web-sites of three public courses (well, semi-privates) close to my home:

Course 1 - "Thanks for checking in with us. We're all anxious to get the season going, but there are still little patches of snow and, more importantly, frost to deal with. We're working hard, and hope to have the driving range and about 6 holes on the front 9 open this coming Friday. Please keep checking in for updates."

Course 2 - "We are offering a special pre-spring rate. You can play select holes on the X and Y nines for $1 per hole - with $1 hot dogs, espressos and hot chocolate available in the club house".

Course 3 - "Status: Course and Driving Range Closed"

So, which of the courses puts on the friendliest and most inviting face?  All else being equal, which do you think I'm most likely to go play in the next 2 weeks or so?

Peter


Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #87 on: April 04, 2015, 01:53:32 PM »
Not really part of this (good and informed) discussion, but just an example of various kinds/levels of communications. I checked this morning the web-sites of three public courses (well, semi-privates) close to my home:

Course 1 - "Thanks for checking in with us. We're all anxious to get the season going, but there are still little patches of snow and, more importantly, frost to deal with. We're working hard, and hope to have the driving range and about 6 holes on the front 9 open this coming Friday. Please keep checking in for updates."

Course 2 - "We are offering a special pre-spring rate. You can play select holes on the X and Y nines for $1 per hole - with $1 hot dogs, espressos and hot chocolate available in the club house".

Course 3 - "Status: Course and Driving Range Closed"

So, which of the courses puts on the friendliest and most inviting face?  All else being equal, which do you think I'm most likely to go play in the next 2 weeks or so?

Peter

I'd say 1 and 2 are equally friendly and inviting.  Not even clear if 3 is still in business!  So, if I were you, I'd choose between 1 and 2, but I'd definitely check back from time to time for updates.

Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #88 on: April 04, 2015, 01:57:52 PM »
. . .  Also every golf pro I have known that was having sexual relations with a member's wife usually ended up being fired once that guy got on the board. . . .

Better for the pro to be fired then than fired at earlier.  ;)

Don Mahaffey

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #89 on: April 04, 2015, 03:10:26 PM »
Not really part of this (good and informed) discussion, but just an example of various kinds/levels of communications. I checked this morning the web-sites of three public courses (well, semi-privates) close to my home:

Course 1 - "Thanks for checking in with us. We're all anxious to get the season going, but there are still little patches of snow and, more importantly, frost to deal with. We're working hard, and hope to have the driving range and about 6 holes on the front 9 open this coming Friday. Please keep checking in for updates."

Course 2 - "We are offering a special pre-spring rate. You can play select holes on the X and Y nines for $1 per hole - with $1 hot dogs, espressos and hot chocolate available in the club house".

Course 3 - "Status: Course and Driving Range Closed"


So, which of the courses puts on the friendliest and most inviting face?  All else being equal, which do you think I'm most likely to go play in the next 2 weeks or so?

Peter


Since all are obviously not ready for golf yet, I'd visit the one with the best latte.
In a month or so when all are open, I'd play the best golf course.

Carl, do you base your purchasing decisions more on advertising or experience?

Edit : I just looked it up on their website, Sandpines golf course is the premier golf course on the Oregon coast!!!!  Look it up for yourself if you don't believe me. 
« Last Edit: April 04, 2015, 04:00:29 PM by Don Mahaffey »

Carl Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #90 on: April 04, 2015, 04:54:32 PM »
. . .

Carl, do you base your purchasing decisions more on advertising or experience?
. . .

Not sure exactly what you're getting at.  Here's a straight answer.  It depends on the situation.  Advertising alone is rarely enough, except if I see a place that advertises packaging tape at a reasonable price and it's nearby and I need packaging tape, the ad would likely lead me to take a shot.  Otherwise, I gather all the information I can from as many sources as I can, taking into account the relative value of my time doing that compared with the value I expect to get out of the purchase.  When I buy a car, which is rare, actually, I spend tons of time researching, etc.  Regarding ads in general -- of course they're all puffing, we know that, and try to factor it in if we pay any attention to the ads at all.  Based on my experience ads for golf courses are right at the top of the puffing category.  The nature of golf courses and the idea of an "experience" lend themselves to that!

