Crazy Joe's Maintenance Meld

[BCowan]

Ben,


Here's the thing; The case study on an entire golf course wasn't enough to change anyone's mind, so how is a home lawn plot going to get anything but a chuckle? Give me a great old track and a decade and I'll do it again, but the yard idea is silly.


Until a few of the uppity-ups do something this radical, not much will change. In fact, I've been hearing for decades that water availability will be the next big thing....it's sold a lot of new pump stations and a LOT more heads and valves in the name of efficiency, but I have yet to see any real change in the presentation of the golf courses I see...in fact, they're more highly maintained than they ever have been (lower mowing heights don't generally equate to less water requirements). A few golf nerds here and there aren't affecting th industry. But, I'm sure we rankle a few folks, and likely entertain a few others with our romantic notions of what golf could be(again).

Joe,

    The photo below is Brian Laurent's back yard Putter which he graciously let me share.  I think you need to rethink thee Turvf Ranch!  It would be a blast to experiment and take some of the new grasses to the edge! 

[Peter Pallotta]

This thread, way back in 2007, was the genesis/driver for my first ever -- and, sadly, to this day, still only -- golf trip 'abroad', i.e. in this case, the 4-5 hour drive to meet Joe and look at what he'd managed to do with the golf course.

It was well worth it: Joe is a top flight person, and the course was indeed as healthy (in the best, golfing sense of the word) as pictured. And, as a bonus I got to play The Mines, which -- besides a fun and very good golf course -- was a stand alone graduate class in the principles and features of good golf course architecture.

If I remember correctly, the soil/site Joe had to work with was far from ideal, and so there was a lesson in what Joe managed to do: i.e. when necessity and desire and know-how come together with the right goals and understanding as well as with time and with freedom, an excellent and sustainable maintenance meld is achievable, in almost every single case/on every single golf course.

But: all those elements have to be there in order for it to happen. 

[Adam Clayman]

Juxtapose to this. 
 


Hillside in Sidney, Nebraska


The irony here lies in that Sidney is the corporate headquarters for Cabela's (recently bought by Bass Pro Shops) a leader in retail Sport outfitters.

[Don Mahaffey]

Juxtapose to this. 
 


Hillside in Sidney, Nebraska


The irony here lies in that Sidney is the corporate headquarters for Cabela's (recently bought by Bass Pro Shops) a leader in retail Sport outfitters.

Adam, I did the new irrigation system at Hillside golf course in Sidney, NE.
See those hills in the background with all the green native grass? That native grass was almost always tan colored while I was there, and I've been there in three different years.  That pic came after significant rainfall, thus all the green. I can assure you they installed a very "minimalist" type irrigation system.

[Adam Clayman]

Don, I haven't been there in years.


There is so much more wrong with the gca, presentation & maintenance meld, depicted in this picture, than just over watering.


 I sincerely hope you were able to influence them beyond a "minimalist" system. IMO, they were on the road to ruining the unique sense of place, these Nine holes occupy, through tree plantings and long rough. 


I will look forward to stopping by there someday to report on how they're managing your new system.