Matt Wharton

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #91 on: April 06, 2015, 06:44:27 PM »
Matt,
I enjoyed your blog and if you haven't checked out Mark Hoban's blog check it out also.  I now realize your comment regaridng the Membership/Superintendent Relationship as being separate from the blog issue.  I am glad you guys have the relationship you have.  My point comes from being in the business for over 30 years and watching the politics.  And that is where blogs and other written matter to memberships would concern me if I were a supt.  Right now, in the last year I know of two guys that had been good supts for over 20 years and one at a very prominent club in a state south of Georgia where the blog and comments to membership cost him his job.  It was information he had written a couple of years before and was turned on him by a "hired gun" supt that a consulting architect brought in to consult on a renovation.  Most supts know of the guys that seems to always come with certain architects and fire the old guy to being in the "savior".  Well, in this case several of his "written explanations" to membership were strongly disagreed with and used to blame for issues that had to be renovated.  It was all BS but for me it goes to show that a supt has nothing to gain and a lot to lose by explaining to memberships.   I'm mainly speaking of guys working for memberships where the board is elected each year and you have no idea who will be your green chair in three years.  If you work for a developer or an individual then most likely he will cover your butt and you can write as you please.  ( Mark Hoban working Chris Cupit would fit this description) but if you work for a member owned club I would fear writing anything because you never know who will use it against you even if you see nothing in it that can be used.   
P.S.  It's even worse for golf pros.  I saw one fired for removing a kid from a tourney after the other kids caught him dropping a ball.  The pro knew he was gone the day that kid's dad was elected president of the club.  Also every golf pro I have known that was having sexual relations with a member's wife usually ended up being fired once that guy go ton the board.    Blogs can work the same way.   ;D ;D
Have a Happy Easter.

Mike,

Thanks for the kind words and the perspective on "over sharing".  I believe there is no easy conclusion one can draw today with regards to sharing too much versus too little.  I have heard of more than one superintendent firing in the past four or five years where the "word on the street" was they were poor communicators.  We both know how that can be but I guess some times you're damned if you do and others damned if you don't.

Cheers,
Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG
Idle Hour CC
Lexington, KY

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #92 on: April 06, 2015, 07:36:29 PM »
For your enjoyment. Please note that this was written by an assistant. I should take this time to say that I believe our current Superintendent is the finest any Indiana course has ever seen.


                                                                                            Opening Day

With the recent thunderstorms it is apparent spring is here. This is an exciting time of the year at Victoria National for many reasons:  the course is being prepared, the temperatures are getting warmer, tee sheets are filling up and our first Clam Bake is on April 18th. The winter has been a time for the agronomy team to complete projects such as the mound on number three, tree removal and pruning, refinishing of course accessories and many other tasks that we cannot do during peak golf season. Now that winter is at an end, it is time to switch gears and prepare the course for our membership.

A golf season for the grass is very similar to that of a baseball season for a player. It is a long season that requires dedication, proper management, and hard work. Players are reporting for spring training and starting to push themselves and get into shape for the grueling season that lies ahead. As they prepare for the season, conditioning and fundamentals are the main focus before the much anticipated opening day. Their spring training is very similar to the practices that we will apply to the golf course to prepare it not only for opening day, but also to be able to provide consistent conditions throughout the entire season.

Players are running wind sprints, going through defensive drills and taking batting practice to get ready for their season, and we will be pushing our turf through these drills as well. It is a long season for baseball players and our turf, and there are many things that must be done to ensure that the season is a success.

Batting practice and defensive drills are important and cannot be overlooked, but without proper conditioning it is impossible to maintain championship form for an entire season. A major conditioning drill for us, which is noticeable by all, is aerification. We have performed a spring aerification to reduce the organic matter and to introduce new sand into our soil profile. This is similar to wind sprints in the sense that no one truly enjoys doing them, but without proper conditioning the performance during the grind of a season will suffer. Core aerification and the introduction of new sand promotes healthier root growth and improves water filtration allowing surfaces to drain and firm up quicker after a rain. The removal of organic matter is a major reason for our need to aerify. This layer of thatch holds water during the season and acts as a sponge. Without proper management of this layer, the greens will become soft and hold water throughout the season. This holding of water makes it difficult to provide firm playing conditions and is unhealthy for the plants during the heat of the summer. Water retention in the top layer provides an excellent playground for plant diseases to thrive and can also lead to boiling of the root zone during extreme heat. The more aggressive we are with conditioning and running our wind sprints in the spring, the healthier and stronger the plant will be throughout the season.

The defensive drills are often overlooked by many fans and the fundamentals are not exciting to watch. As many sports enthusiasts know and many coaches have preached "defense wins championships." This is the unexciting and non-flashy part of turf. Our defense is putting together a sound agronomic plan and working on the small things during the off season much like working on properly fielding a grounder. These things include: the proper maintenance of equipment to ensure quality performance every time it leaves the shop, having a safety program to minimize the risk of accidents during work, improvement of the irrigation system to maximize watering efficiency, and the testing of the soil and water to help determine what agronomic steps are needed to maintain championship conditions. We must know not only what we are doing tomorrow but have a plan for the next week, next month, and next year as well. These are the little things that by themselves may seem small but when added together they are major factors of a championship course. Working constantly on the foundations of a solid defense allows us to confidently know that we will be in the championship race.

Next comes batting practice, and for most, it is the most exciting part of a team. Most baseball fans enjoy seeing their team win by hitting home runs instead of sacrifice bunts. Spring preparation includes spring fertilizer, the first mows of the season, spring clean-up of debris, putting out course accessories, changing pins, and everything that is expected and necessary to provide championship conditions. These things are the base foundation to be able to hit the home run. Having a smooth, powerful swing helps with hitting the ball over the fence, but there is daily work required to maintain that. To be able to hit home runs, we must start with the little things on the course and work on the foundation before we start swinging for the fences. As we start mowing and prepping the golf course, we will begin pushing the turf as it gains strength in the spring, for faster greens, firming fairways and thicker rough. These are the home runs that are on the highlight reel and draw the golfers to the course much like fans to the stadium.

There are also the intangibles. In a baseball player, the intangibles are what separate good players from great players and great players from hall of fame players. They are the little details that make a player stand out. These are things that we tackle during the winter months. We have sanded and refinished all of the benches on the golf course. Yardage plaques, tee markers, and ballwashers have received a fresh coat of paint. The shop has been updated and organized to maximize efficiency during the summer. Bunker rakes have been refinished with a clean bright cover. Birdhouses have been straightened and fixed. It is these small details that when paired with everything else makes Victoria National a championship caliber golf course.

As mentioned earlier, it is a long and tiresome season for players and for the turf. A baseball season has 162 regular season games that can wear a player out. Turf has to deal with traffic on a daily basis. According to the USGA an average foursome takes 300 steps on a green. We anticipate over 12,000 rounds of golf this season. This is over 900,000 footsteps over the course of the year on a single green. If maintenance and caddie traffic is included, this number climbs to over a million steps on a green over the course of a season. With this much traffic there are times when it is necessary for the turf to get rest to ensure that it can perform at a high level at the end of the season and during the playoffs. These rest periods will usually be during the summer months when heat is also a major stress on the turf. We can push the green speeds and firmness during the excitement of the spring, when the weather is cool and the turf is able to handle the stress that is associated with such conditions. Like baseball players, to make it through the season and the heat of the summer, it is necessary to give the turf a break. This allows us to push the turf and playing conditions again in the fall as temperatures cool and the grass can handle the stresses required to provide quick and firm greens. This is playoff season and we need to be firing on all cylinders to reach the pinnacle at the end of the season.

Much like putting together a championship baseball team, providing a championship golf course requires great performance from every position. A great offense cannot win consistently without a great defense, and even a great team will not make it through a season without proper conditioning and knowing when to rest.

We hope everyone has a great opening day, and we are excited for the season to begin.

Sincerely,

Gerald Smith
Assistant Superintendent

Roger Wolfe

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #93 on: April 21, 2015, 06:30:04 PM »
For your enjoyment. Please note that this was written by an assistant. I should take this time to say that I believe our current Superintendent is the finest any Indiana course has ever seen.


Hi John,

Haven't been on in a while and my first impulse was to post a smart ass remark like "shouldn't your assistant be sealing your driveway rather than wasting time writing an "Opening Day" post but I changed my mind.  I admire your relentless drive to confront those with whom you disagree head on.  I know some of my most cherished relationships are with folks with whom I constantly banter back and forth with (my superintendent being one of them).  I think I would enjoy having you as a member of my club.  Hit 'em straight!
« Last Edit: April 21, 2015, 07:00:01 PM by Roger Wolfe »

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #94 on: April 21, 2015, 10:05:47 PM »
Roger,

Thanks. I would not have posted the notice if I didn't think it was cute. We live in baseball country and take for granted what it is to attend a World Series thanks to the Cardinals. I'm sure the author of the piece cranked this out on his own time while taking great pleasure in his fond memories of baseball. The timing of it landing in my inbox was precious at least.

i think it is so well written that the author should consider sharing it with other supers to use for their "Opening Day". I wonder what would be a good template for closing day? 

Roger Wolfe

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Proud of my Membership/Superintendent Relationship...
« Reply #95 on: April 21, 2015, 10:30:27 PM »
Found this online which sums it up for me.  Although down here in the Carolinas I would end it with "January."

A Golfer’s Monody, After the First Snowfall

No greens, no tees;
.        No fragrant breeze;

No harmony of happy-hearted birds;
.        No verdure deep;
.        No roaming sheep;

No faithful collies, watchful of their herds;
.        No sunny glade;
.        No woodland shade;

No ferny path beneath the rustling trees;
.        No springy turf;
.        No murmuring surf;

No passing hum of honey-laden bees;
.        No motors fleet;
.        No golfers’ meet;

No lazy caddies lolling day by day;
.        No warning call;
.        No flying ball;

No contest in the fine and friendly fray;
.        No clubs to wield;
.        No drive afield;

No plaudits as the ball, far-driven flies;
.        No close-trimmed lawn;
.        No bunker’s yawn;

No hidden hazards lurking with bad lies;
.        No brassy swift;
.        No niblick’s lift;

No ringing click of iron, clear and clean;
.        No cleek’s true swing;
.        No mashie’s fling;

No careful putt along the velvet green;
.        No Club-nights gay;
.        No moonlit bay;

No dinners marked by mirth and merry jest;
.        No music bright;
.        No dancers light;

No broad verandah thronged with happy guests;
.        No winding walks;
.        No golfers’ talks;

No genuine delight for every member;
.        No matches more;
.        No games galore;
.        No joyous strife;
.        No zest in life;
.                November.

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